Use of telemetry coil to replace magnetically activated reed switch in implantable devices

摘要

A combined telemetry system and magnetic field sensor for use in an implantable medical device. The telemetry system includes a conventional resonant circuit for transmitting and receiving data. The resonant circuit has a coil which is also used to sense the presence of a magnetic field exceeding a threshold value. The resonant frequency varies with the strength of the magnetic field which passes through the coil. Periodically, the resonant circuit is energized, and during a sensing window of predetermined duration which then immediately follows the voltage across the coil is examined for a predetermined number of zero crossings. That number of zero crossings will occur only in the presence of a magnetic field whose amplitude exceeds the threshold value. It is possible to achieve a sensitivity in such a system which is comparable to that of conventional miniature reed switches.