Wireless communications in medical devices

• US 9,042,996 B2
• Filed: 03/10/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Van Baelen, Erika J., Van Den Heuvel, Koen, Schindhelm, Adam, Long, Christopher J., Meskens, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCKELMAN, MARK
• Application Number:
  US13/045,320
• Publication Number:
  US 20120232616A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 607/30, 607/57, 607/60
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36036 of the outer, middle or inner ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3727 characterised by the modulation technique
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

A medical device, comprising first and second components coupled via a first wireless link; and a third component coupled to the first device via a second wireless link. The device implements a communication scheme in which transmissions via the second wireless link occur during a time period that is interleaved between periods including transmissions via the first link.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a first implantable component including wireless communication circuitry; and

first and second external component including wireless communication circuitry, wherein the wireless communication circuitry of the first external component is coupled to the wireless communication circuitry of the first implantable component via a first wireless link, wherein the wireless communication circuitry of the first external component is adapted to communicate with wireless communication circuitry of the second external component via a second wireless link, and wherein the wireless communication circuitry of the second external component is adapted to be coupled to the wireless communication circuitry of a second implantable component via a third wireless link; and

a controller configured to implement a communication scheme in which the first and second wireless links only operate during different sets of time periods and in which the first and third wireless links during the same time period.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the second external component comprises a remote control.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless link is operable to transmit at least one of power and data.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless link comprises a closely coupled magnetic link.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless link is operable only in a first series of time periods and the second wireless link is operable only in a second series of time periods, and wherein the scheme interleaves the first and second series of time periods.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second implantable components are each configured to deliver stimulation generated based on data received via the first and third wireless links, respectively.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to synchronize the first and third wireless links such that the links begin transmission at substantially the same time.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the first external component functions as a master component and the second external component functions as a slave component, and wherein the timing of the transmissions in the third wireless link are adjustable to match the timing of transmissions of the first wireless link.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to synchronize the first and third wireless links in response to a specific environmental signal.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the environmental signal is a cell phone beacon.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the controller is configured to synchronize the first and third wireless links in response to user input.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless link operates at a first frequency, and wherein the second wireless link operates at a second frequency that is different than the first frequency.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the first wireless link is operable to transmit at least one of power and data.

14. A medical device, comprising:

a first external component including wireless communication circuitry;

a second implantable component including wireless communication circuitry coupled to the wireless communication circuitry of the first component via a first wireless link;

a third component including wireless communication circuitry coupled to the wireless communication circuitry of the first component via a second wireless link;

a fourth component including wireless communication circuitry coupled to the wireless communication circuitry of the third component via a third wireless link; and

a controller configured to implement a communication scheme in which transmissions via the second wireless link occur during time periods that are interleaved between periods including transmissions via the first link and to synchronize the first and third wireless links such that the links begin transmission at substantially the same time.

15. The device of claim 14, wherein the first wireless link comprises a closely coupled magnetic link.

16. The device of claim 14, wherein the second implantable component is configured to deliver stimulation generated based on data received via the first wireless link.

17. The device of claim 14, wherein the first component functions as a master component and third component functions as a slave component, and wherein the timing of the transmissions in the third wireless link are adjustable to match the timing of transmissions of the first wireless link.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the controller is configured to synchronize the first and third wireless links in response to a specific environmental signal.

19. The device of claim 14, wherein the third component comprises a remote control.

20. A wireless communication method in a medical device, the device including first and second implantable components each including wireless communication circuitry, and first and second external components each including wireless communication circuitry, wherein the wireless communication circuitry of the first external component is configured to communicate with the wireless communication circuitry of the first implantable component via a first wireless link and to communicate with the wireless communication circuitry of the second external component via a second wireless communications link and wherein the wireless communication circuitry of the second implantable component is coupled to the wireless communication circuitry of the second external component via a third wireless link, the method comprising:

operating the first and third wireless links during a first set of time periods;

operating the second wireless link during a second set of time periods; and

interleaving the first and second sets of time periods.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

synchronizing the first and third wireless links such that transmissions begin on the links at substantially the same time.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein synchronizing the first and third wireless links comprises:

adjusting the start time of the transmissions on the third wireless link to substantially match the start time of transmissions on the first wireless link.

23. A medical component device, comprising:

a first external component including wireless communication circuitry;

a second implantable component including wireless communication circuitry coupled to the wireless communication circuitry of the first component via a first wireless link;

a third component including wireless communication circuitry coupled to the wireless communication circuitry of the first component via a second wireless link;

a fourth component including wireless communication circuitry coupled to the wireless communication circuitry of the third component via a third wireless link;

means for synchronizing the first and third wireless links such that the links begin transmission at substantially the same time; and

means for interleaving the operation of the first and second wireless links such that the first wireless link is operable only during a first set of time periods and wherein the second wireless link is operable only during a second set of time periods.

24. The device of claim 23, further comprising:

means for adjusting the timing of the transmissions in the third wireless link to match the timing of transmissions of the first wireless link.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the device comprises:

means for synchronizing the first and third wireless links in response to a specific environmental signal.