Conductive intra-body communication for implantable medical devices

• US 9,687,659 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2014
• Issued: 06/27/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Biotronik SE & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Biotronik SE & Company KG
• Inventors: Kraetschmer, Hannes, Muessig, Dirk, Von Arx, Jeffrey A., Stotts, Larry, Homayoun, Habib
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Nicole F
• Application Number:
  US14/290,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20140379048A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 607 60, 607 30
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0565 Electrode heads
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/057 Anchoring means; Means for fixing the head inside the heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/362 Heart stimulators heart defibrillators A61N1/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3727 characterised by the modulation technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37288 Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient

Abstract

An implantable medical device including a data communication interface connected to a pulse generator. The pulse generator generates and delivers forward current pulses and reverse current pulses, wherein a polarity of the reverse current pulses is opposite to the polarity of the forward current pulses. Generates pulses representing binary digits, wherein a first kind of digits (1 or 0) is represented by a current pulse, and a second kind of digit respective of the other type of binary digits (0 or 1) is represented by a pause between current pulses. The data communication interface together with the pulse generator deliver current pulses with strictly alternating polarity such that every other current pulse is a reverse current pulse of opposite polarity compared to an immediately preceding forward current pulse. Thus, every string of current pulse is both, charge balancing and information encoding.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device (10) configured to communicate via electric conductive body tissue comprising:

a data communication interface (30), and

a pulse generator (32),

wherein the data communication interface (30) is connected to the pulse generator (32),

wherein said pulse generator (32) is configured to generate and deliver forward electrical pulses and reverse electrical pulses, wherein a polarity of the reverse electrical pulses is opposite to the polarity of the forward electrical pulses,

wherein said pulse generator (32) is configured to be controlled by said data communication interface (30),

wherein said data communication interface (30) together with said pulse generator (32) are configured to

generate electrical pulses representing binary digits, wherein a first kind of digits (1 or

     0) is represented by an electrical pulse, and a second kind of digit respective of the other type of digits (0 or

     1) is represented by a pause between electrical pulses, and,

deliver electrical pulses with strictly alternating polarity, such that every other electrical pulse is a reverse electrical pulse of opposite polarity compared to an immediately preceding forward electrical pulse; and

,

wherein said pulse generator (32) is further configured to generate and deliver sub-threshold electrical pulses used to communicate data and supra threshold electrical pulses used to stimulate tissue.

2. The implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein the first kind of binary digits represents a logical “

1” and

is represented by a electrical pulse and the second kind of binary digits represents a logical “

0” and

is represented by an absence of a electrical pulse.

3. The implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein the first kind of binary digits represents a logical “

0” and

is represented by a electrical pulse and the second kind of binary digits represents a logical “

1” and

is represented by an absence of a electrical pulse.

4. The implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein said data communication interface (30) together with said pulse generator (32) are further configured to provide a plurality of timeslots, wherein each timeslot of said plurality of time slots represents one binary digit.

5. The implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein said data communication interface (30) is further configured to perform a whitening transformation on a data string prior to a transmission.

6. The implantable medical device according claim 1, wherein said pulse generator (32) comprises a pulse delivery circuitry comprising a capacitor (C1) configured to deliver a forward electrical pulse of said forward electrical pulses and a reverse electrical pulse of said reverse electrical pulses, such that the capacitor (C1) is charged upon delivery of said forward electrical pulse, and said capacitor (C1) is discharged when said reverse electrical pulse is delivered.

7. The implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein said pulse generator (32) is further configured to deliver backward electrical pulses, wherein said forward electrical pulses and said backward electrical pulses comprise substantially a same amount of charge.

8. The implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein said forward electrical pulse and said reverse electrical pulse are charge balancing and information encoding.

9. The implantable medical device according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of time slots comprises a same duration.

10. A method for data communication via electric conductive body tissue comprising:

delivering electrical pulses representing binary digits,

providing a plurality of time slots, wherein each time slot of said plurality of time slots represents one binary digit,

delivering, in a respective time slot of said plurality of time slots, a forward or a reverse electrical pulse if a logical “

1”

is configured to be transmitted in said time slot or delivering no electrical pulse in case a logical “

0”

is to be transmitted in said time slot,

alternating a polarity of said electrical pulses such that a next logical “

1”

is represented by a current or voltage of opposite polarity than a respective anteceding electrical pulse, and,

generating and delivering sub-threshold electrical pulses to communicate data and supra threshold electrical pulses used to stimulate tissue.

11. The method for data communication via electric conductive body tissue according to claim 10, wherein said forward electrical pulse and said reverse electrical pulse are charge balancing and information encoding.

12. The method for data communication via electric conductive body tissue according to claim 10, wherein each of said plurality of time slots comprises a same duration.

15. The method for data communication via electric conductive body tissue according to claim 10, further comprising performing a whitening transform on a data string prior to a transmission.

16. The method for data communication via electric conductive body tissue according to claim 10, further comprising delivering backward electrical pulses, wherein said forward electrical pulses and said backward electrical pulses comprise substantially a same amount of charge.

17. The method for data communication via electric conductive body tissue according to claim 10, wherein said forward electrical pulse is delivered via a capacitor such that the capacitor is charged upon delivery of said forward electrical pulse, and wherein said capacitor is discharged upon delivery of said reverse electrical pulse.

13. A method for data communication to and from an implantable medical device via electric conductive body tissue comprising:

generating and delivering forward electrical pulses and reverse electrical pulses, wherein a polarity of the reverse electrical pulses is opposite to the polarity of the forward electrical pulses from a pulse generator (32) connected to and controlled by a data communication interface (30) of said implantable medical device;

generating electrical pulses representing binary digits, wherein a first kind of digits (1 or

     0) is represented by an electrical pulse, and a second kind of digit respective of the other type of digits (0 or

     1) is represented by a pause between electrical pulses via said data communication interface (30) and said pulse generator (32);

delivering electrical pulses with strictly alternating polarity, such that every other electrical pulse is a reverse electrical pulse of opposite polarity compared to an immediately preceding forward electrical pulse via said data communication interface (30) and said pulse generator (32); and

,

generating and delivering sub-threshold electrical pulses to communicate data and supra threshold electrical pulses used to stimulate tissue.

14. The method for data communication via electric conductive body tissue according to claim 13, further comprising providing one or more time slots, wherein each time slot of said one or more time slots represents one binary digit.

18. The method for data communication to and from an implantable medical device via electric conductive body tissue according to claim 14, wherein each of said plurality of time slots comprises a same duration.