Protocol implementation for telemetry communications involving implantable medical devices

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to optimizing telemetry communication involving one or more medical devices and one or more electrical devices. The telemetry communication is optimized by implementing software and/or one or more additional circuits within at least one medical device and at least one electrical device to provide one or more modes or functions of optimizing transfer of data between the medical device and the at least one electrical device, minimizing interference of the data transfer, and reducing data transfer time and/or preserving electrical energy sources of one or more of the medical device and the at least one electrical device.

1 . A system for telemetry communication involving one or more medical devices comprising:
 a medical device implantable in a patient, the medical device having a unit including one or more of a transmitter and a receiver, the medical device unit configured for enabling telemetry communications involving the medical device;   one or more electrical devices, at least one of the one or more electrical devices having a unit including one or more of a transmitter and a receiver, each electrical device unit configured for enabling telemetry communications between the at least one electrical device and the medical device; and   circuitry within one or more of the medical device and the at least one electrical device, the circuitry configured to implement one or more modes of protocol for telemetry communications between the at least one electrical device and the medical device, the one or more modes of protocol configured to provide one or more modes of optimizing transfer of data between the medical device and the at least one electrical device, minimizing interference of the data transfer, and preserving electrical energy sources of one or more of the medical device and the at least one electrical device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the medical device comprises a cardiac device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more electrical devices comprises one or more of at least one medical instrumentation implanted in the patient and of at least one external communication device. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one medical instrumentation comprises one or more of a drug delivery pump, a stimulator, a physiologic monitor, a recorder, an implant, and an artificial organ. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one external communication device comprises one or more of a portable programmer, an interrogator, a recorder, a monitor, and a telemetered signals transceiver. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the circuitry comprises a processing unit. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the medical device and the at least one electrical device are configured for telemetry communications involving modulation techniques, wherein the techniques comprise one or more of noise modulation, general spread spectrum encoding, bi-phase encoding, Frequency Shift Key (FSK), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), pre-emphasis/de-emphasis of baseband, vestigial, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM), pi/8, Quad-QAM, 256-QAM, 16-QAM, delta modulation, Phase Shift Key (PSK), Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK), Quadrature Amplitude Shift Keying (QASK), minimum shift keying, Tamed Frequency Modulation (TFM), Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), Bluetooth, any 802.11 modulation configuration, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), any 802.16 modulation configuration, 802.15.4, and Zigbee. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the data comprises one or more of stored physiologic data, real-time generated physiologic data, and non-physiologic data. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an external processing monitor, wherein the external processing monitor is configured for enabling telemetry communications with one or more of the medical device and the at least one electrical device. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a first mode of protocol comprises a “handshaking” mode, wherein the “handshaking” mode is enabled via one or more of software preprogrammed in the circuitry and one or more additional circuits of the circuitry, and wherein the one or more software and additional circuits is configured to control one or more of the units of the medical device and the at least one electrical device to transmit handshaking signals therebetween enabling a communication channel to be locked prior to the data transfer. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a second mode of protocol comprises a “low transfer rate” mode, wherein the “low transfer rate” mode is enabled via one or more of software preprogrammed in the circuitry and one or more additional circuits of the circuitry, and wherein the one or more software and additional circuits is configured to provide one or more of the following:
 lower rate of the data transfer enabling increased Signal-to-Noise Ratio, 
 control the medical device unit to receive feedback from the at least one electrical device during the data transfer and use such feedback for noise modulation of the data transfer, and 
 maintain one or more portions of the medical device unit in an “off” state during one or more of data receipt and transfer to conserve the electrical energy source of the medical device. 
 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a third mode of protocol comprises a “data burst” mode, wherein the “data burst” mode is enabled via one or more of software preprogrammed in the circuitry and one or more additional circuits of the circuitry, and wherein the one or more software and additional circuits is configured to provide one or more of the following:
 transfer the data in bursts over lengths of time during which a recorder used in conjunction with a memory unit of the medical device reaches capacity, and 
 transfer the data using a modulation technique in which multiple distinct spectrums are used for modulated data. 
 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a loop recorder within the circuitry, wherein the loop recorder is configured to store the data prior to the data transfer. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a fourth mode of protocol comprises a “random access protocol” mode, wherein the “random access protocol” mode is enabled via one or more of software preprogrammed in the circuitry and one or more additional circuits of the circuitry, and wherein the one or more software and additional circuits is configured to control one or more of the units of the medical device and the at least one electrical device to facilitate a randomization of the data transfer decreasing potential of interference with the data transfer. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the randomization comprises the process used in ALOHA networks. 
     
     
         16 . A system for optimizing telemetry communication involving one or more medical devices comprising:
 a medical device implanted in a patient, the medical device having a unit including one or more of a transmitter and a receiver, the medical device unit configured for enabling telemetry communications involving the medical device;   one or more electrical devices, at least one of the one or more electrical devices having a unit including one or more of a transmitter and a receiver, each electrical device unit configured for enabling telemetry communications between the at least one electrical device and the medical device; and   circuitry within one or more of the medical device and the at least one electrical device, the circuitry configured to provide one or more functions of optimizing transfer of data between the medical device and the at least one electrical device, minimizing interference of the data transfer, and preserving electrical energy sources of one or more of the medical device and the at least one electrical device.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the circuitry has one or more of optimizing software preprogrammed therein and one or more additional circuits thereof, and wherein the one or more optimizing software and additional circuits is configured to optimize the data transfer by one or more of the following:
 controlling one or more of the units of the medical device and the at least one electrical device to transmit handshaking signals therebetween,   lowering rate of the data transfer enabling increased Signal-to-Noise Ratio,   transferring the data in bursts over lengths of time during which a recorder used in conjunction with a memory unit of the medical device reaches capacity, and   transferring the data using a modulation technique in which multiple distinct spectrums are used for modulated data.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the circuitry has one or more interference minimizing software preprogrammed therein and one or more additional circuits thereof, and wherein the one or more interference minimizing software and additional circuits is configured to minimize interference of the data transfer by one or more of the following:
 controlling the medical device unit to receive feedback from the at least one electrical device during the data transfer and use such feedback for noise modulation of the data transfer, and   controlling one or more of the units of the medical device and the at least one electrical device to facilitate a randomization of the data transfer.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the circuitry has one or more energy conserving software preprogrammed therein and one or more additional circuits thereof, and wherein the one or more energy conserving software and additional circuits is configured to conserve the electrical energy source of the medical device by one or more of the following:
 maintaining one or more portions of the medical device unit in an “off” state during one or more of data receipt and transfer to conserve the electrical energy source of the medical device, and   providing the data transfer in bursts over lengths of time during which a memory unit of the IMD reaches capacity.   
     
     
         20 . A method of optimizing telemetry communication involving one or more medical devices comprising:
 providing a medical device implanted in a patient, the medical device having a unit including one or more of a transmitter and a receiver, the medical device unit configured for enabling telemetry communications involving the medical device;   providing one or more electrical devices, at least one of the one or more electrical devices having a unit including one or more of a transmitter and a receiver, each electrical device unit configured for enabling telemetry communications between the at least one electrical device and the medical device; and   providing circuitry within one or more of the medical device and the at least one electrical device, the circuitry configured to implement one or more modes of protocol for telemetry communications between the at least one electrical device and the medical device, the one or modes of protocol configured to provide one or more modes of optimizing transfer of data between the medical device and the at least one electrical device, minimizing interference of the data transfer, and preserving electrical energy sources of one or more of the medical device and the at least one electrical device.