Method of operating an implantable medical device telemetry processor

• US 7,254,448 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Issued: 08/07/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Bakx, Martinus A G M, Almendinger, Allen Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle; Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US10/657,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20040049246A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 607/31, 607/32, 607/60, 607/16, 128/903
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3523 using telemetric means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3727 characterised by the modulation technique
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

An implantable medical device with a main processor also has a telemetry processor to perform some telemetry processing functions resulting under some circumstances in reducing demands on the main processor, conserving energy, increasing telemetry processing speed, and many other advantages. A wide variety of implantable medical devices can be configured with a telemetry processor including neuro stimulators, pacemakers, defibrillators, drug delivery pumps, diagnostic recorders, and cochlear implants. The telemetry processor includes control logic, a data decoder, a receive buffer, a data encoder, and a transmit buffer. Methods of receiving messages and transmitting messages with a telemetry processor are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of processing received telemetry signals in an implantable medical device, comprising:

receiving a serial data stream from a demodulator;

translating the received serial data stream into parallel accessible words;

verifying message integrity;

detecting message type; and

acknowledging the received message, wherein the above steps are performed in a telemetry processor distinct from a main processor of the device that adjusts therapy based on the received message.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising receiving a wake-up burst that activates the telemetry processor.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising shifting the data stream through cycle redundancy check logic and verifying a complete message has been received by the cycle redundancy check logic.

4. The method as in claim 1, further comprising notifying the main processor if an application message has been received by the telemetry processor.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein the acknowledgement is transmitted upon receipt of a complete and validated message.

6. The method as in claim 1 wherein the acknowledgement is a negative acknowledgement transmitted upon receipt of an incomplete and not validated message.

7. The method as in claim 1 wherein the message type is selected from the group consisting of:

acknowledgement, negative acknowledgement, application, and waveform.

8. A method of processing received telemetry signals by a telemetry processor in an implantable medical device, comprising:

receiving a serial data stream from a demodulator;

translating the received serial data stream into parallel accessible words;

verifying whether a message address of a received message has a valid cycle

redundancy check;

verifying whether the message was intended for the implantable medical device;

detecting a message type; and

acknowledging the received message, wherein the above steps are performed in a telemetry processor distinct from a main processor of the device that adjusts therapy based on the received message.

9. The method as in claim 8, further comprising receiving a wake-up burst that activates the telemetry processor.

10. The method as in claim 8, further comprising notifying the main processor if an application message has been received.

11. The method as in claim 8, wherein the acknowledgement is transmitted upon receipt of a complete and validated message.

12. The method as in claim 8, wherein the acknowledgement is a negative acknowledgement transmitted upon receipt of an incomplete and not validated message.

13. The method as in claim 8, wherein the message type is selected from the group consisting of:

acknowledgement, negative acknowledgement, application, and waveform.