Converter Device for Medical Telemetry Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Medical devices with different wireless telemetry technologies, such as inductive and RF telemetry, present compatibility issues with programmers, limiting seamless communication due to varying frequency bands, antenna designs, and data transfer rates, necessitating a solution for bridging these technological gaps.
Innovation Solution
A converter device with integrated RF and inductive telemetry functionality, along with widely available communication technologies like Bluetooth or USB, acts as an intermediary between medical devices and programmers, enabling data transfer across different telemetry technologies and ensuring compatibility with various medical devices and programmers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a programmer uses a specific wireless telemetry technology (e.g., RF or inductive), then it can communicate with medical devices using that same technology, but it cannot communicate with medical devices using different telemetry technologies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a converter device as an intermediary between the programmer and medical devices with different telemetry technologies. The converter has a first interface for communicating with the programmer using the programmer's native telemetry technology, and a second interface for communicating with the medical device using the medical device's native telemetry technology. This mediator translates and bridges the communication protocols, allowing the programmer to communicate with any medical device regardless of its specific telemetry technology without requiring the programmer itself to be complex enough to support all technologies directly.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple antenna designs are integrated into a single converter device to support both RF and inductive telemetry, then compatibility with various medical devices is improved, but the device size and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple antenna designs (RF antenna and inductive telemetry antenna) within a single converter device housing. By merging these different antenna types and their associated circuitry into one integrated device, the system achieves support for multiple telemetry technologies (both RF and inductive) while consolidating what would otherwise be separate devices. This merging approach improves versatility without requiring multiple separate converter devices, though it does increase the volume of the single converter device.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The converter device facilitates seamless communication between medical devices and programmers using different telemetry technologies, ensuring reliable data transfer and future compatibility, allowing clinicians to interact with a range of medical devices using a single handheld device.
Implementation Method 1
The inductive telemetry antenna is within the housing and is disposed over a portion of the ground plane. The processing module is within the housing and is configured to communicate with a medical device using at least one of the RF antenna and the inductive telemetry antenna.
Implementation Method 2
The RF antenna is associated with the housing. The processing module is within the housing and is configured to communicate with a medical device using at least one of the RF antenna and the inductive telemetry antenna.
Data Source
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AI summary
A device includes a housing, a radio-frequency (RF) antenna, a ground plane, an inductive telemetry antenna, and a processing module. The RF antenna is associated with the housing. The ground plane of the RF antenna is within the housing. The inductive telemetry antenna is within the housing and is disposed over a portion of the ground plane. The processing module is within the housing and is configured to communicate with a medical device using at least one of the RF antenna and the inductive telemetry antenna.