IMPLANTABLE DEVICE WITH COMMUNICATION MEANS

• US 20120065458A1
• Filed: 05/04/2010
• Published: 03/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Tol, Jeroen Jacob Arnold
• Application Number:
  US13/320,614
• Publication Number:
  US 20120065458A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/25
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/372 Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile

Abstract

The invention relates to an implantable device, e.g. a Deep Brain Stimulation device (10), and to a method for communicating information from such an implantable device (10) to its carrier. The communication is achieved by the emission of sound from a transmitter (16) into the body material surrounding the implantable device (10), wherein said sound yields signals that are audible for the carrier of the implantable device (10). In particular, the emitted sound may comprise audible frequencies or modulated ultrasonic frequencies. According to a further development, the implantable device (10) may additionally comprise a receiver (16) for receiving sound from the surrounding body material, wherein said received sound may encode information for the implantable device (10).

Claims

1. An implantable device (10, 10′

), comprising;

a) a control unit (15);

b) a transmitter (16, 16′

) that is controlled by the control unit (15) to selectively emit sounds into surrounding body material, wherein said sound yields signals that are audible for the carrier (1) of the implantable device.

2. The implantable device (10, 10′

) according to claim 1,

characterized in that the emitted sound codes information about the status of the implantable device (10, 10′

) and/or the body it is implanted in, particularly about the power supply conditions of the implantable device.

3. The implantable device (10, 10′

) according to claim 1,

characterized in that the implantable device is a Deep Brain Stimulation device (10, 10′

).

4. The implantable device (10, 10′

) according to claim 1,

characterized in that the transmitter (16, 16′

) is adapted to be implanted in acoustic contact with bone, particularly with the skull (4) of the carrier (1) of the implantable device (10, 10′

).

5. The implantable device (10, 10′

) according to claim 1,

characterized in that the emitted sound comprises audible frequencies.

6. The implantable device (10, 10′

) according to claim 1,

characterized in that the emitted sound comprises modulated ultrasonic frequencies.

7. The implantable device (10, 10′

) or the method according to claim 2,

characterized in that the code of the emitted sound comprises the use of different frequencies and/or of temporal patterns.

8. The implantable device (10, 10′

) according to claim 1,

characterized in that the emission of sound by the transmitter (16, 16′

) is restricted to predetermined time slots.

9. The implantable device (10, 10′

) according to claim 1,

characterized in that the implantable device comprises a receiver (16, 16′

) for receiving sound from surrounding body material.

10. The implantable device (10, 10′

) according to claim 9,

characterized in that the control unit (15) is adapted to detect predefined codes in the received sound.

11. The implantable device (10, 10′

) according to claim 10,

characterized in that the predefined codes correspond to sound patterns originating from knocking on bone and/or from coughing.

12. The implantable device (10, 10′

) according to claim 10,

characterized in that the predefined codes correspond to sound that originates from another implantable device.

13. The implantable device (10, 10′

) or the method according to claim 10,

characterized in that the detection is limited to predefined time slots.

14. The implantable device (10, 10′

) according to claim 13,

characterized in that the time slots comprise a time interval after the emission of sound by the transmitter (16, 16′

).

15. A method for communicating information from an implantable device (10, 10′

) to its carrier (1), comprising the emission of sound from a transmitter (16, 16′

) into body material surrounding the implantable device, wherein said sound yields signals that are audible for the carrier (1) of the implantable device.