Method of processing telemetry signals in an implantable medical device including a telemetry processor

• US 7,610,099 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2006
• Issued: 10/27/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• 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:
  US11/463,782
• Publication Number:
  US 20060287694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,174 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 transmitted telemetry signals in an implantable medical device including a main processor and a telemetry processor, the method comprising:

selecting a message type to be transmitted with control logic;

adding source and destination address information with an uplink frame generator;

adding status information with control logic;

encoding a transmit message parallel accessible words into a transmit message serial data bits; and

transferring the message to a modulator for transmission of the message by telemetry, wherein the above steps are performed in the telemetry processor distinct from the main processor of the implantable medical device to adjust therapy based on the received message.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising generating message validity code containing the number of transmit data bits and the order of the transmit data bits with a cyclic redundancy check generator.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising powering down the telemetry processor after transferring the message to a modulator.

4. The method as in claim 1, further comprising sending a status message from the main processor to a data encoder.

5. A method of processing transmitted telemetry signals in an implantable medical device including a main processor and a telemetry processor, the telemetry processor executing the steps comprising:

selecting a message type to be transmitted with control logic;

adding source and destination address information with an uplink frame generator;

adding status information with control logic;

generating message validity codes including the number of transmit data bits and an order of the transmit data bits with a cyclic redundancy check generator;

encoding the transmit message parallel accessible words into a transmit message serial data bits;

transferring a message to a modulator for transmission of the message by telemetry, and

powering down the telemetry processor after transferring the message to the modulator.