Electromagnetic interference immune tissue invasive system

• US 6,718,207 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biophan Technologies Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Biophan Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Connelly, Patrick R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Getzow, Scott M.
• Application Number:
  US10/077,842
• Publication Number:
  US 20020183796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 777 Days
• Field of Search: 607/1-156
• US Class Current: 607/9
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/056 Transvascular endocardial electrode systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/086 Magnetic resonance imaging [MRI] compatible leads
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3718 Monitoring of or protection against external electromagnetic fields or currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37512 Pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/285 Invasive instruments, e.g. catheters or biopsy needles, specially adapted for tracking, guiding or visualization by NMR
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/288 Provisions within MR facilities for enhancing safety during MR, e.g. reduction of the specific absorption rate [SAR], detection of ferromagnetic objects in the scanner room

Abstract

An electromagnetic immune tissue invasive system includes a primary device housing. The primary device housing having a control circuit therein. A shielding is formed around the primary device housing to shield the primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference. A lead system transmits and receives signals between the primary device housing. The lead system is either a fiber optic system or an electrically shielded electrical lead system.

Claims

1. A cardiac assist system, comprising:

a primary device housing including a power supply and a light source;

said primary device housing having a control circuit therein;

a shielding formed around said primary device housing to shield said primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference;

a cardiac assist device associated with a heart;

a photonic lead system to transmit between said primary device housing and said cardiac assist device, both power and control signals in the form of light;

a photoresponsive device to convert the light transmitted by said photonic lead system into electrical energy and to sense variations in the light energy to produce control signals;

a charge accumulating device to receive and store the electrical energy produced by said photoresponsive device; and

a discharge control device, responsive to the control signals, to direct the stored electrical energy from said charge accumulating device to said cardiac assist device associated with the heart.

2. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a detection circuit to detect a phase timing of an external electromagnetic field;

said control circuit altering its operations to avoid interfering with the detected external electromagnetic field.

3. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shielding is a metallic sheath to shield said primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference.

4. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shielding is a carbon composite sheath to shield said primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference.

5. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shielding is a polymer composite sheath to shield said primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference.

6. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said photonic lead system is a multi-fiber optic bundle containing at least one channel within.

7. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said shielding is covered with a biocompatible material.

8. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said photonic lead system is covered with a biocompatible material.

9. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said primary device housing includes a microprocessor integrated circuit for controlling the operations of said cardiac assist device.

10. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 9, further comprising a battery power source and a battery power source measuring circuit;

said microprocessor integrated circuit automatically adjusting a value for determining an elective replacement indication condition of a battery power source such that the value is automatically adjusted by said microprocessor integrated circuit in response to a measured level of a state of said battery power source, the measured level generated by said battery power source measuring circuit connected to said battery power source.

11. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said microprocessor integrated circuit isolates physiological signals using a noise filtering circuit.

12. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said microprocessor integrated circuit isolates physiological signals using digital noise filtering.

13. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said microprocessor integrated circuit is programmable from a source external of the tissue implantable device.

14. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said microprocessor integrated circuit provides physiological diagnostics to a source external of the tissue implantable device.

15. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said microprocessor integrated circuit provides circuit diagnostics to a source external of the tissue implantable device.

16. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 9, wherein said microprocessor integrated circuit is programmable from a source external of the cardiac assist system and provides circuit diagnostics to a source external of the tissue implantable device.

17. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said photonic lead system includes a sensing and stimulation system at an epicardial-lead interface with a desired anatomical cardiac tissue region.

18. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said sensing and stimulation system includes optical sensing components to detect physiological signals from the desired anatomical cardiac tissue region.

19. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 17, wherein said sensing and stimulation system includes optical pulsing components to deliver a stimulus of a predetermined duration and power to the desired anatomical cardiac tissue region.

20. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 18, wherein said sensing and stimulation system includes optical pulsing components to deliver a stimulus of a predetermined duration and power to the desired anatomical cardiac tissue region.

21. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said photoresponsive device is a small surface area photodiode and a large surface area photodiode, said small surface area photodiode sensing variations in the light energy to produce control signals, said large surface area photodiode converting the light transmitted by said photonic lead system into electrical energy.

22. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said photoresponsive device is an array of photodiodes having a first section of photodiodes and a second section of photodiodes, said first section of photodiodes sensing variations in the light energy to produce control signals, said second section of photodiodes converting the light transmitted by said photonic lead system into electrical energy.

23. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said photoresponsive device includes a charge transfer control circuit and a photodiode, said charge transfer control circuit controlling a discharging of a photodiode capacitance in two separate discharge periods during an integration period of the photodiode such that a first discharge period of the photodiode capacitance provides the sensing of variations in the light energy to produce control signals and a second discharge period of the photodiode capacitance provides the converting the light transmitted by said photonic lead system into electrical energy.

24. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the first discharge period is completed before the second discharge period.

25. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the first discharge period is a shorter time duration that the time duration of the second discharge period.

26. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 23, wherein the integration period corresponds to the sampling period of the light to derive control data.

27. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 23, wherein during the first discharge period, a control signal sensing circuit is connected to said photodiode, and during the second discharge period, said charge accumulating device is connected to said photodiode.

28. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said charge accumulating device is a capacitor.

29. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said charge accumulating device is a rechargeable battery.

30. The cardiac assist system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said discharge control device is a controllable switch.

31. A tissue implantable device, comprising:

a primary device housing including a power supply and a light source;

said primary device housing having a control circuit therein;

a shielding formed around said primary device housing to shield said primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference;

a tissue interface device associated with a distinct tissue region;

a photonic lead system to transmit between said primary device housing and said tissue interface device, both power and control signals in the form of light;

a photoresponsive device to convert the light transmitted by said photonic lead system into electrical energy and to sense variations in the light energy to produce control signals;

a charge accumulating device to receive and store the electrical energy produced by said photoresponsive device; and

a discharge control device, responsive to the control signals, to direct the stored electrical energy from said charge accumulating device to said tissue interface device associated with a distinct tissue region.

32. The implantable tissue device as claimed in claim 31, further comprising:

a detection circuit to detect a phase timing of an external electromagnetic field;

said control circuit altering its operations to avoid interfering with the detected external electromagnetic field.

33. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said shielding is a metallic sheath to shield said primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference.

34. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said shielding is a carbon composite sheath to shield said primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference.

35. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said shielding is a polymer composite sheath to shield said primary device housing and any circuits therein from electromagnetic interference.

36. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said photonic lead system is a multi-fiber optic bundle containing at least one channel within.

37. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said shielding is covered with a biocompatible material.

38. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said photonic lead system is covered with a biocompatible material.

39. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said primary device housing includes a microprocessor integrated circuit for controlling the operations of said cardiac assist device.

40. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 39, further comprising a battery power source and a battery power source measuring circuit;

said microprocessor integrated circuit automatically adjusting a value for determining an elective replacement indication condition of a battery power source such that the value is automatically adjusted by said microprocessor integrated circuit in response to a measured level of a state of said battery power source, the measured level generated by said battery power source measuring circuit connected to said battery power source.

41. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 39, wherein said microprocessor integrated circuit isolates physiological signals using a noise filtering circuit.

42. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 39, wherein said microprocessor integrated circuit isolates physiological signals using digital noise filtering.

43. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 39, wherein said microprocessor integrated circuit is programmable from a source external of the tissue implantable device.

44. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 39, wherein said microprocessor integrated circuit provides physiological diagnostics to a source external of the tissue implantable device.

45. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 39, wherein said microprocessor integrated circuit provides circuit diagnostics to a source external of the tissue implantable device.

46. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 39, wherein said microprocessor integrated circuit is programmable from a source external of the tissue implantable device and provides circuit diagnostics to a source external of the tissue implantable device.

47. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said photonic lead system includes a sensing and stimulation system at an epicardial-lead interface with a desired anatomical cardiac tissue region.

48. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 47, wherein said sensing and stimulation system includes optical sensing components to detect physiological signals from the desired anatomical cardiac tissue region.

49. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 47, wherein said sensing and stimulation system includes optical pulsing components to deliver a stimulus of a predetermined duration and power to the desired anatomical cardiac tissue region.

50. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 48, wherein said sensing and stimulation system includes optical pulsing components to deliver a stimulus of a predetermined duration and power to the desired anatomical cardiac tissue region.

51. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said photoresponsive device is a small surface area photodiode and a large surface area photodiode, said small surface area photodiode sensing variations in the light energy to produce control signals, said large surface area photodiode converting the light transmitted by said photonic lead system into electrical energy.

52. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said photoresponsive device is an array of photodiodes having a first section of photodiodes and a second section of photodiodes, said first section of photodiodes sensing variations in the light energy to produce control signals, said second section of photodiodes converting the light transmitted by said photonic lead system into electrical energy.

53. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said photoresponsive device includes a charge transfer control circuit and a photodiode, said charge transfer control circuit controlling a discharging of a photodiode capacitance in two separate discharge periods during an integration period of the photodiode such that a first discharge period of the photodiode capacitance provides the sensing of variations in the light energy to produce control signals and a second discharge period of the photodiode capacitance provides the converting the light transmitted by said photonic lead system into electrical energy.

54. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 53, wherein the first discharge period is completed before the second discharge period.

55. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 53, wherein the first discharge period is a shorter time duration that the time duration of the second discharge period.

56. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 53, wherein the integration period corresponds to the sampling period of the light to derive control data.

57. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 53, wherein during the first discharge period, a control signal sensing circuit is connected to said photodiode, and during the second discharge period, said charge accumulating device is connected to said photodiode.

58. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said charge accumulating device is a capacitor.

59. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said charge accumulating device is a rechargeable battery.

60. The tissue implantable device as claimed in claim 31, wherein said discharge control device is a controllable switch.