Tissue conduction communication using ramped drive signal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11660455-B2
Application number	US-202117355905-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2021
Priority date	Nov 29, 2017
Publication date	May 30, 2023
Grant date	May 30, 2023

Abstract

A device, such as an IMD, having a tissue conductance communication (TCC) transmitter controls a drive signal circuit and a polarity switching circuit by a controller of the TCC transmitter to generate an alternating current (AC) ramp on signal having a peak amplitude that is stepped up from a starting peak-to-peak amplitude to an ending peak-to-peak amplitude according to a step increment and step up interval. The TCC transmitter is further controlled to transmit the AC ramp on signal from the drive signal circuit and the polarity switching circuit via a coupling capacitor coupled to a transmitting electrode vector coupleable to the IMD. After the AC ramp on signal, the TCC transmitter transmits at least one TCC signal to a receiving device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
a housing; and
a tissue conductance communication (TCC) transmitter enclosed by the housing and including a coupling capacitor for coupling TCC signals to a transmitting electrode vector, the TCC transmitter configured to:
generate a TCC ramp on signal having a peak-to-peak amplitude that is stepped up from a first starting peak-to-peak amplitude to an ending peak-to-peak amplitude;
transmit the TCC ramp on signal via the coupling capacitor coupled to the transmitting electrode vector;
transmit a second TCC signal after the TCC ramp on signal;
terminate a first TCC transmission session comprising at least the TCC ramp on signal and the second TCC signal; and
start a second TCC transmission session without a TCC ramp on signal, the second TCC transmission session comprising a plurality of TCC signals including at least one beacon signal.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the TCC transmitter is further configured to generate the TCC ramp on signal stepped up from the first starting peak-to-peak amplitude to the ending peak-to-peak amplitude according to a step increment and a step up interval.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the TCC transmitter is further configured to transmit the beacon signal having a second starting peak-to-peak amplitude corresponding to the ending peak-to-peak amplitude of the TCC ramp on signal.

4. The device of claim 1 , wherein the TCC transmitter is further configured to:
terminate the first TCC transmission session without a ramp off signal; and
terminate the second TCC transmission session with a ramp off signal.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the TCC transmitter is configured to:
modulate the second TCC signal using a first modulation scheme; and
modulate the beacon signal using a second modulation scheme different than the first modulation scheme.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the TCC transmitter is further configured to produce a ramp adjustment signal during at least one of the first transmission session or the second transmission session to adjust a charge on the coupling capacitor.

7. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a voltage holding circuit, wherein:
the coupling capacitor is charged to an operating voltage during the ramp on signal;
the voltage holding circuit is configured to hold the coupling capacitor at the operating voltage for a time interval after the first TCC transmission session; and
the TCC transmitter is further configured to transmit the beacon signal via the coupling capacitor after the time interval.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensing circuit configured to sense a cardiac electrical signal; and
a control circuit coupled to the sensing circuit and the TCC transmitter, the control circuit configured to:
apply a blanking period to the sensing circuit; and
control the TCC transmitter to start at least one of the first transmission session or the second transmission session during the blanking period.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the TCC transmitter is further configured to:
transmit the beacon signal having a first carrier signal peak-to-peak amplitude; and
transmit a data packet after the beacon signal during the second transmission session, the data packet having a second carrier signal peak to peak amplitude that is less than the first carrier signal peak-to-peak amplitude.

10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising at least one electrode of the transmitting electrode vector carried on the housing.

11. A method comprising:
generating by a tissue conductance communication (TCC) transmitter a TCC ramp on signal having a peak-to-peak amplitude that is stepped up from a first starting peak-to-peak amplitude to an ending peak-to-peak amplitude;
transmitting the TCC ramp on signal via a coupling capacitor coupled to a transmitting electrode vector;
transmitting a second TCC signal after the TCC ramp on signal;
terminating a first TCC transmission session comprising at least the TCC ramp on signal and the second TCC signal; and
starting a second TCC transmission session without a TCC ramp on signal, the second TCC transmission session comprising a plurality of TCC signals including at least one beacon signal.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising generating the TCC ramp on signal by stepping up the TCC ramp on signal from the first starting peak-to-peak amplitude to the ending peak-to-peak amplitude according to a step increment and a step up interval.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising transmitting the beacon signal having a second starting peak-to-peak amplitude corresponding to the ending peak-to-peak amplitude of the TCC ramp on signal.

14. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
terminating the first TCC transmission session without a ramp off signal; and
terminating the second TCC transmission session with a ramp off signal.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
modulating the second TCC signal using a first modulation scheme; and
modulating the beacon signal using a second modulation scheme different than the first modulation scheme.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising producing a ramp adjustment signal during at least one of the first transmission session or the second transmission session to adjust a charge on the coupling capacitor.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
charging the coupling capacitor to an operating voltage during the ramp on signal;
holding the coupling capacitor at the operating voltage by the voltage holding circuit for a time interval after the first TCC transmission session; and
transmitting the beacon signal via the coupling capacitor after the time interval.

18. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
sensing a cardiac electrical signal;
applying a blanking period to the sensing circuit; and
starting at least one of the first transmission session or the second transmission session during the blanking period.

19. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
transmitting the beacon signal having a first carrier signal peak-to-peak amplitude; and
transmitting a data packet after the beacon signal during the second transmission session, the data packet having a second carrier signal peak to peak amplitude that is less than the first carrier signal peak-to-peak amplitude.

20. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing a set of instructions which, when executed by a control circuit of a device, cause the device to:
generate a tissue conductance communication (TCC) ramp on signal having a peak-to-peak amplitude that is stepped up from a starting peak-to-peak amplitude to an ending peak-to-peak amplitude;
transmit the TCC ramp on signal via a coupling capacitor coupled to a transmitting electrode vector;
transmit a second TCC signal after the TCC ramp on signal;
terminate a first TCC transmission session comprising at least the TCC ramp on signal and the second TCC signal; and
start a second TCC transmission session without a TCC ramp on signal, the second TCC transmission session comprising a plurality of TCC signals including at least one beacon signal.

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Peichel David J
• Roberts Jonathan P
• Reinke James D
• Terry Michael B

Classifications

• A61N1/37264

  Changing the program; Upgrading firmware · CPC title

• A61N1/3756

  Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators · CPC title

• A61N1/37217 Primary

  characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile · CPC title

• A61N1/3956

  Implantable devices for applying electric shocks to the heart, e.g. for cardioversion · CPC title

• A61N1/37288

  Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient · CPC title