Handheld bridge device for providing a communication bridge between an implanted medical device and a smartphone

A system for providing a communication bridge between a leadless cardiac pacemaker and a smartphone, the system comprising:

• a leadless cardiac pacemaker;
• a smartphone;
• a bridge device comprising:
• a housing;
• a plurality of electrodes secured to the housing and exposed outside of the housing such that at least two of the plurality of electrodes can be concurrently placed in contact with a patient's skin;
• a power source disposed within the housing;
• a controller disposed within the housing and operably powered by the power source;
• conducted communications electronics disposed within the housing and operably coupled to the controller and to the at least two of the plurality of electrodes that can be concurrently placed in contact with the patient's skin, the conducted communications electronics configured to allow the controller to communicate with the leadless cardiac pacemaker via at least two of the plurality of electrodes that can be concurrently placed in contact with the patient's skin using conducted communication;
• and
• RF communications electronics disposed within the housing and operably coupled to the controller, the RF communications electronics configured to allow the controller to communicate with the smartphone external to the patient using RF communication;
• a memory operably coupled to the controller such that information received from the leadless cardiac pacemaker by conducted communication via the at least two of the plurality of electrodes is saved to the memory prior to subsequent communication of the information to the smartphone via the RF communications electronics;
• one or more sensors operatively coupled to the controller for sensing one or more sensed parameters, wherein the controller is configured to communicate the one or more sensed parameters to the smartphone via the RF communications electronics, wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an impendence sensor, an electrogram sensor, and a force sensor;
• and
• wherein the housing has a first side and an opposing second side, wherein the first side has at least two of the plurality of electrodes and the second side has at least one of the plurality of electrodes.