IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE AND METHOD FOR MANAGING ADVERTISING AND SCANNING SCHEDULES

• US 20180021589A1
• Filed: 07/21/2016
• Published: 01/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wu, Yongjian, Shah, Samir, Hellman, Heidi, Shahandeh, Reza, Singh, Tejpal, Huang, Youjing, Young, Chao-Wen
• Granted Patent: US 10,449,372 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0215 by means inserted into the body catheters A61M25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/023 for introduction into the body, e.g. into the oesophagus oesophageal ECG probes A61B5/285
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/362 Heart stimulators heart defibrillators A61N1/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• 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 1/3956 Implantable devices for applying electric shocks to the heart, e.g. for cardioversion
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Methods and devices for managing establishment of a communications link between an external instrument (EI) and an implantable medical device (IMD) are provided. The methods and devices comprise storing, in memory in at least one of the IMD or the EI an advertising schedule defining a pattern for advertisement notices. The advertisement notices are distributed un-evenly and separated by unequal advertisement intervals. The method transmits, from a transmitter in at least one of the IMD or the EI the advertisement notices. The advertisement notices are distributed as defined by the advertising schedule. The method establishes a communication session between the IMD and the EI.

Claims

1. A method for managing establishment of a communications link between an external instrument (EI) and an implantable medical device (IMD), the method comprising:

storing, in a memory in at least one of the IMD or the EI, an advertising schedule that defines a pattern for advertisement notices, wherein the advertisement notices are distributed un-evenly and separated by unequal advertisement intervals;

transmitting, from a transmitter in at least one of the IMD or the EI, the advertisement notices distributed as defined by the advertising schedule; and

establishing a communication session between the IMD and the EI.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising schedule includes first and second advertisement intervals associated with first and second advertisement notices, respectively, wherein the first and second advertisement intervals differ from one another;

the transmitting operation comprising transmitting the first and second advertisement notices based on the first and second advertisement intervals.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising alternating the transmitting operation between the first and second advertisement intervals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the advertising schedule includes at least first, second and third advertisement notices, wherein the first and second advertisement notices are spaced apart by a first advertisement interval and the second and third advertisement notices are spaced apart by a second advertisement interval that is longer than the first advertisement interval.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining when a connection request is received from the EI in connection with one of the advertisement notices.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the advertising schedule by at least one of i) changing one or both of first and second advertisement intervals, or ii) adding a third advertisement interval, in order to update the pattern for the advertisement notices.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

repeating the transmitting operation, over an advertising state, when a connection request from the EI is not detected;

determining a duration of the advertising state; and

performing the changing operation when the duration of the advertising state exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising detecting a new EI, and performing the changing operation when the EI changes from a first EI to a second EI.

9. A method for managing establishment of a communications link between an external instrument (EI) and an implantable medical device (IMD), the method comprising:

storing, in a memory of at least one of the IMD or the EI, a scanning schedule that defines a pattern for scanning windows over a scanning state, wherein the scanning windows are grouped in a first segment of the scanning state;

scanning for advertisement notices, utilizing a receiver in at least one of the IMD or the EI, during scanning windows, wherein the scanning windows are grouped in the first segment as defined by the scanning schedule;

repeating the scanning operation;

establishing a communication link between the IMD and the EI; and

reconfiguring the scanning schedule by changing at least one of i) a number of the scanning windows, ii) a spacing between the scanning windows, or iii) a duration of the first segment, in order to update the pattern for the scanning windows.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the scanning schedule defines a second segment of the scanning state, the second segment of the scanning state representing a quiescent segment that is devoid of scanning windows, wherein a duration of the second segment is at least as long as a duration of the first segment.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the scanning operation comprises opening at least first, second and third scanning windows, in the first segment, with an un-even spacing therebetween such that the first and second scanning windows are separated by a first scanning interval and the second and third scanning windows are separated by a different second scanning interval.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the scanning windows in the first segment are spaced apart from one another by scanning intervals, the scanning intervals linearly increasing between successive scanning windows.

13. An implantable medical device (IMD), comprising:

a memory storing an advertising schedule that defines a pattern for advertisement notices, wherein the advertisement notices are distributed un-evenly and separated by unequal advertisement intervals;

a transmitter configured to transmit the advertisement notices distributed un-evenly and separated by the unequal advertisement intervals as defined by the advertising schedule; and

a processor configured to establish a communication link between the IMD and at least a first external instrument (EI).

14. The IMD of claim 13, wherein the advertising schedule includes first and second advertisement intervals associated with first and second advertisement notices, respectively, wherein the first and second advertisement intervals differ from one another, the transmitter configured to transmit the first and second advertisement notices based on the first and second advertisement intervals.

15. The IMD of claim 14, wherein the transmitter is configured to alternate transmission between the first and second advertisement intervals.

16. The IMD of claim 13, wherein the advertising schedule includes at least first and second advertisement notices to be spaced apart by an interval that is shorter than a duration of at least one of the first or second advertisement notices.

17. The IMD of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to determine when a connection request is received from at least the first EI in connection with one of the advertisement notices.

18. The IMD of claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to change the advertising schedule by at least one of i) changing one or both of first and second advertisement intervals, or ii) adding a third advertisement interval, in order to update the pattern for the advertisement notices.

19. The IMD of claim 18, wherein the transmitter is configured to repeat the transmitting operation, over the scanning state, when a connection request from at least the first EI is not detected, and the processor is configured to:

determine a duration of the scanning state; and

perform the change when the duration of the scanning state exceeds a predetermined threshold.

20. The IMD of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

detect a second EI; and

perform the change when the EI changes from the first EI to the second EI.