Acoustic activation of components of an implantable medical device

• US 9,468,767 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2009
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Hill, Gerard J., Receveur, Rogier, Larik, Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Kahelin, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, MINH DUC GIA
• Application Number:
  US12/494,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20100331914A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,667 Days
• Field of Search: 607/60
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0214 of power generation or supply
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0028 Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• 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 1/378 Electrical supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 23/02 using infrasonic, sonic or ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H03K 17/94 characterised by the way in which the control signals are generated
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 11/00 Transmission systems employing sonic, ultrasonic or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 13/005 Transmission systems in which the medium consists of the human body

Abstract

A power source of an implantable medical device (IMD) is connected to one or more components that perform various functions of the IMD via an acoustic switching circuit. The acoustic switching circuit may include one or more switches that when open disconnect the one or more components from the power source and when closed connect the one or more components to the power source to activate the one or more components. Various techniques for connecting the components to the power source are described. These techniques aim to reduce the likelihood of inadvertently connecting the power source to the one or more components in response to acoustical signals from a source of interference.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device comprising:

a power source;

at least one component that performs a function of the implantable medical device; and

at least one acoustic switching circuit between the power source and the at least one component, wherein the acoustic switching circuit is configured to receive acoustic signals at different frequencies and to connect the power source to the at least one component in response to receiving at least two acoustic signals of different frequencies.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the acoustic switching circuit connects the power source to the at least one component in response to receiving at least two acoustic signals of different frequencies in a particular order.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 2, wherein the acoustic switching circuit connects the power source to the at least one component in response to receiving at least two acoustic signals of different frequencies within a particular period of time.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the acoustic switching circuit connects the power source to the at least one component in response to receiving at least two acoustic signals of different frequencies within a particular period of time.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the switching circuit includes at least:

a first switch;

a second switch;

a first acoustic transducer that is tuned to detect acoustic signals at a first frequency; and

a second acoustic transducer that is tuned to detect acoustic signals at a second frequency,

wherein the first switch is closed when the first acoustic transducer detects a first acoustic signal at the first frequency and the second switch is closed when the second acoustic transducer detects a second acoustic signal at the second frequency.

6. The device of claim 5, further comprising a reset circuit that tracks an amount of time that has elapsed since one of the first switch and second switch closed and causes at least one of the first switch and the second switch to open after the amount of time that has elapsed is greater than or equal to a threshold period of time and all of the switches have not closed.

7. The device of claim 5, further comprising a third switch between the second switch and the second acoustic transducer, wherein the third switch closes in response to detection of the first acoustic signal to connect the second switch to the second acoustic transducer.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the first switch and the second switch are bi-stable microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switches.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the device includes a plurality of components that each perform a different function of the implantable medical device and a plurality of acoustic switching circuits and a first portion of the plurality of components are coupled to the power source through a first of the plurality of acoustic switching circuits and a second portion of the plurality of the components are coupled to the power source through a second of the plurality of acoustic switching circuits.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising an activation confirmation module that determines whether the connection of the power source to the at least one component in response to receiving at least two acoustic signals of different frequencies was intentional.

11. A method comprising:

detecting a first acoustic signal having a first frequency;

detecting a second acoustic signal having a second frequency; and

connecting a power source to at least one component that performs a function of an implantable medical device in response to detecting the first acoustic signal and the second acoustic signal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein connecting the power source to the at least one component comprises connecting the power source to the at least one component in response to receiving the first acoustic signal and the second acoustic signal in a particular order.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein connecting the power source to the at least one component comprises connecting the power source to the at least one component in response to receiving the first acoustic signal and the second acoustic signal within a threshold period of time.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein connecting the power source to the at least one component comprises connecting the power source to the at least one component in response to receiving the first acoustic signal and the second acoustic signal within a threshold period of time.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein connecting the power source to the at least one component comprises:

closing a first switch located between the power source and the at least one component in response to detecting the first acoustic signal; and

closing a second switch located between the power source and the at least one component in response to detecting the second acoustic signal.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

tracking an amount of time that has elapsed since one of the first switch and the second switch closed; and

causing at least one of the first switch and the second switch to open after the amount of time that has elapsed is greater than or equal to a threshold period of time and all of the switches are not closed.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

confirming whether the connection of the power source to the at least one component was intentional; and

disconnecting the power source from the at least one component when the confirming step determines the connection was unintentional.

18. An implantable medical device comprising:

means for detecting a first acoustic signal having a first frequency;

means for detecting a second acoustic signal having a second frequency; and

means for connecting a power source to at least one component that performs a function of an implantable medical device in response to detecting the first acoustic signal and the second acoustic signal.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the connecting means connects the power source to the at least one component in response to receiving the first acoustic signal and the second acoustic signal in a particular order.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the connecting means connects the power source to the at least one component in response to receiving the first acoustic signal and the second acoustic signal within a threshold period of time.

21. The device of claim 18, wherein the connecting means connects the power source to the at least one component in response to receiving the first acoustic signal and the second acoustic signal within a threshold period of time.