INTERLEAVING POWER AND DATA IN A TRANSCUTANEOUS COMMUNICATIONS LINK

• US 20090216296A1
• Filed: 02/23/2009
• Published: 08/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Meskens, Werner
• Granted Patent: US 9,889,307 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/57
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0541 Cochlear electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36036 of the outer, middle or inner ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

The present invention is related to an implantable medical device. The medical device comprises an implantable component having a receiver unit; an external charging module having a power transmitter unit; and a data module having a data transmitter unit. The units are configured to establish a transcutaneous communication link over which data and power is transmitted on a single frequency channel via a time interleaving scheme comprising successive frames each divided into at least two time slots, and wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the data transmitter unit, and wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the power transmitter unit, and wherein data and power are transmitted by the transmitter units during their allotted time slots.

Claims

1. A cochlear implant comprising:

an implantable component having an electrode assembly insertable in a recipient'"'"'s cochlea and a stimulator/receiver unit configured to deliver stimulation signals to the recipient'"'"'s cochlea via the electrode assembly;

an external charging module having a power transmitter unit; and

a data module having a data transmitter unit;

wherein the units are configured to establish a transcutaneous communication link over which data and power is transmitted on a single frequency channel via a time interleaving scheme comprising successive frames each divided into at least two time slots, and wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the data transmitter unit, and wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the power transmitter unit, and wherein data and power are transmitted by the transmitter units during their allotted time slots.

2. The cochlear implant of claim 1, wherein each of the units comprises a magnetic induction coil, and wherein the transcutaneous communication link comprises a magnetic induction link.

3. The cochlear implant of claim 1, wherein the one or more time slots in each frame are allocated to the power transmitter unit and the data transmitter unit prior to transmitted power and data over the transcutaneous communication link.

4. The cochlear implant of claim 3, wherein the power transmitter unit is configured to verify that a time slot allocated thereto is unoccupied prior to transmitting power within the time slot.

5. The cochlear implant of claim 1, wherein the one or more time slots in each frame are allocated to the power transmitter unit and the data transmitter unit in real-time.

6. The cochlear implant of claim 1, wherein the power transmitter unit includes a data receiver configured to receive data transmitted by the data transmitter unit, and wherein the received data is used by the power transmitter unit to synchronize transmission of power into the one or more time slots allocated to the power transmitter unit.

7. The cochlear implant of claim 1, wherein the data module is an external device.

8. The cochlear implant of claim 7, wherein the data module comprises:

a microphone to receive a sound and to convert the sound into electrical signals, and wherein the data transmitter unit is configured to transmit the electrical signals output by the microphone to the implantable component in the one or more time slots allocated thereto.

9. The cochlear implant of claim 7, wherein the data module comprises:

a microphone to receive a sound and to convert the sound into electrical signals; and

a sound processor configured to convert the electrical signals into encoded data signals, wherein the data transmitter unit is configured to transmit the encoded data signals to the implantable component in the one or more time slots allocated thereto.

10. The cochlear implant of claim 1, wherein the implantable component further comprises a transceiver unit configured to transmit data, the transceiver unit forming a component of the transcutaneous communication link, and wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the transceiver unit, and wherein data is transmitted by the transceiver unit during the time slots allotted thereto.

11. The cochlear implant of claim 1, wherein the charging module comprises:

a housing having a power source, the power transmitter unit therein;

a coil attached to the exterior of the housing; and

a magnet configured to attach the charging module to the recipient via magnetic coupling with a magnet in the implantable component.

12. The cochlear implant of claim 11, wherein the charging module comprises:

a housing having a power source and the power transmitter unit therein;

a coil connected to the power transmitter unit via a cable, the coil having a magnet attached thereto to couple the coil to the recipient via magnetic coupling with a magnet in the implantable device.

13. The cochlear implant of claim 1, further comprising:

a second implantable component.

14. The cochlear implant of claim 13, wherein the second implantable component comprises a transceiver unit configured to transmit data, the transceiver unit forming a component of the transcutaneous communication link, and wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the transceiver unit, and wherein data is transmitted by the transceiver unit during the time slots allotted thereto.

15. A method of wireless communication in a medical device comprising an implantable component having a receiver unit, an external charging module having a power transmitter unit, and a data module having a data transmitter unit, the method comprising:

transmitting data from the data transmitter unit to the receiver unit via a transcutaneous communication link implementing a time interleaving scheme comprising successive time frames each divided into at least two time slots, wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the data transmitter unit, and wherein the data is transmitted during the one or more time slots allocated thereto; and

transmitting power from the power transmitter unit to the receiver unit via the transcutaneous communication link, wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the data transmitter unit, and wherein the data is transmitted during the one or more time slots allocated thereto.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

transmitting the power and data via magnetic induction link.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

allocating one or more time slots in each frame to the power transmitter unit and the data transmitter unit prior to transmitting the power and data over the transcutaneous communication link.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the power transmitter unit comprises a data receiver to receive data transmitted by the data transmitter unit, and wherein the method further comprises:

synchronizing the transmission of power into the one or more time slots allocated to the power transmitter unit based on the data received by the data receiver.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

verifying by the power transmitter unit that a time slot allocated thereto is unoccupied prior to transmitting power within the time slot.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

allocating the one or more time slots in each frame to the power transmitter unit and the data transmitter unit in real-time.

21. A medical device comprising:

an implantable component having a receiver unit;

an external charging module having a power transmitter unit; and

a data module having a data transmitter unit;

wherein the units are configured to establish a transcutaneous communication link over which data and power is transmitted on a single frequency channel via a time interleaving scheme comprising successive frames each divided into at least two time slots, and wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the data transmitter unit, and wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the power transmitter unit, and wherein data and power are transmitted by the transmitter units during their allotted time slots.

22. The medical device of claim 21, wherein each of the units comprises a magnetic induction coil, and wherein the transcutaneous communication link comprises a magnetic induction link.

23. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the one or more time slots in each frame are allocated to the power transmitter unit and the data transmitter unit prior to transmitted power and data over the transcutaneous communication link.

24. The medical device of claim 23, wherein the power transmitter unit is configured to verify that a time slot allocated thereto is unoccupied prior to transmitting power within the time slot.

25. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the one or more time slots in each frame are allocated to the power transmitter unit and the data transmitter unit in real-time.

26. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the power transmitter unit includes a data receiver configured to receive data transmitted by the data transmitter unit, and wherein the received data is used by the power transmitter unit to synchronize transmission of power into the one or more time slots allocated to the power transmitter unit.

27. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the data module is an external device.

28. The medical device of claim 27, wherein the data module comprises:

a microphone to receive a sound and to convert the sound into electrical signals, and wherein the data transmitter unit is configured to transmit the electrical signals output by the microphone to the implantable component in the one or more time slots allocated thereto.

29. The medical device of claim 27, wherein the data module comprises:

a microphone to receive a sound and to convert the sound into electrical signals; and

a sound processor configured to convert the electrical signals into encoded data signals, wherein the data transmitter unit is configured to transmit the encoded data signals to the implantable component in the one or more time slots allocated thereto.

30. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the implantable component further comprises a transceiver unit configured to transmit data, the transceiver unit forming a component of the transcutaneous communication link, and wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the transceiver unit, and wherein data is transmitted by the transceiver unit during the time slots allotted thereto.

31. The medical device of claim 21, wherein the charging module comprises:

a housing having a power source, the power transmitter unit therein;

a coil attached to the exterior of the housing; and

a magnet configured to attach the charging module to the recipient via magnetic coupling with a magnet in the implantable component.

32. The medical device of claim 31, wherein the charging module comprises:

a housing having a power source and the power transmitter unit therein;

a coil connected to the power transmitter unit via a cable, the coil having a magnet attached thereto to couple the coil to the recipient via magnetic coupling with a magnet in the implantable device.

33. The medical device of claim 21, further comprising:

a second implantable component.

34. The medical device of claim 33, wherein the second implantable component comprises a transceiver unit configured to transmit data, the transceiver unit forming a component of the transcutaneous communication link, and wherein one or more of the time slots in each frame is allocated to the transceiver unit, and wherein data is transmitted by the transceiver unit during the time slots allotted thereto.