SYSTEM FOR VOICE CONTROL OF A MEDICAL IMPLANT

• US 20120116774A1
• Filed: 07/19/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kirk Promotion Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Milux Holding SA
• Inventors: Forsell, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 9,192,773 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/0036 implantable A61F2/0018 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/01 Filters implantable into blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/24 Heart valves ; Vascular valves, e.g. venous valves; Heart implants, e.g. passive devices for improving the function of the native valve or the heart muscle; Transmyocardial revascularisation [TMR] devices; Valves implantable in the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2002/044 Oesophagi or esophagi or gullets
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2250/0001 Means for transferring electromagnetic energy to implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/80 voice-operated command
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14 Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/142 Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/00 Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor A61N2/00 takes precedence; irradiation apparatus A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/20 Speech recognition techniques specially adapted for robustness in adverse environments, e.g. in noise, of stress induced speech G10L21/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/26 Speech to text systems G10L15/08 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/223 Execution procedure of a spoken command
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02165 Two microphones, one receiving mainly the noise signal and the other one mainly the speech signal
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/02 Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation reducing echo effects in line transmission systems H04B3/20; echo suppression in hands-free telephones H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/84 for discriminating voice from noise

Abstract

An implantable system (11) for control of and communication with an implant (17) in a body, comprising a command input device (12) and a processing device (13) coupled thereto, the processing device (13) being adapted to generate input to a command generator (16) which is comprised in the system (11) coupled to the processing device (13) and which is adapted to generate and communicate commands to the medical implant (17) in response to input received from the processing device (13), the system (11) further comprising a memory unit (15) connected to at least one of said devices in the system (11) for storing a memory bank of commands. The command input device (12) is adapted to receive commands from a user as voice commands, and the processing device (13) comprises a filter adapted to filter voice commands against high frequency losses and frequency distortion caused by the mammal body (10).

Claims

1. A system for implantation in a mammal body for the control of and communication with a medical implant in the mammal body, the system comprising a command input device and a processing device coupled thereto, the processing device being adapted to generate input to a command generator which is comprised in the system coupled to the processing device and which is adapted to generate and communicate commands to the medical implant in response to input received from the processing device, the system further comprising a memory unit connected to at least one of said devices in the system for storing a memory bank of commands, the system being characterized in that:

it is adapted to be implanted in proximity to the medical implant,

the command input device is adapted to receive commands from a user as voice commands,

the commands stored in the memory unit include voice commands,

the processing device comprises a filter for filtering input received via the command input device,

the filter is adapted to filter received voice commands against the background of high frequency losses and frequency distortion caused by the mammal body,

the processing device is adapted to deliver filtered voice commands as input to the command generator which is adapted to compare received voice commands to voice commands stored in the memory unit, and if said comparison yields a likeness, to generate a corresponding command and communicate it to the medical implant.

2. The system of claim 1, in which the processing device is also adapted to cancel noise caused by the mammal body and received by the command input device, in order to reduce or entirely eliminate the amount of such noise comprised in the input to the command generator.

3. The system of claim 2, in which the processing device is adapted to recognize one or more specific noise sources in the mammal body, and to activate said cancellation when noise from such a noise source is detected.

4. The system of claim 3, in which said cancellation is only activated when the processing device receives a voice input command from a user.

5. The system of claim 4, in which said specific noise sources comprise one or more of the following:

the intestines,

the respiratory system,

the heart.

6. The system of claim 1, in which the command generator comprises a learning function which is adapted to perform learning sessions for learning which of a number of voice commands that should be interpreted as meaning one of a number of pre-programmed commands stored in the memory.

7. The system of claim 6, additionally comprising a wireless receiver for receiving commands from a remote control outside of the mammal body, said commands comprising commands which should also be generated by the command generator upon recognizing a voice command from a user, so that a voice command issued by a user can be accompanied by a wireless command from the remote control during a learning session, in order for the learning function to learn which command that should be generated upon the reception of a certain voice command.

8. The system of claim 7, also comprising a wireless transmitter, which the learning function is adapted to use in order to signal to a user during a learning session that a voice command has been learnt by the learning function.

9. The system of claim 7, in which the command generator and/or the processing device also comprises means for receiving signals from the medical implant and for using the wireless transmitter for transmitting said signals to a user.

10. The system of claim 9, in which said transmitter is a radio transmitter.

11. The system of claim 9, in which said transmitter is a sonic transmitter.

12. The system of claim 1, in which the command input device is enclosed in a watertight casing, and in which the processing unit is also adapted to compensate for losses and distortions caused by this casing.

13. The system of claim 1 being adapted to be implanted in the abdomen, thorax or the pelvic region of said mammal body.

14. The system of claim 1, in which the command generator has an output stage which comprises a conductor connected to the medical implant to transport commands to the medical implant in response to said input received from the processing device.

15. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one switch implantable in the patient for manually and non-invasively controlling the apparatus.

16. The system according to claim 15, further comprising a wireless remote control for non-invasively controlling the apparatus.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein the wireless remote control comprises at least one external signal transmitter and/or receiver, further comprising an internal signal receiver and/or transmitter implantable in the patient for receiving signals transmitted by the external signal transmitter or transmitting signals to the external signal receiver.

18. The system according to claim 17, wherein the wireless remote control transmits at least one wireless control signal for controlling the apparatus.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein the wireless control signal comprises a frequency, amplitude, or phase modulated signal or a combination thereof.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein the wireless remote control transmits an electromagnetic carrier wave signal for carrying the control signal.

21-51. -51. (canceled)