WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICE FOR MEDICAL TELEMETRY

• US 20130194106A1
• Filed: 01/27/2012
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Lee, David W., Phillips, William C., Wang, Yu
• Granted Patent: US 9,597,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/870.3
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37254 Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals

Abstract

A device includes an antenna, a parasitic element, and a telemetry control module. The parasitic element modifies a radiation pattern of the antenna. The parasitic element has an impedance value that is adjustable, and the radiation pattern of the antenna depends on the impedance value of the parasitic element. The telemetry control module is configured to transmit data to a medical device using the antenna, receive data from the medical device using the antenna, and detect communication errors using data that is received from the medical device. Additionally, the telemetry control module is configured to adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element in response to detection of communication errors.

Claims

1. A device comprising:

an antenna;

a parasitic element that modifies a radiation pattern of the antenna, wherein the parasitic element has an impedance value that is adjustable, and wherein the radiation pattern of the antenna depends on the impedance value of the parasitic element; and

a telemetry control module configured to;

transmit data to a medical device using the antenna;

receive data from the medical device using the antenna;

detect communication errors using data that is received from the medical device; and

adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element in response to detection of communication errors.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein the housing has a handheld form factor that is configured to be held in a single hand, and wherein the housing encloses the antenna, the parasitic element, and the telemetry control module.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a radio-frequency module that is configured to transmit and receive signals having frequencies in a range of approximately 401 MHz to 406 MHz using the antenna.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the parasitic element comprises:

a conductor element; and

a variable impedance that is connected to the conductor element, wherein the impedance value of the parasitic element comprises the impedance of the combination of the conductor element and the variable impedance.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the telemetry control module is configured to adjust the impedance value of the variable impedance in order to adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element.

6. The device of claim 4, wherein the conductor element comprises at least one of a metal strip and a conductive trace on a printed circuit board.

7. The device of claim 4, wherein the variable impedance comprises a first impedance and a second impedance, wherein the telemetry control module is configured to connect the first impedance to the conductor element to produce a first impedance value of the parasitic element, and wherein the telemetry control module is configured to connect the second impedance to the conductor element to produce a second impedance value of the parasitic element.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the telemetry control module is configured to adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element from one of the first and second impedance values to the other of the first and second impedance values in response to detection of communication errors.

9. The device of claim 4, wherein the variable impedance includes at least one of a resistor, a capacitor, and an inductor.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the telemetry control module is configured to detect communication errors using error detection data that is included in the data that is received from the medical device.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the telemetry control module is configured to:

receive acknowledgement data from the medical device; and

determine whether data that was previously transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device based on the acknowledgement data received from the medical device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the telemetry control module is configured to adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element in response to a determination that the previously transmitted data included errors upon receipt at the medical device.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the acknowledgement data is data that is generated by the medical device based on the previously transmitted data, and wherein the acknowledgement data indicates whether the previously transmitted data included errors upon receipt at the medical device.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the telemetry control module is configured to determine a strength of a signal acquired by the antenna, and wherein the telemetry control module is configured to adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element when the determined signal strength is less than a threshold signal strength.

15. A system comprising:

a medical device; and

a telemetry device configured to wirelessly communicate with the medical device, the telemetry device comprising;

an antenna;

a parasitic element that modifies a radiation pattern of the antenna, wherein the parasitic element has an impedance value that is adjustable, and wherein the radiation pattern of the antenna depends on the impedance value of the parasitic element; and

a telemetry control module configured to;

transmit data to the medical device using the antenna;

receive data from the medical device using the antenna;

detect errors in at least one of the data received from the medical device and the data transmitted to the medical device; and

adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element in response to detection of errors in at least one of the data received from the medical device and the data transmitted to the medical device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the medical device is configured to:

generate acknowledgement data that indicates whether the data transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device; and

transmit the acknowledgement data to the telemetry device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the telemetry control module is configured to determine, based on the acknowledgement data, whether the data transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the telemetry control module is configured to detect the errors using error detection data that is included in the data that is received from the medical device.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the medical device is an implantable medical device.

20. A method comprising:

modifying a radiation pattern of an antenna using a parasitic element, wherein the parasitic element has an impedance value that is adjustable, and wherein the radiation pattern of the antenna depends on the impedance value of the parasitic element;

transmitting data to a medical device using the antenna;

receiving data from the medical device using the antenna;

detecting communication errors using data that is received from the medical device; and

adjusting the impedance value of the parasitic element in response to detection of communication errors.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the parasitic element comprises a conductor element and a variable impedance that is connected to the conductor element, wherein the impedance value of the parasitic element comprises the impedance of the combination of the conductor element and the variable impedance, and wherein adjusting the impedance value of the parasitic element comprises adjusting the impedance value of the variable impedance in order to adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the variable impedance comprises a first impedance and a second impedance, and wherein adjusting the impedance value of the parasitic element in response to detection of communication errors comprises:

connecting the first impedance to the conductor element to produce a first impedance value of the parasitic element;

connecting the second impedance to the conductor element to produce a second impedance value of the parasitic element; and

adjusting the impedance value of the parasitic element from one of the first and second impedance values to the other of the first and second impedance values in response to detection of communication errors.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising detecting communication errors using error detection data that is included in the data that is received from the medical device.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

receiving acknowledgement data from the medical device;

determining whether data that was previously transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device based on the acknowledgement data received from the medical device; and

adjusting the impedance value of the parasitic element in response to a determination that the previously transmitted data included errors upon receipt at the medical device.

25. A system comprising:

means for modifying a radiation pattern of an antenna using a parasitic element, wherein the parasitic element has an impedance value that is adjustable, and wherein the radiation pattern of the antenna depends on the impedance value of the parasitic element;

means for transmitting data to a medical device using the antenna;

means for receiving data from the medical device using the antenna;

means for detecting communication errors using data that is received from the medical device; and

means for adjusting the impedance value of the parasitic element in response to detection of communication errors.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the parasitic element comprises a conductor element and a variable impedance that is connected to the conductor element, wherein the impedance value of the parasitic element comprises the impedance of the combination of the conductor element and the variable impedance, and wherein means for adjusting the impedance value of the parasitic element comprises means for adjusting the impedance value of the variable impedance in order to adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the variable impedance comprises a first impedance and a second impedance, and wherein means for adjusting the impedance value of the parasitic element in response to detection of communication errors comprises:

means for connecting the first impedance to the conductor element to produce a first impedance value of the parasitic element;

means for connecting the second impedance to the conductor element to produce a second impedance value of the parasitic element; and

means for adjusting the impedance value of the parasitic element from one of the first and second impedance values to the other of the first and second impedance values in response to detection of communication errors.

28. The system of claim 25, further comprising means for detecting communication errors using error detection data that is included in the data that is received from the medical device.

29. The system of claim 25, further comprising:

means for receiving acknowledgement data from the medical device;

means for determining whether data that was previously transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device based on the acknowledgement data received from the medical device; and

means for adjusting the impedance value of the parasitic element in response to a determination that the previously transmitted data included errors upon receipt at the medical device.

30. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause a programmable processor to:

modify a radiation pattern of an antenna using a parasitic element, wherein the parasitic element has an impedance value that is adjustable, and wherein the radiation pattern of the antenna depends on the impedance value of the parasitic element;

transmit data to a medical device using the antenna;

receive data from the medical device using the antenna;

detect communication errors using data that is received from the medical device; and

adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element in response to detection of communication errors.

31. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, wherein the parasitic element comprises a conductor element and a variable impedance that is connected to the conductor element, wherein the impedance value of the parasitic element comprises the impedance of the combination of the conductor element and the variable impedance, and wherein the computer-readable storage medium further comprises instructions that cause the programmable processor to adjust the impedance value of the variable impedance in order to adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element.

32. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 31, wherein the variable impedance comprises a first impedance and a second impedance, and wherein the computer-readable storage medium comprises instructions that cause the programmable processor to:

connect the first impedance to the conductor element to produce a first impedance value of the parasitic element;

connect the second impedance to the conductor element to produce a second impedance value of the parasitic element; and

adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element from one of the first and second impedance values to the other of the first and second impedance values in response to detection of communication errors.

33. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, further comprising instructions that cause the programmable processor to detect communication errors using error detection data that is included in the data that is received from the medical device.

34. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 30, further comprising instructions that cause the programmable processor to:

receive acknowledgement data from the medical device;

determine whether data that was previously transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device based on the acknowledgement data received from the medical device; and

adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element in response to a determination that the previously transmitted data included errors upon receipt at the medical device.

35. An apparatus comprising:

an antenna;

a parasitic element that modifies a radiation pattern of the antenna, wherein the parasitic element has an impedance value that is adjustable, and wherein the radiation pattern of the antenna depends on the impedance value of the parasitic element; and

a telemetry control module configured to;

communicate with a wireless device using the antenna;

detect communication errors that arise during communication with the wireless device using the antenna; and

adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element in response to detection of communication errors.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the antenna, the parasitic element, and the telemetry control module are configured for implantation in a patient, and wherein the wireless device is a therapy monitoring device.

37. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the antenna, the parasitic element, and the telemetry control module are included in a therapy monitoring device, and wherein the wireless device is configured to deliver therapy.

38. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the antenna is a first antenna, and wherein the apparatus further comprises a second antenna.

39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the telemetry control module is configured to transmit data using the first antenna and receive data using the second antenna.

40. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the telemetry control module is configured to receive data using the first antenna and transmit data using the second antenna.

41. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the first antenna is configured for RF telemetry and the second antenna is configured for inductive telemetry.