Systems and methods for implantable medical devices including near field communications

• US 9,955,289 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2016
• Issued: 04/24/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Liu, Franklin, Amely-Velez, Jorge N., Li, Perry
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US15/265,624
• Time in Patent Office: 587 Days
• Field of Search: 455 411, 455 412, 455574, 4553431, 4553432
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2225 used in active tags, i.e. provided with its own power source or in passive tags, i.e. deriving power from RF signal
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/42 with folded element, the folded parts being spaced apart a small fraction of the operating wavelength
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/48 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/70 specially adapted for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/77 for interrogation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/04 including near field communication means, e.g. RFID
• 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

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a near field communications (NFC) detector network for use in an implantable medical device. The NFC detector network includes a combined Bluetooth low energy (BLE)NFC antenna, a BLE transceiver, a BLE path electrically connecting the combined BLE/NFC antenna to the BLE transceiver and configured to communicate BLE signals received at the combined BLE/NFC antenna to the BLE transceiver, and an NFC path electrically connecting the combined BLE/NFC antenna to the BLE transceiver, the NFC path configured to generate an activation signal for the BLE transceiver based on an NFC signal received at the combined BLE/NFC antenna.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device comprising:

a housing;

a cover coupled to the housing and enclosing a region along an exterior of the housing;

a detector network positioned within the housing;

a near field communications (NFC) antenna positioned within the cover, the NFC antenna having a loop and a connector extending from the loop, the connector being electrically connected to the detector network at an end distal the loop;

a Bluetooth low energy (BLE) antenna positioned within the cover, the BLE antenna being C-shaped and having a first end and a second end, the second end being electrically connected to the detector network;

the detector network comprising;

a BLE transceiver;

a BLE path electrically connecting at least the BLE antenna to the BLE transceiver and configured to communicate BLE signals received at the BLE antenna to the BLE transceiver; and

an NFC path electrically connecting at least the NFC antenna to the BLE transceiver, the NFC path configured to generate an activation signal for the BLE transceiver based on an NFC signal received at the NEC antenna.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the BLE path comprises a trap configured to prevent NFC signals from reaching the BLE transceiver via the BLE path.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 2, wherein the NFC path comprises:

a resonant tank configured to draw the NFC signal; and

a full-wave rectifier configured to generate the activation signal based on the NFC signal.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 3, wherein the NFC path further comprises a high voltage protection circuit configured to prevent high voltage NFC signals from damaging at least a portion of the detector network.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 4, wherein the NFC path further comprises an inverter configured to condition the activation signal generated by the full-wave rectifier before providing the activation signal to the BLE transceiver.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein the inverter comprises one of a bipolar junction transistor inverter and a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor inverter.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein the inverter comprises a field effect transistor inverter.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 5. wherein the inverter comprises a comparator inverter.