RF TELEMETRY LINK QUALITY ASSESSMENT SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20100168819A1
• Filed: 03/10/2010
• Published: 07/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Scott Freeberg
• Original Assignee: Scott Freeberg
• Inventors: Freeberg, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,812,127 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• 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: H04B 17/345 Interference values signal-to-interference ratio [SIR] or carrier-to-interference ratio [CIR] H04B17/336
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/04 TPC

Abstract

A system comprises an implantable medical device (IMD), a external user interface device, and a radio frequency link quality assessment (LQA) device. The external user interface device and the IMD are adapted to potentially use one or more of a plurality of available wireless communication channels to communicate. The LQA device is positioned to receive a radio frequency communication between the IMD and the external user interface device. At least one of the IMD, the external user interface device, and the LQA device is adapted to evaluate signal and noise strength of the available channels to determine respective signal and noise levels for each channel by using the noise level for the target channel and interference potential for corresponding adjacent channels to the target channel as inputs to a function to provide a value for a LQA for the target channel, and select a preferred communication channel based on the LQA value for each of the available wireless communication channels.

Claims

1. A system, comprising at least one of:

(1) an implantable medical device (IMD);

(2) an external user interface device, adapted to be wirelessly coupled to the IMD, so as to be capable of using one or more of a plurality of available wireless communication channels to communicate; and

(3) a radio frequency link quality assessment (LQA) device adapted to receive a radio frequency communication between the implantable medical device and the external user interface device;

wherein the at least one of the IMD, the external user interface device, and the LQA device is adapted to;

evaluate at least one of noise strength and signal strength of identified target channels and channels adjacent to the target channels to determine the noise level of a target channel and interference potential of the adjacent channels as inputs to a function to provide a value for a LQA for the target channel; and

select a preferred communication channel from among the identified target channels based on the LQA value of the target channels.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the external user interface device is adapted to request the IMD to evaluate signal and noise strength of available wireless communication channels potentially used to communicate between the IMD and the external user interface device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the IMD, the external user interface device, and the LQA device is adapted to select, as the preferred communication channel, a candidate communication channel having both a relatively low noise level and adjacent channels with relatively low noise levels.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one of the IMD, the external user interface device, and the LQA device is adapted to evaluate signal and noise strength of the available channels by evaluating each available successive wireless communication channel potentially used to communicate between the IMD and the external user interface device.

5. A system, comprising:

an implantable medical device (IMD); and

a external user interface device wirelessly coupled to the IMD;

wherein at least one of the IMD and the external user interface device is adapted to;

evaluate at least one of noise strength and signal strength of available wireless communication channels potentially used to communicate between the IMD and the external user interface device, wherein the evaluation includes, for each channel analyzed as a target channel, using the noise level for the target channel and interference potential for corresponding adjacent channels to the target channel as inputs to a function to provide a value for a LQA for the target channel; and

select a preferred communication channel based on the LQA value for each of the plurality of available wireless communication channels.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the IMD is adapted to proactively evaluate signal and noise strength of at least a portion of the available channels, and adapted to telemeter data regarding the evaluated channels to the external user interface device.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the external user interface device is adapted to request the IMD to evaluate a particular frequency.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the IMD and the external user interface device is adapted to select, as the preferred communication channel, a candidate communication channel having both a relatively low noise level and adjacent channels with relatively low noise levels.

9. A system, comprising:

an implantable medical device (IMD);

a external user interface device wirelessly coupled to the IMD; and

a radio frequency link quality assessment (LQA) device adapted to receive a radio frequency communication between the implantable medical device and the external user interface device, the radio frequency LQA device including;

an antenna;

a communication circuit electrically connected to the antenna, the communication circuit adapted to receive wireless communication between the implantable medical device and the external user interface device;

a processor electrically connected to the communication circuit, the processor adapted to execute embedded instructions to evaluate at least one of signal strength and noise strength of available wireless communication channels potentially used to communicate between the IMD and the external user interface device, wherein the evaluation includes, for each channel analyzed as a target channel, using the noise level for the target channel and interference potential for corresponding adjacent channels to the target channel as inputs to a function to provide a value for a LQA for the target channel; and

a memory electrically connected to the processor, the memory adapted to store the embedded instructions, measurements of individual channels and results of evaluation.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the IMD includes a cardiac rhythm management device.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the radio frequency LQA device includes a handheld device.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the radio frequency LQA device is adapted to receive a request for an alternative communication channel from the IMD.

13. The system of claim 9,

wherein the memory is adapted to store the signal and noise levels, and

wherein the processor is adapted to:

determine an interference potential on channels adjacent to the available channels, and

evaluate each of the plurality of channels using noise levels for a target channel and interference potential for at least two channels adjacent the target channel.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is adapted to recommend the communication channel based on a lowest sum of the noise level for the target center channel plus a largest noise level for corresponding adjacent channels to the target channel.

15. The system of claim 9,

wherein the memory is adapted to store the noise levels, and

wherein the processor is configured to compare noise levels for the adjacent channels to the target channels and select highest of the noise levels to represent interference potential for the target channel.

16. A system, comprising:

an implantable medical device; and

a external user interface device wirelessly coupled to the implantable medical device, the external user interface device including;

an antenna;

a communication circuit electrically connected to the antenna, the communication circuit adapted to wirelessly communicate with the implantable medical device;

a processor electrically connected to the communication circuit, the processor adapted to execute embedded instructions to evaluate at least one of signal strength and noise strength of available wireless communication channels potentially used to communicate between the IMD and the external user interface device, wherein the evaluation includes, for each channel analyzed as a target channel, using the noise level for the target channel and interference potential for corresponding adjacent channels to the target channel as inputs to a function to provide a value for a LQA for the target channel; and

a memory electrically connected to the processor, the memory adapted to store the embedded instructions, measurements of individual channels and results of evaluation.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the communication circuit includes a transceiver.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the communication circuit includes a transmitter and a receiver.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the receiver is adapted to scan at least a portion of available wireless communication channels to measure noise level when a link between the IMD and the external user interface device is not in use.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the receiver is adapted to continue to scan until the external user interface device is commanded to resume an existing telemetry session or establish a new telemetry session.