System and method for bidirectional communication with an implantable medical device using an implant component as an antenna
First Claim
1. A data communication system for wirelessly communicating data from within a human body to a data communication device external to the body, comprising:
- an orthopedic prosthetic implant component having a metal surface, the orthopedic prosthetic implant component being configured to replace bone tissue in a person; and
a wireless communication module electrically coupled to the metal surface of the orthopedic prosthetic implant component so a carrier wave excites a length of the orthopedic prosthetic implant component metal surface to operate the length of the orthopedic prosthetic implant component as an antenna;
wherein the wireless communication module is a module that excites the length of the orthopedic prosthetic implant component with a carrier wave that has been modulated with sensor data to operate the length of the implant component as antenna.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method enables data to be communicated from a position within a human body to an external data device. The system includes a wireless communication module that is electrically coupled to an implant component having a metal surface so that the implant component operates as an antenna in response to the application of a modulated carrier wave being applied to the implant component. The wireless communication module may be coupled to the implant component so that the implant component operates as a monopole or dipole antenna. When the monopole configuration is used, the system further includes a ground plane so that the electromagnetic field emitted by the implant component is reflected and the emitted and reflected fields resemble the emitted field of a dipole antenna for the carrier frequency.
79 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A data communication system for wirelessly communicating data from within a human body to a data communication device external to the body, comprising:
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an orthopedic prosthetic implant component having a metal surface, the orthopedic prosthetic implant component being configured to replace bone tissue in a person; and a wireless communication module electrically coupled to the metal surface of the orthopedic prosthetic implant component so a carrier wave excites a length of the orthopedic prosthetic implant component metal surface to operate the length of the orthopedic prosthetic implant component as an antenna; wherein the wireless communication module is a module that excites the length of the orthopedic prosthetic implant component with a carrier wave that has been modulated with sensor data to operate the length of the implant component as antenna. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A data communication system for wirelessly communicating data from a reconstructed knee comprising:
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a tibial component having a metal surface, the tibial component being used to replace bone tissue in a person; a wireless communication module that is electrically coupled to the metal surface of the tibial component; and a sensor located proximate to the tibial component to sense a parameter near the tibial component, the sensor being coupled by a wire to the wireless communication module so that a signal generated by the sensor is provided over the wire to the wireless communication module and the wireless communication module uses the signal received from the sensor to modulate a carrier wave that is applied to the metal surface of the tibial component by the wireless communication module to excite the metal surface of the tibial component and operate the tibial component as an antenna for radiation of the modulated carrier wave to an external data device. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
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13. A method for wirelessly communicating data from within a human body to a device external to the human body, comprising:
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electrically coupling a wireless communication module to an orthopedic prosthetic implant component having a metal surface, the orthopedic prosthetic implant component being used to replace bone tissue in a patient; and operating the orthopedic prosthetic implant component as an antenna for wireless communication between the wireless communication module and a data communication device external to a patient in which the implant component has been used to replace bone tissue. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A method for wirelessly communicating data from a reconstructed knee, comprising:
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electrically coupling a wireless communication module to a metal surface of a tibial component that is used to replace bone tissue in a person for wireless communication with an external data communication device; coupling a sensor to the wireless communication module; modulating a carrier wave with data received from the sensor coupled to the wireless communication module; and exciting the metal surface of the tibial component with the modulated carrier wave to radiate the modulated carrier wave from the metal surface of the tibial component operating as an antenna and replacing bone tissue in a person. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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Specification