IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE, MEDICAL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DATA COMMUNICATION

• US 20140222109A1
• Filed: 01/11/2014
• Published: 08/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biotronik SE & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Biotronik SE & Company KG
• Inventors: MOULDER, J. Christopher
• Granted Patent: US 9,370,663 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3708 for power depletion
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/375 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37512 Pacemakers

Abstract

An implantable medical device including a data communication device that includes a device that alters an oscillatory electric field imposed on body tissue surrounding the implantable device. The device that alters an oscillatory electric field modulates an impedance of a conductive medium surrounding the implantable device when the implantable device is within an oscillatory electric field. The device that alters an oscillatory electric field includes a device that generates an oscillatory electric field that is phase-synchronized with an oscillatory electric field imposed on a conductive medium surrounding the implantable device.

Claims

1. An implantable device comprising:

a data communication device,

wherein said data communication device comprises a device configured to alter an oscillatory electric field imposed on a conductive medium surrounding the implantable device.

2. The implantable device according to claim 1, wherein the device configured to alter an oscillatory electric field is configured to modulate an impedance of the conductive medium surrounding the implantable device when the implantable device is within an oscillatory electric field.

3. The implantable device according to claim 2, further comprising at least one switch and at least two electrodes connected to the at least one switch, wherein the at least two electrodes are configured to be electrically connected or disconnected, respectively, by the at least one switch, and wherein the at least two electrodes are further configured to cause a change of impedance of the conductive medium, and the at least two electrodes are connected or disconnected, respectively, by the at least one switch.

4. The implantable device according to claim 3, wherein the at least one switch is configured to alternate the impedance between the at least two electrodes such that the oscillatory electric field is modulated and low frequency signals are not modulated.

5. The implantable device according to claim 4, wherein the implantable device further comprises a capacitor electrically connected in series with the at least one switch and between the two at least two electrodes and a resistor electrically connected in parallel with the at least one switch.

6. The implantable device according to claim 3, further comprising a switch control, wherein the at least one switch is connected to the switch control, and wherein the switch control is configured to sense an oscillatory electric field imposed on a conductive medium surrounding the implantable device.

7. The implantable device according to claim 6, wherein the switch control comprises a phase-locked loop (PLL) and a frequency divider, wherein the phase-locked loop is configured to lock in a frequency of an oscillatory electric field imposed on a conductive medium surrounding the implantable device, and wherein the frequency divider is connected to the phase-locked loop and is configured to divide a frequency signal outputted by the phase-locked loop.

8. The implantable device according to claim 6, wherein the switch control is connected to the at least two electrodes and is configured to sense an oscillatory electric field imposed on a conductive medium via the at least two electrodes.

9. The implantable device according to claim 7, wherein the switch control comprises a band-pass filter, and wherein the band-pass filter is configured to filter a signal fed to the phase-locked loop.

10. The implantable device according to claim 1, wherein the device that alters an oscillatory electric field comprises a field generating device configured to generate an oscillatory electric field that is phase-synchronized with an oscillatory electric field imposed on a conductive medium surrounding the implantable device.

11. The implantable device according to claim 10, further comprising a field generation controller operatively connected to the field generating device and is configured to control the field generating device in response to an oscillatory electric field imposed on a conductive medium surrounding the implantable device.

12. A data communication system comprising the implantable device of claim 1 and further comprising:

an external device that comprises or is connected to at least two surface electrodes,

wherein the external device further comprises

an external field generator configured to generate an oscillatory electric field to be imposed on a body via the at least two surface electrodes, and

at least one sensor configured to sense alterations of impedance and/or an oscillatory electric field generated by the implantable device.

13. The data communication system according to claim 12, wherein the external device further comprises a lock-in amplifier, an AM demodulator configured to demodulate amplitude-modulated signals and an analog-to-digital converter, wherein the analog-to-digital converter is operatively connected to the AM demodulator and the lock-in amplifier, and wherein the analog-to-digital converter is configured to output a signal that represents a signal transmitted by the implantable device.

14. A method of communicating data from an implantable device to an external device, said method comprising:

imposing an oscillatory electric field on a conductive medium encompassing an implantable device,

altering the oscillatory electric field via the implantable device by inducing an alternating change of impedance via the implantable device or by generating a small oscillatory electric field via the implantable device, and

sensing the change of impedance or the small oscillatory electric field generated by the implantable device, respectively, using an external device having or being connected to at least two surface electrodes.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the altering of the oscillatory electric field via the implantable device is performed by at least two electrodes operatively connected to or being part of the implantable device, and by at least one switch operatively connected to the at least two electrodes,

wherein the at least one switch is configured to connect and disconnect the at least two electrodes in an alternating manner according to a code representing data to be transmitted from the implantable device to the external device, and

wherein said alternating connecting and disconnecting causes a detectable change of impedance for the imposed oscillatory electric field.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the sensing the change of impedance comprises sensing a current or voltage over the at least two surface electrodes and integrating a sensed voltage or current over a number of cycles of the oscillatory electric field, wherein said number of cycles correspond to a frequency division factor of a frequency divider of the implantable device.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the imposed oscillatory electric field is sensed by the implantable medical device after imposing an oscillatory electric field on a conductive medium encompassing an implantable medical device.

18. A communication system comprising:

an external communication device comprising at least two electrodes connected to an external communication module; and

,

an internal communication device comprising at least two electrodes connected to said internal communication module;

wherein said external communication module is configured to impart an oscillatory electric field across said internal communication device and to detect an impedance change surrounding said internal communication device caused by the internal communication module.