| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20090069869 | ROTATING FIELD INDUCTIVE DATA TELEMETRY AND POWER TRANSFER IN AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE SYSTEM - An improved implantable medical device system having dual coils in one of the devices in the system is disclosed. The dual coils are used preferably in an external device such as an external controller or an external charger. The dual coils are wrapped around axes that are preferably orthogonal, although other non-zero angles could be used as well. When used to transmit, the two coils are driven (for example, with FSK-modulated data when the transmitting data) out of phase, preferably at 90 degrees out of phase. This produces a magnetic field which rotates, and which reduces nulls in the coupling between the external device and the receiving coil within the implanted device. Moreover, implementation of the dual coils to transmit requires no change in the receiver circuitry of the implanted device. Should the device with dual coils also receive transmissions from the other device (e.g., the implanted device), the two coils are used in conjunction with optional receiver circuitry which likewise phase shifts the received modulated data signals from each coil and presents their sum to typical demodulation circuitry. | 03-12-2009 |
| 20100137948 | EXTERNAL CHARGER WITH ADJUSTABLE ALIGNMENT INDICATOR - Electrical energy is transcutaneously transmitted at a plurality of different frequencies to an implanted medical device. The magnitude of the transmitted electrical energy respectively measured at the plurality of frequencies. One of the frequencies is selected based on the measured magnitude of the electrical energy (e.g., the frequency at which the measured magnitude of the electrical energy is the greatest). A depth level at which the medical device is implanted within the patient is determined based on the selected frequency. For example, the depth level may be determined to be relatively shallow if the selected frequency is relatively high, and relatively deep if the selected frequency is relative low. A charge strength threshold at which a charge strength indicator generates a user-discernible signal can then be set based on the determined depth level. | 06-03-2010 |
| 20100161002 | Implantable Medical Device Having A Slot Antenna In Its Case - Disclosed is an improved medical implantable device having a conductive case into which a slot antenna is formed. The slot antenna preferably has a slot length which is one-half of the wavelength of the data being sent to or received from an external controller, although slot lengths smaller than these ideals values can also be used albeit with reduced efficiency. Slot lengths accommodatable by a given case can enable communications at frequencies suitable for medical telemetry. The slot is preferably filled with a hermetic dielectric material, and can be formed into different geometries, including non-linear geometries. When the slot antenna is provided in the implant's case, separate data antennas or coils are not needed, which reduces the implant's size. Additionally, the slot antenna reduces eddy current heating in the case, and promotes efficient data transfer in the near field that is not as susceptible to attenuation in the human body. | 06-24-2010 |
| 20110004278 | External Charger for a Medical Implantable Device Using Field Sensing Coils to Improve Coupling - By incorporating magnetic field sensing coils in an external charger, it is possible to determine the position of an implantable device by sensing the reflected magnetic field from the implant. In one embodiment, two or more field sensing coils are arranged to sense the reflected magnetic field. By comparing the relative reflected magnetic field strengths of the sensing coils, the position of the implant relative to the external charger can be determined. Audio and/or visual feedback can then be communicated to the patient to allow the patient to improve the alignment of the charger. | 01-06-2011 |
