RF ACTIVATED AIMD TELEMETRY TRANSCEIVER

• US 20100185263A1
• Filed: 03/08/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Greatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Greatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
• Inventors: Frysz, Christine A., Stevenson, Robert A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,895 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/90 Identification means for patients or instruments, e.g. tags
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 90/98 using electromagnetic means, e.g. transponders
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 19/07749 the record carrier being capable of non-contact communication, e.g. constructional details of the antenna of a non-contact smart card

Abstract

A telemetry wake-up circuit is electrically disposed between a telemetry transceiver associated with an AIMD, and an RF tag. The RF tag may be remotely interrogated to generate a signal to which the telemetry wake-up circuit is responsive to switch the telemetry transceiver from a sleep mode to an active telemetry mode. In the sleep mode, the telemetry transceiver draws less than 25,000 nanoamperes from the AIMD, and preferably less than 500 nanoamperes.

Claims

1. An RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver, comprising:

a telemetry transceiver associated with an AIMD, having an active telemetry mode wherein the telemetry transceiver is powered by the AIMD, and a sleep mode;

a passive RF tag associated with the telemetry transceiver; and

a telemetry wake-up circuit electrically disposed between the telemetry transceiver and the RF tag, the telemetry wake-up circuit responsive to a signal from the RF tag to place the telemetry transceiver into the active telemetry mode.

2. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 1, wherein the RF tag comprises a passive RF chip and an antenna.

3. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 2, wherein the RF chip comprises a passive RFID chip.

4. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 2, wherein the RF chip is activated by a remote source.

5. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 4, wherein the remote source comprises an RF transmitter.

7. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 4, wherein the signal from the RF tag to place the telemetry transceiver in the active telemetry mode is generated in response to activation of the RF chip.

8. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 7, wherein the telemetry transceiver draws less than 25,000 nanoamperes from the AIMD during the telemetry transceiver'"'"'s sleep mode.

9. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 8, wherein the telemetry transceiver draws less than 500 nanoamperes from the AIMD during the telemetry transceiver'"'"'s sleep mode.

10. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 1 or 9, wherein the telemetry wake-up circuit comprises a microelectronic switch.

11. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 10, wherein the microelectronic switch comprises:

a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) switch, a field effect transistor (FET) switch, a metal oxide substrate field effect transistor (MOSFET) switch, a microelectronic mechanical switch (MEMS), a unijunction transistor switch, a silicon-controlled rectifier (SCR) switch, a PIN diode switch, a P-N junction transistor switch, a P-N-P transistor switch, or a N-P-N junction switch.

12. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 1 or 7, including a timing circuit for switching the telemetry transceiver from the active telemetry mode to the sleep mode.

13. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 10, wherein the timing circuit is re-set responsive to the signal from the RF tag to place the telemetry transceiver into the active telemetry mode.

14. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 1 or 7, wherein the telemetry transceiver includes a sleep mode circuit responsive to a signal from the RF tag or a remote RF or inductive low frequency magnetic coupling source, for switching the telemetry transceiver from the active telemetry mode to the sleep mode.

15. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 1, wherein the telemetry transceiver, in the active telemetry mode, communicates with a remote RF or inductive low frequency magnetic coupling source.

16. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 15, wherein the remote RF or inductive low frequency magnetic coupling source comprises an AIMD programmer.

17. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 2, wherein the RF chip includes at least four terminals.

18. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 2 or 17, wherein the antenna comprises a biocompatible antenna.

19. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 18, wherein the RF chip is disposed within a hermetic package.

20. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 19, wherein the RFID tag is disposed within a header block of the AIMD.

21. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 18, wherein the hermetic package comprises a housing for the AIMD.

22. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 21, wherein the antenna is disposed external of the hermetic package.

23. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 5, wherein the RF transmitter is associated with an AIMD programmer.

24. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 23, wherein the RF transmitter is disposed within or tethered to the AIMD programmer.

6. The RF activated AIMD telemetry transceiver of claim 6, wherein the remote source comprises an RFID reader/interrogator.