COMMUNICATION WITH AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE DURING IMPLANTATION

• US 20110160801A1
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Published: 06/30/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Cinbis, Can, Markowitz, H. Toby
• Granted Patent: US 8,942,818 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2034/2053 Tracking an applied voltage gradient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0271 using a remote monitoring unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37241 providing test stimulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators

Abstract

A system and method are described for delivering an implantable medical device in a patient and through a catheter. The delivery catheter comprises telemetry means for communicatively coupling the implantable medical device with an external instrumentation during implantation.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device delivery system comprising:

an elongate catheter body having a proximal end and a distal end;

a first telemetry coupling member located near the distal end of the catheter body;

a feed line coupled to the telemetry coupling member; and

an implantable medical device detachably coupled to the distal end of the catheter body, wherein the first telemetry coupling member is communicatively coupled to a second telemetry coupling member of the implantable medical device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second telemetry coupling members comprise antennas.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a conductor that extends along a length of the catheter body from the proximal end of the catheter body to the distal end of the catheter body adjacent to the implantable medical device, wherein a first portion of the conductor forms the feed line and a second portion of the conductor forms the antenna of the first telemetry coupling member.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second telemetry coupling members comprise transducers that convert electrical signals to nonelectrical signals.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second telemetry coupling members comprise one or more electrical contacts that electrically couple the feed line and the implantable medical device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second telemetry coupling members comprise one or more capacitive members that capacitively couple electrical signals between the feed line and the implantable medical device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the feed line comprises an optical cable and the first and second telemetry coupling members optically couple signals between the feed line and the implantable medical device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second telemetry coupling members each include at least two electrodes that conductively couple signals on the feed line and the implantable medical device.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external device coupled to the feed line at the proximal end of the catheter body, the external device communicatively coupled to the implantable medical device via the first and second telemetry coupling members.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the implantable medical device comprises circuitry to receive a communication signal from the external device and to perform an action in response to the communication signal.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the action comprises one of enabling power, changing power, disabling power, changing operating mode, changing operating parameters, changing telemetry mode, changing communication signal frequency, connecting circuitry, disconnecting circuitry, sending a communication, and testing suitability for implant.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the external device provides power to the implantable medical device to power at least a portion of the components of the implantable medical device.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the external device is coupled to at least one body electrode on a patient, the external device communicating a signal through the patient between the at least one body electrode and one of the first and second telemetry coupling members.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the external device or the implantable medical device measures a quality of the communication signal through the patient between the at least one body electrode and one of the first and second telemetry coupling members.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the external device reports the communication signal quality to a user of the external device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein, the external device predicts the communication signal quality of communication with the implantable medical device after implantation based upon the measured communication signal quality.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the implantable medical device or the external device sequentially communicates via one of a plurality of communication frequencies.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein, either the external device or the implantable medical device selects a communication frequency based on the measured signal qualities.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device is a leadless implantable medical device.

20. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a conductor extending from the implantable medical device;

an electrode coupled to the conductor;

an external device; and

a control line detachably coupled to the conductor to electrically couple the external device to the electrode.

21. A method of communicating between an external device and an implantable medical device comprising:

carrying a communication signal via a feed line that extends between the external device and a first telemetry coupling member located within a delivery catheter; and

communicatively coupling the communication signal between the first telemetry coupling member of the delivery catheter and a second telemetry coupling member of the implantable medical device that is detachably coupled to the delivery catheter.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein communicatively coupling the communication signal to the implantable medical device comprises one of electromagnetically coupling, capacitively coupling, inductively coupling, optically coupling, electroacoustically coupling, electro-optically coupling, acoustically coupling, conductively coupling and mechanically coupling.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising performing an action with the implantable medical device in response to the received communication signal.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein performing the action comprises at least one of enabling power, changing power, disabling power, changing operating mode, changing operating parameters, changing telemetry mode, changing communication signal frequency, connecting circuitry, disconnecting circuitry and testing suitability for implant.

25. The method of claim 21, further comprising providing power to at least a portion of the implantable medical device.

26. The method of claim 21, further comprising communicating a signal through a patient between a body electrode on the patient and one of the first and second telemetry coupling members.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

measuring a quality of the signal communicated between the body electrode and the one of the first and second telemetry coupling members; and

reporting the communication signal quality.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising predicting the communication signal quality of communication with the implantable medical device after implantation based upon the measured communication signal quality.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising selecting one of a plurality of telemetry communication electrodes on the implantable medical device based on the measured communication signal quality.

30. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

sequentially coupling the communication signal to each of the plurality of communication electrodes on the implantable medical device;

measuring a quality of the signal communicated between each of the plurality of communication electrodes and a body electrode; and

selecting the most optimal electrode of the plurality of communication electrodes on the implantable medical device based on the measured signal qualities.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

sequentially generating signals at a plurality of different communication frequencies for the communication between the implantable medical device and the external device;

measuring the communication signal quality for each signal at each different communication frequency; and

selecting one of the plurality of different communication frequencies for the communication between the implantable medical device and the external device based on the measured communication signal qualities.

32. An implantable medical device delivery system comprising:

means for communicatively coupling a communication signal with an implantable medical device that is detachably coupled to a catheter; and

means for carrying a communication signal between a proximal end of the catheter and the coupling means located within the catheter.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein, the coupling means communicatively couples the communication signal and the implantable medical device via one of electromagnetic coupling, capacitive coupling, conductive coupling, inductive coupling, optical coupling, electroacoustic coupling, electro-optical coupling, acoustic coupling and mechanical coupling.

34. The system of claim 32, further comprising means for performing an action with the implantable medical device in response to the received communication signal.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the coupling means communicatively couples a signal between a body electrode on a patient and the implantable medical device, the device further comprising means for measuring a quality of the signal communicated between the body electrode and the coupling means.