Inter-programmer communication among programmers of implantable medical devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system comprising:
- multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more first communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and
individual programmers being configured to communicate with one another on a second communication channel separate from the one or more first communication channels;
wherein the first and second communication channels comprise different frequencies.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A telemetry architecture is described that enables multiple programmers to concurrently interact with associated implantable medical devices within a viable telemetry range. The programmers communicate with implantable medical devices over one or more communication channels. Inter-programmer communication is accomplished over a particular communication channel that may be selected from one of the programmer-to-device channels or via an independent back channel. The programmers use the inter-programmer communication to coordinate communication between associated programmers and implantable medical devices within the viable telemetry range.
123 Citations
45 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more first communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and individual programmers being configured to communicate with one another on a second communication channel separate from the one or more first communication channels; wherein the first and second communication channels comprise different frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (2)
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3. A system comprising:
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multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more first communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and individual programmers being configured to communicate with one another on a second communication channel separate from the one or more first communication channels; wherein a particular programmer, prior to initiating communication with an implantable medical device, discovers which of the communication channels are available.
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4. A system comprising:
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multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more first communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and individual programmers being configured to communicate with one another on a second communication channel separate from the one or more first communication channels; wherein a particular programmer, prior to performing an operation with an implantable medical device, notifies other programmers of the operation. - View Dependent Claims (5)
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6. A system comprising:
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multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more first communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and individual programmers being configured to communicate with one another on a second communication channel separate from the one or more first communication channels; wherein a particular programmer, following completion of communication with an implantable medical device over a particular communication channel, notifies other programmers that the particular communication channel is available.
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7. A system comprising:
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multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more first communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and individual programmers being configured to communicate with one another on a second communication channel separate from the one or more first communication channels; wherein the individual programmers are each configured to detect interference from another programmer. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A system comprising:
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multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more first communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and individual programmers being configured to communicate with one another on a second communication channel separate from the one or more first communication channels; wherein each programmer comprises; an interference detector to detect interference from another programmer; and an alarm to sound an audible warning when the interference is detected.
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10. A system comprising:
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multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and individual programmers being configured to communicate with one another to manage communication between associated programmers and implantable medical devices within the viable telemetry range; wherein the programmers coordinate with one another over a back channel independent of the one or more communication channels. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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12. A system comprising:
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multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and individual programmers being configured to coordinate with one another to manage communication between associated programmers and implantable medical devices within the viable telemetry range; wherein the programmers coordinate with one another by a token protocol in which a token is passed among the programmers such that a programmer that possesses the token is authorized to communicate.
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13. A system comprising:
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multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and individual programmers being configured to coordinate with one another to manage communication between associated programmers and implantable medical devices within the viable telemetry range; wherein a particular programmer, prior to initiating communication with an implantable medical device, interrogates other programmers to discover which of the communication channels are available.
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14. A system comprising:
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multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and individual programmers being configured to coordinate with one another to manage communication between associated programmers and implantable medical devices within the viable telemetry range; wherein a particular programmer, prior to performing an operation with an implantable medical device, notifies other programmers of the operation. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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16. A system comprising:
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multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and individual programmers being configured to coordinate with one another to manage communication between associated programmers and implantable medical devices within the viable telemetry range; wherein a particular programmer, following completion of communication with an implantable medical device over a particular communication channel, notifies other programmers that the particular communication channel is available.
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17. A system comprising:
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multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and individual programmers being configured to coordinate with one another to manage communication between associated programmers and implantable medical devices within the viable telemetry range; wherein the individual programmers are each configured to detect interference from another programmer.
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18. A system comprising:
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multiple programmers located within a viable telemetry range, each programmer being capable of communicating with an implantable medical device via one or more communication channels within the viable telemetry range; and individual programmers being configured to coordinate with one another to manage communication between associated programmers and implantable medical devices within the viable telemetry range; wherein each programmer comprises; an interference detector to detect interference from another programmer; and an alarm to sound an audible warning when the interference is detected.
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19. A system comprising:
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first and second programmers located within a viable telemetry range; and the first programmer being configured to discover and select an available communication channel for communicating with an implantable medical device within the viable telemetry range and to inform the second programmer of the selected communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A programmer for an implantable medical device, comprising:
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a memory; a processor operatively coupled to the memory; and a telemetry subsystem coupled to the processor, the telemetry subsystem being configured to transmit and receive signals over one or more first communication channels to enable communication with an implantable medical device and to transmit and receive signals over a second communication channel to enable communication with another programmer; wherein the first and second communication channels comprise different frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A programmer for an implantable medical device, comprising:
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a memory; a processor operatively coupled to the memory; a telemetry subsystem coupled to the processor, the telemetry subsystem being configured to transmit and receive signals over one or more first communication channels to enable communication with an implantable medical device and to transmit and receive signals over a second communication channel to enable communication with another programmer; and a channel table stored in the memory, the channel table tracking which of the first communication channels are in use and/or available for use.
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28. A programmer for an implantable medical device, comprising:
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a memory; a processor operatively coupled to the memory; a telemetry subsystem coupled to the processor, the telemetry subsystem being configured to transmit and receive signals over one or more first communication channels to enable communication with an implantable medical device and to transmit and receive signals over a second communication channel to enable communication with another programmer; and an interference detector to detect actual and/or potential interference from another programmer. - View Dependent Claims (29)
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30. A programmer for an implantable medical device, comprising:
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programming means for programming the implantable medical device; and inter-programmer communication means for communicating with other programmers to coordinate communication between associated programmers and implantable medical devices so that only one programmer is communicating with one implantable medical device within a viable communication range at any given time. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method comprising:
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communicating between programmers and implantable medical devices over one or more first channels; and communicating among the programmers over a second channel that is different from the one or more first channels; wherein the first and second channels comprise different frequencies. - View Dependent Claims (37)
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38. A method comprising:
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communicating between programmers and implantable medical devices over one or more communication channels within a viable telemetry range; and coordinating, among the programmers, communications between the programmers and the implantable medical devices so that only one programmer is communicating with one implantable medical device within the viable telemetry range at any given time. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41)
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42. A method of operating a programmer of an implantable medical device, comprising:
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communicating with one or more other programmers to identify available communication channels that may be used to communicate with an implantable medical device; selecting a communication channel from among the available channels; and informing the other programmers of the selected communication channel. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44)
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45. A method for operating a programmer of an implantable medical device, comprising:
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receiving a notice from another programmer that the other programmer is preparing to communicate with an implantable medical device within a viable telemetry range; and temporarily halting communication within the viable telemetry range.
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Specification