Efficient high data rate telemetry format for implanted medical device
First Claim
1. A method for transmitting information-encoded, telemetry signals percutaneously between an implanted medical device and an external device as telemetry RF pulses within a telemetry frame comprising the steps of:
- (a) encoding at least one of the telemetry RF pulses of the telemetry frame by;
(1) establishing a pulse width of the at least one telemetry RF pulse that partially identifies the information being transmitted in the telemetry frame; and
(2) establishing a pulse position of the at least one telemetry RF pulse within the telemetry frame that, together with the pulse width more fully identifies the information being transmitted in the telemetry frame;
(b) formatting the pulse positions of the telemetry frame within which at least one pulse width modulated telemetry RF pulse and at least one pulse position modulated RF pulse are to be transmitted, the telemetry frame extending over a predetermined time interval and having a predetermined number of discrete available pulse positions for the pulse position modulated telemetry RF pulse; and
(c) triggering telemetry transmission of the telemetry frame so that the pulse position modulated RF pulse is generated at the formatted pulse position and the pulse width modulated RF pulse is generated having the established pulse width.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for transmitting information-encoded, telemetry signals percutaneously between an implanted medical device and an external device as telemetry RF pulses which are modulated in pulse position and/or in pulse width within a telemetry frame comprising at least a telemetry frame boundary RF pulse and a telemetry frame data RF pulse. Data to be transmitted in a given telemetry frame is encoded into a PPM code for positioning at least certain telemetry RF pulses at pulse positions of the telemetry frame and a PWM code for establishing the pulse widths of at least certain telemetry RF pulses of the telemetry frame. The telemetry frame is formatted from the PPM code, and the telemetry RF pulses are generated at the formatted pulse positions within the telemetry frame. The pulse widths of the telemetry RF pulses are controlled in accordance with the PWM code for the certain telemetry RF pulses. The PWM and PPM combinations of RF pulses of a telemetry frame can convey the data type, the telemetry frame frequency, number of pulse positions of the telemetry frame, data type and data content, including the identification of the implanted medical device. The selective PWM of certain or all RF pulses of the telemetry frame allows its data content to be increased or the telemetry frame size to be shortened or telemetry frame energy reduced by reducing the number of RF pulses of the telemetry frame or the range of possible pulse positions in the telemetry frame. The PWM may be reduced or disabled in noisy conditions.
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Citations
42 Claims
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1. A method for transmitting information-encoded, telemetry signals percutaneously between an implanted medical device and an external device as telemetry RF pulses within a telemetry frame comprising the steps of:
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(a) encoding at least one of the telemetry RF pulses of the telemetry frame by; (1) establishing a pulse width of the at least one telemetry RF pulse that partially identifies the information being transmitted in the telemetry frame; and (2) establishing a pulse position of the at least one telemetry RF pulse within the telemetry frame that, together with the pulse width more fully identifies the information being transmitted in the telemetry frame; (b) formatting the pulse positions of the telemetry frame within which at least one pulse width modulated telemetry RF pulse and at least one pulse position modulated RF pulse are to be transmitted, the telemetry frame extending over a predetermined time interval and having a predetermined number of discrete available pulse positions for the pulse position modulated telemetry RF pulse; and (c) triggering telemetry transmission of the telemetry frame so that the pulse position modulated RF pulse is generated at the formatted pulse position and the pulse width modulated RF pulse is generated having the established pulse width. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. Apparatus for transmitting information-encoded, telemetry signals percutaneously between an implanted medical device and an external device as telemetry RF pulses within a telemetry frame comprising:
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(a) means for encoding the telemetry RF pulse within the telemetry frame by; (1) establishing a pulse width of the at least one telemetry RF pulse that partially identifies the information being transmitted in the telemetry frame; and (2) establishing a pulse position of the at least one telemetry RF pulse within the telemetry frame that, together with the pulse width more fully identifies the information being transmitted in the telemetry frame; (b) means for formatting the pulse positions of the telemetry frame within which at least one pulse width modulated telemetry RF pulse and at least one pulse position modulated RF pulse are to be transmitted, the telemetry frame extending over a predetermined time interval and having a predetermined number of discrete available pulse positions for the pulse position modulated telemetry RF pulse; and (c) means for triggering telemetry transmission of the telemetry frame so that the pulse position modulated RF pulse is generated at the formatted pulse position and the pulse width modulated RF pulse is generated having the established pulse width. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method for transmitting data-encoded, telemetry signals percutaneously between an implanted medical device and an external device in a telemetry frame format within which at least one data RF pulse is to be transmitted, the telemetry frame extending over a predetermined time interval marked by a predetermined number of discrete pulse positions and further including at least one data RF pulse range comprising a sub-set of the discrete pulse positions for positioning the at least one data RF pulse with respect to the start of the telemetry frame, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a data source of data to be transmitted; encoding the at least one data RF pulse within the telemetry frame to represent a data value selected from the data source by; (1) establishing a pulse width of the data RF pulse that partially identifies a data value being transmitted; and (2) establishing a pulse position of the data RF pulse at a predetermined data identifier pulse position within the sub-interval range that, together with the pulse width more fully identifies the data value being transmitted; generating a telemetry frame boundary RF pulse to provide a time reference of the telemetry frame; generating the at least one data RF pulse at the established pulse position within its respective sub-interval range following the telemetry frame boundary RF pulse; and controlling the pulse width of the at least one data RF pulse, whereby the data RF pulse width and pulse position convey the encoded data value. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. Apparatus for transmitting data-encoded, telemetry signals percutaneously between an implanted medical device and an external device in a telemetry frame format within which at least one data RF pulse is to be transmitted, the telemetry frame extending over a predetermined time interval marked by a predetermined number of discrete pulse positions and further including at least one data RF pulse range comprising a sub-set of the discrete pulse positions for positioning the at least one data RF pulse with respect to the start of the telemetry frame, the apparatus comprising:
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a data source of data to be transmitted; means for encoding the at least one data RF pulse to represent a data value selected from the data source by; (1) establishing a pulse width of the data RF pulse that partially identifies a data value being transmitted; and (2) establishing a pulse position of the data RF pulse at a predetermined data identifier pulse position within the sub-interval range that, together with the pulse width more fully identifies the data value being transmitted; means for generating a telemetry frame boundary RF pulse to provide a time reference of the telemetry frame; means for generating the telemetry frame identifier RF pulse and the at least one data RF pulse at the established pulse positions within the respective telemetry frame identifier RF pulse range and the data RF pulse range following the telemetry frame boundary RF pulse; and means for controlling the pulse width of the at least one data RF pulse, whereby the data RF pulse width and pulse position convey the encoded data value. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. Apparatus for transmitting information-encoded, telemetry RF pulses percutaneously between an implanted medical device and an external device comprising:
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a data bit source for telemetry frame identifier and data to be transmitted in a telemetry frame; a data encoder for encoding the telemetry frame identifier and data of each telemetry frame into data-encoded RF pulse width defining code and RF pulse position defining code; clock means for providing clock signals at preset clock intervals for use in defining pulse positions of the telemetry frame; a telemetry frame formatter responsive to the clock means and the data-encoded RF pulse position defining code for generating RF pulse trigger signals at a synchronization RF pulse position, at an encoded telemetry frame identifier RF pulse position within a telemetry frame identifier range of possible telemetry frame identifier RF pulse positions and at an encoded data RF pulse position within a data range of possible data RF pulse positions; an RF pulse generator responsive to the RF pulse trigger signals for generating an RF pulse at each of the synchronization RF pulse position, the telemetry frame identifier RF pulse position, and the data RF pulse position; and an RF pulse width controller responsive to the data-encoded pulse width defining code from the data encoder for controlling the RF pulse width in at least certain ones of the RF pulses. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for transmitting information-encoded, telemetry signals percutaneously between an implanted medical device and an external device as telemetry RF pulses within a telemetry frame comprising a predetermined number of pulse positions, the method comprising the steps of:
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providing a source of data to be transmitted; encoding the data into a PPM code for positioning at least certain telemetry RF pulses at pulse positions of the telemetry frame and a PWM code for establishing the pulse widths of at least certain telemetry RF pulses of the telemetry frame; formatting the telemetry frame from the PPM code; generating the telemetry RF pulses at the formatted pulse positions within the telemetry frame; and controlling the pulse widths of the telemetry RF pulses in accordance with the PWM code for the selected telemetry RF pulses. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. Apparatus for transmitting information-encoded, telemetry signals percutaneously between an implanted medical device and an external device as telemetry RF pulses within a telemetry frame comprising a predetermined number of pulse positions, the apparatus comprising:
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a data source for providing data to be transmitted; encoder means for encoding the data into a PPM code for positioning at least certain telemetry RF pulses at pulse positions of the telemetry frame and a PWM code for establishing the pulse widths of at least certain telemetry RF pulses of the telemetry frame; telemetry frame formatting means for formatting the telemetry frame from the PPM code; generator means for generating the telemetry RF pulses at the formatted pulse positions within the telemetry frame; and pulse width controller means for controlling the pulse widths of the telemetry RF pulses in accordance with the PWM code for the selected telemetry RF pulses. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for controlling the transmission of information-encoded, telemetry signals percutaneously in a telemetry uplink from a transmitter of an implanted medical device to the receiver of an external device as telemetry RF pulses within a telemetry frame in response to telemetry commands received from the external device in a telemetry downlink, the method comprising the steps of:
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from the external device, effecting a telemetry downlink to the implanted medical device; and
transmitting a command to the implanted medical device to initiate a telemetry uplink to transmit encoded data telemetry frames to the external device; andin the implanted medical device, responding to the downlink transmitted command by; (1) encoding at least one of the telemetry RF pulses of each telemetry frame by; from a predetermined range of available RF pulse widths, establishing a pulse width of the at least one telemetry RF pulse that partially identifies the information being transmitted in the telemetry frame; and establishing a pulse position of the at least one telemetry RF pulse within a predetermined range of possible pulse positions of the telemetry frame that, together with the pulse width more fully identifies the information being transmitted in the telemetry frame; (2) formatting the pulse positions of the telemetry frame within which at least one pulse width modulated telemetry RF pulse and at least one pulse position modulated RF pulse are to be transmitted, the telemetry frame extending over a predetermined time interval and having a predetermined number of discrete available pulse positions for the pulse position modulated telemetry RF pulse; and (3) triggering telemetry transmission of the telemetry frame so that the pulse position modulated RF pulse is generated at the formatted pulse position and the pulse width modulated RF pulse is generated having the established pulse width. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38)
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39. Apparatus for controlling the transmission of information-encoded, telemetry signals percutaneously in a telemetry uplink from a transmitter of an implanted medical device to the receiver of an external device as telemetry RF pulses within a telemetry frame in response to telemetry commands received from the external device in a telemetry downlink, the apparatus comprising:
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in the external device, means for effecting a telemetry downlink to the implanted medical device; and means for transmitting a command to the implanted medical device to initiate a telemetry uplink to transmit encoded data telemetry frames to the external device; and in the implanted medical device, means responding to the downlink transmitted command including; (1) means for encoding at least one of the telemetry RF pulses of each telemetry frame by; from a predetermined range of available RF pulse widths, establishing a pulse width of the at least one telemetry RF pulse that partially identifies the information being transmitted in the telemetry frame; and establishing a pulse position of the at least one telemetry RF pulse within a predetermined range of possible pulse positions of the telemetry frame that, together with the pulse width more fully identifies the information being transmitted in the telemetry frame; (2) means for formatting the pulse positions of the telemetry frame within which at least one pulse width modulated telemetry RF pulse and at least one pulse position modulated RF pulse are to be transmitted, the telemetry frame extending over a predetermined time interval and having a predetermined number of discrete available pulse positions for the pulse position modulated telemetry RF pulse; and (3) means for triggering telemetry transmission of the telemetry frame so that the pulse position modulated RF pulse is generated at the formatted pulse position and the pulse width modulated RF pulse is generated having the established pulse width. - View Dependent Claims (40, 41, 42)
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Specification