Implantable medical device and mobile wireless modem

• US 8,285,246 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Issued: 10/09/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biotronik SE & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Biotronik VI Patent AG (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Inventors: Doerr, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Balaoing, Ariel
• Assistant Examiner(s): STERNBANE, LAURENCE J
• Application Number:
  US12/627,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20100152550A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 128/899, 128/903, 379/48, 455/67.11, 455/127.5, 455/404.1, 455/434, 455/556.1, 600/301, 607/60
• US Class Current: 455/404.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/245 taking into account received signal strength

Abstract

An electronic implant is designed to detect at least one technical or physiological patient parameter, and has an exhaustible power source. The electronic implant also has an integrated mobile wireless antenna, a low-current mobile wireless modem with a low maximum transmission power, a low-current mobile wireless field-strength-measuring unit, and a control unit connected to the field-strength-measuring unit and to the mobile wireless modem. The control unit triggers access to a mobile wireless network as a function of the transmission power needed for data transmission by the low-current mobile wireless modem, taking into account a mobile wireless field strength value determined by the field-strength-measuring unit, and also taking into account the urgency of the data content to be transmitted. Network access only occurs when the needed transmission power does not exceed a specific maximum value for the particular urgency.

Claims

1. An electronic implant configured to detect at least one technical or physiological patient parameter, the electronic implant including:

a. a mobile wireless antenna;

b. a mobile wireless modem connected to the mobile wireless antenna, the mobile wireless modem having low power consumption and low maximum transmission power;

c. a mobile wireless field strength measuring unit connected to at least one of;

(1) the mobile wireless antenna, and

(2) a secondary antenna;

d. a secondary field strength detector;

e. a control unit connected to the mobile wireless field strength measuring unit and the mobile wireless modem, the control unit being;

(1) configured to activate the mobile wireless field strength measuring unit when the secondary field strength detector indicates a threshold field strength, and

(2) configured to;

(a) trigger access by the mobile wireless modem to a mobile wireless network, and

(b) transmit data content over the mobile wireless network, in dependence on;

i. a field strength measured by the mobile wireless field strength measuring unit, wherein access to the mobile wireless network is triggered when the measured field strength meets or exceeds a minimum transmission success threshold, and

ii. the urgency of the data content to be transmitted over the mobile wireless network, wherein data content of greater urgency is transmitted at or below the minimum transmission success threshold.

2. The electronic implant of claim 1 wherein the electronic implant contains a subscriber identity module (SIM).

3. The electronic implant of claim 2 wherein:

a. the mobile wireless modem is a GSM modem, and

b. the mobile wireless field strength measuring unit is a GSM field strength measuring unit.

4. The electronic implant of claim 1 wherein the electronic implant further includes a statistics unit which is:

a. part of, or in communication with, the control unit; and

b. configured to generate and record an access success statistic for access to the mobile wireless network, the access success statistic being recorded with reference to the measured field strength triggering the access to the mobile wireless network.

5. The electronic implant of claim 4 wherein the control unit is also configured to:

a. trigger access by the mobile wireless modem to the mobile wireless network, and

b. transmit data content over the mobile wireless network, in dependence on access success statistics recorded for several different measured field strengths, wherein access to the mobile wireless network is triggered when the current field strength measured by the mobile wireless field strength measuring unit has an access success statistic indicative of higher likelihood of successful access to the mobile wireless network.

6. The electronic implant of claim 4 wherein the statistics unit is further configured to record the access success statistic with reference to the time at which access to the mobile wireless network is triggered.

7. The electronic implant of claim 4 wherein the control unit is configured to:

a. trigger access by the mobile wireless modem to a mobile wireless network, and

b. transmit data content over the mobile wireless network, in dependence on;

i. the access success statistics, and

ii. the urgency of the data content to be transmitted over the mobile wireless network,

with;

(1) data content of low urgency being transmitted where the access success statistics are indicative of higher likelihood of successful access to the mobile wireless network, and

(2) data content of high urgency being transmitted where the access success statistics are indicative of lower likelihood of successful access to the mobile wireless network.

8. The electronic implant of claim 1 wherein the electronic implant has two power sources, wherein one of the power sources is a rechargeable battery supplying power to at least the mobile wireless modem and the mobile wireless field strength measuring unit.

9. The electronic implant of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to

a. operate during successive access attempt periods, and

b. trigger access by the mobile wireless modem to the mobile wireless network no more than once during each adjustable access attempt period, each adjustable access attempt period being at least an hour in duration.

10. The electronic implant of claim 1 wherein the control unit:

a. operates during sequential access attempt periods, each access attempt period being at least an hour in duration, and

b. is configured to limit the number of access attempts within each access attempt period.

11. The electronic implant of claim 2 wherein the control unit is configured to always trigger access by the mobile wireless modem to the mobile wireless network in the event of data contents of greatest urgency.

12. The electronic implant of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to trigger access by the mobile wireless modem to the mobile wireless network only for data contents generated by a technical or physiological patient parameter detected by the electronic implant.

13. The electronic implant of claim 1 wherein the control unit is configured to trigger access by the mobile wireless modem to the mobile wireless network via an emergency number only in the event of data contents containing emergency messages.

14. An electronic implant including:

a. a diagnostic/therapeutic unit configured to obtain patient data relating to one or more physiological patient parameters;

b. an antenna;

c. a mobile wireless modem in communication with the antenna;

d. a mobile wireless field strength measuring unit;

e. a secondary field strength detector; and

f. a control unit configured to;

(1) activate the mobile wireless field strength measuring unit when the secondary field strength detector indicates a threshold field strength; and

(2) attempt transmission of data content over a mobile wireless network via the mobile wireless modem, wherein;

(a) the data content is dependent on the patient data, and

(b) a transmission attempt by the control unit is dependent on;

(i) a field strength measured by the mobile wireless field strength measuring unit, wherein the transmission attempt occurs when the measured field strength meets or exceeds a minimum transmission success threshold, and

(ii) an urgency rating of the data content to be transmitted over the mobile wireless network, wherein the transmission attempt occurs;

 

A. when data content has greater urgency, and

 

B. regardless of the measured field strength.

15. The electronic implant of claim 14 further including a statistics unit configured to generate and record access success statistics for prior transmission attempts by the mobile wireless modem, the access success statistics including:

a. the times of the prior transmission attempts by the mobile wireless modem;

b. the field strengths measured by the mobile wireless field strength measuring unit at the times of the prior transmission attempts; and

c. whether the prior transmission attempts successfully resulted in transmission of data content over the mobile wireless network;

wherein the transmission attempt by the control unit is dependent on whether the field strength measured by the mobile wireless field strength measuring unit corresponds to successful transmission of data content in the prior transmission attempts.

16. The electronic implant of claim 15 wherein the transmission attempt by the control unit is also dependent on whether the time of the transmission attempt corresponds to successful transmission of data content in the prior transmission attempts.

17. An electronic implant including:

a. a diagnostic/therapeutic unit configured to obtain patient data relating to one or more physiological patient parameters;

b. an antenna;

c. a mobile wireless modem in communication with the antenna;

d. a mobile wireless field strength measuring unit;

e. a secondary field strength detector;

f. a control unit configured to;

(1) activate the mobile wireless field strength measuring unit when the secondary field strength detector indicates a threshold field strength; and

(2) attempt transmission of data content over a mobile wireless network via the mobile wireless modem, the data content being dependent on the patient data;

g. a statistics unit included within, or in communication with, the control unit, the statistics unit being configured to generate and record access success statistics for prior transmission attempts by the mobile wireless modem, the access success statistics including;

(1) the times of the prior transmission attempts by the mobile wireless modem;

(2) the field strengths measured by the mobile wireless field strength measuring unit at the times of the prior transmission attempts; and

(3) whether the prior transmission attempts successfully resulted in transmission of data content over the mobile wireless network;

wherein a present transmission attempt by the control unit is dependent on whether the field strength measured by the mobile wireless field strength measuring unit corresponds to successful transmission of data content in the prior transmission attempts.

18. The electronic implant of claim 17 wherein the present transmission attempt by the control unit is also dependent on whether the current time corresponds to successful transmission of data content in the prior transmission attempts.