Antenna For An Implantable Medical Device
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a capacitive sensor having an output that changes as a function of a sensed parameter;
an antenna electrically coupled to the output of the capacitive sensor, wherein a characteristic of the antenna changes as a function of the output of the capacitive sensor; and
a signal generator that generates a carrier signal and provides the carrier signal to the antenna, wherein the changes in the characteristic of the antenna modulates the carrier signal with the sensed parameter.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
This disclosure describes antenna structures for use in an implantable medical device. The antenna structure may include an inner portion that is magnetically coupled to an outer portion. In one example, the inner and outer portions comprise conductive loops. In accordance with the techniques of this disclosure, a capacitive sensor is electrically coupled to one of the conductive loops of the antenna of the implantable medical device. As the capacitance of the capacitive sensor changes as a function of the sensed parameter, an impedance of the antenna varies with the output of the capacitive sensor. This variation in impedance of the antenna modulates a carrier signal with the measured parameter. In other words, the measured parameter is modulated onto the carrier signal as a change in amplitude caused by variation in impedance of antenna during radiation/transmission.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. An apparatus comprising:
-
a capacitive sensor having an output that changes as a function of a sensed parameter; an antenna electrically coupled to the output of the capacitive sensor, wherein a characteristic of the antenna changes as a function of the output of the capacitive sensor; and a signal generator that generates a carrier signal and provides the carrier signal to the antenna, wherein the changes in the characteristic of the antenna modulates the carrier signal with the sensed parameter. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method comprising:
-
generating a carrier signal; feeding the carrier signal to an antenna; and adjusting a characteristic of the antenna as a function of an output of a capacitive sensor to modulate the carrier signal during transmission. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
-
-
16. An apparatus comprising:
-
a capacitive sensor having an output that changes as a function of a sensed parameter; an antenna having a first portion having a conductive loop within a housing of the apparatus and a second portion outside of the housing of the apparatus and magnetically coupled to the first portion to couple signals between the first portion and the second portion, wherein the antenna is coupled to the output of the capacitive sensor; and a signal generator electrically coupled to first portion of the antenna to provide a carrier signal to the antenna; wherein a characteristic of the antenna changes as a function of the output of the capacitive sensor to modulate the carrier signal with the sensed parameter during transmission. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification