Telemetry-based wake up of an implantable medical device

• US 7,725,194 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2005
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Klostermann, Daniel Joseph, Rahman, Md. Mizanur
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCKELMAN, MARK
• Application Number:
  US11/215,369
• Publication Number:
  US 20070049991A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,729 Days
• Field of Search: 607/60, 607/117, 713/310, 713323-324, 380/270
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37254 Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry

Abstract

A method for telemetry between an implantable medical device and an external programming component is disclosed. The telemetry circuitry of the implantable device is initially powered on for only a portion of the time needed to receive the entirety of a wake-up signal from the external component. During that time, only a first portion of the wake-up signal as received form the external component is checked against the implantable device'"'"'s understanding of that first portion as stored in its memory. If the implantable device does not recognize the received first portion, powering on of the telemetry circuitry is terminated. However, if that first portion is recognized, then the implantable device continues to power on the telemetry circuitry to receive another (second) portion of the wake-up signal. If that received second portion is recognized, then the telemetry circuitry is further powered to receive a next (third) portion of the wake-up signal from the external component, etc., until the entirety of the wake-up signal is recognized by the implantable device as having been received.

Claims

1. A method for enabling communication of data from an external component to an implantable medical device including handling a wake-up signal at the implantable medical device being broadcast from external component, the wake-up signal comprising a plurality of sequential bits, the method comprising:

powering a receiving circuit in the implantable medical device which receives the wake-up signal;

receiving a first potion of the wake-up signal at the implantable medical device;

assessing the validity of the received first portion at the implantable medical device;

if the received first portion is assessed as valid, continuing to power the receiver circuit to receive at least a second portion of the wake-up signal at the implantable medical device, wherein the first and second portions are identical;

if the received first portion is assessed as not valid, powering off the receiver circuit; and

without receiving any further transmissions from the external component not identical to the identical first and second portions, sending an acknowledgment to the external component when the received second portion is assessed as valid while continuing to power the receiver circuit to enable receipt of data to be transmitted by the external component.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed periodically.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the wake-up signal comprises a plurality of sequential bits of alternating logic states.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions of the wake-up signal comprise a plurality of the sequential bits.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving circuit comprises an antenna and demodulation circuitry.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving circuit in the implantable medical device receives the portions of the wake-up signal wirelessly from the external component.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the received second portion is at least one bit.

8. A method for enabling communication of data from an external component to an implantable medical device including handling a wake-up signal comprising a plurality of identical portions sent to the implantable medical being broadcast from the external component, the wake-up signal comprising a plurality of portions, the method comprising:

(a) periodically powering a receiving circuit in the implanted medical device;

(b) receiving a portion of the wake-up signal at the powered receiving circuit;

(c) if the received portion is valid, continuing to power the receiver circuit to receive a next identical portion of the wake-up signal at the receiving circuit, but if the received portion is assessed as not valid, powering off the receiver circuit until the next period;

(d) repeating step (c) on the received next portion until a last of the plurality of identical portions have been received; and

(e) without receiving any further transmissions from the external component not identical to the identical portions, sending an acknowledgment to the external component when the received last portion is assessed as valid while continuing to power the receiver circuit to enable receipt of data to be transmitted by the external component.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each portion of the wake-up signal comprises a plurality of sequential bits of alternating logic states.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the receiving circuit comprises an antenna and demodulation circuitry.