External Charger for an Implantable Medical Device System Having a Coil for Communication and Charging

• US 20130123881A1
• Filed: 10/08/2012
• Published: 05/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Aghassian, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/647,200
• Publication Number:
  US 20130123881A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

Disclosed in an improved medical implantable device system including an improved external charger that is able to communicate with an external controller and IPG using the communication protocol (e.g., FSK) used to implement communications between the external controller and the implant. The external controller as modified uses its charging coil to charge the implant, and also to communicate with the other devices in the system. As such, the external charger is provided with transceiver circuitry operating in accordance with the protocol, and also includes tuning circuitry to tune the coil as necessary for communications or charging. Communication or charging access to the charging coil in the external charger is time multiplexed. The disclosed system allows charging information to be provided to the user interface of the external controller so that it can be reviewed by the user, who may take corrective action if necessary. Also disclosed are schemes for synchronizing and arbitrating communications between the devices in the system.

Claims

1. A method for operating an implantable medical device system, comprising:

charging an implantable medical device with a charging field generated from a coil in an external charger;

establishing a first communication link for telemetry between the coil in the external charger and the external controller,

wherein access to the coil in the external charger for the acts of charging and establishing the first communication link is time domain multiplexed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending charging information from the external charger to the external controller via the first communication link.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising conveying the charging information to a user via a user interface of the external controller.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the user interface is a graphical user interface.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the charging information comprises one or more of:

information concerning the alignment between the external charger and the implantable medical device;

status of a battery of the implantable medical device;

status of a battery of the external charger; and

the temperature of either the external charger or the implantable medical device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the charging information is sent in accordance with a plurality of data transit modes.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the charging information determines the frequency with which the charging information is sent from the external charger to the external controller.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the charging information is sent more frequently when the external charger is misaligned with the implantable medical device.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the charging information comprises alignment information between the external charger and the implantable medical device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising displaying alignment information to a user via a graphical user interface on the external controller.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a second communication link between the external charger and the implantable medical device, wherein access to the coil in the external charger for the acts of charging, establishing the first communication link, and establishing the second communication link is time domain multiplexed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first and second communication links are established in accordance with the same protocol.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising

receiving charging information from the external charger and from the implantable medical device over the second communication link;

and

sending the charging information from the external charger to the external controller via the first communication link.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the external controller and the implantable medical device communicate via a protocol, and wherein the first communication link is established in accordance with the protocol.

15. An implantable medical device system, comprising:

an external controller for communicating with an implantable medical device; and

an external charger comprising a coil, the coil configured to generate a charging field for providing energy to the implantable medical device and to communicate with the external controller via a first communication link.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the external charger further comprises a tuning circuit coupled to the coil, wherein the tuning circuit is configured to tune the coil to a first frequency for generating the charging field and a second frequency for communicating with the external controller via a first communication link.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the coil is further configured to communicate with the implantable medical device via a second communication link, wherein the tuning circuit is configured to tune the coil to the second frequency for communicating with the implantable medical device via the second communication link.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the external charger communicates charging information to the external controller over the first communication link.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the external controller comprises a user interface for conveying the charging information to a user.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the user interface is graphical.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the implantable medical device comprises an implant battery, and wherein the charging information comprises an implant battery level.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the first communication link uses a protocol used by the external controller for communicating with the implantable medical device.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the communication protocol comprises a frequency shift keying (FSK) protocol.

24. An implantable medical device system, comprising:

an external charger comprising a coil, the coil configured to generate a charging field for providing energy to an implantable medical device; and

an external controller configured for communicating with the implantable medical device, wherein the external controller is further configured for communicating with the coil in the external charger via a first communication link to control the operation of the external charger.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the external controller controls the external charger by instructing the external charger to begin generating the charging field.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the external controller controls the external charger by instructing the external charger to stop generating the charging field.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the external controller is configured to communicate with the implantable medical device after the external charger has stopped generating the charging field.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the external controller is configured to communicate therapy settings to the implantable medical device.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the external controller further controls the external charger by instructing the external charger to restart generating the charging field after the external controller has completed communicating with the implantable medical device.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the external controller controls the external charger by instructing the external charger to send charging information to the external controller.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the external controller comprises a user interface for conveying charging information received from the external charger to a user.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the coil in the external charger is further configured to communicate with the implantable medical device via a second communication link.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the external charger is configured to instruct the implantable medical device to send charging information to the external charger via the second communication link.

34. A method for operating an implantable medical device system, comprising:

compiling, at an external controller, information to be sent to an implantable medical device;

sending a first communication using a protocol from the external controller to an external charger, the first communication instructing the external charger to turn off a charging field; and

thereafter sending the compiled information from the external controller to the implantable medical device using the protocol.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the information includes a therapy setting.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein the therapy setting comprises one or more of:

a status inquiry;

a wake up message;

a power down message;

a stimulation on/off message;

a level or an amplitude of stimulation pulses;

a duration or a frequency of stimulation pulses;

or a selection of electrodes to be activated.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising sending a second communication using the protocol after sending the compiled information, the second communication instructing the external charger to turn on the charging field.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein the external charger includes a coil for receiving the first communication and for generating the charging field.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein the protocol comprises frequency shift keying.

40. A method for operating an implantable medical device system, comprising:

sending a first communication, using a protocol, from an external controller to an external charger to cease an operation between the external charger and an implantable medical device;

transmitting data between the external controller and the implantable medical device using the protocol; and

sending a second communication, using the protocol, from the external controller to the external charger to allow resumption of the operation between the external charger and the implantable medical device.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the operation includes charging the implantable medical device using a charging field.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein the operation includes requesting charging information from the implantable medical device.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein transmitting data includes sending a therapy setting from the external controller to the implantable medical device.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the therapy setting comprises one or more of:

a status inquiry;

a wake up message;

a power down message;

a stimulation on/off message;

a level or an amplitude of stimulation pulses;

a duration or a frequency of stimulation pulses;

or a selection of electrodes to be activated.

45. The method of claim 40, wherein the external charger includes a coil for sending the first and the second communications and for enabling the operation with the implantable medical device.

46. The method of claim 40, wherein the protocol includes frequency shift keying.