Medical telemetry system using an implanted passive transponder
First Claim
1. A telemetry system for allowing an electronic device implanted in an object to communicate with a remote monitoring station, the telemetry system comprising(a) a passive transponder attached to the implanted electronic device, the implanted electronic device having condition monitoring circuitry, the transponder being electrically connected to the monitoring circuitry, the transponder automatically receiving, encoding, and reflecting an interrogation signal containing condition information when the transponder receives the interrogation signal;
- and(b) a two-way repeater external to the object and in close proximity thereto, the repeater including(i) a first transceiver for generating the interrogation signal and for communicating with the transponder; and
(ii) a second transceiver for communicating with the remote monitoring station, thereby allowing the condition information received by the first transceiver to be transmitted to the remote monitoring station.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A telemetry system includes a remote monitoring station, a repeater worn externally by a patient and a quasi-passive transponder attached to a device implanted in the patient. The remote monitoring station communicates to the repeater to initiate an interrogation routine between the repeater and the transponder to extract patient condition information from the implanted device. When the repeater receives the condition information, it relays it to the remote monitoring station. The transponder is specially designed to operate with an extremely low level of power, less than 1 nW/baud, and to be compatible for attachment to existing implanted devices. The transponder can operate at a very high data rate, including a rate of about 100 kbps.
529 Citations
39 Claims
-
1. A telemetry system for allowing an electronic device implanted in an object to communicate with a remote monitoring station, the telemetry system comprising
(a) a passive transponder attached to the implanted electronic device, the implanted electronic device having condition monitoring circuitry, the transponder being electrically connected to the monitoring circuitry, the transponder automatically receiving, encoding, and reflecting an interrogation signal containing condition information when the transponder receives the interrogation signal; - and
(b) a two-way repeater external to the object and in close proximity thereto, the repeater including (i) a first transceiver for generating the interrogation signal and for communicating with the transponder; and (ii) a second transceiver for communicating with the remote monitoring station, thereby allowing the condition information received by the first transceiver to be transmitted to the remote monitoring station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
- and
-
30. A method for communicating with an electronic device implanted in a biological object from a remote monitoring station to receive condition information associated with the object and collected by the implanted device, the method comprising the steps of
(a) sending an information request signal from the remote monitoring station to a repeater, the repeater being in close proximity to the implanted device; -
(b) receiving the information request signal at the repeater, the repeater transmitting a carrier frequency signal fA in response thereto; (c) receiving the frequency signal fA at a transponder attached to the implanted device; (d) outputting the condition information collected by the implanted device to the transponder in response to detection by the implanted device of the frequency signal fA ; (e) employing the carrier frequency signal fA in the transponder to generate a transmitting frequency signal fB ; (f) modulating the transmitting frequency signal fB with the condition information and transmitting the modulated frequency signal fB to the repeater; (g) receiving the modulated frequency signal fB at the repeater, demodulating the signal and extracting the condition information therefrom; and (h) transmitting the condition information from the repeater to the remote monitoring station. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34)
-
-
35. A method for communicating with an electronic device implanted in a biological object from a remote monitoring station to receive condition information associated with the object and collected by the implanted device, the method comprising the steps of
(a) sending an information request signal from the remote monitoring station to a repeater, the repeater being in close proximity to the implanted device; -
(b) receiving the information request signal at the repeater, the repeater generating an interrogation signal therefrom; (c) transmitting at the repeater a carrier frequency signal fA, the carrier frequency signal fA being modulated by the interrogation signal for a first period of time and being unmodulated for a second period of time subsequent to the first period of time; (d) receiving the modulated frequency signal fA at a transponder attached to the implanted device; (e) detecting in the implanted device whether the interrogation signal matches the particular implanted device, the detection occurring during the first period of time; (f) outputting the condition information collected by the implanted device to the transponder if the interrogation signal matches, the outputting occurring during the second period of time; (g) employing the carrier frequency signal fA in the transponder to generate a transmitting frequency signal fB ; (h) modulating the transmitting frequency signal fB with the condition information and transmitting the modulated frequency signal fB to the repeater, the modulating and transmitting occurring during the second period of time; (i) receiving the modulated frequency signal fB at the repeater, demodulating the signal and extracting the condition information therefrom; and (j) transmitting the condition information from the repeater to the remote monitoring station. - View Dependent Claims (36, 37, 38, 39)
-
Specification