Ultralow-power implantable hub-based wireless implantable sensor communication

Abstract

Communication power in a medical device system is managed by providing power from a power supply to a communication circuit in a sensing device according to a first communication wake up mode set for a first time period and according to a second communication wake up mode set for a second time period. The second communication wake-up mode is established by a second device.

1 . A medical device system, comprising:
 a first device comprising a first power supply, a physiological sensor for sensing a signal in a patient, and a first communication circuit; and   a second device comprising a second power supply and a second communication circuit configured for bidirectional communication with the first communication circuit,   the first device comprising a control processor configured to provide power from the first power supply to the first communication circuit according to a first communication wake up mode set for a first time period and according to a second communication wake up mode set for a second time period, the second communication wake-up mode established by the second device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second communication wake-up mode is established by the second device during a communication session enabled between the first device and the second device in response to the first communication wake-up mode at an end of the first time period. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first time period corresponds to a shelf life of the first device and the first communication wake-up mode comprises one of a manual wake-up mode, an implant detection wake-up mode, and a beacon listening mode. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second time period corresponds to an implant period of the first device and the second communication wake-up mode comprises one of a scheduled transmission wake up mode, a continuous beacon listening mode, and a scheduled beacon listening mode. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1  wherein the first device comprises a wake-up element for detecting a wake-up condition, wherein the first communication wake-up mode comprises detection of a wake-up condition and enabling a beacon listening mode in response to detection of the wake-up condition. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein enabling a beacon listening mode in response to the wake-up element detecting a wake-up condition is disabled during the second time period. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a manual wake-up element for generating a wake-up interrupt signal received by the control processor in response to a user intervention, the manual wake-up element being enabled during the second time period and disabled during the first time period. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the second device establishes the second communication wake-up mode as a scheduled transmission wake-up mode including a time interval for the scheduled transmission,
 the first sensing device configured to cause the first communication circuit to transmit a beacon signal to the second device upon expiration of the scheduled transmission time interval.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the first sensing device is further configured to convert the scheduled transmission wake-up mode established by the second device to a continuous beacon listening mode in response to not receiving a confirmation from the second device following transmission of the beacon signal. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first time period comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first device is configured to provide power from the first power supply to the first communication circuit according to the first communication wake-up mode during the first portion of the first time period and to convert to a third communication wake-up mode during the second portion of the first time period. 
     
     
         11 . A method for use in a medical device system comprising a first device comprising a first power supply, a physiological sensor for sensing a signal in a patient, and a first communication circuit and a second device comprising a second power supply and a second communication circuit configured for bidirectional communication with the first communication circuit, the method comprising:
 setting a first communication wake up mode for a first time interval for controlling power provided from the first power supply to the first communication circuit; and   setting a second communication wake up mode during a second time interval for controlling power provided from the first power supply to the first communication circuit, the second communication wake-up mode established by the second device.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising establishing a communication session between the first device and the second device in response to the first communication wake-up mode at an end of the first time period; and
 establishing the second communication wake-up mode in the first device in response to an instruction received from the second device during communication session.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first time period corresponds to a shelf life of the first device and the first communication wake-up mode comprises one of a manual wake-up mode, an implant detection wake-up mode, and a beacon listening mode. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the second time period corresponds to an implant period of the first device and the second communication wake-up mode comprises one of a scheduled transmission wake up mode, a continuous beacon listening mode, and a scheduled beacon listening mode. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first device comprises a wake-up element for detecting a wake-up condition and the first communication wake-up mode comprises detecting a wake-up condition and enabling a beacon listening mode in response to detecting the wake-up condition. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising disabling the wake-up element detecting a wake-up condition during the second time period. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising enabling a manual wake-up element included in the first device during the second time period for generating a wake-up interrupt signal received by the control processor in response to a user intervention and disabling the manual wake-up element during the first time period. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein establishing the second communication wake-up mode comprises establishing a scheduled transmission wake-up mode including a time interval for the scheduled transmission, and
 transmitting a beacon signal from the first communication circuit to the second device upon expiration of the scheduled transmission time interval.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising converting the scheduled transmission wake-up mode established by the second device to a continuous beacon listening mode in response to not receiving a confirmation from the second device following transmission of the beacon signal. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first time period comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first device provides power from the first power supply to the first communication circuit according to the first communication wake-up mode during the first portion of the first time period and converts to a third communication wake-up mode during the second portion of the first time period.