MANAGING DYNAMIC CONNECTION INTERVALS FOR IMPLANTABLE AND EXTERNAL DEVICES

• US 20180152972A1
• Filed: 08/14/2017
• Published: 05/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wu, Yongjian, Young, Chao-Wen, Yang, Jun, Pei, Xing, Shahandeh, Reza
• Granted Patent: US 10,278,217 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/28 Timers or timing mechanisms used in protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0254 detecting a user operation or a tactile contact or a motion of the device
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0277 according to available power supply, e.g. switching off when a low battery condition is detected
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method, system and external instrument are provided. The method initiates a communication link between an external instrument (EI) and an implantable medical device (IMD), established a first connection interval for conveying data packets between the EI and IMD and monitors a connection criteria that includes at least one of a data throughput requirement. A battery indicator or link condition of the communications link is between the IMD and EI. The method further changes from the first connection interval to a second connection interval based on the connection criteria.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

initiating a communication link between an external instrument (EI) and an implantable medical device (IMD);

establishing a first connection interval for conveying data packets between the EI and IMD;

monitoring a connection criteria that includes at least one of a data throughput requirement, a battery indicator or link condition of the communications link between the IMD and EI; and

changing from the first connection interval to a second connection interval based on the connection criteria.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing operation dynamically changes between the first and second connection intervals based on the data throughput requirements.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing operation dynamically changes between the first and second connection intervals based on the link condition of the communications link.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the second connection interval is longer than the first connection interval, the changing operation comprising changing to the second connection interval when the data throughput requirement drops below a data threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first connection interval is shorter than the second connection interval, the method further comprising changing from the second connection interval back to the first connection interval when the link condition drops below a quality threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising initially uploading device configuration information from the IMD to the EI utilizing the first connection interval, and conveying control commands between the IMD and EI utilizing the second connection interval.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing operation further comprises conveying an interval command from the EI to the IMD directing the IMD to change to the second connection interval.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the changing operation further comprises selecting one of the first and second connection intervals to maintain a current drain on a battery of the IMD within a predetermined current drain limit.

9. A system for establishing a bi-directional communication link comprising:

an implantable medical device (IMD) having a sensing circuit to collect sensed data, the IMD includes a radio frequency (RF) circuit and a memory; and

an external instrument (EI) having one or more processors electrically coupled to an RF circuit and a memory, the one or more processors are configured to;

initiate a communication link between the EI and the IMD;

establish a first connection interval for conveying data packets between the EI and IMD;

monitor a connection criteria that includes at least one of a data throughput requirement, a battery indicator or link condition of the communications link between the IMD and EI; and

change from the first connection interval to a second connection interval based on the connection criteria.

10. The system of claim 9, the one or more processors to dynamically change between the first and second connection intervals based on the link condition of the communications link.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the second connection interval is longer than the first connection interval, the one or more processors to change to the second connection interval when the data throughput requirement drops below a data threshold.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first connection interval is shorter than the second connection interval, the one or more processors to change from the second connection interval back to the first connection interval when the link condition drops below a quality threshold.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second connection intervals represent first and second amounts of time between starting times of successive connection events.

14. The system of claim 9, the one or more processors to change between first and second connection interval schemes based on the connection criteria, the first and second connection interval schemes defined based on at least one of slave latency or supervision timeout.

15. An external instrument (EI) for establishing a bi-directional communication link with an implantable medical device (IMD) having a sensing circuit to collect sensed data, the IMD includes a radio frequency (RF) circuit and a memory, the EI comprising:

an RF circuit;

memory storing program instructions;

one or more processors electrically coupled to the RF circuit, the one or more processors, when executing the program instructions to;

initiate a communication link between the EI and the IMD;

establish a first connection interval for conveying data packets between the EI and IMD;

monitor a connection criteria that includes at least one of a data throughput requirement, a battery indicator or link condition of the communications link between the IMD and EI; and

change from the first connection interval to a second connection interval based on the connection criteria.

16. The external instrument of claim 15, the one or more processors to dynamically change between the first and second connection intervals based on the link condition of the communications link.

17. The external instrument of claim 15, wherein the second connection interval is longer than the first connection interval, the one or more processors to change to the second connection interval when the data throughput requirement drops below a data threshold.

18. The external instrument of claim 15, wherein the first connection interval is shorter than the second connection interval, the one or more processors to change from the second connection interval back to the first connection interval when the link condition drops below a quality threshold.

19. The external instrument of claim 15, wherein the first and second connection intervals represent first and second amounts of time between starting times of successive connection events.