Patent · US Active

Method and apparatus of acoustic communication for implantable medical device

US8165677B2 · kind B2 · utility

19Cited by
30References
20Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 3, 2009
Grant dateApr 24, 2012
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 5, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
  • CPC primaryA61N1/37288
  • WIPO fieldMedical technology
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An implantable medical device includes an acoustic transducer for intra-body communication with another medical device via an acoustic couple. The acoustic transducer includes one or more piezoelectric transducers. In one embodiment, an implantable medical device housing contains a cardiac rhythm management (CRM) device and an acoustic communication circuit. The acoustic transducer is electrically connected to the acoustic communication circuit to function as an acoustic coupler and physically fastened to a wall of the implantable housing, directly or via a supporting structure. In one embodiment, the implantable medical device receives an incoming acoustic signal from the other medical device, detects an error rate associated with the incoming acoustic signal, and adjusts a carrier frequency for an outgoing acoustic signal to be transmitted to the other medical device using the error rate.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.