DEVICE FOR GENERATING A SIGNAL AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING OPERATION OF THE SAME

• US 20090102518A1
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IntroMedic, Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: IntroMedic, Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Jung, Han, Kim, Byung Hyuk, Kim, Kwang Seop, Seo, Young Dae, Hwang, Jung Jin, Shim, Han Bo, Cho, Won Woo, Kim, Yong Un
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,211 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 327/100
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/26 Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof for memories G11C
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/28 Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for generating a signal and method for controlling operation of the same. The present invention provides a device for generating a signal, which includes an electrode (110), if connected to an external power source (200), supplied with a voltage from the external power source (200), a signal generating unit (130) having a plurality of terminals, the signal generating unit (130) deciding whether to operate the device according to a size of a voltage applied to a first terminal among a plurality of the terminals, the signal generating unit (130) outputting a prescribed signal according to the decision, and a control circuit (120), if the electrode (110) is connected to a plurality of the terminals, controlling a voltage applied to a plurality of the terminals. Accordingly, the present invention is able to control whether to operate a signal generating device (100) using an external power source (200).

Claims

1. A device for generating a signal, comprising:

an electrode, if connected to an external power source, supplied with a voltage from the external power source;

a signal generating unit having a plurality of terminals, the signal generating unit deciding whether to operate the device according to a size of a voltage applied to a first terminal among a plurality of the terminals, the signal generating unit outputting a prescribed signal according to the decision; and

a control circuit, if the electrode is connected to a plurality of the terminals, controlling a voltage applied to a plurality of the terminals.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the device is a capsule type medical device.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode is provided to one portion of a periphery of the signal generating device.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrode comprises at least two electrodes.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first terminal is supplied with either a voltage over a reference voltage or a voltage below the reference voltage according to a presence or non-presence of a voltage application by the external power source.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the control circuit controls the first terminal to be supplied with the voltage over the reference voltage according to the voltage application by the external power source.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the signal generating unit decides whether to operate the device according to whether the voltage over the reference voltage is applied to the first terminal.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal generating unit outputs the signal via a second terminal among a plurality of the terminals.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the outputted signal is externally outputted via the control circuit and the electrode.

10. A method of controlling an operation of a signal generating device, comprising:

a step (a) of if an external power source is connected, receiving a voltage from the external power source;

a step (b) of if the voltage is received from the external power source, applying a voltage to a prescribed terminal provided to the signal generating device; and

a step (C) of deciding whether to operate the signal generating device according to a size of the voltage applied to the prescribed terminal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein in the step (b), the voltage over a reference voltage is applied to the prescribed terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein in the step (c), it is decided not to operate the signal generating device if the voltage over the reference voltage is applied to the prescribed terminal.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

disconnecting the external power source from the signal generating device; and

applying the voltage below the reference voltage to the prescribed terminal if the external power source is disconnected.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein in the step (c), it is decided to operate the signal generating device if the voltage below the reference voltage is applied to the prescribed terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the steps of:

generating a prescribed signal from the signal generating device according to the decision;

outputting the signal via a prescribed terminal provided to the signal generating device; and

externally outputting the signal via the electrode provided to the signal generating device to be supplied with a voltage from the external power source.