Implantable medical device using audible sound communication to provide warnings
First Claim
1. A method of providing an audible warning from an implantable medical device implanted in a patient and communicating the warning in audible sound in an audio frequency range that may be audibly heard by the patient and/or medical care provider wherein the audible sound signifies a real time operation of the implantable medical device, the signification of the real time operation comprising:
- providing an audio transducer located within the implantable medical device;
providing memory in the implantable medical device having memory locations denoted by memory addresses;
storing at least one audio transducer drive signal at a memory location denoted by a memory address for application to the audio transducer correlated to a real time operation of the implantable medical device to cause the audio transducer to emit the audible sound that signifies the real time operation;
performing the real time operation;
generating the memory address of the audio transducer drive signal correlated with the real time operation of the implantable medical device; and
using the generated memory address to retrieve the audio transducer drive signal from the memory and applying the audio transducer drive signal to the audio transducer in association with the real time operation of the implantable medical device, the audible sound being emitted by the audio transducer means in timed relation to the operation of the implantable medical device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for interrogation of implantable medical device (IMD) information, including programmed parameter values, operating modes and programmed changes thereof and data stored in the IMD, by emission of audible sounds by the IMD are disclosed. The IMD includes an audio transducer that emits audible sounds including voiced statements or musical tones stored in analog memory correlated to a programming or interrogation operating algorithm or to a warning trigger event. The audible sounds can comprise the sole uplink transmission or may augment the contemporaneous uplink RF transmission of stored data, and/or programmed operating modes and parameters and/or device operations and states in an interrogation or during programming. To conserve energy, the audible sounds accompanying interrogation and programming of the IMD are at a low volume that preferably cannot be heard without use of an external audio amplifier or stethoscope. Voiced statements warning of battery energy depletion or imminent delivery of a therapy are emitted at a higher volume that is sufficient to be heard by the patient, so that the patient can take appropriate action. The volume of audible sounds confirming programmed changes made by a patient using a limited function programmer or magnet is also increased so that the patient can hear them.
365 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method of providing an audible warning from an implantable medical device implanted in a patient and communicating the warning in audible sound in an audio frequency range that may be audibly heard by the patient and/or medical care provider wherein the audible sound signifies a real time operation of the implantable medical device, the signification of the real time operation comprising:
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providing an audio transducer located within the implantable medical device; providing memory in the implantable medical device having memory locations denoted by memory addresses; storing at least one audio transducer drive signal at a memory location denoted by a memory address for application to the audio transducer correlated to a real time operation of the implantable medical device to cause the audio transducer to emit the audible sound that signifies the real time operation; performing the real time operation; generating the memory address of the audio transducer drive signal correlated with the real time operation of the implantable medical device; and using the generated memory address to retrieve the audio transducer drive signal from the memory and applying the audio transducer drive signal to the audio transducer in association with the real time operation of the implantable medical device, the audible sound being emitted by the audio transducer means in timed relation to the operation of the implantable medical device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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Specification