SYSTEM FOR OBTAINING DATA RELATED TO MEDICAL DEVICE IMPLANTED IN BODY OF PATIENT FROM OUTSIDE BODY AND METHOD THEREFOR

摘要

PURPOSE: To provide a system for enabling the acquisition from outside the body of a patient of data pertaining to a medical device implanted therein. CONSTITUTION: A characterization tag is secured to the medical device 14 prior to the implantation thereof. The characterization tag is powered by energy absorbed through the mutual inductive coupling of circuitry 398 in the characterization tag with an alternating magnetic field generated outside the body of the patient 10. That circuitry in the characterization tag is selectively loaded and unloaded in a predetermined sequence of loading conditions that correspond to data about the implanted medical device 14. The alternating magnetic field is generated in a characterization probe 60, moveable external to the body of the patient. The probe 60 includes electrical circuitry for sensing variations in the amount of energy absorbed from the field by the characterization tag. The characterization tag is secured to the exterior of the medical device by a biocompatible material in a characterization tag recess.