COMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR COMMUNICATING WITH A BIO-MEDICAL UNIT

• US 20110077715A1
• Filed: 05/26/2010
• Published: 03/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: ROFOUGARAN, AHMADREZA (REZA)
• Granted Patent: US 8,923,967 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 6/00 Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis; Apparatus or devices for radiation diagnosis combined with radiation therapy equipment instruments measuring radiation intensity for application in the field of nuclear medicine, e.g. in vivo counting, G01T1/161; apparatus for taking X-ray photographs G03B42/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0009 involving or responsive to electricity, magnetism or acoustic waves; Galenical aspects of sonophoresis, iontophoresis, electroporation or electroosmosis microelectromechanical systems A61K9/0097
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2037/0007 having means for enhancing the permeation of substances through the epidermis, e.g. using suction or depression, electric or magnetic fields, sound waves or chemical agents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3507 with implanted devices, e.g. external control
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3592 using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 31/002 Devices for releasing a drug at a continuous and controlled rate for a prolonged period of time artificial gland structures or devices A61F2/022; intra-uterine contraceptive devices A61F6/14; tampons for introducing into the vagina A61F13/20, A61L15/00; suppositories or bougies for intra-vaginal or intra-uterine application A61K9/02; physical forms of medicinal preparations for sustained or differential drug release A61K9/20, A61K9/50
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 37/00 Other apparatus for introducing media into the body for reproduction or fertilisation A61B17/425; apparatus for iontophoresis or cataphoresis A61N1/30; Percutany, i.e. introducing medicines into the body by diffusion through the skin salt baths A61H33/04
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/325 for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body electrodes for external use A61N1/0428
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/002 in combination with another treatment
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/65 stored on portable record carriers, e.g. on smartcards, RFID tags or CD
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/13 delivered from dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/17 delivered via infusion or injection
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A bio-medical communication system includes a bio-medical unit and a communication device. The bio-medical unit is implantable in and/or affixable to a host body and includes a power harvesting module, a communication module, and a functional module. The communication device is operable to: set-up a communication with the bio-medical unit; wirelessly communicate the at least one of upstream data signal and downstream data signal with the bio-medical unit; convert the upstream data signal into an upstream wide area network (WAN) signal and/or a downstream WAN signal into the downstream data signal; and transmit or receive at least one of the upstream and downstream WAN signals.

Claims

1. A bio-medical communication system comprises:

a bio-medical unit implantable in, or affixable to, a host body, wherein the bio-medical unit includes;

a power harvesting module operable to produce a supply voltage from a received electromagnetic power signal;

a communication module powered by the supply voltage, wherein the communication module is operable to wirelessly communicate at least one of an upstream data signal and a downstream data signal; and

a functional module operable to;

perform a bio-medical function to produce upstream data of the upstream data signal; and

process downstream data of the downstream data signal; and

a communication device operable to;

set-up a communication with the bio-medical unit;

wirelessly communicate the at least one of upstream data signal and downstream data signal with the bio-medical unit;

convert at least one of;

the upstream data signal into an upstream wide area network (WAN) signal; and

a downstream WAN signal into the downstream data signal; and

transmit or receive at least one of the upstream and downstream WAN signals.

2. The bio-medical communication system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further operable to set-up the communication by:

sending a signal to an electromagnetic device to request the electromagnetic device to generate the electromagnetic power signal.

3. The bio-medical communication system of claim 1, wherein communication device further comprises:

an electromagnetic device to generate the electromagnetic power signal as part of the set-up of the communication.

4. The bio-medical communication system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further operable to:

receive the downstream WAN signal;

convert the downstream WAN signal into a downstream signal;

interpret the downstream signal to determine that the communication with the bio-medical unit is to be set-up; and

set-up the communication with the bio-medical unit in accordance with the downstream signal.

5. The bio-medical communication system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further operable to:

transmit the upstream WAN signal to a remote monitoring device, wherein the upstream data includes at least one of;

a digital image, a radio frequency based radar image, an ultrasound image, tissue sample information, and measurement information.

6. The bio-medical communication system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further operable to:

transmit the upstream WAN signal to a remote diagnostic device, wherein the upstream data includes bio-medical diagnostic information; and

receive the downstream WAN signal from the remote diagnostic device, wherein the downstream data includes a treatment function request.

7. The bio-medical communication system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further operable to:

receive the downstream WAN signal from the remote control device, wherein the downstream data includes a micro electro-mechanical function request.

8. The bio-medical communication system of claim 1, wherein the communication device is further operable to:

transmit the upstream WAN signal to a medical record storage device, wherein the upstream data includes bio-medical data; and

receive the downstream WAN signal from the medical record storage device, wherein the downstream data includes a access information to the bio-medical data.

9. The bio-medical communication system of claim 1 further comprises:

a plurality of bio-medical units that includes the bio-medical unit, wherein the communication device sets up a direct communication local area network with the plurality of bio-medical units.

10. The bio-medical communication system of claim 1 further comprises:

a plurality of bio-medical units that includes the bio-medical unit, wherein the communication device sets up an indirect communication local area network with the plurality of bio-medical units, wherein at least one of the plurality of bio-medical units functions as an access point for the indirect communication local area network.

11. A communication device comprises:

a wireless transceiver module operable to;

communicate at least one of upstream data signal and downstream data signal with a bio-medical unit that is implanted on, or affixed to, a host body; and

communicate at least one of an upstream wide area network (WAN) signal and a downstream WAN signal;

a processing module operable to;

set-up the communication of the at least one of the upstream and downstream data signals with the bio-medical unit;

facilitate conversion of the upstream data signal into the upstream WAN signal; and

facilitate conversion of the downstream WAN signal into the downstream data signal.

12. The communication device of claim 11 further comprises:

the processing module generating a request for generation of an electromagnetic signal that the bio-medical unit uses to generate a supply voltage; and

the wireless transceiver module transmitting a wireless signal containing the request to an electromagnetic device.

13. The communication device of claim 11 further comprises:

an electromagnetic device to generate an electromagnetic power signal that the bio-medical unit uses to generate a supply voltage.

14. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the wireless transceiver module is further operable to:

transmit the upstream WAN signal to a remote monitoring device, wherein the upstream data includes at least one of;

a digital image, a radio frequency based radar image, an ultrasound image, tissue sample information, and measurement information.

15. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the wireless transceiver module is further operable to:

transmit the upstream WAN signal to a remote diagnostic device, wherein the upstream data includes bio-medical diagnostic information; and

receive the downstream WAN signal from the remote diagnostic device, wherein the downstream data includes a treatment function request.

16. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the wireless transceiver module is further operable to:

receive the downstream WAN signal from the remote control device, wherein the downstream data includes a micro electro-mechanical function request.

17. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the wireless transceiver module is further operable to:

transmit the upstream WAN signal to a medical record storage device, wherein the upstream data includes bio-medical data; and

receive the downstream WAN signal from the medical record storage device, wherein the downstream data includes a access information to the bio-medical data.

18. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the wireless transceiver module comprises:

a first wireless transceiver for communicating the at least one of upstream data signal and downstream data signal with the bio-medical unit; and

a second wireless transceiver for communicating the at least one of the upstream and the downstream WAN signal.