Pacemaker RF telemetry repeater and method

• US 20070049992A1
• Filed: 08/29/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Freeberg, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,027,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry

Abstract

A system and method for repeating radio frequency (RF) transmissions between a programmer and an implantable medical device (IMD) is provided. One aspect of this disclosure relates to an RF repeater. According to various embodiments, the repeater includes a first antenna and a first communication circuit electrically connected to the first antenna. The first communication circuit is adapted to communicate with an IMD, the IMD including a built-in active telemetry transceiver, over a first channel. The device also includes a second antenna and a second communication circuit electrically connected to the second antenna. The second communication circuit is adapted to communicate with a programmer over a second channel different from the first channel. The device also includes a control circuit coupled to the first and second communication circuits. The control circuit is adapted to enable or disable the first and second communication circuits. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a first antenna;

a first communication circuit electrically connected to the first antenna, the first communication circuit adapted to communicate with an implantable medical device (IMD), the IMD including a built-in active telemetry transceiver, over a first channel;

a second antenna;

a second communication circuit electrically connected to the second antenna, the second communication circuit adapted to communicate with a programmer over a second channel different from the first channel; and

a control circuit coupled to the first and second communication circuits, the control circuit adapted to enable or disable the first and second communication circuits to receive a signal from the IMD and transmit to the programmer or to receive a signal from the programmer and transmit to the IMD.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the first communication circuit includes a first receiver and a first transmitter.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the first communication circuit includes a first transceiver.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the second communication circuit includes a second receiver and a second transmitter.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the second communication circuit includes a second transceiver.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the control circuit includes a microprocessor.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the first channel includes a first frequency and the second channel includes a second frequency different from the first frequency.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the programmer is adapted to control the control circuit, such that when the programmer is sending to the IMD, the second communication circuit receives a signal from the programmer and the first communication circuit transmits the signal to the IMD, and when the programmer is not sending to the IMD, the first communication circuit listens to the IMD.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the programmer is adapted to control the control circuit to disable the device to allow direct communications from the programmer to the IMD and from the IMD to the programmer.

10. A radio frequency telemetry repeater, comprising:

an implantable medical device (IMD) side, the IMD side including;

an IMD antenna;

an IMD communication circuit coupled to the IMD antenna, the IMD communication circuit adapted to communicate with an IMD, the IMD including a built-in active telemetry transceiver, over an IMD channel; and

a control circuit coupled to the IMD communication circuit; and

a programmer side, the programmer side including;

a programmer antenna; and

a programmer communication circuit coupled to the programmer antenna, the programmer communication circuit adapted to communicate with a programmer over a programmer channel;

wherein the programmer communication circuit is coupled to the control circuit, and wherein the programmer is adapted to control the control circuit such that when the programmer is sending to the IMD, the programmer communication circuit receives a signal from the programmer and the IMD communication circuit transmits the signal to the IMD, and when the programmer is not sending to the IMD, the MD communication circuit listens to the IMD.

11. The repeater of claim 10, wherein the programmer is adapted to control the control circuit to disable the repeater to allow direct communications from the programmer to the IMD and from the IMD to the programmer.

12. The repeater of claim 10, wherein the IMD channel is different from the programmer channel.

13. The repeater of claim 10, wherein the IMD channel includes a first frequency and the programmer channel includes a second frequency different from the first frequency.

14. The repeater of claim 10, wherein the control circuit includes logic adapted to determine when the programmer is sending data to the IMD or receiving data from the IMD.

15. A system, comprising:

an implantable medical device (IMD), the IMD including a built-in active telemetry transceiver;

a programmer wirelessly coupled to the IMD; and

a radio frequency repeater positioned to receive a radio frequency communication between the IMD and the programmer, the repeater including;

a first antenna;

a first communication circuit electrically connected to the first antenna, the first communication circuit adapted to communicate with the IMD over a first channel;

a second antenna;

a second communication circuit electrically connected to the second antenna, the second communication circuit adapted to communicate with the programmer over a second channel different from the first channel; and

a control circuit coupled to the first and second communication circuit, the control circuit adapted to enable or disable the first and second communication circuit to receive a signal from the IMD and transmit to the programmer or to receive a signal from the programmer and transmit to the IMD.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the first communication circuit includes a first receiver and a first transmitter.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the second communication circuit includes a second receiver and a second transmitter.

18. The system of claim 15, further comprising:

a network connection, the network connection adapted to receive data transmitted between the programmer and the IMD and forward the data to a monitoring station.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the monitoring station includes a website.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the monitoring station includes a local area network.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the network connection includes an Ethernet connection.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein the network connection includes a Universal Serial Bus (USB) communication link.

23. A system, comprising:

means for receiving a radio frequency communication between an implantable medical device (IMD) and a programmer over a first channel;

means for transmitting the radio frequency communication over a second channel different from the first channel to improve transmission quality and reduce potential for lost or interrupted communication.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for receiving includes a first transceiver adapted to communicate with the IMD.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the means for receiving includes a second transceiver adapted to communicate with the programmer.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the means for transmitting includes a first antenna adapted to communicate with the IMD.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the means for transmitting includes a second antenna adapted to communicate with the programmer.

28. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for forwarding data received in the radio frequency communication to a monitoring station.

29. A method, comprising:

receiving a radio frequency communication between an implantable medical device (IMD) and a programmer over a first channel; and

transmitting the radio frequency communication over a second channel different from the first channel to improve transmission quality and reduce potential for lost or interrupted communication.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein receiving a radio frequency communication includes receiving the radio frequency communication at a first frequency.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein transmitting the radio frequency communication includes transmitting the radio frequency communication at a second frequency different from the first frequency.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein transmitting the radio frequency communication includes transmitting the radio frequency communication from a higher elevation than either the IMD or the programmer.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein transmitting the radio frequency communication includes transmitting the radio frequency communication at an amplitude sufficient to improve transmission quality and reduce potential for lost or interrupted communication compared to direct communication between the IMD and the programmer.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising:

forwarding data received in the radio frequency communication to a monitoring station.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein forwarding data received in the radio frequency communication to a monitoring station includes forwarding data to a website.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein forwarding data received in the radio frequency communication to a monitoring station includes forwarding data to a local area network.