Wireless communication device for medical telemetry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9597516-B2
Application number	US-201213360496-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 27, 2012
Priority date	Jan 27, 2012
Publication date	Mar 21, 2017
Grant date	Mar 21, 2017

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
an antenna;
a parasitic element configured to modify a radiation pattern of the antenna by reflecting energy transmitted from the antenna to increase directional strength 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 acknowledgement data from the medical device using the antenna;
determine, based on the acknowledgement data, that the data transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device, wherein the acknowledgement data is generated by the medical device based on the data transmitted to the medical device, and wherein the acknowledgement data indicates whether the data transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device; and
adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element associated with the antenna in response to the determination based on the acknowledgement data that the data transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device to improve subsequent data transfer to the medical device.

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 the determination based on the acknowledgement data that the data transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device.

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 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.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the parasitic element is configured such that modification of the radiation pattern by the parasitic element comprises modification of a directional strength of at least one of signals transmitted from the antenna or signals received by the antenna.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the parasitic element is not electrically connected to the antenna.

13. 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 configured to modify a radiation pattern of the antenna by reflecting energy transmitted from the antenna to increase directional strength 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 acknowledgement data from the medical device using the antenna;
determine, based on the acknowledgement data, that the data transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device, wherein the acknowledgement data is generated by the medical device based on the data transmitted to the medical device, and wherein the acknowledgement data indicates whether the data transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device; and
adjust the impedance value of the parasitic element associated with the antenna in response to the determination based on the acknowledgement data that the data transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device to improve subsequent data transfer to the medical device.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the medical device is an implantable medical device.

15. A method comprising:
modifying a radiation pattern of an antenna by reflecting energy transmitted from the antenna using a parasitic element to increase directional strength 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;
transmitting data to a medical device using the antenna;
receiving acknowledgement data from the medical device using the antenna;
determining, based on the acknowledgement data, that the data transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device, wherein the acknowledgement data is generated by the medical device based on the data transmitted to the medical device, and wherein the acknowledgement data indicates whether the data transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device; and
adjusting the impedance value of the parasitic element associated with the antenna in response to the determination based on the acknowledgement data that the data transmitted to the medical device included errors upon receipt at the medical device to improve subsequent data transfer to the medical device.

16. The method of claim 15 , 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.

17. The method of claim 16 , 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

Assignees

• Lee David W
• Phillips William C
• Wang Yu
• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Lee David W
• Phillips William C
• Wang Yu

Classifications

• A61N1/37252

  Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data · CPC title

• A61N1/37254

  Pacemaker or defibrillator security, e.g. to prevent or inhibit programming alterations by hackers or unauthorised individuals · CPC title

• A61N1/37223 Primary

  Circuits for electromagnetic coupling · CPC title