WO2012165667A1

WO2012165667A1 - Insertion-type medical device having window for communicating with external device

Info

Publication number: WO2012165667A1
Application number: PCT/KR2011/003942
Authority: WO
Inventors: 황용섭; 이호승; 박세익; 윤호; 이기원
Original assignee: 주식회사 엠아이텍
Priority date: 2011-05-30
Filing date: 2011-05-30
Publication date: 2012-12-06

Abstract

An insertion-type medical device is implanted in the human body and comprises a package, which is made from a metallic material, having an antenna for receiving a high-frequency wireless communication signal from an antenna of an external device. The package comprises a window on one surface thereof, which is installed so as to cover an opening for relaying the high-frequency communication signal to the antenna of the package.

Description

Implantable medical devices with windows for communication with external devices

The present invention relates to an implantable medical device of a high frequency communication method, and more particularly, to an implantable medical device capable of high frequency wireless communication with an external device through a window installed in an implantable medical device.

As is well known, neural prosthesis such as implantable pulse generators, cochlear implants, artificial retinas, deep brain stimulators, etc., are implantable medical devices. It is used after being implanted inside. Such an implantable medical device maintains low frequency communication with a device external to the human body through magnetic coupling by a magnetic field in a low frequency band.

Low frequency communication is a method of forming magnetic coupling using radio frequency bands of several MHz. Figure 1 shows an example of a conventional implantable medical device using such a low frequency communication method. As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional implantable medical device of a low frequency communication type is configured in the form of a metal package 10 implanted into a human body. The metal package 10 maintains communication with a device external to the human body in a coil-to-coil manner inducing magnetic coupling through the coil 20 using air as a medium.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed block configuration of the implantable medical device illustrated in FIG. 1 communicating with an external device of a human body in a low frequency communication method.

The metal package 10, which is an implantable medical device, includes a coil 20, an envelope detector 8, a comparator 6, and a baseband chip 2. The external device 30 for communication with the metal package 10 includes a baseband chip 2, a Class-E power amplifier 4, and a coil 12. do. The communication between the metal package 10 and the external device 30 is performed through the magnetic coupling of the coil 12 of the external device 30 with the coil 20 inside the metal package 10.

In the case of an implantable medical device such as a cochlear implant, magnetic coupling is continuously formed by the coil 12 disposed outside the package 10, as shown in FIG. This can always be done. However, in the case of an implantable medical device of a deep brain stimulator or an artificial heart pacemaker, since a coil is disposed inside the metal package 10, magnetic coupling is not always maintained, but magnetic coupling is necessary only when communication with an external device is required. The ring is set. In this case, it is difficult to suddenly set the magnetic coupling in case of an emergency, for example, when the cardiac pacemaker stops working, or when there is an abnormality in the brain stimulus transmission or an abnormal battery in the deep brain stimulator. have. That is, when the implantable medical device is not magnetically coupled with the external device, communication with the external device is impossible.

In order to solve the above problem, there is also a method of using an antenna, but the energy speed C is proportional to the wavelength λ as shown in the following equation.

C = λf (where f is frequency)

Therefore, in order to receive a signal using an antenna, an antenna having a size of 1/4 of the wavelength λ must be used. However, in the case of low frequency, the use of such an antenna is not possible because the antenna must be large due to the large wavelength.

Due to these limitations, the low frequency communication method using magnetic coupling when using an existing bio-invasive medical device does not have a method to cope with the coil-to-coil method because it is difficult to make an emergency in an emergency situation.

On the contrary, since high frequency communication does not require the use of coils, but instead of antennas, it may be a way to cope with an emergency situation immediately by high frequency communication at a short distance outside the human body when an emergency situation occurs. In other words, a short-range high-frequency communication method may be more appropriate than a magnetic coupling using a coil-to-coil in case of an emergency when using a bio-insertable medical device or for short-range communication with the outside using a closed circuit. .

By the way, most of the implantable medical devices of the high frequency communication method use a form in which an antenna is embedded in a metal material package as shown in FIG. 1. Since the metal material has a shielding effect on a high frequency signal, the high frequency signal does not pass through the metal package 10 to be transmitted from outside to inside or from inside to outside. As described above, in the case of high frequency, communication with the inside of the metal package 10 is impossible because there is no permeability to metal.

Alternatively, the package may be made of materials other than metal. However, when such a non-metallic package is inserted into a living body, it may be easy to crack or break in the non-metallic package due to an external impact, which may cause a harmful situation in which devices inside the non-metallic package may flow into the human body.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an implantable medical device in which a window is installed in a human implantable medical device to enable high frequency communication with a device external to the human body.

Implantable medical device according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object,

Is implanted in the human body, including a package of a metal material having an antenna for receiving a high frequency signal from the outside of the human body,

The package includes a window provided on one surface thereof to cover an opening formed to transmit the high frequency signal to the antenna of the package.

Insertion type medical device according to another embodiment for achieving the above object,

It is implanted in the human body, and includes a package of metal material having a receiving unit for receiving an optical signal from the outside of the human body,

The package includes a window installed on one surface thereof to cover an opening formed to transmit the optical signal to a receiver of the package.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, compared to using low frequency communication, high frequency communication does not require the use of a coil for magnetic coupling, thereby reducing the size of the implantable medical device and simplifying the procedure when the patient is inserted. Has the effect.

1 is a block diagram of a conventional implantable medical device of a low frequency communication method using magnetic coupling.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detailed block configuration of the implantable medical device illustrated in FIG. 1 communicating with an external device in a low frequency communication method.

3A illustrates a detailed block diagram of an implantable medical device that communicates with an external device through a high frequency communication method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

3B illustrates a detailed block diagram of an implantable medical device communicating with an external device in an optical communication method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows the appearance of the implantable medical device shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a window installed on an upper surface of the insertable medical device of FIG. 4.

6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another form of window installed on the side of the implantable medical device of FIG. 4.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail the operation of the embodiment according to the present invention. In the following description of the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of a known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. Terms to be described later are terms defined in consideration of functions in the present invention, and may be changed according to intentions or customs of users or operators. Therefore, the definition should be made based on the contents throughout the specification. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout, and detailed descriptions thereof are omitted for convenience.

The term " high frequency communication " used in the present invention refers to all communication methods using electromagnetic waves and is defined as encompassing mobile communication methods using antennas and communication methods using light which is a kind of electromagnetic waves.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the external device 50 includes a baseband chip 2, an RFIC 16, a power amplifier (PA) 22, and an antenna 32. do. The implantable medical device 100 that performs high frequency communication with the external device 50 includes an antenna 140, a low noise amplifier (LNA) 18, and a radio frequency integration chip (RFIC). 16 and a baseband chip 2. Reference numeral 200 denotes a window installed in the implantable prosthetic device 100 described in FIG.

The high frequency wireless communication signal is transmitted to the antenna 140 of the implantable medical device 100 at a short distance through the antenna 32 of the external device 50 so that the implantable medical device 100 and the external device 50 of the present invention are short-range. Wireless communication is achieved.

Communication between an external device and an implantable medical device may be achieved through an optical method using infrared, ultraviolet, and visible light instead of the high frequency signal used in the above-described embodiment of the present invention.

3B is a detailed block diagram of an implantable medical device communicating with an external device through an optical communication method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

In another embodiment of the present invention shown in Figure 3b is an antenna 32 of the external device 50 and the antenna 140 of the implantable medical device 100 instead of the transmitter 132 and the implantable medical device of the external device 50 ( It is substantially the same as the embodiment of the present invention shown in FIG. 3A except that it is replaced by the receiver 240 of 100. Therefore, the description of the same components will be omitted.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the insertion type of the present invention by transmitting an optical signal such as infrared, ultraviolet or visible light to the receiver 240 of the implantable medical device 100 at a short distance through the transmitter 132 of the external device 50 Short-range wireless communication between the medical device 100 and the external device 50 is achieved. The transmitter 132 and the receiver 240 may each include a photodiode or phototransistor for optically transmitting and receiving a signal.

4 shows the configuration of the implantable medical device shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

As shown in Figure 4, the implantable medical device 100 according to the present invention has a form of a rectangular package with rounded corners. The package 100 is made of a metal material, and a high frequency communication signal (or optical) is formed on one surface of the package 100, for example, the upper surface of the package 100 through an antenna 32 (or a transmitter 132) of the external device 50. A small window 200 is installed so that the signal can be transmitted to the antenna 140 (or the receiver 240) of the package 100 of the implantable medical device. The window 200 is installed to cover the opening 120 formed in the package 100.

The antenna 140 (or receiver 240) of the package 100 may be located near the bottom of the window 200 or may be embedded in the window 200. Of course, the window 200 may be installed on the side instead of the top surface of the metal package 100.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a window installed on the package upper surface of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 illustrates a cross-sectional view of another type of window installed on the package side of FIG. 4.

The window 200 shown in FIG. 5 has an arc shape, and the window 300 shown in FIG. 6 has a flat shape having the same level as the surface of the package 100. Each

window

200, 300 covers an opening 120 formed in the package 100 and is hermetically sealed to the package 100. In the portion of the metal package 100 in which the opening 120 is defined, a stepped portion 122 in which the arc-shaped window 200 or the flat-shaped window 300 is seated is formed.

In order to prevent the portion of the package 100 in which the opening 120 is defined from being broken by the impact applied vertically from the outside, the portion of the arc-shaped window 200 is joined to the step portion 122. It is rounded as shown in FIG.

Similarly, the flat window 300 has a stepped portion as shown in FIG. 6 in order to prevent the portion of the package 100 in which the opening 120 is defined from being broken by a vertically applied impact from the outside. The portion to be joined to 122 is rounded. Additionally, the flat window 300 may be opened by an impact applied from the side of the package 100 as a protrusion 310 extending below the opening 120 or into the package 100 is formed. It is possible to prevent the portion of the package 100, which is defined to be broken, and the window 300 to escape in the lateral direction of the package 100.

The

windows

200 and 300 installed in the package 100 of the present invention can be adjusted in size, for example, according to the level of the high frequency used. In other words, it is possible to reduce the size of the opening 120 and the

windows

200 and 300 as the magnitude of the frequency becomes larger (closer to the high frequency). This may reduce the probability of breaking the portion of the package 100 in which the opening 120 is defined, thereby increasing the durability of the portion of the package 100 in which the opening 120 is defined.

In order to solve that the high frequency signal is not transmitted to the inside or the outside of the package because the metal material has a shielding effect on the high frequency signal, an embodiment of the present invention provides an opening 120 of the package 100. Is covered with an arc-shaped window 200 or a flat window 300 to seal the

windows

200 and 300 to the package 100. The

windows

200 and 300 may be formed of a non-conductive material and a low submersion material such as ceramic or amber.

Arc-shaped window 200 or flat window 300 is preferably welded to the package through furnace brazing techniques. The furnace brazing technique is a joining method for joining metals and dissimilar materials, and is commonly used for joining a metal package 100 and ceramics constituting a feedthrough used for connecting a device. . Therefore, even if the metal material of the package and the non-conductive material of the window are combined, the welding seal can be maintained through the furnace brazing technique.

As described above, the implantable medical device of the high frequency communication method of the present invention may transmit signals between the implantable medical device and an external device through high frequency communication or optical communication using electromagnetic waves when an emergency situation occurs. In this case, a small size antenna is suitable for use as an implantable medical device.

As described above is only one preferred embodiment of the implantable medical device of the high frequency communication method according to the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, the present invention as claimed in the following claims Without departing from the gist of the present invention, those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains to the technical spirit of the present invention to the extent that various modifications can be made.

Claims

Implantable medical device,

Is implanted in the human body, including a package of a metal material having an antenna for receiving a high frequency signal from the outside of the human body,

The package includes a window installed on one surface thereof to cover the opening formed so that the high frequency signal can be transmitted to the antenna of the package.
The method of claim 1,

And the antenna of the package is positioned below the window in the package or embedded in the window.
The method of claim 1,

And the window has an arc shape or a flat shape.
The method of claim 1,

The window is an implantable medical device that can adjust its size according to the level of the high frequency used.
The method of claim 1,

The window is an implantable medical device that is formed of a non-conductive material and less submerged material.
The method of claim 1,

And the window is welded to the package via an in-house brazing technique.
Implantable medical device,

It is implanted in the human body, and includes a package of metal material having a receiving unit for receiving an optical signal from the outside of the human body,

The package includes a window on one surface thereof to cover the opening formed so that the optical signal can be transmitted to the receiving portion of the package.
The method of claim 7, wherein

The receiving part of the metal package is an implantable medical device located in the bottom of the window or embedded in the window.
The method of claim 7, wherein

And the window has an arc shape or a flat shape.
The method of claim 7, wherein

The window is an implantable medical device that is formed of a non-conductive material and less submerged material.
The method of claim 7, wherein

And the window is welded to the package via an in-house brazing technique.