Surgery: light – thermal – and electrical application – Light – thermal – and electrical application – Electrical therapeutic systems
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-22
2003-05-13
Schaetzle, Kennedy (Department: 3762)
Surgery: light, thermal, and electrical application
Light, thermal, and electrical application
Electrical therapeutic systems
Reexamination Certificate
active
06564105
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE
This invention relates generally to ambulatory medical devices and communication devices associated therewith that communicate with one another via a telemetry system and more particularly where at least portions of the data to be communicated are modified such that an increase in the number of bit transitions occur and/or the uniformity of bit transitions is improved (e.g. by randomizing the data).
BACKGROUND
Various ambulatory medical devices have been proposed and a number of such devices are commercially available. These devices include implantable infusion pumps, externally carried infusion pumps, implantable pacemakers, implantable defibrillators, implantable neural stimulators, implantable physiological sensors, externally carried physiologic sensors, and the like.
Implantable infusion pumps are generally configured to accept infusion commands from an external communication device via an RF telemetry system, or the like. These commands are, inter alia, used to set program variables that are in turn used in defining the quantity and/or timing that is used in supplying a drug to the patient. As the dispensing of appropriate amounts of the drug may be critical to the patient's well being, it is important that a reliable communication channel exist between the external communication device and the implantable device.
Implantable devices typically operate by battery power. The batteries may or may not be rechargeable. Higher consumption of power from an implantable device containing non-rechargeable batteries leads to a shortening of the usable life of implantable device and an associated increased frequency of surgery, potential pain, recovery, and inconvenience. Higher consumption of power from an implantable device containing rechargeable batteries leads to more frequent charging periods for the batteries and associated inconvenience and may lead to an overall shortening of the usable life of the implantable device. As such, whether or not an implantable device contains rechargeable batteries or non-rechargeable batteries, it is desirable to lower the power consumption of device. As telemetry reception and transmission are highly energy consumptive, it is desirable to minimize the operation time of telemetry reception and transmission modules. As such it is desirable to ensure that message length is kept to a minimum and that repeated transmissions and attempted receptions of previously sent but unsuccessfully received messages be kept to a minimum.
As such, a need exists in the field for improved reliability of message reception. More particularly, a need exists in the art for improved information transfer efficiency by the communication system while holding the time period that the communication system is powered to a minimum. Furthermore a need exists in the art to minimize the number of communication attempts that must occur to successfully complete transfer of a message.
Some digital communication receiving systems and methods depend on the regular receipt of bit transitions in order to maintain bit synchronization between the transmitter and the receiver. This dependency is not generally a problem when messages are short but can become problematic when message length increases as the message may contain extended portions where few or no bit transitions occur. The maximum message segment length for which synchronization can be retained without bit transitions occurring depends on the type of communication system being used and the difference in clocking frequency between the transmitter and receiver.
As such, a need exists in the field for an improved way of ensuring maintenance of bit synchronization between receiver and transmitter particularly while not increasing, or at least not significantly increasing, the length of a message that is necessary to convey a given quantity of information.
SUMMARY
A first object of certain aspects of the invention is to provide an ambulatory medical device and communication device with improved information transfer reliability.
A second object of certain aspects of the invention is to provide an ambulatory medical device and communication device with improved ability to maintain bit synchronization during reception of messages via telemetry.
A third object of certain aspects of the invention is to provide an ambulatory medical device and communication device with a telemetry system that transmits messages with an increased average number of bit transitions per bit transferred than found in the raw data to be transferred.
A fourth object of certain aspects of the invention is to provide an implantable medical device and communication device with a telemetry system that transmits messages with a more uniform average spacing of bit transitions than found in the raw data to be transferred.
A fifth object of certain aspects of the invention is to provide an ambulatory medical device and communication device with a telemetry system that transmits messages with at least a portion of the data randomized.
Other objects and advantages of certain aspects of the invention will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon review of the teachings herein. The various aspects of the invention set forth below as well as other aspects of the invention not specifically set forth below but ascertained from the teachings found herein, may address the above noted objects, or other objects ascertained from the teachings herein, individually or in various combinations. As such, it is intended that each aspect of the invention address at least one of the above noted objects or address some other object that will be apparent to one of skill in the art from a review of the teachings herein.
A first aspect of the invention provides a medical system that includes (a) an ambulatory medical device (MD) that includes MD electronic control circuitry that further includes at least one MD telemetry system and at least one MD processor that controls, at least in part, operation of the MD telemetry system and operation of the medical device, wherein the medical device is configured to provide a treatment to a body of a patient or to monitor a selected state of the body; and (b) a communication device (CD) that includes CD electronic control circuitry that further includes at least one CD telemetry system and at least one CD processor that controls, at least in part, operation of the CD telemetry system and operation of the communication device, wherein the CD telemetry system sends messages to or receives messages from the MD telemetry system, wherein at least some data portions of at least some messages are modified in preparation for transmission by the medical device or the communication device such that a higher number of bit transitions occur in the modified data than were found in corresponding data portions prior to preparation for transmission.
A second aspect of the invention provides a medical system that includes (a) an ambulatory medical device (MD) that includes MD electronic control circuitry that further includes at least one MD telemetry system and at least one MD processor that controls, at least in part, operation of the MD telemetry system and operation of the medical device, wherein the medical device is configured to provide a treatment to a body of a patient or to monitor a selected state of the body; and (b) a communication device (CD) that includes CD electronic control circuitry that further includes at least one CD telemetry system and at least one CD processor that controls, at least in part, operation of the CD telemetry system and operation of the communication device, wherein the CD telemetry system sends messages to or receives messages from the MD telemetry system, wherein at least some data portions of at least some messages are modified in preparation for transmission by the medical device or the communication device such that a more uniform spacing of bit transitions exist in the modified data than found in the corresponding data portions prior to preparation for transmission.
A third aspect of the inv
Armstrong John T.
Lebel Ronald J.
Richert John D.
Starkweather Timothy J.
Villegas Daniel H.
Medtronic Minimed Inc.
Schaetzle Kennedy
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