Systems and methods for wireless pairing and communication for electro-stimulation

• US 9,861,824 B2
• Filed: 09/28/2015
• Issued: 01/09/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DJO LLC (Enovis Corp.)
• Original Assignee: EMPI Incorporated (Enovis Corp.)
• Inventors: Baumgartner, Flavien, Perroud, Stphane, Vuadens, Philippe, Fontaine, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, Nicole F
• Application Number:
  US14/867,765
• Publication Number:
  US 20160082273A1
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• Field of Search: 607 30, 607 33, 607 60, 607115
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3603 Control systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37288 Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/50 Secure pairing of devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/20 Master-slave selection or change arrangements

Abstract

The disclosure herein is directed toward systems and methods for pairing two or more devices into a wireless network and transferring data between two or more electro-stimulation devices. Specifically, the systems and methods disclosed herein may include pairing two or more devices into a network configuration using, in part, a pairing device to distinctly identify the devices to be paired and to pair the identified devices into a network. Moreover, the systems and methods disclosed herein may include transferring data between two or more devices using, in part, one or more electro-stimulation contacts for electro-stimulation therapy and using, in part, the same one or more electro-stimulation contacts for transferring data between two or more devices.

Claims

1. A system for delivering electro-stimulation, comprising:

a first electro-stimulation device comprising a first output system, the first output system comprising a first set of electro-stimulation contacts, the first output system configured to;

when the first set of electro-stimulation contacts are connected to a first set of electrodes, deliver an electro-stimulation therapy through a first set of electro-stimulation contacts and the first set of electrodes, and

when the first set of electro-stimulation contacts are directly connected to a second device through one or more electrically conductive wires, communicate with the second device through the first set of electro-stimulation contacts and the one or more electrically conductive wires.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising the second device, wherein the second device comprises a second electro-stimulation device having a second output system, wherein the second output system is configured to deliver an electro-stimulation therapy through the second set of electro-stimulation contacts and to communicate with the first electro-stimulation device through the second set of electro-stimulation contacts.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first set of electro-stimulation contacts is connected to the second set of electro-stimulation contacts so as to allow communication between the first electro-stimulation device and the second electro-stimulation device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first electro-stimulation device further comprises a first battery charging input comprising a first set of battery charging contacts, wherein the first battery charging input is configured to connect to a power source to charge a battery of the first electro-stimulation device.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein at least one of the first set of battery charging contacts is connected to the other device and is configured for use as a ground wire during communication between the first electro-stimulation device and the other device.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the second device comprises:

a second electro-stimulation device having a second output system, wherein the second output system is configured to deliver an electro-stimulation therapy through the second set of electro-stimulation contacts and to communicate with the first electro-stimulation device through the second set of electro-stimulation contacts; and

a second battery charging input comprising a second set of battery charging contacts, the second battery charging input configured for connection to a power source to charge a battery of the second electro-stimulation device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first set of electro-stimulation contacts is connected to the second set of electro-stimulation contacts so as to allow communication between the first electro-stimulation device and the second electro-stimulation device, and wherein at least one of the first set of battery charging contacts is connected to at least one of the second battery charging contacts so as to establish a ground wire during communication between the first electro-stimulation device and the second electro-stimulation device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein communication with the second device through the first set of electro-stimulation contacts is uni-directional.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein communication with the second device through the first set of electro-stimulation contacts is bi-directional.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first output system is configured for concurrent delivery of the electro-stimulation therapy through the first set of electro-stimulation contacts and is configured for communication with the other device through the first set of electro-stimulation contacts.

11. The system of claim 6, further comprising a charging dock configured for use with the first electro-stimulation device and the second electro-stimulation device, wherein the charging dock is configured to receive the first electro-stimulation device and the second electro-stimulation device, to provide power to the first set of battery charging contacts and the second set of battery charging contacts to charge the batteries of the first electro-stimulation device and the second electro-stimulation device, and to establish a connection for communication between the first set of electro-stimulation contacts and the second set of electro-stimulation contacts.