Methods and apparatuses for implantable medical device telemetry power management

• US 8,792,983 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2013
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Von Arx, Jeffrey A., Yonce, David J., Mazar, Scott T., Kramer, Karen M., Harris, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Koharski, Christopher D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dinga, Roland
• Application Number:
  US14/019,830
• Publication Number:
  US 20140012341A1
• Time in Patent Office: 326 Days
• Field of Search: 607/60, 607/32, 128/903, 57/60, 57/32
• US Class Current: 607/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/39622 Pacing therapy
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/40 for the management of medical equipment or devices, e.g. scheduling maintenance or upgrades
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

A method comprises connecting at least one portion of a far-field radio-frequency (RF) first telemetry circuit in an implantable medical device to an energy source through a power connection module, detecting information included in a first predetermined wireless signal, changing a conductivity state of the power connection module when the information in the first predetermined wireless signal is detected to couple power to the at least one portion of the first telemetry circuit, detecting a second predetermined wireless signal, and changing a conductivity state of the power connection module to decouple power to the at least one portion of the first telemetry circuit when the second predetermined wireless signal is detected and the first telemetry circuit enters an idle state.

Claims

1. A system including:

an implantable medical device, the implantable medical device including;

a far-field radio-frequency (RF) first telemetry circuit;

a power connection module, coupled to the first telemetry circuit, the power connection module including a first conductivity state to connect power to at least a portion of the first telemetry circuit and a second conductivity state to disconnect the power;

a wireless signal detector, configured to change the connectivity state of the power connection module to connect power to at least a portion of the first telemetry circuit according to information detected in a wireless signal; and

a timer, coupled to the power connection module, to change a conductivity state of the power connection module to disconnect power to at least a portion of the first telemetry circuit after waiting a predetermined period of time after the first telemetry circuit enters a predetermined state that includes at least one of a data transmission idle state and a telemetry establishment failure state.

2. The system of claim 1, in which the implantable medical device includes an implantable cardiac rhythm management device, and the first telemetry circuit provides at least a six-foot telemetry range.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal detector includes a low power radio-receiver coupled to the power connection module, and wherein the wireless signal detector is configured to connect power to at least a portion of the first telemetry circuit according to information received using the low power radio-receiver.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the wireless signal detector is configured to connect power to at least a portion of the first telemetry circuit when receiving a high-power RF burst signal using the low power radio-receiver.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the low power radio-receiver is configured to generate an out indicating detection of the information when detecting an envelope of an RF signal that exceeds a predetermined detection threshold.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the wireless signal detector is configured to connect power to at least a portion of the first telemetry circuit according to information that includes a digital key identifying a particular implantable device.

7. The system of claim 3, further including a remote programming device including a telemetry activation signal generator configured to be electromagnetically coupled to the low power radio-receiver.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first telemetry circuit enters the telemetry establishment failure state when the digital key does not match the implantable device receiving the information.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the first telemetry circuit enters the telemetry establishment failure state when a predetermined number of attempts to establish telemetry are unsuccessful.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the timer is started when the first telemetry circuit enters an idle state, is reset when a data transmission is received via the first telemetry circuit, and is restarted when the first telemetry circuit reenters the idle state.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the first telemetry circuit is configured to send a termination signal to a separate device after waiting the predetermined period of time.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal detector is configured to change the connectivity state of the power connection module to disconnect power to at least a portion of the first telemetry circuit according to information detected in the wireless signal, and wherein the first telemetry circuit is configured to the idle state after a predetermined amount of time when a wireless signal is not detected.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal detector includes a near-field inductive second telemetry circuit coupled to the power connection module, and configured to change the conductivity state of the power connection module to connect power to at least a portion of the first telemetry circuit according to information detected in a wireless near-field inductive signal.

14. The system of claim 13, in which the second telemetry circuit includes a receiver adapted to receive the predetermined wireless signal, and in which the predetermined wireless signal includes a command for changing the conductivity state of the power connection module.

15. The system of claim 13, in which the second telemetry circuit includes a receiver adapted to detect a near-field inductive signal having a predetermined frequency and to change the conductivity state of the power connection module when the near-field inductive signal is detected.

16. The system of claim 13, in which the second telemetry circuit includes a receiver adapted to detect a near-field inductive telemetry communication and to change the conductivity state of the power connection module when the near-field inductive telemetry communication is detected.

17. The system of claim 13, further including:

a first remote device, electromagnetically coupled to the first telemetry circuit, the first remote device including a far-field RF third telemetry circuit to provide communication with the implantable medical device for at least a six-foot range; and

a second remote device, inductively coupled to the second telemetry circuit, the second remote device including a near-field inductive fourth telemetry circuit to provide near-field communication with the implantable medical device.

18. The system of claim 17, in which the first and second remote devices are physically integrated.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the implantable medical device includes a cardiac rhythm management device that provides cardiac resynchronization therapy.

20. The system of claim 1, further including a remote device far-field RF second telemetry circuit, electromagnetically coupled to the first telemetry circuit, to provide long-range communications with the implantable medical device.