IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE WITH ANTENNA
First Claim
1. An implantable medical device for use in a patient management system, said medical device comprising:
- a sensor capable of measuring a body characteristic and generating a data signal describing the measurement;
a processor configured to analyze the data signal and configured to identify one or more significant events that warrant attention for the well-being of a patient;
a first communications unit comprising a first wireless transmitter/receiver capable of establishing a first communications link with a host computer using an external local transmitter/receiver unit, when said first wireless transmitter/receiver unit is within a short-range telemetry communication range of said local transmitter/receiver unit, to deliver at least notification of the one or more significant events to said host computer using said first communications link; and
a second communications unit comprising a second wireless transmitter/receiver unit capable of establishing a second communications link with said host computer over a pervasive wireless communications network to deliver at least notification of the one or more significant events to said host computer over said second communications linkan antenna operatively connected to both the first and second communications unit.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable medical device for use in a patient management system is described including a sensor, a processor, and a first communications unit. The first communications unit can deliver notification of significant events to a host computer using a short-range telemetry first communications link. A second communications unit can deliver notification of the significant events to the host computer over a second communications link, which is over a pervasive wireless communications network, such as a cell phone network. The device includes an antenna that is operatively connected to both the first and second communications units.
99 Citations
22 Claims
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1. An implantable medical device for use in a patient management system, said medical device comprising:
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a sensor capable of measuring a body characteristic and generating a data signal describing the measurement; a processor configured to analyze the data signal and configured to identify one or more significant events that warrant attention for the well-being of a patient; a first communications unit comprising a first wireless transmitter/receiver capable of establishing a first communications link with a host computer using an external local transmitter/receiver unit, when said first wireless transmitter/receiver unit is within a short-range telemetry communication range of said local transmitter/receiver unit, to deliver at least notification of the one or more significant events to said host computer using said first communications link; and a second communications unit comprising a second wireless transmitter/receiver unit capable of establishing a second communications link with said host computer over a pervasive wireless communications network to deliver at least notification of the one or more significant events to said host computer over said second communications link an antenna operatively connected to both the first and second communications unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of telemetry between an implantable medical device used in a patient management system and a host computer, comprising:
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providing an implantable medical device comprising a sensor and an antenna; measuring a body characteristic using the sensor and generating a data signal that describes the measurement; analyzing the data signal and identifying one or more significant events that merit attention; wirelessly transmitting over the antenna by a first communication unit from the implantable medical device to an external local transmitter/receiver unit in the host computer over a first communications link, when said implantable medical device is within a short-range telemetry communication range of said local transmitter/receiver unit, to deliver at least notification of the one or more significant events to said host computer using said first communications link; and when said implantable medical device is out of range of the local transmitter/receiver unit, wirelessly transmitting over the antenna notification of the one or more significant events from the implantable medical device to the host computer by a second communications unit over a pervasive wireless communications network. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification