Medical telemetry system and operating method therefor

• US 8,369,962 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2011
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: St. Jude Medical AB (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Abrahamson, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): Koharski, Christopher D
• Assistant Examiner(s): VOORHEES, CATHERINE M
• Application Number:
  US13/239,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20120010682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 607 30- 31, 607 59- 60, 128/903
• US Class Current: 607/60
• 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 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/10 Connection setup

Abstract

A method in a telemetry system for establishing a connection between a base station and an implantable medical device includes the steps of: starting, in the base station, a first timer B-T₂; determining, in the base station 4, channels that are free for communication among a number of available channels, and selecting one of the free channels; starting, in the base station, a second timer; transmitting, as long as the first or second timer has not expired, a recognition message on the selected channel to the implantable medical device; and establishing, upon receipt of a recognition reply message from the implantable medical device, communication between the base station and the implantable medical device on the selected channel. The invention is readily adaptable for fulfillment of different requirements, such as stipulated by the ETSI standard.

Claims

1. Method in a telemetry system for allocating a channel for use in communication between an implantable medical device and a base station of said telemetry system, comprising performing, in said implantable medical device, the steps of:

starting a first timer;

listening for signals transmitted from said base station and determining, among a number of channels, N channels that are free for communication;

setting a channel number to wherein First is the lowest channel number of said free channels;

starting a second timer;

selecting channel among the available N channels;

listening on said selected channel as long as said first timer or second timer has not expired and as long as no recognition message has been received;

repeating, as long as said first timer has not expired and no recognition message is received from said base station and said second timer has expired, said steps of;

starting the second timer, selecting a next channel among the available N channels and listening on said selected channel; and

transmitting, upon receipt of a recognition message from said base station, a recognition reply message to said base station.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising employing a dedicated implantable medical device as said implantable medical device.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising setting said first timer to a time interval within a range of 10-60 seconds.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising setting said second timer to a time interval within a range of 10-100 ms.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, comprising initiating said method upon an occurrence of an activating mechanism.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5, comprising employing an external activating mechanism as said activating mechanism.

7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein said external activating mechanism comprises one of a magnet, inductive loop telemetry, and other radio alert system.