Compact conformal antenna for a medical telemetry system

• US 20060122666A1
• Filed: 04/29/2005
• Published: 06/08/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Nghiem, David, Denzene, Quentin S., Haubrich, Gregory J., Simonette, Paul T., Twetan, Len D., Dublin, Garry L., Sazenski, Randy R., Francis, Joshua K., Aarons, Timothy C.
• Granted Patent: US 7,363,087 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna

Abstract

A telemetry component according to an embodiment of the invention, such as a programmer or a monitor for an implantable medical device (“IMD”), includes at least one radio frequency (“RF”) antenna that is configured to accommodate far-field telemetry between the telemetry component and the IMD. The RF antenna is shaped, sized, positioned, and otherwise configured to account for surface current cancellation caused by induced surface current on an electrically conductive surface of the telemetry component.

Claims

1. An implanted medical device (“

IMD”

) telemetry device comprising;

an electrically conducting structure;

an antenna located proximate to said electrically conducting structure; and

a receiver coupled to said antenna, said receiver being configured to receive IMD signals via said antenna, said antenna being configured to account for surface current cancellation caused by induced surface current on said electrically conducting structure.

2. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 1, further comprising a transmitter coupled to said antenna, said transmitter being configured to transmit IMD signals via said antenna.

3. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 1, further comprising a housing containing said electrically conducting structure and said antenna.

4. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 3, wherein the position of said antenna is biased away from said electrically conducting structure.

5. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 3, wherein said antenna comprises a conductor attached to said housing.

6. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 5, wherein said conductor is formed on an adhesive tape, and said adhesive tape is attached to said housing.

7. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 1, wherein the operating frequency band of said antenna is approximately 401-405 MHz.

8. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 1, wherein said antenna comprises a solid wire monopole antenna structure.

9. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 1, wherein said antenna comprises a folded monopole antenna structure having an input section, a first radiating section coupled to said input section, a second radiating section parallel to said first radiating section, and a bend section coupling said first radiating section to said second radiating section, said electrically conducting surface being located closer to said second radiating section than to said first radiating section.

10. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 1, wherein said antenna comprises a planar inverted F-shaped antenna structure.

11. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 1, further comprising a display element, wherein:

said electrically conducting structure comprises a casting for said display element, said casting having a perimeter; and

said antenna is routed around said perimeter of said casting.

12. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 11, wherein said antenna is routed around a corner of said casting.

13. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 1, wherein said antenna is shaped to be anti-parallel with features of said electrically conductive structure.

14. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 1, further comprising an RF protection diode coupled to said antenna.

15. An implanted medical device (“

IMD”

) telemetry device comprising;

a housing;

an electrically conducting structure contained in said housing;

a first antenna contained in said housing;

a second antenna contained in said housing; and

a transceiver coupled to said first antenna and coupled to said second antenna, said transceiver being configured to convey IMD signals via at least one of said first antenna and said second antenna, said first antenna and said second antenna each being configured to account for surface current cancellation caused by induced surface current on said electrically conducting structure.

16. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 15, wherein the position of said first antenna is biased away from said electrically conducting structure, and the position of said second antenna is biased away from said electrically conducting structure.

17. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 15, wherein at least one of said first antenna and said second antenna comprises a conductor attached to said housing.

18. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 15, wherein at least one of said first antenna and said second antenna comprises a solid wire monopole antenna structure.

19. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 15, further comprising a display element, wherein:

said electrically conducting structure comprises a casting for said display element, said casting having a perimeter;

said first antenna is routed around a first portion of said perimeter of said casting; and

said second antenna is routed around a second portion of said perimeter of said casting.

20. An IMD telemetry device according to claim 15, wherein at least one of said first antenna and said second antenna is shaped to be anti-parallel with features of said electrically conductive structure.

21. A radio frequency (“

RF”

) antenna for an implanted medical device (“

IMD”

) telemetry device having electrically conducting structures, said antenna comprising a conformal radiating element shaped to account for surface current cancellation caused by induced surface current on the electrically conducting structures.

22. An RF antenna according to claim 21, further comprising an RF connector coupled to said conformal radiating element, said RF connector being configured to establish RF coupling with an IMD signal transceiver.

23. An RF antenna according to claim 21, wherein said conformal radiating element is formed on an adhesive tape.

24. An RF antenna according to claim 21, wherein the operating frequency band of said RF antenna is approximately 401-405 MHz.

25. An RF antenna according to claim 21, wherein said conformal radiating element comprises a solid wire monopole structure.

26. An RF antenna according to claim 21, wherein said conformal radiating element comprises a folded monopole structure having an input section, a first radiating section coupled to said input section, a second radiating section parallel to said first radiating section, and a bend section coupling said first radiating section to said second radiating section.

27. An RF antenna according to claim 21, wherein said conformal radiating element comprises a planar inverted F-shaped structure.

28. An RF antenna according to claim 21, wherein said conformal radiating element is shaped to be anti-parallel with features of the electrically conductive structure.

29. An RF antenna according to claim 21, further comprising an RF protection diode coupled to said conformal radiating element, said RF protection diode being configured to limit RF energy received by said RF antenna.

30. An RF antenna according to claim 29, wherein said RF protection diode is coupled between said conformal radiating element and an RF ground potential.