Telemetry listening window management for an implantable medical device

• US 8,131,377 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2007
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Shi, Jess W., Parramon, Jordi
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sarcione, Jessica
• Application Number:
  US11/776,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20090018618A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,700 Days
• Field of Search: 607 30- 32, 607 59- 62, 128903-904
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• 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: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

An improved arbitration scheme for allowing concurrent stimulation and telemetry listening in a microstimulator is disclosed. A listening window for telemetry is permitted to proceed, and access to the microstimulator'"'"'s coil granted, during at least a portion of the inter-pulse period that follows the issuance of a stimulation pulse. This is permissible because access to the coil is not needed during the entirety of the inter-pulse period. For example, the listening window can issue during that portion of the inter-pulse period when the decoupling capacitor is discharged, but cannot issue during that portion of the inter-pulse period when the compliance voltage is being generated for the next stimulation pulse. However, because compliance voltage generation occupies only a small portion of the inter-pulse period, the technique is not substantially limited. By allowing the listening window to issue during the majority of the inter-pulse period, the listening window produces smaller gaps between the pulses, and stimulation therapy is thus brought closer to its ideal.

Claims

1. A method implementable in an implantable stimulation device for enabling telemetry concurrent with provision of stimulation pulses to a patient, comprising:

issuing a series of successive stimulation cycles, wherein the stimulation cycles comprise a stimulation pulse and an inter-pulse period; and

issuing a plurality of telemetry windows by periodically issuing after at least one stimulation cycle a telemetry window during which the implantable stimulation device can communicate with an external device;

wherein the telemetry windows are interposed between successive stimulation cycles, and wherein the telemetry windows encroach upon at least a portion of an inter-pulse period of one of the successive stimulation cycles.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the telemetry windows comprise listening windows for listening for a handshaking message from the external device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least a portion of the inter-pulse period upon which the telemetry windows encroach comprises a portion during which a current path decoupling capacitor is discharged.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the implantable stimulation device comprises a microstimulator with a single coil.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least a portion of the inter-pulse period upon which the telemetry windows encroach does not comprise a portion during which compliance voltage generation circuitry has access to the coil.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the stimulation pulses are issued to at least one electrode on the implantable stimulation device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each telemetry window issues after a plurality of stimulation cycles.

22. The device of claim 2, wherein the decoupling capacitor is discharged by coupling each side of the capacitor to the battery voltage through the patient'"'"'s tissue.

8. A method implementable in an implantable stimulation device for enabling telemetry concurrent with provision of stimulation pulses to a patient, the implantable stimulation device comprising a coil, at least one electrode for providing stimulation pulses to the patient'"'"'s tissue, telemetry circuitry for communicating with an external device, compliance voltage generation circuitry for producing a voltage at the at least one electrode, and at least one decoupling capacitor in a current path of the at least one electrode, the method comprising:

issuing a sequence of stimulation pulses to the at least one electrode with intervening inter-pulse periods, wherein the inter-pulse periods comprise a first portion during which the coil is accessed by the compliance voltage generation circuitry and a second portion during which the decoupling capacitor is discharged; and

issuing a plurality of telemetry windows by periodically issuing after at least one stimulation pulse a telemetry window during which the implantable stimulation device can communicate with an external device, wherein the coil is accessed by telemetry circuitry during the telemetry windows;

wherein the telemetry windows are interposed between successive stimulation pulses during at least a part of the second portions of the inter-pulse periods between the successive stimulation pulses, but not during the first portions of the inter-pulse periods between the successive stimulation pulses.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the telemetry windows comprise listening windows for listening for a handshaking message from the external device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the coil comprises the only coil within the implantable stimulation device.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second portions overlap.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the at least one electrode is included on or is carried by housing of the implantable stimulation device.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the decoupling capacitor is discharged by coupling each side of the capacitor to a battery voltage through the patient'"'"'s tissue.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the compliance voltage generation circuitry generates a first voltage at the at least one electrode from the battery voltage.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein each telemetry window issues after a plurality of stimulation pulses.

16. An implantable stimulation device, comprising:

a coil;

at least one electrode for providing stimulation pulses to a patient'"'"'s tissue;

telemetry circuitry for communicating with an external device;

compliance voltage generation circuitry for producing from a battery voltage a first voltage at the at least one electrode; and

arbitration logic, wherein the arbitration logic grants the telemetry circuitry access to the coil to enable communication with an external device during at least a portion of a stimulation cycle comprising a stimulation pulse and an inter-pulse period, wherein the arbitration logic enables the telemetry circuitry during at least the portion of the inter-pulse period of the stimulation cycle, but not during a portion of the inter-pulse period of the stimulation cycle when the compliance voltage generation circuitry has access to the coil.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the telemetry circuitry is granted access to the coil for the purpose of listening for a handshaking message from the external device.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the device comprises a microstimulator.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the at least one electrode is included on or is carried by housing of the implantable stimulation device.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the arbitration logic comprises a portion of a microcontroller within the implantable stimulation device.

21. The device of claim 16, further comprising at least one decoupling capacitor in a current path of the at least one electrode, and wherein the arbitration logic enables the telemetry circuitry during at least the portion of the inter-pulse period when the decoupling capacitor is being discharged.

23. The implantable stimulation device of claim 16, wherein the coil comprises a singular coil.