ULTRALOW-POWER IMPLANTABLE HUB-BASED WIRELESS IMPLANTABLE SENSOR COMMUNICATION

• US 20170100036A1
• Filed: 10/18/2016
• Published: 04/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Schugt, Michael A, Cinbis, Can, O'Brien, Richard J
• Granted Patent: US 9,918,638 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0002 Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network A61B5/07 takes precedence; transmission systems for measured values G08C; transmission H04B; transmission of digital information H04L; wireless communication networks H04W
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators

Abstract

Communication power in a medical device system is managed by providing power from a power supply to a communication circuit in a sensing device according to a first communication wake up mode set for a first time period and according to a second communication wake up mode set for a second time period. The second communication wake-up mode is established by a second device.

Claims

1. A medical device system, comprising:

a first device comprising a first power supply, a physiological sensor for sensing a signal in a patient, and a first communication circuit; and

a second device comprising a second power supply and a second communication circuit configured for bidirectional communication with the first communication circuit,

the first device comprising a control processor configured to provide power from the first power supply to the first communication circuit according to a first communication wake-up mode set for a first time period and according to a second communication wake-up mode set for a second time period subsequent to the first time period,

wherein, during a communication session between the first device and the second device, the communication session occurring during the first time period and enabled according to the first communication wake-up mode, the second device is configured to send instructions to the first device to establish the second communication wake-up mode for the second time period.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first time period corresponds to a shelf life of the first device and the first communication wake-up mode comprises one of a manual wake-up mode, an implant detection wake-up mode, and a beacon listening mode.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the second time period corresponds to an implant period of the first device and the second communication wake-up mode comprises one of a scheduled transmission wake-up mode, a continuous beacon listening mode, and a scheduled beacon listening mode.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the first device comprises a wake-up element for detecting a wake-up condition, wherein the first communication wake-up mode comprises detection of a wake-up condition and enabling a beacon listening mode in response to detection of the wake-up condition.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein enabling the beacon listening mode in response to the wake-up element detecting the wake-up condition is disabled during the second time period.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises a manual wake-up element for generating a wake-up interrupt signal received by the control processor in response to a user intervention, the manual wake-up element being enabled during the second time period and disabled during the first time period.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the second device establishes the second communication wake-up mode as a scheduled transmission wake-up mode including a time interval for the scheduled transmission, wherein, according to the scheduled transmission wake-up mode, the first sensing device is configured to cause the first communication circuit to transmit a beacon signal to the second device upon expiration of the scheduled transmission time interval.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first sensing device is further configured to convert the scheduled transmission wake-up mode established by the second device to a continuous beacon listening mode in response to not receiving a confirmation from the second device following transmission of the beacon signal.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first time period comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first device is configured to provide power from the first power supply to the first communication circuit according to the first communication wake-up mode during the first portion of the first time period and to convert to a third communication wake-up mode during the second portion of the first time period.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein the second communication wake-up mode is established by the second device based on a type of the signal.

2. (canceled)

11. A method for use in a medical device system comprising a first device comprising a first power supply, a physiological sensor for sensing a signal in a patient, and a first communication circuit, and a second device comprising a second power supply and a second communication circuit configured for bidirectional communication with the first communication circuit, the method comprising:

setting a first communication wake-up mode for a first time period for controlling power provided from the first power supply to the first communication circuit; and

setting a second communication wake-up mode during a second time period subsequent to the first time period for controlling power provided from the first power supply to the first communication circuit,

wherein setting the second communication wake-up mode comprises sending, by the second device and to the first device, instructions that establish the second communication wake-up mode for the second time period, the instructions sent during a communication session between the first device and the second device, the communication session occurring during the first time period and enabled according to the first communication wake-up mode.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first time period corresponds to a shelf life of the first device and the first communication wake-up mode comprises one of a manual wake-up mode, an implant detection wake-up mode, and a beacon listening mode.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the second time period corresponds to an implant period of the first device and the second communication wake-up mode comprises one of a scheduled transmission wake up mode, a continuous beacon listening mode, and a scheduled beacon listening mode.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first device comprises a wake-up element for detecting a wake-up condition and the first communication wake-up mode comprises detecting a wake-up condition and enabling a beacon listening mode in response to detecting the wake-up condition.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising disabling the wake-up element detecting a wake-up condition during the second time period.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising enabling a manual wake-up element included in the first device during the second time period for generating a wake-up interrupt signal received by the control processor in response to a user intervention and disabling the manual wake-up element during the first time period.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein establishing the second communication wake-up mode comprises establishing a scheduled transmission wake-up mode including a time interval for the scheduled transmission, and transmitting a beacon signal from the first communication circuit to the second device upon expiration of the scheduled transmission time interval.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising converting the scheduled transmission wake-up mode established by the second device to a continuous beacon listening mode in response to not receiving a confirmation from the second device following transmission of the beacon signal.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the first time period comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first device provides power from the first power supply to the first communication circuit according to the first communication wake-up mode during the first portion of the first time period and converts to a third communication wake-up mode during the second portion of the first time period.

22. The method of claim 11, wherein the second communication wake-up mode is established by the second device based on a type of the signal.

12. (canceled)