Signaling Error Conditions in an Implantable Medical Device System Using Simple Charging Coil Telemetry

• US 20100179618A1
• Filed: 01/15/2009
• Published: 07/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Marnfeldt, Goran N., Parramon, Jordi
• Granted Patent: US 9,370,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3727 characterised by the modulation technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

The disclosed techniques allow for externalizing errors from an implantable medical device using the device'"'"'s charging coil, for receipt at an external charger or other external device. Transmission of errors in this manner is particularly useful when telemetry of error codes through a traditional telemetry coil in the implant is not possible, for example, because the error experienced is so fundamental as to preclude use of such traditional means. By externalizing the error via the charging coil, and though the use of robust error modulation circuitry in the implant designed to be generally insensitive to fundamental errors, the external charger can be consulted to understand the failure mode involved, and to take appropriate action.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a charging coil for receiving power from an external charger; and

error modulator circuitry for transmitting an indication of an error from the charging coil to the external charger.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a telemetry antenna for receiving and transmitting data from and to an external controller.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the implantable medical device further comprises error code circuitry for transmitting an indication of error from the telemetry coil to the external controller.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the error modulator circuitry disables the telemetry coil when the error modulator circuit is transmitting the indication of the error.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a microcontroller, and wherein the error modulator circuitry does not receive any signals from the microcontroller.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the error modulator circuitry receives a task indicator indicative of a task being performed by the device.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the error modulator circuit receives an error indicator indicative of an error in the device.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the error modulator circuitry modulates an impedance of the charging coil.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the indication of the error comprises an error sequence comprising a serial stream of bits.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the error sequence is demarked by a synchronization pattern.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the indication of the error comprises one of a plurality of frequencies, wherein each frequency indicates a particular error.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the indication of the error is continually transmitted from the charging coil.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the indication of the error comprises an error relating to initialization of the device.

14. A system, comprising:

an implantable medical device;

an external controller for transmitting and receiving data to and from the implantable medical device; and

an external charger for transmitting power to the implantable medical device, wherein the implantable medical device comprises

a telemetry antenna for receiving and transmitting the data from and to the external controller,

a charging coil for receiving the power from the external charger, and

error modulator circuitry for transmitting an indication of an error from the charging coil to the external charger.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the external charger further comprises a user interface for indicating the error to a person.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user interface includes a screen.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the external charger receives the error indication only when transmitting power to the implantable device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the external charger receives the error indication as reflections of the transmitted power.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the indication of error is continually transmitted from the charging coil.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the indication of the error comprises an error relating to initialization of the implantable medical device.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the implantable medical device comprises an implantable stimulator device.

22. A method for operating an implantable medical device, comprising:

initializing the implantable medical device for operation;

during initialization, experiencing an error in the implantable medical device; and

broadcasting an indication of the error from a charging coil in the implantable medical device to an external charger, wherein the charging coil is sent power from the external charger.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein broadcast an indication of the error comprises modulating an impedance of the charging coil to produce reflections in the power sent from the external charger.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a telemetry antenna, and wherein the error prohibits broadcast of the indication of the error by the telemetry antenna.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the indication of the error comprises an error sequence comprising a serial stream of bits.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the error sequence is demarked by a synchronization pattern.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein the indication of the error comprises one of a plurality of frequencies, wherein each frequency indicates a particular error.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the indication of the error is continually broadcast from the charging coil.

29. The method of claim 22, wherein initializing the implantable medical device comprises executing initialization instructions stored in memory in the implantable medical device.