Reversible implantable acoustic sensor

• US 8,078,285 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2008
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Ganion, Vincent P., Anderson, David A., Werner, Lewis J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Evanisko, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAIRCHILD, MALLIKA DIPAYAN
• Application Number:
  US12/057,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20090248114A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 607/9, 607/27, 607/62, 607 17- 20, 600/300
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/00 Instruments for auscultation
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/023 for introduction into the body, e.g. into the oesophagus oesophageal ECG probes A61B5/285

Abstract

An implantable medical device having an acoustic element includes a control module coupled to the acoustic element, an acoustic sensing module coupled to the control module, and a patient alert driver module coupled to the control circuit. The patient alert driver module generates a patient alert drive signal for activating the acoustic element to emit a patient alert signal. The control module includes an isolation circuit for isolating the acoustic sensing module from the acoustic element in response to the patient alert drive signal.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device, comprising:

an acoustic element;

a control module coupled to the acoustic element for controlling the function of the acoustic element;

an acoustic sensing module coupled to the control module for receiving acoustical signals from the acoustic element via the control module;

a patient alert driver module coupled to the control module and generating a patient alert drive signal for activating the acoustic element via the control module to emit a patient alert signal; and

an alert filter coupled to the patient alert driver module and the control module for passing a selected alert signal frequency to the control module;

the control module configured to detect the patient alert drive signal and comprising an isolation circuit for isolating the acoustic sensing module from the acoustic element in response to the patient alert drive signal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the acoustic element comprises a piezoelectric element.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising a housing for enclosing the control module, the acoustic sensing module, and the patient alert driver module, the piezoelectric element being positioned along an interior surface of the housing.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the acoustic element comprises an array of piezoelectric elements distributed along the interior surface of the housing.

2. An implantable medical device, comprising:

an acoustic element;

a control module coupled to the acoustic element for controlling the function of the acoustic element;

an acoustic sensing module coupled to the control module for receiving acoustical signals from the acoustic element via the control module;

a patient alert driver module coupled to the control module and generating a patient alert drive signal for activating the acoustic element via the control module to emit a patient alert signal; and

a sensing filter for receiving an acoustical signal from the control module and passing a selected sensing signal frequency to the acoustic sensing module;

the control module configured to detect the patient alert drive signal and comprising an isolation circuit for isolating the acoustic sensing module from the acoustic element in response to the patient alert drive signal.

6. An implantable medical device, comprising:

an acoustic element, wherein the acoustic element comprises a piezoelectric element;

a control module coupled to the acoustic element for controlling the function of the acoustic element;

an acoustic sensing module coupled to the control module for receiving acoustical signals from the acoustic element via the control module;

a patient alert driver module coupled to the control module and generating a patient alert drive signal for activating the acoustic element via the control module to emit a patient alert signal; and

a housing for enclosing the control module, the acoustic sensing module, and the patient alert driver module, the piezoelectric element being positioned along an interior surface of the housing;

the control module configured to detect the patient alert drive signal and comprising an isolation circuit for isolating the acoustic sensing module from the acoustic element in response to the patient alert drive signal, wherein the acoustic element comprises an array of piezoelectric elements distributed along the interior surface of the housing, and wherein the control module further comprises selection circuitry configured to activate selected ones of the array of piezoelectric elements for emitting a patient alert signal.

7. An implantable medical device, comprising:

an acoustic element, wherein the acoustic element comprises a piezoelectric element;

a control module coupled to the acoustic element for controlling the function of the acoustic element;

an acoustic sensing module coupled to the control module for receiving acoustical signals from the acoustic element via the control module;

a patient alert driver module coupled to the control module and generating a patient alert drive signal for activating the acoustic element via the control module to emit a patient alert signal; and

a housing for enclosing the control module, the acoustic sensing module, and the patient alert driver module, the piezoelectric element being positioned along an interior surface of the housing;

the control module configured to detect the patient alert drive signal and comprising an isolation circuit for isolating the acoustic sensing module from the acoustic element in response to the patient alert drive signal, wherein the acoustic element comprises an array of piezoelectric elements distributed along the interior surface of the housing, and wherein the control module further comprises selection circuitry configured to couple selected ones of the array of piezoelectric element to the sensing module.

8. A method for controlling an acoustic element in an implantable medical device, comprising:

detecting a patient alert condition;

generating a patient alert drive signal;

isolating an acoustic sensing module from an acoustic element in response to the patient alert drive signal; and

activating the acoustic element to emit a patient alert signal in response to the patient alert drive signal, wherein the acoustic element comprises an array of piezoelectric elements and further comprising;

selecting a first set of the piezoelectric elements to receive the patient alert drive signal in response to the patient alert drive signal being generated;

detecting termination of the patient alert drive signal; and

coupling a second set of the piezoelectric elements, different than the first set, to the acoustic sensing module in response to detecting termination of the patient alert drive signal.