CA1316988C - Body bus medical device communication system - Google Patents
Body bus medical device communication systemInfo
- Publication number
- CA1316988C CA1316988C CA000611723A CA611723A CA1316988C CA 1316988 C CA1316988 C CA 1316988C CA 000611723 A CA000611723 A CA 000611723A CA 611723 A CA611723 A CA 611723A CA 1316988 C CA1316988 C CA 1316988C
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- medical device
- electrodes
- signals
- modulated
- transmitting
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Expired - Lifetime
Links
Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
- A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
- A61N1/18—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes
- A61N1/32—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents
- A61N1/36—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents for stimulation
- A61N1/372—Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators
- A61N1/37211—Means for communicating with stimulators
- A61N1/37252—Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
- A61N1/3727—Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data characterised by the modulation technique
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
- A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
- A61B5/0002—Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network
- A61B5/0026—Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network characterised by the transmission medium
- A61B5/0028—Body tissue as transmission medium, i.e. transmission systems where the medium is the human body
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M2205/00—General characteristics of the apparatus
- A61M2205/35—Communication
- A61M2205/3507—Communication with implanted devices, e.g. external control
- A61M2205/3523—Communication with implanted devices, e.g. external control using telemetric means
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
- A61M—DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY; DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY; DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR
- A61M5/00—Devices for bringing media into the body in a subcutaneous, intra-vascular or intramuscular way; Accessories therefor, e.g. filling or cleaning devices, arm-rests
- A61M5/14—Infusion devices, e.g. infusing by gravity; Blood infusion; Accessories therefor
- A61M5/142—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps
- A61M5/14244—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body
- A61M5/14276—Pressure infusion, e.g. using pumps adapted to be carried by the patient, e.g. portable on the body specially adapted for implantation
Abstract
BODY BUS MEDICAL DEVICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
ABSTRACT
A system intended for being at least partly implanted into a living body and comprising at least two modules or devices which are interconnected by a communication transmission channel, at least one of said modules being provided with transmitting and receiving means for a bidirectional exchange of information with at least one further module and at least one other module of which being provided at least with receiving means or transmitting means for receiving information from at least one further module or for transmitting information to at least one further module, respectively. Within the intracorporal region, said communication transmission channel is wireless. It includes the ion medium of the intra and extracellular body liquids and provides for an electrolytic-galvanic coupling between two or more implantable modules and/or between at least one implantable module and external skin electrodes intended for connection to an external module. The exchange of information is effected by modulated medium frequency signals in the frequency range from 10 to 100 kHz which signals are passed through said communication transmission channel.
ABSTRACT
A system intended for being at least partly implanted into a living body and comprising at least two modules or devices which are interconnected by a communication transmission channel, at least one of said modules being provided with transmitting and receiving means for a bidirectional exchange of information with at least one further module and at least one other module of which being provided at least with receiving means or transmitting means for receiving information from at least one further module or for transmitting information to at least one further module, respectively. Within the intracorporal region, said communication transmission channel is wireless. It includes the ion medium of the intra and extracellular body liquids and provides for an electrolytic-galvanic coupling between two or more implantable modules and/or between at least one implantable module and external skin electrodes intended for connection to an external module. The exchange of information is effected by modulated medium frequency signals in the frequency range from 10 to 100 kHz which signals are passed through said communication transmission channel.
Description
13~L~98~
BODY BUS MEDICAL DEVICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Background of the Invention 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a system of medical devices intended for being at least partly implanted into a living body and comprising at least two modules which are interconnected by a communication transmission channeI
denoted the "body bus"~
BODY BUS MEDICAL DEVICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
Background of the Invention 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to a system of medical devices intended for being at least partly implanted into a living body and comprising at least two modules which are interconnected by a communication transmission channeI
denoted the "body bus"~
2. Description of the Prior Art Devices of this type are known in different embodiments, e.g. EPO 0 011 935 and EPO 0 011 936 describe an external programming device and an implantable electromedlcal device adapted for being programmed thereby, wherein the proyramming device comprises a transmittin~ antenna, and the implantable device comprises a receiving antenna which are mutualy aligned with each other for p~ogramming in order to transcutaneously transmit high frequency programming signals in the form of electromagnetic waves from the transmit~ing antenna to the receivlng antenna~. In view of the fact that high frequency electromagnetic waves are heavily attenuated~or screened by body tissue, the implanted receiving antenna must be exactly located for programming. such a procedure is particularly troublesome if a pIurality of programmable modules, e.g. a pacemaker, a defibrillator and a drug dlspensing~device, are implanted, the receiving antennas of which must be individually located~.
In the case~of a prior muscle~stimulation apparatus (V.S. Patent 4,524,774) in a similar manner, muscle potentials detected by implanted sensors are converted by a modula~or into~control signals for a telemetry transmitter which is integrated into the respective sensor. Thls telemetry transmitter transcutaneously transmits high frequency teIemetry signals to an external ~
:
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telemetry receiver which is connected to a data processing unit. The latter, on the base of the received signals, controls a likewise externally disposed telemetry transmitter for delivering hiyh frequency control signals, against transcutaneously, to receivers of implanted muscle stimulators. The transcutaneously transmitted signals are in the megacycles/sec. frequency range so that the aforementioned restrictions are encountered in this-case too.
Furthermore, it is known (Fig. 1 of U.S. Patent 4,543,955) to transmit measuring signals of an implanted sensor module through a wire connection to another implanted module, such as a pacemaker or a drug delivery device. This requires, during implantation, a troublesome wiring of connection conduits. Furthermore if an infection occurs at one of the implanted modules, all modules and connection conduits must be removed because the infection can spread along the connection conduits~
In conformity with modified embodiments of the last mentioned device (Figs. 2 and 5 of U.S. Patent 4,543,955) measuring signals, which have been convsrted into a program code, also can be unidirectionally transmitted, in a wireless manner, from the sensor to the pacemaker or to the drug dispensing device, wherein either the signals defining the program code are directly transmitted through body tissue (i.e., without any carrier) or again a high .
frequency transmitter is used. A carrier free signal direct transmission, for being effective, must be- carried through during the re~ractory phases, i.e. must be synchronized with the heart cycle because otherwise the signals req~ired for such a direct transmission may provoke undesired biological reactions. On the other hand, the high frequency ~ransmission, in this case too, poses problems because of the heavy attenuation caused by body tissue and is possible, if at all, merely iE the transmitting and receiving antennas are closely spaced with in the body.
' ~31~88 _ . .
. .
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object basic to the invention is to provide for a device of the type mentioned at the:beginning which allows a signal transmission between the modules in a particularly simple, reliable and universally applicable manner while simultaneously avoiding the above discussed deficiencies.
In conformity with the invention, this object is reached by a system intended for being at least partly imp~lant~ed into a living body and comprising at least two medical devices~or modules whlch are in~terconnected by a communication transmission channel:,~ at;:le~ast~ one of: said ~ :
modules being pr;ovided with transmitting and receiving means for a bidirectional exchange of information with a~
le~ast~:one fur:ther module and at~:least one other: module of wh~ich being prov~ided at least wi~h receiving means or transmitting means ~or receiving information from at least one;~further module~or for transmi~tting information~to at le~ast~one::fu~rther~module, respectively,~wherein withln the ~:
;intracorporal~reyion:said:commun~ication~transmission ;
ch~annel ~lS wireless,~:includes~the~ion medium of the intra a~nd~extracellular: body liquids~and provides ~or an el0ctrolytic-galvanic coupling between two or mor:e i:mplantable~modules~and/or~ between~at least~one impl;antab~le~modu~le:~and~external:skin electrodes intended for cvnne~cti:on to:a~n external module and wherein the exchange of information lS ~e~fected by modulated medium frequency signals in the frequency range Erom lO to lOO
kHz which~signals are passed ~hrough said communlcation transmi~sion channel by direct conduction.
, , , ~ 3~l6~
A modulated signal in the frequency range from 10 kHz to 100 kHz has a suficiently high frequency to not cause any polarization problems within the living body and to allow an effective iltering with high Q filters requiriny only little installation space. On the other hand, this ~requency range is so low that undesired high frequency phenomena, such as radiation problems, crosstalk and excessive attenuation of the desired signals by the body tissue are avoided. Rather, modulated signals in the freguency range from 10 to 100 kHz are electrolytically-galvanicall~ transmitted over the distances encountered in the living body with such a low attenuation that on the transmitter side signal amplitudes which biologically are certainly ineffective and which can be transmitted without any regard to the heart cycle also to electrodes which might be provided for stimulation of the heart are sufficient to allow the modulated signals to be reliably detected at the receiver side at low expenditure for filte~rs and amplifiers.
A bidirectional exchange of information provides for an~interactive mutual coupling of the individual moduIes.
The functional interconnection between implanted and external modules may be obtained in a particularly simple manner via body fluids by making use of the electrolytical-galvanical coupling, presently also shortly named body ~bus, and via~the skin electrodes so that a troublesome search for the antennas of the implanted module or~ modul~es~is avoided~
In conformity~wlth a further development of the invention, at least~one digitally programmable implantable module and~an extern~al module~in the form of a programming device are~provided. ~The programmer would, because of the body bus bidirectional properties, enable interactive intelligent programming. Over a modem, telephone programming and control would be possible, especially a necessity for endangered tachy or defibr~llator patients.
.
, Preferred examples of implanted modules are nerve stimulators, muscle stimulatorsl cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators, drug dispensing devices, sensors for detecting body parameters or body activities as well as controllable and/or programmable artificial organs. Apart from the aforementioned programming devices, particularly, but not exclusively, monitoring and/or test devices may be used as external modules such as data recordiny devices (magnetic tape devices or the like) or models adapted for connection to telephone circuits.
If a plurality of implantable modules are provided, programming and/or intelligent decision means, in conformity with a further development of the invention, preferably are concentrated in one of the implanted modules only wherein, in case of need, other implanted modules can be indirectly programmed via said one module.
Thereby it is possible to keep the hardware expenditure, the weight, the space requirements and the energy consumption of the total of implanted modules particularly small. Basic~ally, however, it is likewise possible to provide a plurality of implanted modules comprising programming and/or intelligent decision means which modules mutually communicate via the body bus.
Preferably the modules are provided with means for receiving and/or transmitting of pulsecode-modulated medium~frequency~ signals. Al-modulated medium frequency signals~ may be~used, i.e. the signal ~has~a single, fixed frequency o e.g., 30 kHz, and~this signal, at the transmi~tting side, ls switched on;;and off as a unc~ion of the modulatlon. In conf~ormity~with a modified embodiment, the modules may be provided with means for receiving and~or transmitting s~ignals which are frequency shifted between a pair of frequencies within the medium frequency range. ~That means a pair of predetermined fixecl signal frequencies, e.g. of 30 kHz and 40 kHz are used, and shifting takes place at the transmitting side between the two signal frequencies as a function oE the modulation.
, . .
The pulsecode modulation avoids sidebands and continuous frequency swings. The one or the two signal frequencies can be generated at the transmitting side by means of crystal oscillators with a high frequency accuracy and high frequency stability whereas at the receiving side, narrow-banded amplifiers which e.g. are provided with crystal filters and which are tuned to the signal frequence or the signal frequencies, may be provided.
The invention has a multiplicity of advantageous applications.
- For example, tachycardiac rhythm disturbances so far at first are treated with drugs. On further progress of the disease, antibradycardiac stimulation by means of a sequential pacemaker of the type known from German unex-amined published patent application 27 01 140 may become necessary, wherein simultaneously or at a later state it may be advantageous to supplement the antibradycardiac stimulation by antitachycardiac stimulation pattern (com-pare e.g., European Patent Specification 0 094 758). When this too is no longer sufficient to adequately influence the syndrome and attacks of ventricular fibrillation occur, a defibrillator becomes necessary which likewise is available as an implantable device. However, when implanting the defibrillator, the sequential pacemaker again must be explanted because this pacemaker delivers atrial and ventricular stimulating pulses which, in the same manner as~possibly the R wàve of the electrocardio-gram, too,~ are detected by the defibrillator whereby the latter sees an apparent frequency duplication or frequency triplicatioh~ when the heart works correctly with e.g. 70 beats per~minute, ;therefore, there is the risk that the de~ibrillator detects an apparent heartbeat rate of 140 or 210 beaks per minute and undesirably delivers a defibril-lation pulse. When the pacemaker is explanted, necessa-rily the antibradycardiac and possibly also antitachycar-diac protective effect thereof no longer exists. Besides, the drug dosage must be reduced because the patient no .
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_7_ longer is protected against a drop of the rate of the heart activity. The defibrillator will become active relatively frequently and possibly inappropriately.
Within the scope of the present invention, it is possible to transfer the intelligent decisions, particularly the detection of the requirement of a defibrillation shock, from the defibrillator to the preferably ~V sequential, programmable, microprocessor based pacemaker and to make the defibrillator only indirectly programmable via the pacemaker making use of the body bus. The pacemaker which e~g. may be designed in the manner known from European Patent Specification 0 094 758, safely detects whether the pacemaker itself stimulates or whether khere is a tachycardia. When a tachycardia is detected, the pacemaker can request the shock from khe defibrillator through the body bus.
Therefore, if in the course of the therapy the sequential pacemaker na longer will be sufficient, this pacemaker need not be explanted. Rather the therapy can be systematically built up as a ~unction of the respective requirements without previous implants becoming obsolete.
~; In view of the monitoring functions included in the pacemaker, the requirement of the additional implantation of a defibrillator function can be detected at an early state. The defibrillator, which constitutes a high ~ ` current application, then can be addedO Si~ultaneously, ;~ the seq~ential antibradycardial stimulation, possibly assisted by drugs, reduces the fibrillation incidence when compared with a pure ventricular stimulation. The stimulation treatment of tachycardia likewise can be carried through~by the pacemak~er, optionally in a dual ~ ~chamber manner, whereby ~he effectivity of detection and i~; of the teatment is increased thereby again reducing the probability of fibrillation. Thus the defibrillator may be restrained, as far as conceivable, to its function as an emergency or backup system.
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With respect to the separation of pacemaker and defibrillator, which is easily possible by ~aking use of the body bus, it is to be taken into consideration that the pacemaker, particularly if, in a manner known per se, it is microprocessor controlled and programmable and also includes antitachycardiac algorithms, constitutes a complex and therefore relatively expensive device which, however, merely has a low current consumption and therefore has a very long duration even if the housing volume, as desired, is small. Besides, the pacemaker may be implanted at many different body sites as a function of appropriateness. Diferent therefrom, a defibrillator has a high energy consumption and, if it was only in view of its storage capacitors, a large volume. It can be implanted at a few body sites only, and in view of its high energy drain, has a relatively short lifetime.
Moreover, recent clinical studies of patients implanted with AICD devices indicate that in a large number of such patients, the defibrillation shock is delivered quite infrequently, i.e. two to four times a year. Despite the;infrequent delivery of the shocks, the AICD units need to be replaced within two years due to the deterioration of the batteries. The system of the present invention contemplates the possibility of replacing a large volume, large capacity defibrillator with a small volume low~capacity~(in other words, a limited number of shocks) in those`patients where experience has shown that the patient only infrequently requires a deibrillation shock. It can be expected that in even those patient populations, the frequency of required defibrillation shocks ~will be diminished by the~efficacy of ;antitachycardia pacing therapies delivered by the separate pacemaker unit.
Thus the present invention contemplates the provision of a staged therapy to the patient first involving the implantation of an intelligent pacemaker in the patient and then, if necessary, the additional implantation of a 9 ~ 66742-314 defibrillator having a shock delivery capacity tailored to the requirements of the patient, e.g. 10, 20, 100 shocks per year at maximum programmable output energy. Therefore, ~or all these reasons, normally it does not make sense to combine the pacemaker and the de~ibrillator in one and the same casing.
In addition, the body bus system components may include separate remote sensors for physiologic rate responsive pacing and~or detection of arrhythmias (to augment or replace the electrogram sensing employed to confirm malignant VT or VF) as well as a drug dispenser. The drug may be delivered into the patient's body or the patient's vascular system as is appropriate to treat the patient in a fashion which the ~ pacemaker electronics would find appropriate. For treatment of ;~ an arrhythmia detected by the pacemaker, the drug may be delivered into the vascular system or a chamber o~ the heart or into the body of the patient in conformance with the ~( appropriate delivery of the specific drug.
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According to a broad aspect of the invention there is - ~ provided in a system for monitoring a condition of a living .
:~ 20 body and/or providing one or more therapy regimens to the body comprising two or more discrete medical devices, at least one :: :
~ ~ of which is implanted into the livinq body, the improvement ~or ~:
providing bidirectional exchange of information between said medical devices comprising:
means associated with at least one of said medical devices for providing a first information signal representing a conditlon of the dev1ce~andlor the Iiving body;
means for transforming said first information signal into a modulated medium frequency siynal in the frequency range from 10 to 100 kHz;
means ~or applying said modulated medium frequenc:y signal to the ion medium o~ the intra and extracellular bocly liquids - - l 3 ~
9a 66742-314 for providing an electrolytic/galvanic coupling between said two or more medical devices whereby said signals are passed through said living body between said medical devices; and means associated wi~h a~ least the other of the two medical devices for recei~ing and demodulating said modulated medium frequency signal.
According to another broad aspect of the invention there is provided a system for monitoring a condition of a living body and/or providing one or more therapy regimens to the body comprising two or more discrete medical devices, at least one of which is a digitally pxogrammable, implantable medical device and khe other is an external medlcal device for digitally programming said implantable medical device wher~in said implantable device is provided with: a pair o~ spaced apart electrodes adapted to be exposed to living body tissue and fluids; receiving means for receiving electrical signals across said electrodes; decoding means for decoding said eleckrical signals; and register means ~or storing said decoded electrical slynals; and whereln sald digital programming device further comprises: a pair of electrodes adapted to be placed against the external surface of the living body; coding means fcr;coding a desired program change lntc digital code; and transmitting means~for modulating sald prcgrammed digi~al code and applylng it to said external pair of electrodes whereby said modulated, coded si;gnal is applied through the skin and ~ . , ~ living body tissue to said implantable~pair of electrodes.
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According to another broad aspect of the invention there ls~ provided a system for provlding pacing, cardioversion : :, ~
and defibrillation staged therapies for bradycardia, tachycardia and fihrillation comprising2 a body implantable pacemaker comprlsing~ pacing energy pulse generator means for applying pacing stimuli to a patient's heart; paci.ng lead means ~
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, ' 9b 13 ~ 6 9 8 8 66742-31~
bearing at least one electrode means adapted to be placed in contact wi~h or within a patien~'s heart and coupled to said pulse generator means for applying said pacing stimuli to the patient's heart and receiving electrlcal signals appearing at the tissue-electrode interface; senslng means coupled to said electrode means for sensing electrical signals appearing at said electrode means; detecting means responsive to said sensing means for detecting a bradyarrhythmia, tachyarrhythmia or ventricular fibrillation ~ondition of the heart of the patient; and control means responsive to said detecting means for instructing said pulse generator means to provide paclng stimuli to sald pacing electrode means in response to the detection of a bradyarrhythmia or tachyarrhythmia condition and to provide a modulated medium frequency signal in the frequency range from 10 to IOQ kHz ~o said pacing electrode means in response to the detection of a ventricular fibrillation , ~
condition; and a remotely implanted defibrillator further ~ comprising: defibrilla~ion pulse generator means for .~
generating defibrillation shocks; defibrillation electrode means adapted to be placed in contact with a paeient's heart : for providing said defibrillation shocks to the heart and ~or ,,~
`~ picking up electrical slgnals appearing at the electrode-tlssue interface; receiving means coupled to said defibrillation electrode means for demodulating said modulated medium -: ~ frequency signal transmitted into body tissue by said pacemaker ~ ~ pulBe generator; and means responsive ~o a demodulated shock :~ înstruction signal for causing said de~ibrillation pulse generator means to provide a shock across said defibrlllation electrode means and to the heart.
BRIEF D~SCRIPTION OE THE DRAWI~GS
In the following, the invention is explainecl ln more detail wlth reference to preferred embodiments thqreoe, ~,' . ~,1~,' J
~C ~3~98~ ~6742 314 Figure 1 is a schematic circuit diayram of a cardiac pacemaker adapted for being programmed via the body bus;
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a body bus transmitter;
Figure 3 i5 a schematic circuit diagram of a body bus receiver;
Fiyures 4 and 5 illustrate modi~led embodiments of devices designed in conformity with the present invention; and :~ Figure 6 111ustrates the experimental setup prepared ~ 10 1to demonstrate body bus signal transmission.
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' ', . ~ .,:,. . .
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--10-' DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Flg. 1 shows an implanted microprocessor controlled, programmable cardiac pacemaker 10 comprising a central processing unit ~CPU3 11, a random access memory (RAM) 12, a read-only memory ~ROM or EPROM) 13, a battery 14 and an input/output unit (I/O) 15 The input/output unit includes amongst others a coder and a decoder for coding and decodingr respectively, of serial information to be exchanged between the cardiac pacemaker 10 and other implantable or external modules in the illustrated embodiment an external programming unit 42. Such programmable pacemakers and associated programming devices e.g. are known from unexamined published European Patent Application 0 011 935 and European Patent Specification 0 011 936; they, therefore, presentl~ need no further explanation A
:i: :
The input/output unit 15 is connected through an input or sensing amplifier 18 and an output amplifier 19 : : to the atrial electrode 20 of a pacemaker lead 21; besides it i5 connected through an input or sensing amplifier 22 and an output amplifier 23 to a ventricular electrode 24 ` ~ ~ o~ the pacemaker lead 21. A body bus receiver 26 is ~ connected to a further input of the input/output unit 15, : whereas an additional output of the input/output unit is : ~ connected~to a body bus ~transmitter 27. The input of the ody;bus re~eiver 26 is connected to the ventricular electrode 24 and to an indifferent electrode 28 which . pre~erably i6 d~efi~ned by the ~casing of the pacemaker 10.
: The ventxiculax electxode 24 and the indifferent electrode 28 furthermore axe :connected to the output of the body bus transmitter 27. The ventri~cular electrode 2~ and the indifferent electro~de 28 form a transmitting and xeceiving dipole for the pacemaker 10. However, the atrial : electrode 20 and the indifferent electrode 28 likewise can ~ be used to define the transmitting and receiving dipole of : : the pacemaker 10. The heart is indicated at 29. The : programming signal processor 16 is connected via an input/
~ output unit 32 to a body bus receiver 34 and to a body bu~
;
.
In the case~of a prior muscle~stimulation apparatus (V.S. Patent 4,524,774) in a similar manner, muscle potentials detected by implanted sensors are converted by a modula~or into~control signals for a telemetry transmitter which is integrated into the respective sensor. Thls telemetry transmitter transcutaneously transmits high frequency teIemetry signals to an external ~
:
. .
~ 3~3~
telemetry receiver which is connected to a data processing unit. The latter, on the base of the received signals, controls a likewise externally disposed telemetry transmitter for delivering hiyh frequency control signals, against transcutaneously, to receivers of implanted muscle stimulators. The transcutaneously transmitted signals are in the megacycles/sec. frequency range so that the aforementioned restrictions are encountered in this-case too.
Furthermore, it is known (Fig. 1 of U.S. Patent 4,543,955) to transmit measuring signals of an implanted sensor module through a wire connection to another implanted module, such as a pacemaker or a drug delivery device. This requires, during implantation, a troublesome wiring of connection conduits. Furthermore if an infection occurs at one of the implanted modules, all modules and connection conduits must be removed because the infection can spread along the connection conduits~
In conformity with modified embodiments of the last mentioned device (Figs. 2 and 5 of U.S. Patent 4,543,955) measuring signals, which have been convsrted into a program code, also can be unidirectionally transmitted, in a wireless manner, from the sensor to the pacemaker or to the drug dispensing device, wherein either the signals defining the program code are directly transmitted through body tissue (i.e., without any carrier) or again a high .
frequency transmitter is used. A carrier free signal direct transmission, for being effective, must be- carried through during the re~ractory phases, i.e. must be synchronized with the heart cycle because otherwise the signals req~ired for such a direct transmission may provoke undesired biological reactions. On the other hand, the high frequency ~ransmission, in this case too, poses problems because of the heavy attenuation caused by body tissue and is possible, if at all, merely iE the transmitting and receiving antennas are closely spaced with in the body.
' ~31~88 _ . .
. .
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The object basic to the invention is to provide for a device of the type mentioned at the:beginning which allows a signal transmission between the modules in a particularly simple, reliable and universally applicable manner while simultaneously avoiding the above discussed deficiencies.
In conformity with the invention, this object is reached by a system intended for being at least partly imp~lant~ed into a living body and comprising at least two medical devices~or modules whlch are in~terconnected by a communication transmission channel:,~ at;:le~ast~ one of: said ~ :
modules being pr;ovided with transmitting and receiving means for a bidirectional exchange of information with a~
le~ast~:one fur:ther module and at~:least one other: module of wh~ich being prov~ided at least wi~h receiving means or transmitting means ~or receiving information from at least one;~further module~or for transmi~tting information~to at le~ast~one::fu~rther~module, respectively,~wherein withln the ~:
;intracorporal~reyion:said:commun~ication~transmission ;
ch~annel ~lS wireless,~:includes~the~ion medium of the intra a~nd~extracellular: body liquids~and provides ~or an el0ctrolytic-galvanic coupling between two or mor:e i:mplantable~modules~and/or~ between~at least~one impl;antab~le~modu~le:~and~external:skin electrodes intended for cvnne~cti:on to:a~n external module and wherein the exchange of information lS ~e~fected by modulated medium frequency signals in the frequency range Erom lO to lOO
kHz which~signals are passed ~hrough said communlcation transmi~sion channel by direct conduction.
, , , ~ 3~l6~
A modulated signal in the frequency range from 10 kHz to 100 kHz has a suficiently high frequency to not cause any polarization problems within the living body and to allow an effective iltering with high Q filters requiriny only little installation space. On the other hand, this ~requency range is so low that undesired high frequency phenomena, such as radiation problems, crosstalk and excessive attenuation of the desired signals by the body tissue are avoided. Rather, modulated signals in the freguency range from 10 to 100 kHz are electrolytically-galvanicall~ transmitted over the distances encountered in the living body with such a low attenuation that on the transmitter side signal amplitudes which biologically are certainly ineffective and which can be transmitted without any regard to the heart cycle also to electrodes which might be provided for stimulation of the heart are sufficient to allow the modulated signals to be reliably detected at the receiver side at low expenditure for filte~rs and amplifiers.
A bidirectional exchange of information provides for an~interactive mutual coupling of the individual moduIes.
The functional interconnection between implanted and external modules may be obtained in a particularly simple manner via body fluids by making use of the electrolytical-galvanical coupling, presently also shortly named body ~bus, and via~the skin electrodes so that a troublesome search for the antennas of the implanted module or~ modul~es~is avoided~
In conformity~wlth a further development of the invention, at least~one digitally programmable implantable module and~an extern~al module~in the form of a programming device are~provided. ~The programmer would, because of the body bus bidirectional properties, enable interactive intelligent programming. Over a modem, telephone programming and control would be possible, especially a necessity for endangered tachy or defibr~llator patients.
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, Preferred examples of implanted modules are nerve stimulators, muscle stimulatorsl cardiac pacemakers, defibrillators, drug dispensing devices, sensors for detecting body parameters or body activities as well as controllable and/or programmable artificial organs. Apart from the aforementioned programming devices, particularly, but not exclusively, monitoring and/or test devices may be used as external modules such as data recordiny devices (magnetic tape devices or the like) or models adapted for connection to telephone circuits.
If a plurality of implantable modules are provided, programming and/or intelligent decision means, in conformity with a further development of the invention, preferably are concentrated in one of the implanted modules only wherein, in case of need, other implanted modules can be indirectly programmed via said one module.
Thereby it is possible to keep the hardware expenditure, the weight, the space requirements and the energy consumption of the total of implanted modules particularly small. Basic~ally, however, it is likewise possible to provide a plurality of implanted modules comprising programming and/or intelligent decision means which modules mutually communicate via the body bus.
Preferably the modules are provided with means for receiving and/or transmitting of pulsecode-modulated medium~frequency~ signals. Al-modulated medium frequency signals~ may be~used, i.e. the signal ~has~a single, fixed frequency o e.g., 30 kHz, and~this signal, at the transmi~tting side, ls switched on;;and off as a unc~ion of the modulatlon. In conf~ormity~with a modified embodiment, the modules may be provided with means for receiving and~or transmitting s~ignals which are frequency shifted between a pair of frequencies within the medium frequency range. ~That means a pair of predetermined fixecl signal frequencies, e.g. of 30 kHz and 40 kHz are used, and shifting takes place at the transmitting side between the two signal frequencies as a function oE the modulation.
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The pulsecode modulation avoids sidebands and continuous frequency swings. The one or the two signal frequencies can be generated at the transmitting side by means of crystal oscillators with a high frequency accuracy and high frequency stability whereas at the receiving side, narrow-banded amplifiers which e.g. are provided with crystal filters and which are tuned to the signal frequence or the signal frequencies, may be provided.
The invention has a multiplicity of advantageous applications.
- For example, tachycardiac rhythm disturbances so far at first are treated with drugs. On further progress of the disease, antibradycardiac stimulation by means of a sequential pacemaker of the type known from German unex-amined published patent application 27 01 140 may become necessary, wherein simultaneously or at a later state it may be advantageous to supplement the antibradycardiac stimulation by antitachycardiac stimulation pattern (com-pare e.g., European Patent Specification 0 094 758). When this too is no longer sufficient to adequately influence the syndrome and attacks of ventricular fibrillation occur, a defibrillator becomes necessary which likewise is available as an implantable device. However, when implanting the defibrillator, the sequential pacemaker again must be explanted because this pacemaker delivers atrial and ventricular stimulating pulses which, in the same manner as~possibly the R wàve of the electrocardio-gram, too,~ are detected by the defibrillator whereby the latter sees an apparent frequency duplication or frequency triplicatioh~ when the heart works correctly with e.g. 70 beats per~minute, ;therefore, there is the risk that the de~ibrillator detects an apparent heartbeat rate of 140 or 210 beaks per minute and undesirably delivers a defibril-lation pulse. When the pacemaker is explanted, necessa-rily the antibradycardiac and possibly also antitachycar-diac protective effect thereof no longer exists. Besides, the drug dosage must be reduced because the patient no .
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_7_ longer is protected against a drop of the rate of the heart activity. The defibrillator will become active relatively frequently and possibly inappropriately.
Within the scope of the present invention, it is possible to transfer the intelligent decisions, particularly the detection of the requirement of a defibrillation shock, from the defibrillator to the preferably ~V sequential, programmable, microprocessor based pacemaker and to make the defibrillator only indirectly programmable via the pacemaker making use of the body bus. The pacemaker which e~g. may be designed in the manner known from European Patent Specification 0 094 758, safely detects whether the pacemaker itself stimulates or whether khere is a tachycardia. When a tachycardia is detected, the pacemaker can request the shock from khe defibrillator through the body bus.
Therefore, if in the course of the therapy the sequential pacemaker na longer will be sufficient, this pacemaker need not be explanted. Rather the therapy can be systematically built up as a ~unction of the respective requirements without previous implants becoming obsolete.
~; In view of the monitoring functions included in the pacemaker, the requirement of the additional implantation of a defibrillator function can be detected at an early state. The defibrillator, which constitutes a high ~ ` current application, then can be addedO Si~ultaneously, ;~ the seq~ential antibradycardial stimulation, possibly assisted by drugs, reduces the fibrillation incidence when compared with a pure ventricular stimulation. The stimulation treatment of tachycardia likewise can be carried through~by the pacemak~er, optionally in a dual ~ ~chamber manner, whereby ~he effectivity of detection and i~; of the teatment is increased thereby again reducing the probability of fibrillation. Thus the defibrillator may be restrained, as far as conceivable, to its function as an emergency or backup system.
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With respect to the separation of pacemaker and defibrillator, which is easily possible by ~aking use of the body bus, it is to be taken into consideration that the pacemaker, particularly if, in a manner known per se, it is microprocessor controlled and programmable and also includes antitachycardiac algorithms, constitutes a complex and therefore relatively expensive device which, however, merely has a low current consumption and therefore has a very long duration even if the housing volume, as desired, is small. Besides, the pacemaker may be implanted at many different body sites as a function of appropriateness. Diferent therefrom, a defibrillator has a high energy consumption and, if it was only in view of its storage capacitors, a large volume. It can be implanted at a few body sites only, and in view of its high energy drain, has a relatively short lifetime.
Moreover, recent clinical studies of patients implanted with AICD devices indicate that in a large number of such patients, the defibrillation shock is delivered quite infrequently, i.e. two to four times a year. Despite the;infrequent delivery of the shocks, the AICD units need to be replaced within two years due to the deterioration of the batteries. The system of the present invention contemplates the possibility of replacing a large volume, large capacity defibrillator with a small volume low~capacity~(in other words, a limited number of shocks) in those`patients where experience has shown that the patient only infrequently requires a deibrillation shock. It can be expected that in even those patient populations, the frequency of required defibrillation shocks ~will be diminished by the~efficacy of ;antitachycardia pacing therapies delivered by the separate pacemaker unit.
Thus the present invention contemplates the provision of a staged therapy to the patient first involving the implantation of an intelligent pacemaker in the patient and then, if necessary, the additional implantation of a 9 ~ 66742-314 defibrillator having a shock delivery capacity tailored to the requirements of the patient, e.g. 10, 20, 100 shocks per year at maximum programmable output energy. Therefore, ~or all these reasons, normally it does not make sense to combine the pacemaker and the de~ibrillator in one and the same casing.
In addition, the body bus system components may include separate remote sensors for physiologic rate responsive pacing and~or detection of arrhythmias (to augment or replace the electrogram sensing employed to confirm malignant VT or VF) as well as a drug dispenser. The drug may be delivered into the patient's body or the patient's vascular system as is appropriate to treat the patient in a fashion which the ~ pacemaker electronics would find appropriate. For treatment of ;~ an arrhythmia detected by the pacemaker, the drug may be delivered into the vascular system or a chamber o~ the heart or into the body of the patient in conformance with the ~( appropriate delivery of the specific drug.
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According to a broad aspect of the invention there is - ~ provided in a system for monitoring a condition of a living .
:~ 20 body and/or providing one or more therapy regimens to the body comprising two or more discrete medical devices, at least one :: :
~ ~ of which is implanted into the livinq body, the improvement ~or ~:
providing bidirectional exchange of information between said medical devices comprising:
means associated with at least one of said medical devices for providing a first information signal representing a conditlon of the dev1ce~andlor the Iiving body;
means for transforming said first information signal into a modulated medium frequency siynal in the frequency range from 10 to 100 kHz;
means ~or applying said modulated medium frequenc:y signal to the ion medium o~ the intra and extracellular bocly liquids - - l 3 ~
9a 66742-314 for providing an electrolytic/galvanic coupling between said two or more medical devices whereby said signals are passed through said living body between said medical devices; and means associated wi~h a~ least the other of the two medical devices for recei~ing and demodulating said modulated medium frequency signal.
According to another broad aspect of the invention there is provided a system for monitoring a condition of a living body and/or providing one or more therapy regimens to the body comprising two or more discrete medical devices, at least one of which is a digitally pxogrammable, implantable medical device and khe other is an external medlcal device for digitally programming said implantable medical device wher~in said implantable device is provided with: a pair o~ spaced apart electrodes adapted to be exposed to living body tissue and fluids; receiving means for receiving electrical signals across said electrodes; decoding means for decoding said eleckrical signals; and register means ~or storing said decoded electrical slynals; and whereln sald digital programming device further comprises: a pair of electrodes adapted to be placed against the external surface of the living body; coding means fcr;coding a desired program change lntc digital code; and transmitting means~for modulating sald prcgrammed digi~al code and applylng it to said external pair of electrodes whereby said modulated, coded si;gnal is applied through the skin and ~ . , ~ living body tissue to said implantable~pair of electrodes.
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According to another broad aspect of the invention there ls~ provided a system for provlding pacing, cardioversion : :, ~
and defibrillation staged therapies for bradycardia, tachycardia and fihrillation comprising2 a body implantable pacemaker comprlsing~ pacing energy pulse generator means for applying pacing stimuli to a patient's heart; paci.ng lead means ~
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, ' 9b 13 ~ 6 9 8 8 66742-31~
bearing at least one electrode means adapted to be placed in contact wi~h or within a patien~'s heart and coupled to said pulse generator means for applying said pacing stimuli to the patient's heart and receiving electrlcal signals appearing at the tissue-electrode interface; senslng means coupled to said electrode means for sensing electrical signals appearing at said electrode means; detecting means responsive to said sensing means for detecting a bradyarrhythmia, tachyarrhythmia or ventricular fibrillation ~ondition of the heart of the patient; and control means responsive to said detecting means for instructing said pulse generator means to provide paclng stimuli to sald pacing electrode means in response to the detection of a bradyarrhythmia or tachyarrhythmia condition and to provide a modulated medium frequency signal in the frequency range from 10 to IOQ kHz ~o said pacing electrode means in response to the detection of a ventricular fibrillation , ~
condition; and a remotely implanted defibrillator further ~ comprising: defibrilla~ion pulse generator means for .~
generating defibrillation shocks; defibrillation electrode means adapted to be placed in contact with a paeient's heart : for providing said defibrillation shocks to the heart and ~or ,,~
`~ picking up electrical slgnals appearing at the electrode-tlssue interface; receiving means coupled to said defibrillation electrode means for demodulating said modulated medium -: ~ frequency signal transmitted into body tissue by said pacemaker ~ ~ pulBe generator; and means responsive ~o a demodulated shock :~ înstruction signal for causing said de~ibrillation pulse generator means to provide a shock across said defibrlllation electrode means and to the heart.
BRIEF D~SCRIPTION OE THE DRAWI~GS
In the following, the invention is explainecl ln more detail wlth reference to preferred embodiments thqreoe, ~,' . ~,1~,' J
~C ~3~98~ ~6742 314 Figure 1 is a schematic circuit diayram of a cardiac pacemaker adapted for being programmed via the body bus;
Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a body bus transmitter;
Figure 3 i5 a schematic circuit diagram of a body bus receiver;
Fiyures 4 and 5 illustrate modi~led embodiments of devices designed in conformity with the present invention; and :~ Figure 6 111ustrates the experimental setup prepared ~ 10 1to demonstrate body bus signal transmission.
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--10-' DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Flg. 1 shows an implanted microprocessor controlled, programmable cardiac pacemaker 10 comprising a central processing unit ~CPU3 11, a random access memory (RAM) 12, a read-only memory ~ROM or EPROM) 13, a battery 14 and an input/output unit (I/O) 15 The input/output unit includes amongst others a coder and a decoder for coding and decodingr respectively, of serial information to be exchanged between the cardiac pacemaker 10 and other implantable or external modules in the illustrated embodiment an external programming unit 42. Such programmable pacemakers and associated programming devices e.g. are known from unexamined published European Patent Application 0 011 935 and European Patent Specification 0 011 936; they, therefore, presentl~ need no further explanation A
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The input/output unit 15 is connected through an input or sensing amplifier 18 and an output amplifier 19 : : to the atrial electrode 20 of a pacemaker lead 21; besides it i5 connected through an input or sensing amplifier 22 and an output amplifier 23 to a ventricular electrode 24 ` ~ ~ o~ the pacemaker lead 21. A body bus receiver 26 is ~ connected to a further input of the input/output unit 15, : whereas an additional output of the input/output unit is : ~ connected~to a body bus ~transmitter 27. The input of the ody;bus re~eiver 26 is connected to the ventricular electrode 24 and to an indifferent electrode 28 which . pre~erably i6 d~efi~ned by the ~casing of the pacemaker 10.
: The ventxiculax electxode 24 and the indifferent electrode 28 furthermore axe :connected to the output of the body bus transmitter 27. The ventri~cular electrode 2~ and the indifferent electro~de 28 form a transmitting and xeceiving dipole for the pacemaker 10. However, the atrial : electrode 20 and the indifferent electrode 28 likewise can ~ be used to define the transmitting and receiving dipole of : : the pacemaker 10. The heart is indicated at 29. The : programming signal processor 16 is connected via an input/
~ output unit 32 to a body bus receiver 34 and to a body bu~
;
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3~88 transmitter. Inputs 36, 37 of the body bus receiver 34 and outputs 38, 39 of the body bus transmitter 35 are connected to external skin electrodes 40 and 41, respectively, which are put around the wrist joints of the patient. The unit 16, together with units 32 to 35, forms an external programming device 42 having a transmitting and receiving dipole defined by electrodes 40 and 41.
The body bus transmitters 27, 35 may be designed in the manner illustrated in the schematic circuit diagram of Fig. 2. The transmitter includes an oscillator 43 preferably a crystal oscillator, which generates a preferably sinusoidal carrier signal having a fixed predetermined frequency in ~he medium ~requency range extending f~om 10 kHz to lO0 kHz. The oscillator 43 is keyed, in conformity with an Al-modulation, by a seriai modulation signal 4S supplied to an input 44. The oscillator correspondingly supplies at its output a modulated medium frequency-carrier signal 46 consisting of groups of each a plurality of carrier oscillations. The modulated carrier signal is supplied to the input of an output unit ~7 which includes a transistor 48 which delivers across an output resistor 49 an amplified modulated carrier signal having an amplitude of preferably 50 to 500 millivolts, e.g. about 200 millivolts.
A design suitable for the ~body bus receivers 26 and 34 schematically is ilIustrated in Fig. 3. The receiver, at~the input side~ thereo, includes a preamplifier 50, e.g. an amplifier comprising an octocoupler. Preamplifier 50 is follows by ~a high-Q filter 51, preferably a crystal filterl which is tuned to the~carrier frequency of e.g. 30 kHz. Filter 51 provides a narrow passband Eor the carrier s~ignal and~ substantially suppresses signals of all other frequencies.~Filter 5~ is followed by a further ampliier unit 52 and a demodulator and pulse shaping unik 53 which converts the received filtered groups of carrier signal oscillations 54 into pulses 55 of predetermined amplitude and a duration defined by the code.
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Returning to Fig. 1, in order to program the implanted pacemaker, i.e. for setting or changing para-meters such as the rate, the amplitude and the width of the stimulation pulses, the sensitivity of the input amplifiers 18, 22, the refractory period, the detection algorithm for detecting arrhythmias (rate, onset/accelera-tion, numbe~ of intervals to trigger, etc.) and the like and/or for selecting one of a plurality of possible pace-maker modes, the electrodes 40, 41 are applied at a desired site of the patient, e.g. at the wrist joints, and serially coded programming commands in the orm of the modulated medium frequency carrier signal are supplied to the electrodes 40, 41 from the programming unit 42 via the input/output unit 32 and the body bus transmitter 35. The transmitter dipole defined by electrodes 40, 41 transcu-taneously introduces the modulated carrier signal into the body of the patient. There the signal is propagated in the ion medium of -the intra and extracellular body liquids. In this manner, the modulated carrier signal is transmitted by electrolytic-galvanic coupling to the receiving dipole defined by the ventricular electrode 24 and the indifferent electrode 28 of the pacemaker 10.
- The modulated carrier signal then is amplified, ~iltered, demodulated and shaped in the body bus receiver 26 and is decoded via input/output unit 15 for further processing. In a;corresponding manner the programming device 42 can request rom pacemaker 10 information for purposes of monitoring, repeating~and remote indicating or the like. This inormation, again in serially coded form, is communicated from the input/output unit 15 to the body bus transmitter 27 where it modulates a medium frequency carrier signal. The modulated carrier signal is applied by the transmitting dipole defined by electrodes 24, 28 to the ion medium of the body, is propagated there and transcutaneously reaches the electrodes 40 and 41 of the programming device 42 which electrodes now act as a receiving dipole. The modulated medium re~uency slgnal -13- `~ 8~
is filtered out in a narrow band mode, is amplified, demodulated and shaped and finally is processed via decoding in input/output unit 32 for being applied to the signal processor unit 16 for decoding, storage and display.
Whereas the transmitters and receivers of Figs. 2 and 3 are designed for an Al-modulation, other modulation modes, particularly a pulse ~ode modulation with shifting between a pair of carrier signal frequencies within the frequency range from 10 kHz to 100 kHz (so-called ;~ FSK-modulation) likewise can be used for the body bus receivers 26, 34 and the body bus transmitters 27, 35.
The arrangement of Fig. 1, even still afterwards, easily can be Eurther expanded, e.g. by implantation of a defibrillator 58, as schematically illustrated in Fig. 4.
The defibrillator 58 comprises a de~ibrillator output unit 60 adapted to be charged from a battery 59, the output side of unit 60 being connected to implanted defibrillator electrodes 61 and 62. The defibrillator output unit 60, at the input side thereof, is controlled through a body bus receiver 63 and a decoder 64 connected to the output of the latter. The inputs o~ the body bus receiver 63, which e.g. is designed in conformity with Fig. 3, likewise are connected to the defibrillator electrodes 61, 62~which simultaneously function as receiving dipole of the body bus~ The defibrillator 58 together with its associated battery 59 is housed within its own casing, and it can be implanted at a sultable site rèmote from the pacemaker 10.
Defibrillator 58 is controlled b~ pacemaker 10 which, for this~purpose, is provided in a~manner known per se (e.g.
in conformity with U.S. Patent 4,548,209 and European Patent Specification 0 094 758) with tachycardia and/or f~ibrillation detection means andj if desired, likewise with~ means for providing antitachycardiac pacing stimulation pattern, e.g. overdrivej burst or ramp stimulation as is known in the art. In this connection, also means ~or indirectly programming the defibrillator ' . .
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through the pacemaker 10 and the body bus may be provided.
The body bus permits one to intelligently employ the defibrillator 58 which itself does not comprise means for sensing and for making decisions. For example, provisions can be made by a corresponding software design of the microprocessor controlled pacemaker 10 that in case of ventricular tachycardia which cannot be interrupted by means of the pacemaker 10 at first a cardioversion attempt with low energy is caused, whereas in the case of the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation, immediately high energy defibrillation is efected by the defibrillator 58 which is correspondinyly controlled by pacemaker 10.
Instead of programming pacemaker 10 by the programming device 42 connected -to the skin electrodes, or in addition thereto, programming of pacemaker 10, in conformity with Fig. 4, likewise can be effected through the telephone circuit by means of a simple auxiliary device in form of a modem 66. Modem 66 includes a body bus receiver 68 and a body bus transmitter 69 which, in turn, are oonnected to external skin electrodes 70 and 71.
Modem 66 e.g~. can be designed as a modified telephone receiver having a firsthand electrode 70 at the receiver and a separate second wrist joint electrode 71. By a corresponding software design, pacemaker 10 at first can test,~ with the aid of test signals, the data transport rate of the used ~elephone network to subsequently automatically~adjust the body bus transmi~tter 69 to the data rate adapted to be communicated. The surface ECG can be directly transmitted to the skin electrodes 70, 71~
Selectively, however, it is~ likewise possible to make sure that all data are communicated through the body bus and that, thereore, the intracardiac ECG i9 telemetered.
Body bus data can be derived through electrodes 70 and 71 for further purposes, e.g. all data which anyway occur in pacemaker 10 can be communicated through the telephone circuit. Data monitoring and keeping of data archives likewise is pos~ible~ Thus, in view of the fact that the -15- ~3~8~
medium frequency range is used, a tape recorder 72 can be connected to the skin electrodes 40, 41 or 70, 71 in order to record the body bus signals which subsequently can be centrally e~aluated by a processor or computer.
Fig. 5 illustrates a further embodiment in which the defibrillator 58, too, bidirectionally receives and delivers data. For this purpose, a body bus transmitter 74 is provided in addition to the body bus receiver 63.
Transmitter 74 and receiver 63 are connected to the defibrillator output unit 60 through an input/output unit 75 which provides for the necessary coding and decoding of the signals. Such a design allows more complicated software structures of the defibrillation protocol. E`or example, the pacemaker 10, in case of an impending fibrillation, as a precaution, can request the defibrillator 58 to make available a shock which is not delivered to the body until the defibrillator 58 informs the pacemaker that the shock energy is ready. The pacemaker, in response to further monitoring of the heart , i .
activity, can decide whether or not the shock is to be delivered to~ the~heart. When the shock, made ready as a precaution, is;not required, the pacemaker 10 can deliver a corresponding command to the defibri;llator 58, which command causes that the~storage capacitor of the defibriIlator is slowly;discharged or that the energy stored in the storage capacitor is returned through a converter into the defibrillator battery 59, which in this case ~is~rechargeable, in;order to save energy. It~is also possible that~the pacemaker~lO applies possibly dangerous antitachycardiac~stimulation modes not before it has made sure through the body~bus that in case of an emergency the shock immediately will~be available.
Flg. 5~further schematically illustrates an implantable drug delivery device 77 including a battery 78, a body bus receiver 79, a decoder 80 and a drug pump 83. The casing of the device forms a first electrode 8 connected to an input o the receiver 79, whereas a .
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further eletrode 82 is connected to a second input of receiver 79. Electrode 82 together with electrode 81 forms an implanted receiving dipole. If r0quired, pacemaker 10 can order, through the body budy, the drug delivery device 77 to deliver a bolus of a drug. Device 77, in a manner similar to defibrillator 58 of Fig. 5, likewise can be designed for a bidirectional exchange of information to allow replies to the pacemaker lO.
Fig. 5 finally illustrates a remote physiologic sensor 84 included in the body bus system, which sensor comprises a battery 85, a coder 86, a body bus transmitter 87 and a sensor and its associated circuitry. An output of the body bus transmitter 87 is connected to a first electrode 88 defined by the sensor casing, whereas a second input of the body bus transmitter 87 is connected to an auxiliary electrode 89. Electrodes 88 and 89 form a transmitting dipole of the sensor. The sensor, in a manner known per se, is adapted to sense respiration body activity or body parameters such as arterial blood , .
pressure, temperature, pH value, P02 value~and the like.
Corresponding signals are telemetered to the pacemaker lO
through the body bus or suitably influencing the pacemaker. For example, the sensor data may be used to confirm the existence and nature of a bradyarrhythmia or tachyarrhythmia to influence the selection of the therapy by the pacemaker, drug dispenser or defibrillator and to influence the rate of bradyarrhythmia pacing. The sensor likewise can be designed;for a bidirectional exchange of data. In this case it e.g. will be possible to let the pacemaker lO control sensor characteristics such as the sensitivity of the sensor.
It is evident that~the invention can be further modlfied in many different ways. For example, it is possible to a4 first implant an AAI pacemaker provided with body bus characteristics. If later on an AV block requires ventricular stimulation, a VVI pacemaker with body bus may be additionally, e.g. myocardially, ' implanted. The WI pacemaker and the AAI pacemaker, by exchanging information therebetween, can cooperate to provide for a DDD ~unction.
A further possible application is the implantation o~
a pacemaker having dp/dt functions for controlling pacing rate as a function of blood pressure rate of change. In such a case, information for deliver:ing from a simultaneously implanted drug delivery device a drug influencing the blood pressure can be transmitted through the body bus. Thereby a l'closed loop'l system for blood pressure control is realized.
It is apparent that in each case suitable protocols for the data transmission, for securing priorities, for providing for redundancy and the like, are to be used.
The body bus receivers likewise, in a manner known per se, may be provided with an automatic gain control (AGC).
~ An experimental setup prepared by the inventor to test the practicality of the body bus communication system prop'osed above is illustrated in Fig. 6 and comprises a physiologic saline test tank 100, two personal computers 102 and 104, a pacing lead 106 having a pair of distal electrodes 108, 110 located within the saline solution, a pair of plate electrodes 112, 114 and transmitting and receiving interconnecting circuitry. The transmitting computer 102 is coupled to the proximal terminals of the pacing lead 106 by the crys~al oscillator 43', 47' corr~esponding to the transmitter circuit of Fig. 2 and a further~optocoupler 116. Similarly/ the plate'electrodes 112 and 114 are coupled to the two inputs of an optocoupler and preamplifier 50', the output of which is~
coupled to the pulse former circuitry 51', 52', 53' which collectively corrèspond to the recéiver circuit of Fig.'3.
The output signal of the pulse former 51', 52', 53' is applied to the second personal computer 104.
The plate electrodes 112 and 114 were prepared Erom copper plates each having a surEace of approximately ' ~ 3 ~
64cm2 to electrically imitate one type of implantable defibrillator leads. The electrodes 112, 114 are placed apart a distance approximating the distance that defibrillating plate electrodes are normally spaced across the he~rt in actual implantations in patients. The standard endocardial bipolar pacing lead 106 is placed so that its bipolar electrodes 108, 110 are between the plate electrodes 112, 114 to approximate the location within a patient's heart. The tank 100 is filled with physiological saline solution. The experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that useful information could be transmitted in both directions through the conducting medium between the pacing electrodes 108, 110 and the defibrillation electrodes 112, 114.
With the 8032 based Commodore personal compùter, text was entered by its keyboard which is converted into the corresponding ASCII-NR. code which is written as an 8-bit byte into a memory location. This byte is then converted nto a serial train of bit pulses preceded by a leader pulse and is emitted from its cassette port so as to gate the output of the signal generator 43', 47' at 30 kHz.
With an app~opriate level ~(200 mV) these 30 kHz burst pulses are~fed through the optocoupler 116 to a Medtronic bipolar Model 6901 lead 106 immersed in the physioiogic saline solution. The signals are shown illustrated at points A and B in Fig. 6, the leader illustrated as the initial wide burst signal. Pulse width modulation was employed to encode the stream~of bits emitted by the electrodes 108, 110 into the saline solution.
The signals emitted from the bipolar pacing electrodes 108, 110 travel through the~ saline solution and are picked up by the defibrillator electrodes 112, 114 and applied to the input terminals of the optocoupler in preamplifie~ 50'. The signal level at the input terminals of the optocoupler amplifier 50' is approximately 3 mV.
After iltering and ampliication by the optocoupler preampli~ier 50' and pulse former 51 ', 52 ', 53 ', the lower ,~ , .
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edge envelope curve is reconstructed so that at this stage, the serial 8 bit pulse train with its leader can be applied to an input port or user port of a second 8032 Commodore personal computer. After serial to parallel conversionr the received code is displayed on the computer screen.
During testing, the removal of the pacing lead 106 from the saline solution during transmission of the code between the transmitting computer 102 and receiving computer 104 interrupted and terminated the transmission.
Thus the transmission is obtained by the bulk conductivity of the saline solution. Moreover, by reversing the electrode connections, information could just as easily be transferred ~rom the de~ibrillator plate electrodes as the transmitting electrodes to the pacing electrodes 108, I10.
Various experiments were conducted with the orientation of the electrodes 108, 110 to the electrodes 112 and 114 wherein it was ~ound that the only orientation that became insuficient was when the transmitting dipole provided by the pacing electrodes 108, llO was directly~perpendicular to ~he receiving dipole provided by the eIectrodes 112, 114 (or conversely). With conformal defibrillatlon electrodes 112, 114 and the usual orientation of a bipolar pacing lead axially within the heart's right ventricle, it is unlikely that this insufficient~orientation would be encountered in practice.
~ A second ~bipolar electrode was connected to the output and can of a Medtronic Model 8423 VVI pacemaker which was also~put into the bath of saline in tank 100.
The pacemaker could not be inhibited by the high frequency 30 kHz bursts being delivered through the saline medium.
This- test confirmed the~proposition that the 30 k~æ signal at the 200 mV amplitude did not mimic signals normally sensed by a pacemaker and thereby interEere with its normal operation. The waveform used, even switched at rates at about 80 bpm, would not inhibit a s~andard W I
pacemaker.
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In -tests conducted with this experimental setup, it was determined that the burst pulse modulation with a carrier in the range of 30 kHz enabled the propagation of ASCII code ~afely, easily and rapidly through the conductive ~edium of the test tank 100. The frequency and voltage rel~ted current levels employed allow for the use of already implanted heart stimulation leads without the need of syn~hronization into the refractory periods of the pulse generators. Since there are no side bands, extremely narrow pass amplification of the received signals would make electrical noise suppression very simple. The baud rate can exceed 400 bauds. Since the transmissio~ speed is higher than any imaginable intracorporeal need, a high de~ree of safety can be achieved by redundant transmission and o~her forms of data encription.
A comp~tsr listing actually used to transmit the statement "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"
between the transmitting and the~receiving personal computers is attached hereto as follows:
:5TART OF TRANSM:ITTER ( BAS I C ) ~
100 r~em name of program: 12b transmit.
105 rem purpose: transmitting ascii code for bodybus.
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110 rem principle: ~parallel to serial conversion l'lsr') 115 rem and keying of a 30 kHz oscillator thru 120 rem ~ cassette port #2 of a commodore computer.
125 rem~ the oscillator output (bursts, 30 kHz, 130 rem200 mV) is conducted into .9% saline 135 rem~ by a Medtronic 6901 bipolar lead.
140 if peek;(l9999~)<>17then poke 19999,17:1Oad"12m transmit~",8~1 145 poke 2~0006,12:poke20029,3:poke20037,6:poke20093,3:rem increments in lms ~ ~
150 sys63739:poke59456,227:rem initializing cassette port #2 or transmission 155 y$=" The ~uick brown fox ~umps over the lazy dog 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0"
160 fora=lto68:b~=mid$(y$,a,1):gosubl85:nexta:print 165 b-13:gosubl90 170 printl'More code entered by keyboard.":print 175 getb$:1fb$=""thenl75:rem get input from keyboard 180 gosubl85:gotol75 185 b=asc(b~) 190 printchr$(b);:poke20003,b:sys20004:return:rem transmit ascii-#
END OF TRANSMITTER (BASIC) START OF TRANSMITTER (ASSEMBLY 6502) 20000 nop 20001 nop 20002 nop 20Q03 brk 20004:sei 20005 ida 12 20007 stam 20055 ::;:20010 jsr :20054 20013 jsr 20092 20016 ldx 8 : ~
20018 ldam 20003 20021 clc 20022 lsr ~
200~23 stam 20003 200~26~bcs :20036:
20028~lda 3 20030:stam 20055 20033 jmp: 20041 0036 lda ~6 ~:20038~st~am~20055 ~ ~ :
20041 jsr 20054 20044 jsr 20092 20047 dex .,:
~.: 20048 bne ~0018 ~ .
1 31698~
20050 cli 20051 rts 20052 brk 20053 brk 20054 lda 3 20056 stam 20052 20b59 lda 243 20061 stam 59456 20064 lda 75 20066 stam 20053 20069 decm 20053 20072 nop 20073 nop 20074 bne 20069 20076 decm 20052 20079 bne 20064 20081 lda 227 20083 stam 59456 20086 rts 20087 nop 20088 nop 20089 nop 20090 brk 20091 brk 20Q92 lda 3 ..
20094 stam 20090 20097 lda 75 20099 stam 20091 20102 decm 20091 20105 nop 20106 nop 20107 bne 20102 20109 decm 20090 20112 bne 20097 20114 rts END OF TRANSMITTER (ASSE~IBLY 6502) .
~ 3 ~
START OF RECEIVER (BASIC) 100 rem name of program: 12b receiver lP5 rem purpose: receive and decode ascii code for 110 rem principle: bodybus amplification, filtering, 111 rem pulse forming and decodin~ (iror').
112 rem The signals (bursts, 30 kHz, .6mV) are 113 rem received through 2 copper plates 114 rem immersed in .9% saline, surface each ca. 64 sq. cm.
115 iEpeek(19999)<>17~henpokel9999,17:1Oad"12m receiver",8,1 120 poke20016,8:poke20087,4:rem speed intervals in ms 125 sys20000:rem start of 12m receiver 130 printchr$(peek(20063));:rem print received character on screen 135'go to 125 END OF RECEIVER (BASIC) : ~
``~ START OF.RECEIVER ~ASSEMBLY 6502) .~
; 20000 sei : 2000`1 1da ~ 1 :
~;: : 20003 bitm 5947L
20006 bne 20001 :
i,~ .
20008 jmp 20015 20011 nop 20012 nop ~: :
20013 brk 2001:4 brk 20015 lda~ 8 20017 stam 20013 20020 1da ~ 75 20022 stam 20014 20025:lda ~
20027 bitm 59~71:
20030 bne 20045 2003:2 decm 20014 20035 bne 20025 . ~, 20037 decm 20013 20040 bne 20020 20042 jmp 20050 20045 cli 20046 rts 20047 nop 20048 nop 20049 nop 20050 lda 20052 bitm 59471 20055 beg 20050 20057 jmp 20067 20060 nop 20061 nop 20062 nop 20063 oram 107s3 20066 brk ~ .
20067 ldx 8 20069 lda 255 20071 stam 20066 20074 decm 20066 20077 bne 20074 20079 lda 20081 bitm 59471 20084 bne 20079 20086 lda : 4 20088 stam 20064 20091 lda ~:57 20093 stam 20065 20096 lda :1 2009B bitm 59471 20101 bne 20116 20103 decm 20065 .
20106 bne 20096 20108 decm 20064 ~;~ 20111 bne 20091 20113 jmp 20127 20116 clc 20117 ldam 20063 20120 ror 20121 stam 20063 20124 jmp 20142 20127 sec 20128 ldam 20063 20131 ror 20132 stam 20063 20135 lda 20137 bltm 59471 20140 beg 20135 20131 dex 20143 bne 20069 20145 cli 20146 rts END OF RECEIVER (ASSE~BLY 6502) From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that:the body bus system of the present invention has:a number~of advantages, some of which have been:descrIbed above aild;others of:which are inherent in the invention.
Also~it will be apparent that modifications~can be made to the system without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention lS only to be limited as :necessitated by the aocompanying~claims.
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The body bus transmitters 27, 35 may be designed in the manner illustrated in the schematic circuit diagram of Fig. 2. The transmitter includes an oscillator 43 preferably a crystal oscillator, which generates a preferably sinusoidal carrier signal having a fixed predetermined frequency in ~he medium ~requency range extending f~om 10 kHz to lO0 kHz. The oscillator 43 is keyed, in conformity with an Al-modulation, by a seriai modulation signal 4S supplied to an input 44. The oscillator correspondingly supplies at its output a modulated medium frequency-carrier signal 46 consisting of groups of each a plurality of carrier oscillations. The modulated carrier signal is supplied to the input of an output unit ~7 which includes a transistor 48 which delivers across an output resistor 49 an amplified modulated carrier signal having an amplitude of preferably 50 to 500 millivolts, e.g. about 200 millivolts.
A design suitable for the ~body bus receivers 26 and 34 schematically is ilIustrated in Fig. 3. The receiver, at~the input side~ thereo, includes a preamplifier 50, e.g. an amplifier comprising an octocoupler. Preamplifier 50 is follows by ~a high-Q filter 51, preferably a crystal filterl which is tuned to the~carrier frequency of e.g. 30 kHz. Filter 51 provides a narrow passband Eor the carrier s~ignal and~ substantially suppresses signals of all other frequencies.~Filter 5~ is followed by a further ampliier unit 52 and a demodulator and pulse shaping unik 53 which converts the received filtered groups of carrier signal oscillations 54 into pulses 55 of predetermined amplitude and a duration defined by the code.
' , .
-12- ~3~ ~9~
Returning to Fig. 1, in order to program the implanted pacemaker, i.e. for setting or changing para-meters such as the rate, the amplitude and the width of the stimulation pulses, the sensitivity of the input amplifiers 18, 22, the refractory period, the detection algorithm for detecting arrhythmias (rate, onset/accelera-tion, numbe~ of intervals to trigger, etc.) and the like and/or for selecting one of a plurality of possible pace-maker modes, the electrodes 40, 41 are applied at a desired site of the patient, e.g. at the wrist joints, and serially coded programming commands in the orm of the modulated medium frequency carrier signal are supplied to the electrodes 40, 41 from the programming unit 42 via the input/output unit 32 and the body bus transmitter 35. The transmitter dipole defined by electrodes 40, 41 transcu-taneously introduces the modulated carrier signal into the body of the patient. There the signal is propagated in the ion medium of -the intra and extracellular body liquids. In this manner, the modulated carrier signal is transmitted by electrolytic-galvanic coupling to the receiving dipole defined by the ventricular electrode 24 and the indifferent electrode 28 of the pacemaker 10.
- The modulated carrier signal then is amplified, ~iltered, demodulated and shaped in the body bus receiver 26 and is decoded via input/output unit 15 for further processing. In a;corresponding manner the programming device 42 can request rom pacemaker 10 information for purposes of monitoring, repeating~and remote indicating or the like. This inormation, again in serially coded form, is communicated from the input/output unit 15 to the body bus transmitter 27 where it modulates a medium frequency carrier signal. The modulated carrier signal is applied by the transmitting dipole defined by electrodes 24, 28 to the ion medium of the body, is propagated there and transcutaneously reaches the electrodes 40 and 41 of the programming device 42 which electrodes now act as a receiving dipole. The modulated medium re~uency slgnal -13- `~ 8~
is filtered out in a narrow band mode, is amplified, demodulated and shaped and finally is processed via decoding in input/output unit 32 for being applied to the signal processor unit 16 for decoding, storage and display.
Whereas the transmitters and receivers of Figs. 2 and 3 are designed for an Al-modulation, other modulation modes, particularly a pulse ~ode modulation with shifting between a pair of carrier signal frequencies within the frequency range from 10 kHz to 100 kHz (so-called ;~ FSK-modulation) likewise can be used for the body bus receivers 26, 34 and the body bus transmitters 27, 35.
The arrangement of Fig. 1, even still afterwards, easily can be Eurther expanded, e.g. by implantation of a defibrillator 58, as schematically illustrated in Fig. 4.
The defibrillator 58 comprises a de~ibrillator output unit 60 adapted to be charged from a battery 59, the output side of unit 60 being connected to implanted defibrillator electrodes 61 and 62. The defibrillator output unit 60, at the input side thereof, is controlled through a body bus receiver 63 and a decoder 64 connected to the output of the latter. The inputs o~ the body bus receiver 63, which e.g. is designed in conformity with Fig. 3, likewise are connected to the defibrillator electrodes 61, 62~which simultaneously function as receiving dipole of the body bus~ The defibrillator 58 together with its associated battery 59 is housed within its own casing, and it can be implanted at a sultable site rèmote from the pacemaker 10.
Defibrillator 58 is controlled b~ pacemaker 10 which, for this~purpose, is provided in a~manner known per se (e.g.
in conformity with U.S. Patent 4,548,209 and European Patent Specification 0 094 758) with tachycardia and/or f~ibrillation detection means andj if desired, likewise with~ means for providing antitachycardiac pacing stimulation pattern, e.g. overdrivej burst or ramp stimulation as is known in the art. In this connection, also means ~or indirectly programming the defibrillator ' . .
~ ' . . .
through the pacemaker 10 and the body bus may be provided.
The body bus permits one to intelligently employ the defibrillator 58 which itself does not comprise means for sensing and for making decisions. For example, provisions can be made by a corresponding software design of the microprocessor controlled pacemaker 10 that in case of ventricular tachycardia which cannot be interrupted by means of the pacemaker 10 at first a cardioversion attempt with low energy is caused, whereas in the case of the occurrence of ventricular fibrillation, immediately high energy defibrillation is efected by the defibrillator 58 which is correspondinyly controlled by pacemaker 10.
Instead of programming pacemaker 10 by the programming device 42 connected -to the skin electrodes, or in addition thereto, programming of pacemaker 10, in conformity with Fig. 4, likewise can be effected through the telephone circuit by means of a simple auxiliary device in form of a modem 66. Modem 66 includes a body bus receiver 68 and a body bus transmitter 69 which, in turn, are oonnected to external skin electrodes 70 and 71.
Modem 66 e.g~. can be designed as a modified telephone receiver having a firsthand electrode 70 at the receiver and a separate second wrist joint electrode 71. By a corresponding software design, pacemaker 10 at first can test,~ with the aid of test signals, the data transport rate of the used ~elephone network to subsequently automatically~adjust the body bus transmi~tter 69 to the data rate adapted to be communicated. The surface ECG can be directly transmitted to the skin electrodes 70, 71~
Selectively, however, it is~ likewise possible to make sure that all data are communicated through the body bus and that, thereore, the intracardiac ECG i9 telemetered.
Body bus data can be derived through electrodes 70 and 71 for further purposes, e.g. all data which anyway occur in pacemaker 10 can be communicated through the telephone circuit. Data monitoring and keeping of data archives likewise is pos~ible~ Thus, in view of the fact that the -15- ~3~8~
medium frequency range is used, a tape recorder 72 can be connected to the skin electrodes 40, 41 or 70, 71 in order to record the body bus signals which subsequently can be centrally e~aluated by a processor or computer.
Fig. 5 illustrates a further embodiment in which the defibrillator 58, too, bidirectionally receives and delivers data. For this purpose, a body bus transmitter 74 is provided in addition to the body bus receiver 63.
Transmitter 74 and receiver 63 are connected to the defibrillator output unit 60 through an input/output unit 75 which provides for the necessary coding and decoding of the signals. Such a design allows more complicated software structures of the defibrillation protocol. E`or example, the pacemaker 10, in case of an impending fibrillation, as a precaution, can request the defibrillator 58 to make available a shock which is not delivered to the body until the defibrillator 58 informs the pacemaker that the shock energy is ready. The pacemaker, in response to further monitoring of the heart , i .
activity, can decide whether or not the shock is to be delivered to~ the~heart. When the shock, made ready as a precaution, is;not required, the pacemaker 10 can deliver a corresponding command to the defibri;llator 58, which command causes that the~storage capacitor of the defibriIlator is slowly;discharged or that the energy stored in the storage capacitor is returned through a converter into the defibrillator battery 59, which in this case ~is~rechargeable, in;order to save energy. It~is also possible that~the pacemaker~lO applies possibly dangerous antitachycardiac~stimulation modes not before it has made sure through the body~bus that in case of an emergency the shock immediately will~be available.
Flg. 5~further schematically illustrates an implantable drug delivery device 77 including a battery 78, a body bus receiver 79, a decoder 80 and a drug pump 83. The casing of the device forms a first electrode 8 connected to an input o the receiver 79, whereas a .
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.
~ 3 ~
further eletrode 82 is connected to a second input of receiver 79. Electrode 82 together with electrode 81 forms an implanted receiving dipole. If r0quired, pacemaker 10 can order, through the body budy, the drug delivery device 77 to deliver a bolus of a drug. Device 77, in a manner similar to defibrillator 58 of Fig. 5, likewise can be designed for a bidirectional exchange of information to allow replies to the pacemaker lO.
Fig. 5 finally illustrates a remote physiologic sensor 84 included in the body bus system, which sensor comprises a battery 85, a coder 86, a body bus transmitter 87 and a sensor and its associated circuitry. An output of the body bus transmitter 87 is connected to a first electrode 88 defined by the sensor casing, whereas a second input of the body bus transmitter 87 is connected to an auxiliary electrode 89. Electrodes 88 and 89 form a transmitting dipole of the sensor. The sensor, in a manner known per se, is adapted to sense respiration body activity or body parameters such as arterial blood , .
pressure, temperature, pH value, P02 value~and the like.
Corresponding signals are telemetered to the pacemaker lO
through the body bus or suitably influencing the pacemaker. For example, the sensor data may be used to confirm the existence and nature of a bradyarrhythmia or tachyarrhythmia to influence the selection of the therapy by the pacemaker, drug dispenser or defibrillator and to influence the rate of bradyarrhythmia pacing. The sensor likewise can be designed;for a bidirectional exchange of data. In this case it e.g. will be possible to let the pacemaker lO control sensor characteristics such as the sensitivity of the sensor.
It is evident that~the invention can be further modlfied in many different ways. For example, it is possible to a4 first implant an AAI pacemaker provided with body bus characteristics. If later on an AV block requires ventricular stimulation, a VVI pacemaker with body bus may be additionally, e.g. myocardially, ' implanted. The WI pacemaker and the AAI pacemaker, by exchanging information therebetween, can cooperate to provide for a DDD ~unction.
A further possible application is the implantation o~
a pacemaker having dp/dt functions for controlling pacing rate as a function of blood pressure rate of change. In such a case, information for deliver:ing from a simultaneously implanted drug delivery device a drug influencing the blood pressure can be transmitted through the body bus. Thereby a l'closed loop'l system for blood pressure control is realized.
It is apparent that in each case suitable protocols for the data transmission, for securing priorities, for providing for redundancy and the like, are to be used.
The body bus receivers likewise, in a manner known per se, may be provided with an automatic gain control (AGC).
~ An experimental setup prepared by the inventor to test the practicality of the body bus communication system prop'osed above is illustrated in Fig. 6 and comprises a physiologic saline test tank 100, two personal computers 102 and 104, a pacing lead 106 having a pair of distal electrodes 108, 110 located within the saline solution, a pair of plate electrodes 112, 114 and transmitting and receiving interconnecting circuitry. The transmitting computer 102 is coupled to the proximal terminals of the pacing lead 106 by the crys~al oscillator 43', 47' corr~esponding to the transmitter circuit of Fig. 2 and a further~optocoupler 116. Similarly/ the plate'electrodes 112 and 114 are coupled to the two inputs of an optocoupler and preamplifier 50', the output of which is~
coupled to the pulse former circuitry 51', 52', 53' which collectively corrèspond to the recéiver circuit of Fig.'3.
The output signal of the pulse former 51', 52', 53' is applied to the second personal computer 104.
The plate electrodes 112 and 114 were prepared Erom copper plates each having a surEace of approximately ' ~ 3 ~
64cm2 to electrically imitate one type of implantable defibrillator leads. The electrodes 112, 114 are placed apart a distance approximating the distance that defibrillating plate electrodes are normally spaced across the he~rt in actual implantations in patients. The standard endocardial bipolar pacing lead 106 is placed so that its bipolar electrodes 108, 110 are between the plate electrodes 112, 114 to approximate the location within a patient's heart. The tank 100 is filled with physiological saline solution. The experiments were conducted to test the hypothesis that useful information could be transmitted in both directions through the conducting medium between the pacing electrodes 108, 110 and the defibrillation electrodes 112, 114.
With the 8032 based Commodore personal compùter, text was entered by its keyboard which is converted into the corresponding ASCII-NR. code which is written as an 8-bit byte into a memory location. This byte is then converted nto a serial train of bit pulses preceded by a leader pulse and is emitted from its cassette port so as to gate the output of the signal generator 43', 47' at 30 kHz.
With an app~opriate level ~(200 mV) these 30 kHz burst pulses are~fed through the optocoupler 116 to a Medtronic bipolar Model 6901 lead 106 immersed in the physioiogic saline solution. The signals are shown illustrated at points A and B in Fig. 6, the leader illustrated as the initial wide burst signal. Pulse width modulation was employed to encode the stream~of bits emitted by the electrodes 108, 110 into the saline solution.
The signals emitted from the bipolar pacing electrodes 108, 110 travel through the~ saline solution and are picked up by the defibrillator electrodes 112, 114 and applied to the input terminals of the optocoupler in preamplifie~ 50'. The signal level at the input terminals of the optocoupler amplifier 50' is approximately 3 mV.
After iltering and ampliication by the optocoupler preampli~ier 50' and pulse former 51 ', 52 ', 53 ', the lower ,~ , .
~ ' .
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3~$~
edge envelope curve is reconstructed so that at this stage, the serial 8 bit pulse train with its leader can be applied to an input port or user port of a second 8032 Commodore personal computer. After serial to parallel conversionr the received code is displayed on the computer screen.
During testing, the removal of the pacing lead 106 from the saline solution during transmission of the code between the transmitting computer 102 and receiving computer 104 interrupted and terminated the transmission.
Thus the transmission is obtained by the bulk conductivity of the saline solution. Moreover, by reversing the electrode connections, information could just as easily be transferred ~rom the de~ibrillator plate electrodes as the transmitting electrodes to the pacing electrodes 108, I10.
Various experiments were conducted with the orientation of the electrodes 108, 110 to the electrodes 112 and 114 wherein it was ~ound that the only orientation that became insuficient was when the transmitting dipole provided by the pacing electrodes 108, llO was directly~perpendicular to ~he receiving dipole provided by the eIectrodes 112, 114 (or conversely). With conformal defibrillatlon electrodes 112, 114 and the usual orientation of a bipolar pacing lead axially within the heart's right ventricle, it is unlikely that this insufficient~orientation would be encountered in practice.
~ A second ~bipolar electrode was connected to the output and can of a Medtronic Model 8423 VVI pacemaker which was also~put into the bath of saline in tank 100.
The pacemaker could not be inhibited by the high frequency 30 kHz bursts being delivered through the saline medium.
This- test confirmed the~proposition that the 30 k~æ signal at the 200 mV amplitude did not mimic signals normally sensed by a pacemaker and thereby interEere with its normal operation. The waveform used, even switched at rates at about 80 bpm, would not inhibit a s~andard W I
pacemaker.
~ ' ' ' .
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-20~
In -tests conducted with this experimental setup, it was determined that the burst pulse modulation with a carrier in the range of 30 kHz enabled the propagation of ASCII code ~afely, easily and rapidly through the conductive ~edium of the test tank 100. The frequency and voltage rel~ted current levels employed allow for the use of already implanted heart stimulation leads without the need of syn~hronization into the refractory periods of the pulse generators. Since there are no side bands, extremely narrow pass amplification of the received signals would make electrical noise suppression very simple. The baud rate can exceed 400 bauds. Since the transmissio~ speed is higher than any imaginable intracorporeal need, a high de~ree of safety can be achieved by redundant transmission and o~her forms of data encription.
A comp~tsr listing actually used to transmit the statement "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog"
between the transmitting and the~receiving personal computers is attached hereto as follows:
:5TART OF TRANSM:ITTER ( BAS I C ) ~
100 r~em name of program: 12b transmit.
105 rem purpose: transmitting ascii code for bodybus.
:: :
110 rem principle: ~parallel to serial conversion l'lsr') 115 rem and keying of a 30 kHz oscillator thru 120 rem ~ cassette port #2 of a commodore computer.
125 rem~ the oscillator output (bursts, 30 kHz, 130 rem200 mV) is conducted into .9% saline 135 rem~ by a Medtronic 6901 bipolar lead.
140 if peek;(l9999~)<>17then poke 19999,17:1Oad"12m transmit~",8~1 145 poke 2~0006,12:poke20029,3:poke20037,6:poke20093,3:rem increments in lms ~ ~
150 sys63739:poke59456,227:rem initializing cassette port #2 or transmission 155 y$=" The ~uick brown fox ~umps over the lazy dog 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0"
160 fora=lto68:b~=mid$(y$,a,1):gosubl85:nexta:print 165 b-13:gosubl90 170 printl'More code entered by keyboard.":print 175 getb$:1fb$=""thenl75:rem get input from keyboard 180 gosubl85:gotol75 185 b=asc(b~) 190 printchr$(b);:poke20003,b:sys20004:return:rem transmit ascii-#
END OF TRANSMITTER (BASIC) START OF TRANSMITTER (ASSEMBLY 6502) 20000 nop 20001 nop 20002 nop 20Q03 brk 20004:sei 20005 ida 12 20007 stam 20055 ::;:20010 jsr :20054 20013 jsr 20092 20016 ldx 8 : ~
20018 ldam 20003 20021 clc 20022 lsr ~
200~23 stam 20003 200~26~bcs :20036:
20028~lda 3 20030:stam 20055 20033 jmp: 20041 0036 lda ~6 ~:20038~st~am~20055 ~ ~ :
20041 jsr 20054 20044 jsr 20092 20047 dex .,:
~.: 20048 bne ~0018 ~ .
1 31698~
20050 cli 20051 rts 20052 brk 20053 brk 20054 lda 3 20056 stam 20052 20b59 lda 243 20061 stam 59456 20064 lda 75 20066 stam 20053 20069 decm 20053 20072 nop 20073 nop 20074 bne 20069 20076 decm 20052 20079 bne 20064 20081 lda 227 20083 stam 59456 20086 rts 20087 nop 20088 nop 20089 nop 20090 brk 20091 brk 20Q92 lda 3 ..
20094 stam 20090 20097 lda 75 20099 stam 20091 20102 decm 20091 20105 nop 20106 nop 20107 bne 20102 20109 decm 20090 20112 bne 20097 20114 rts END OF TRANSMITTER (ASSE~IBLY 6502) .
~ 3 ~
START OF RECEIVER (BASIC) 100 rem name of program: 12b receiver lP5 rem purpose: receive and decode ascii code for 110 rem principle: bodybus amplification, filtering, 111 rem pulse forming and decodin~ (iror').
112 rem The signals (bursts, 30 kHz, .6mV) are 113 rem received through 2 copper plates 114 rem immersed in .9% saline, surface each ca. 64 sq. cm.
115 iEpeek(19999)<>17~henpokel9999,17:1Oad"12m receiver",8,1 120 poke20016,8:poke20087,4:rem speed intervals in ms 125 sys20000:rem start of 12m receiver 130 printchr$(peek(20063));:rem print received character on screen 135'go to 125 END OF RECEIVER (BASIC) : ~
``~ START OF.RECEIVER ~ASSEMBLY 6502) .~
; 20000 sei : 2000`1 1da ~ 1 :
~;: : 20003 bitm 5947L
20006 bne 20001 :
i,~ .
20008 jmp 20015 20011 nop 20012 nop ~: :
20013 brk 2001:4 brk 20015 lda~ 8 20017 stam 20013 20020 1da ~ 75 20022 stam 20014 20025:lda ~
20027 bitm 59~71:
20030 bne 20045 2003:2 decm 20014 20035 bne 20025 . ~, 20037 decm 20013 20040 bne 20020 20042 jmp 20050 20045 cli 20046 rts 20047 nop 20048 nop 20049 nop 20050 lda 20052 bitm 59471 20055 beg 20050 20057 jmp 20067 20060 nop 20061 nop 20062 nop 20063 oram 107s3 20066 brk ~ .
20067 ldx 8 20069 lda 255 20071 stam 20066 20074 decm 20066 20077 bne 20074 20079 lda 20081 bitm 59471 20084 bne 20079 20086 lda : 4 20088 stam 20064 20091 lda ~:57 20093 stam 20065 20096 lda :1 2009B bitm 59471 20101 bne 20116 20103 decm 20065 .
20106 bne 20096 20108 decm 20064 ~;~ 20111 bne 20091 20113 jmp 20127 20116 clc 20117 ldam 20063 20120 ror 20121 stam 20063 20124 jmp 20142 20127 sec 20128 ldam 20063 20131 ror 20132 stam 20063 20135 lda 20137 bltm 59471 20140 beg 20135 20131 dex 20143 bne 20069 20145 cli 20146 rts END OF RECEIVER (ASSE~BLY 6502) From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that:the body bus system of the present invention has:a number~of advantages, some of which have been:descrIbed above aild;others of:which are inherent in the invention.
Also~it will be apparent that modifications~can be made to the system without departing from the teachings of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention lS only to be limited as :necessitated by the aocompanying~claims.
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Claims (31)
1. In a system for monitoring a condition of a living body and/or providing one or more therapy regimens to the body comprising two or more discrete medical devices, at least one of which is implanted into the living body, the improvement for providing bidirectional exchange of information between said medical devices comprising:
means associated with at least one of said medical devices for providing a first information signal representing a condition of the device and/or the living body;
means for transforming said first information signal into a modulated medium frequency signal in the frequency range from 10 to 100 kHz;
means for applying said modulated medium frequency signal to the ion medium of the intra and extracellular body liquids for providing an electrolytic/galvanic coupling between said two or more medical devices whereby said signals are passed through said living body between said medical devices; and means associated with at least the other of the two medical devices for receiving and demodulating said modulated medium frequency signal.
means associated with at least one of said medical devices for providing a first information signal representing a condition of the device and/or the living body;
means for transforming said first information signal into a modulated medium frequency signal in the frequency range from 10 to 100 kHz;
means for applying said modulated medium frequency signal to the ion medium of the intra and extracellular body liquids for providing an electrolytic/galvanic coupling between said two or more medical devices whereby said signals are passed through said living body between said medical devices; and means associated with at least the other of the two medical devices for receiving and demodulating said modulated medium frequency signal.
2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said medium frequency signal is modulated at 30 kHz.
3. The system according to claim 1 characterized in that a cardiac pacemaker is provided as an implantable medical device.
4. The system according to claim 3 characterized in that a defibrillator, which is separate from said cardiac pacemaker, is provided as a further implantable medical device.
5. The system according to claim 4 characterized in that both said cardiac pacemaker and said defibrillator are provided with transmitting and receiving means.
6. The system according to claim 3 characterized in that in case a plurality of implantable medical devices are provided, programming and/or intelligent decision means are concentrated in said cardiac pacemaker and that other medical devices are indirectly programmable via said cardiac pacemaker.
7. The system according to claim 1 characterized in that in case a plurality of implantable medical devices are provided, programming and/or intelligent decision means are concentrated in only one of the implantable medical devices and that other medical devices are indirectly programmable via said only one implantable medical device.
8. The system according to claim 1 characterized in that a drug delivery device is provided as an implantable medical device.
9. The system according to claim 1 characterized in that a sensor for detecting a body parameter is provided as an implantable medical device.
10. The system according to claim 1 characterized in that a controllable and/or programmable artificial organ is provided as an implantable medical device.
11. The system according to claim 1 characterized in that a monitoring or test device is provided as an external medical device.
12. The system according to claim 11 characterized in that a modem adapted for connection to a telephone circuit is provided as an external medical device.
13. The system according to claim 12 characterized in that a data recording device is provided as an external medical device.
14. The system according to claim 1 characterized in that the medical devices are provided with means for receiving and/or transmitting of pulsecode-modulated medium frequency signals.
15. The system according to claim 1 characterized in that the medical devices are provided with means for receiving and/or transmitting A1-modulated medium frequency signals.
16. The system according to claim 1 characterized in that the medical devices are provided with means for receiving and/or transmitting signals which are frequency-shifted between a pair of frequencies within the medium frequency range.
17. The system according to claim 1 characterized in that the modulated medium frequency signals have an amplitude from 50 to 500 millivolts and a frequency of 30 kHz.
18. The system according to claim 1 further comprising:
at least one digitally programmable, implantable medical device and an external medical device for digitally programming said implantable medical device wherein said implantable medical device is provided with: a pair of spaced apart electrodes adapted to be exposed to living body tissue and fluids;
receiving means for receiving electrical signals across said electrodes; decoding means for decoding said electrical signals; and register means for storing said decoded electrical signals; and wherein said digital programming device further comprises: a pair of electrodes adapted to be placed against the external surface of the living body, coding means for coding a desired program change into digital code; and transmitting means for modulating said programmed digital code and applying it to said external pair of electrodes whereby said modulated medium frequency signal in the frequency range from 10 to 100 kHZ is applied through the skin and living body tissue to said implantable pair of electrodes.
at least one digitally programmable, implantable medical device and an external medical device for digitally programming said implantable medical device wherein said implantable medical device is provided with: a pair of spaced apart electrodes adapted to be exposed to living body tissue and fluids;
receiving means for receiving electrical signals across said electrodes; decoding means for decoding said electrical signals; and register means for storing said decoded electrical signals; and wherein said digital programming device further comprises: a pair of electrodes adapted to be placed against the external surface of the living body, coding means for coding a desired program change into digital code; and transmitting means for modulating said programmed digital code and applying it to said external pair of electrodes whereby said modulated medium frequency signal in the frequency range from 10 to 100 kHZ is applied through the skin and living body tissue to said implantable pair of electrodes.
19. The system according to claim 1 wherein a first body implantable medical device comprises means for providing a therapy to the living body and wherein a second medical device comprises a remotely implanted physiological body condition detecting device and further includes:
sensor means for sensing a physiological parameter in said body;
signal converting circuit means for converting signals generated by said sensor means to modulated medium frequency signals in the frequency range from 10 to 100 kHz;
a first pair of spaced-apart electrodes adapted to be placed in contact with the body tissue within the living body;
transmitting means for transmitting said modulated signal to said first medical device by applying said modulated signal across said first spaced apart implanted electrodes; and wherein said first medical device further comprises:
a second pair of spaced-apart electrodes implanted within the living body in contact with body tissue; and receiving means coupled to said second pair of electrodes for demodulating and decoding said signal transmitted from said first medical device.
sensor means for sensing a physiological parameter in said body;
signal converting circuit means for converting signals generated by said sensor means to modulated medium frequency signals in the frequency range from 10 to 100 kHz;
a first pair of spaced-apart electrodes adapted to be placed in contact with the body tissue within the living body;
transmitting means for transmitting said modulated signal to said first medical device by applying said modulated signal across said first spaced apart implanted electrodes; and wherein said first medical device further comprises:
a second pair of spaced-apart electrodes implanted within the living body in contact with body tissue; and receiving means coupled to said second pair of electrodes for demodulating and decoding said signal transmitted from said first medical device.
20. A system for monitoring a condition of a living body and/or providing one or more therapy regimens to the body comprising two or more discrete medical devices, at least one of which is a digitally programmable, implantable medical device and the other is an external medical device for digitally programming said implantable medical device wherein said implantable medical device is provided with: a pair of spaced apart electrodes adapted to be exposed to living body tissue and fluids; receiving means for receiving electrical signals across said electrodes; decoding means for decoding said electrical signals; and register means for storing said decoded electrical signals; and wherein said digital programming device further comprises: a pair of electrodes adapted to be placed against the external surface of the living body; coding means for coding a desired program change into digital code; and transmitting means for modulating said programmed digital code and applying it to said external pair of electrodes whereby said modulated, coded signal is applied through the skin and living body tissue to said implantable pair of electrodes.
21. The system according to claim 20 wherein said body implantable medical device comprises means for providing a therapy to the living body, and the system includes a further body implantable medical device comprising a remotely implanted physiological body condition detecting device including:
sensor means for sensing a physiological parameter in the body;
signals converting circuit means for converting signals generated by said sensor means to modulated signals a first pair of spaced-apart electrodes adapted to be placed in contact with the body tissue within the living body;
transmitting means for transmitting said modulated signals to said first medical device by applying said modulated signals across said first spaced apart implanted electrodes; and wherein said first implantable medical device further comprises:
a second pair of spaced-apart electrodes implanted within the living body in contact with body tissue; and receiving means coupled to said second pair of electrodes for demodulating and decoding signal transmitted from said first medical device.
sensor means for sensing a physiological parameter in the body;
signals converting circuit means for converting signals generated by said sensor means to modulated signals a first pair of spaced-apart electrodes adapted to be placed in contact with the body tissue within the living body;
transmitting means for transmitting said modulated signals to said first medical device by applying said modulated signals across said first spaced apart implanted electrodes; and wherein said first implantable medical device further comprises:
a second pair of spaced-apart electrodes implanted within the living body in contact with body tissue; and receiving means coupled to said second pair of electrodes for demodulating and decoding signal transmitted from said first medical device.
22. The system according to claim 21 wherein said first implantable medical device further comprises:
means for providing a control signal for controlling the operation of said sensor means of said further body implantable medical device;
means for coding said control signal;
transmitting means for transmitting said coded control signal to said further medical device by applying said coded control signal across said second pair of electrodes;
wherein said further body implantable medical device further comprises receiver means coupled to said first pair of spaced apart electrodes for receiving electrical signals appearing across said electrodes;
decoding means for decoding said electrical signals; and register means for storing said decoded control signals, whereby the operating condition of said sensor means may be remotely controlled by said first body implantable medical device.
means for providing a control signal for controlling the operation of said sensor means of said further body implantable medical device;
means for coding said control signal;
transmitting means for transmitting said coded control signal to said further medical device by applying said coded control signal across said second pair of electrodes;
wherein said further body implantable medical device further comprises receiver means coupled to said first pair of spaced apart electrodes for receiving electrical signals appearing across said electrodes;
decoding means for decoding said electrical signals; and register means for storing said decoded control signals, whereby the operating condition of said sensor means may be remotely controlled by said first body implantable medical device.
23. The system according to claim 22 wherein said digitally programmable, implantable medical device, said further body implantable medical device and said external medical device each respectively transmit and receive modulated medium frequency signals in the frequency range from 10 to 100 kHz.
24. The system according to claim 21 wherein said sensor means for sensing a physiological parameter in a body comprise means for sensing one or more of the body conditions including respiration, body activity or body parameters including arterial blood pressure, rate of change of blood pressure, temperature, pH value, pO2 value.
25. A system for providing pacing, cardioversion and defibrillation staged therapies for bradycardia, tachycardia and fibrillation comprising: a body implantable pacemaker comprising: pacing energy pulse generator means for applying pacing stimuli to a patient's heart, pacing lead means bearing at least one electrode means adapted to be placed in contact with or within a patient's heart and coupled to said pulse generator means for applying said pacing stimuli to the patient's heart and receiving electrical signals appearing at the tissue-electrode interface; sensing means coupled to said electrode means for sensing electrical signals appearing at said electrode means; detecting means responsive to said sensing means for detecting a bradyarrhythmia, tachyarrhythmia or ventricular fibrillation condition of the heart of the patient; and control means responsive to said detecting means for instructing said pulse generator means to provide pacing stimuli to said pacing electrode means in response to the detection of a bradyarrhythmia or tachyarrhythmia condition and to provide a modulated medium frequency signal in the frequency range from 10 to 100 kHz to said pacing electrode means in response to the detection of a ventricular fibrillation condition; and a remotely implanted defibrillator further comprising: defibrillation pulse generator means for generating defibrillation shocks; defibrillation electrode means adapted to be placed in contact with a patient's heart for providing said defibrillation shocks to the heart and for picking up electrical signals appearing at the electrode-tissue interface; receiving means coupled to said defibrillation electrode means for demodulating said modulated medium frequency signal transmitted into body tissue by said pacemaker pulse generator; and means responsive to a demodulated shock instruction signal for causing said defibrillation pulse generator means to provide a shock across said defibrillation electrode means and to the heart.
26. The system according to claim 25 wherein:
said defibrillator further comprises:
transmitting means coupled to said defibrillation electrode means;
coding means for coding data representing the condition of the defibrillator for providing further coded data to said transmitting means comprising means for transforming said coded signal into a modulated medium frequency signal in the frequency range from 10-100 kHz and means for applying said modulated medium frequency signals to said defibrillation electrode means; and said pacemaker further comprises:
means coupled to said sensing means for demodulating and decoding said further coded data; and said control means comprises means responsive to said further coded data for providing instructions to said defibrillator.
said defibrillator further comprises:
transmitting means coupled to said defibrillation electrode means;
coding means for coding data representing the condition of the defibrillator for providing further coded data to said transmitting means comprising means for transforming said coded signal into a modulated medium frequency signal in the frequency range from 10-100 kHz and means for applying said modulated medium frequency signals to said defibrillation electrode means; and said pacemaker further comprises:
means coupled to said sensing means for demodulating and decoding said further coded data; and said control means comprises means responsive to said further coded data for providing instructions to said defibrillator.
27. The system according to claim 25 or 26 wherein said medium frequency signal is modulated at 30 kHz.
28. The system according to claim 25 or 26 characterized in that the pacemaker and defibrillator are provided with means for receiving and/or transmitting of pulsecode-modulated medium frequency signals.
29. The system according to claim 25 or 26 characterized in that the pacemaker and defibrillator are provided with means for receiving and/or transmitting A1-modulated medium frequency signals.
30. The system according to claim 25 or 26 characterized in that the pacemaker and defibrillator are provided with means for receiving and/or transmitting signals which are frequency-shifted between a pair of frequencies within the medium frequency range.
31. The system according to claim 25 or 26 characterized in that the modulated medium frequency signals have an amplitude from 50 to 500 millivolts and a frequency of 30 kHz.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
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DE3831809A DE3831809A1 (en) | 1988-09-19 | 1988-09-19 | DEVICE DETERMINED AT LEAST PARTLY IN THE LIVING BODY |
DEP3831809.1 | 1988-09-19 |
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CA1316988C true CA1316988C (en) | 1993-04-27 |
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CA000611723A Expired - Lifetime CA1316988C (en) | 1988-09-19 | 1989-09-18 | Body bus medical device communication system |
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US (1) | US5113859A (en) |
EP (1) | EP0362611B1 (en) |
CA (1) | CA1316988C (en) |
DE (2) | DE3831809A1 (en) |
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