COMMUNICATION EFFICIENCY WITH AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE USING A CIRCULATOR AND A BACKSCATTER SIGNAL

• US 20140084855A1
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Published: 03/27/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LivaNova USA, Inc. (LivaNova Plc)
• Original Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc
• Inventors: JOSHI, Himanshu
• Granted Patent: US 9,935,498 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 320/108
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0204 of power management
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/90 involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0031 for data transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0037 for power transfer
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/0075 using inductive coupling transformers or inductances adapted for inductive coupling H01F38/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/24 Inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer

Abstract

A device includes a primary antenna configured to communicate a signal to an antenna of an implantable medical device (IMD). A circulator is coupled to the primary antenna. The circulator enables the signal to pass from a transmitter to the primary antenna. The circulator also enables a backscatter signal from the IMD to pass from the primary antenna to a receiver. A processor coupled to the receiver. The processor configured to determine, based on the backscatter signal, an improved impedance value for a component of the IMD and/or an improved frequency for the signal communicated to the IMD, to improve communication efficiency of the signal to the IMD.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

a primary antenna configured to communicate a signal to an antenna of an implantable medical device (IMD);

a circulator coupled to the primary antenna, wherein the circulator enables the signal to pass from a transmitter to the primary antenna and enables a backscatter signal from the IMD to pass from the primary antenna to a receiver; and

a processor coupled to the receiver, the processor configured to determine, based on the backscatter signal, at least one of an improved impedance value for at least one component of the IMD and an improved frequency for the signal communicated to the IMD, to improve communication efficiency of the signal to the IMD.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the backscatter signal has the same frequency as the signal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one component of the IMD is part of a tunable matching network, wherein the processor is configured to adjust an impedance of the at least one component of the tunable matching network to the improved impedance value responsive to the backscatter signal.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to adjust an impedance of the at least one component of the IMD to a plurality of impedance values and to monitor the backscatter signal for each impedance value of the plurality of impedance values to determine the improved impedance value.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to adjust a frequency of the signal to the improved frequency responsive to the backscatter signal.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to perform a frequency sweep of the signal and to monitor the backscatter signal for each frequency of the frequency sweep to determine the improved frequency.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a charge storage device, wherein the signal is a charging signal configured to charge the charge storage device of the IMD.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is configured to estimate, based on the backscatter signal, charging efficiency of the charging signal with respect to the charge storage element.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a receive/transmit block of the IMD, wherein the receive/transmit block is configured to communicate with the device, wherein the signal is a communication signal.

10. A method comprising:

generating a signal at a transmitter of a device;

applying the signal to a primary antenna of the device via a circulator;

communicating the signal to an antenna of an implantable medical device;

receiving, at the primary antenna, a backscatter signal generated by a circuit component of the implantable medical device (IMD) responsive to the signal;

providing the backscatter signal to a receiver of the device via the circulator; and

determining, based on the backscatter signal, at least one of an improved impedance value for at least one component of the IMD and an improved frequency for the signal communicated to the IMD, to improve communication efficiency of the signal to the IMD.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising estimating communication efficiency of the signal based on the backscatter signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal is a charging signal configured to charge a charge storage element of the IMD.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the communication efficiency of the charging signal corresponds to charging efficiency of the charging signal with respect to the charge storage element.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the signal is a communication signal configured to communicate with a receive/transmit block of the IMD.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising, after estimating the communication efficiency, adjusting a frequency of the signal.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising, after estimating the communication efficiency, causing a tunable matching network of the IMD to be adjusted to improve communication efficiency of the signal.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising performing a frequency sweep of the signal to identify, based on the backscatter signal, a particular frequency associated with improved communication efficiency relative to other frequencies of the signal.

18. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating a signal at a device;

means for applying the signal to an antenna of an implantable medical device (IMD);

means for receiving, while the signal is being sent to the antenna, a backscatter signal generated by a component of the IMD responsive to the signal; and

means for processing the backscatter signal and determining, based on the backscatter signal, at least one of an improved impedance value for at least one component of the IMD and an improved frequency for the signal communicated to the IMD, to improve communication efficiency of the signal to the IMD.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the signal is at least one of a charging signal configured to charge a charge storage element of the IMD and a communication signal configured to communicate with a receive/transmit block of the IMD.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising means for performing a frequency sweep of the signal to identify, based on the backscatter signal, a particular frequency associated with improved communication efficiency relative to other frequencies of the signal.