ON-DEMAND RETRANSMISSION OF DATA WITH AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20090048646A1
• Filed: 10/24/2008
• Published: 02/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Bocek, Thm, Rawat, Prashant, Katoozi, Mehdi, Vanderlinde, Scott, Cowan, Ken, Rutzer, Mark
• Granted Patent: US 8,676,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37254 Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

This document discloses, among other things, a telemetry system for requesting and receiving redundant data. A synchronization frame transmitted by an external device includes an echo code. The implantable device responds to the synchronization frame by sending real time data and echo data selected as a function of the echo code.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a series of synchronization signals during a communication sequence, wherein each synchronization signal includes an echo code, wherein the echo code corresponds to a request for a number of duplicate data units to be sent in response to detecting an error in a data unit received during the same uninterrupted communication sequence; and

for each synchronization signal, receiving a new data unit and receiving the number of requested duplicate data units from an implantable medical device (IMD), wherein the number is selected using a value of the echo code, and wherein a duplicate data unit corresponds to a data unit previously transmitted by the IMD during the same uninterrupted communication sequence.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting includes transmitting a far field radio frequency signal.

3. The method of claim 1, further including rendering an image on a display using a received new data unit and any received duplicate data units.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each duplicate data unit corresponds to a previously transmitted new data unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the echo code includes a two bit value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the number is selected from the group of 0, 1 and 2.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the new data unit and receiving the number of duplicate data units includes receiving the new data unit before receiving the number of duplicate data units.

8. The method of claim 1, further including generating an error code based on the received new data unit and the number of duplicate data units.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the echo code is selected as a function of the error code.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the echo code corresponds to a request for greater than zero duplicate data units.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the echo code is remotely selectable.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a data unit may be transmitted multiple times as a duplicate data unit during the same communication sequence.

13. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate wirelessly with an IMD;

a processor communicatively coupled to the transceiver, wherein the processor is configured to;

detect an error in a data unit received from the IMD;

transmit via the transceiver, during a communication sequence, a series of synchronization signals wherein each synchronization signal includes an echo code, wherein the echo code corresponds to a request for a number of duplicate data units to be sent in response to detecting the error in the data unit received during the same uninterrupted communication sequence; and

receive via the transceiver, for each synchronization signal, a new data unit and the number of requested duplicate data units from the IMD, wherein the number of duplicate data units corresponds to a value of the echo code, and wherein a duplicate data unit corresponds to a data unit previously transmitted by the IMD during the same uninterrupted communication sequence.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to request that a data unit is transmitted multiple times as a duplicate data unit during the same communication sequence.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, including a display communicatively coupled to the processor, and wherein the processor is configured to render an image on the display using a received new data unit and any received duplicate data units.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to display at least of electrogram data and marker data using the duplicate data units.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein a data unit includes multiple bytes of at least one of electrogram data and marker data.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to generate an error code based on the received new data unit and the number of duplicate data units.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to generate the echo code based on the generated error code.

20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein processor is configured to generate the echo code according to a requested data redundancy level entered by a user.