Surgery: light – thermal – and electrical application – Light – thermal – and electrical application – Electrical therapeutic systems
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-19
2001-10-02
Kamm, William E. (Department: 3762)
Surgery: light, thermal, and electrical application
Light, thermal, and electrical application
Electrical therapeutic systems
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298271
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates generally to system having two-way communication between devices. More specifically, the invention relates to external transceivers which remotely communicate with implanted medical devices. Part of this two-way communication link consists of control or programming signals transmitted from the external device to the implanted device for the purpose of altering the operation of the implanted device. The remainder of the link consists of low-level telemetry transmissions from the implant to the external device for the purpose of conveying information such as current status, battery level, or patient data.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Two-way communication with implanted medical devices imposes special problems which become even more acute in an interference-prone environment, especially where the medical devices are essential to maintaining life functions. Necessarily, implanted medical devices require ultra-low power levels from long-lived batteries. The most common implanted telemetry system employs a single, multi-turned coil to externally receive the low-level telemetry signals. These single-coil, receiving antennas are quite susceptible to interference from electric, magnetic and electromagnetic field sources which are present in the clinical environment.
The present invention employs two noise-canceling, antenna coils, which improve the signal-to-noise ratio significantly, and a circuit which permits transmission and reception of signals through the same antenna coil network without interactive tuning problems and without the employment of any switching devices. The improved, external transceiver circuit permits two-way communications with implanted medical devices in close proximity (on the order of 4 inches to 2 feet) to common interference sources such as cathode ray tubes and video monitors. Moreover, because the antenna coils reside within the same plane and our preferably co-axial they require a minimum amount of volume, leading to a much smaller, more portable programmer head. Finally, a system featuring the present invention may be cheaper, due to the fact that the disclosed antenna may be constructed using printed circuit board, and thus be integrated with circuitry.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A medical system having improved telemetry, the medical system featuring a programmer having a programming head. The system provides improved telemetry due to the unique antenna scheme within the programmer head. The antenna scheme utilizes a first antenna and a second antenna, the antennas disposed in a concentric and co-planar manner. This concentric and co-planar disposition permits the programmer head to be of much smaller and, thus, a more portable size than was previously possible. The antenna is further coupled with circuitry or software or both to reduce far field response (noise). The antenna may be constructed using printed circuit board, and thus be integrated with circuitry.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4542532 (1985-09-01), McQuilkin
patent: 5168871 (1992-12-01), Grevious
patent: 5630835 (1997-05-01), Brownlee
patent: 5674265 (1997-10-01), Deschamps et al.
Kamm William E.
McMahon Beth L.
Medtronic Inc.
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