Systems and methods for low energy wake-up and pairing for use with implantable medical devices

摘要

Techniques are provided for use with implantable medical devices or trial medical devices for wirelessly connecting the devices to external instruments such as tablet computers or smartphones. In an example where the medical device is an implantable neurostimulator, the neurostimulator passively detects wireless wake-up signals generated by the external instrument, i.e. the neurostimulator “sniffs” for advertisement signals generated by the external instrument. In response to passive detection of a wake-up signal, the implantable neurostimulator determines if a response is warranted and, if so, the neurostimulator activates its wireless transmission components to transmit an acknowledgement signal to the external instrument so as to complete a wake-up and handshake protocol. In this manner, power consumption within the implantable device (or within a similarly equipped trial medical device) can be reduced compared to devices that would otherwise periodically transmit advertisement signals even when no external mobile instrument is present.

主权项

1. A method for use by an implantable medical device for implant within a patient, the method comprising:
passively detecting wireless wake-up signals generated by an external instrument equipped to communicate with the implantable medical device, wherein the external instrument is one of a plurality of external instruments capable of communicating with the implantable medical device, and wherein at least some of the plurality of external instruments are not authorized to communicate with the implantable medical device; and in response to passive detection of a wake-up signal from the external instrument, determining if a response to the wake-up signal is warranted and, if so, activating wireless signal transmission components of the implantable medical device and transmitting an acknowledgement signal to the external instrument, wherein determining if a response to the wake-up signal is warranted includes determining if the external instrument generating the wake-up signal is authorized to wake up the implantable medical device based on a coded signal received from the external instrument that indicates the external instrument is authorized to wake up the implantable medical device and that differs from coded signals from at least some other external instruments capable of communicating with the implantable medical device but not authorized to wake up the implantable medical device.