IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE

• US 20090312821A1
• Filed: 05/28/2009
• Published: 12/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biotronik SE & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Biotronik VI Patent AG (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Inventors: DOERR, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,818,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Implantable medical device (10) having control unit (20) connected to bidirectional wireless interface (18) and magnetic interface (16). Bidirectional wireless interface configured for bidirectional wireless data transmission via alternating electric field between medical device and an external device and may assume at least one OFF and one ON state, whereby wireless data transmission is possible only in ON state and function interface requires little or no energy in OFF state. Magnetic interface configured to constantly receive control signals transmitted via an alternating magnetic field from the external device. Magnetic interface configured to receive/process a data transmission start signal, such that magnetic interface or control unit generates a wireless interface activation. The bidirectional wireless interface is at least indirectly connected to the magnetic interface and is configured to switch from OFF to ON state in response to the wireless interface activation signal.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device (10), comprising:

a bidirectional wireless interface (18);

a magnetic interface (16);

a control unit (20) connected to the bidirectional wireless interface (18) wherein the control unit (20) is further connected to the magnetic interface (16);

wherein the bidirectional wireless interface (18) is configured to transmit data bidirectionally and wirelessly via an alternating electric field between the implantable medical device and an external device;

wherein the bidirectional wireless interface (18) may assume at least one OFF state and one ON state, such that wireless data transmission is possible only in the one ON state and wherein the bidirectional wireless interface (18) in the at least one OFF state requires less energy than the one ON state or no energy;

wherein the magnetic interface (16) is configured to receive control signals transmitted via an alternating magnetic field from the external device;

wherein the magnetic interface (16) is further configured to receive a data transmission start signal and to process the data transmission start signal, such that the magnetic interface (16) or the control unit (20) generates a wireless interface activation signal in response to reception of the data transmission start signal;

wherein the bidirectional wireless interface (18) is connected at least indirectly to the magnetic interface (16); and

,

wherein the bidirectional wireless interface (18) is configured to switch from the at least one OFF state to the one ON state in response to the wireless interface activation signal.

2. The implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic interface (16) or the control unit (20) is configured to generate the wireless interface activation signal after the data transmission start signal is received only if the data transmission start signal received via the magnetic interface contains a device-specific identifier for a specific implantable medical device.

3. The implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device is configured to receive the data transmission start signal that contains a wireless channel identifier via the magnetic interface (16) and to process the data transmission start signal such that the wireless channel identifier is decoded and then the bidirectional wireless interface is configured to transmit data in a transmission signal identified by the wireless channel identifier.

4. The implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device is configured to transmit a wireless transmission start signal via the bidirectional wireless interface immediately after activation of the bidirectional wireless interface, such that said wireless transmission start signal can be received by the external device and initiates a bidirectional data communication.

5. The implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device is configured so that after activation of the bidirectional wireless interface due to reception of the data transmission start signal and of the wireless interface activation signal generated thereupon, the implantable medical device waits for reception of a data packet over the bidirectional wireless interface before the implantable medical device sends the data packet over the bidirectional wireless interface.

6. The implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device is configured so that the bidirectional wireless interface is activated and/or deactivated with a control command received by the magnetic interface.

7. The implantable medical device according to claim 2, wherein the implantable medical device is configured to

extract a response time identifier from the data transmission start signal;

extract the device-specific identifier; and

,

generate the wireless interface activation signal only when a response time defined by the response time identifier has been reached.

13. A system for bidirectional data transmission between an implantable medical device according to claim 1 and an external device comprising:

a second bidirectional wireless interface configured to transmit data via an alternating electromagnetic field between the external device and the implantable medical device; and

,

an inductive transmission unit configured to transmit the data transmission start signal to the implantable medical device via an alternating magnetic field.

8. An external device comprising:

a second bidirectional wireless interface configured to transmit data via an alternating electromagnetic field between the external device and an implantable medical device; and

,

an inductive transmission unit configured to transmit a data transmission start signal to the implantable medical device via an alternating magnetic field.

9. The external device according to claim 8, wherein the external device is configured to generate the data transmission start signal for transmission over the inductive transmission unit, wherein said data transmission start signal contains a device identifier which identifies the implantable medical device unambiguously.

10. The external device according to claim 8, wherein the external device is configured to generate the data transmission start signal that contains a wireless channel identifier that identifies a transmission channel or frequency range to be used for bidirectional data transmission over the second bidirectional wireless interface.

11. The external device according to claim 10, wherein the external device is configured to:

first check available transmission channels before the external device generates the data transmission start signal that contains the wireless channel identifier of the transmission channel or frequency to be used, in order to ascertain a free transmission channel with as little interference as possible; and

,

add the wireless channel identifier of the free transmission channel with least interference to the data transmission start signal to be transmitted.

12. The external device according to claim 11, wherein the external device is configured to generate the data transmission start signal that contains a response time identifier which determines a point in time at which the implantable medical device activates a first wireless transmission interface in the implantable medical device.

14. A method for initiating a bidirectional data transmission between an implantable medical device having a magnetic interface and a first wireless interface and an external device having an inductive transmission unit and a second wireless interface, wherein

transmitting a data transmission start signal from the inductive transmission unit to the magnetic interface;

and,

switching the second wireless interface in the implantable medical device to an activated state.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising:

searching for a free transmission channel via the external device before transmitting the data transmission start signal; and

,

adding a wireless channel identifier of the free transmission channel to the data transmission start signal.