Medical Transceiver Device and Method

A method for radio-based communication with an implantable medical device comprising the steps of:

• receiving radio frequency signals from an implantable medical device via first and second antenna structures that are maximally sensitive to radio waves of different polarizations and operable adjacent each other at a single location in space;
• analyzing said radio frequency signals received via said first and second antenna structures;
• from said analysis, determining a polarization state of said radio frequency signals received via said first and second antenna structures;
• transmitting radio frequency signals to said implantable medical device via said first and second antenna structures;
• and
• selecting at least one of an amplitude phase of said radio frequency signals transmitted via said first antenna structure relative to the amplitude of phase of said radio frequency signals transmitted via said second antenna structure depending on said determined polarization state.

A medical transceiver device for radio-based communication with an implantable medical device comprising:

• circuitry for transmitting radio frequency signals to, and/or receiving radio frequency signals from, said implantable medical device;
• first and second electrically conductive structures;
• an antenna feed network operatively interconnected between said circuitry and said first and second electrically conductive structures
• each of said first and second electrically conductive structures being operable with said circuitry as a transmitting and/or receiving antenna for said radio frequency signals;
• said first and second electrically conductive structures being operable with said circuitry to emit and/or receive radio waves of different polarizations an thereby exhibiting polarization diversity;
• and
• said first and second electrically conductive structures are separated by less than the maximum length of either one of said first and second electrically conductive structures, giving said electrically conductive structures spatial diversity that is independent of said polarization diversity.

A medical transceiver device for radio-based communication with an implantable medical device comprising:

• circuitry for transmitting radio frequency signals to, and/or receiving radio frequency signals from, said implantable medical device;
• first and second electrically conductive structures;
• an antenna feed network operatively interconnected between said circuitry and said first and second electrically conductive structures
• each of said first and second electrically conductive structures being operable with said circuitry as a, transmitting and/or receiving antenna for said radio frequency signals;
• said first and second electrically conductive structures being operable with said circuitry to emit and/or receive radio waves of different polarizations;
• and
• said first and second electrically conductive structures being separated by less than a quarter of the wavelength of said radio frequency signals, giving said electricity conductive structures polarization diversity that is independent of spatial diversity.

A medical transceiver device for radio-based communication with an implantable medical device comprising:

• circuitry for transmitting radio frequency signals to, and/or receiving radio frequency signals from, said implantable medical device;
• first and second electrically conductive structures (9, 11;
• 34, 35;
• 42-44, 52-53);
• an antenna feed network operatively interconnected between said circuitry and said first and second electrically conductive structures;
• each of said first and second electrically conductive structures being operable with said circuitry as a transmitting and/or receiving antenna for said radio frequency signals;
• each of said first and second electrically conductive structures comprising two elongated elements parallel with each other;
• and
• said first and second electrically conductive structures being arranged in a crossed relationship, essentially orthogonally to each other, giving said electronically conductive structures polarization diversity that is independent of spatial diversity.

A medical communication system comprising:

• an extracorporeal device selected from the group consisting of programmers and patient monitoring devices;
• an implantable medical device comprising a radio transmitter and/or receiver;
• and
• a medical transceiver device in said extracorporeal device, said medical transceiver device comprising circuitry for transmitting radio frequency signals to, and/or receiving radio frequency signals from, said implantable medical device, first and second electrically conductive structures, an antenna feed network operatively interconnected between said circuitry and said first and second electrically conductive structures, each of said first and second electrically conductive structures being operable with said circuitry as a transmitting and/or receiving antenna for said radio frequency signals, said first and second electrically conductive structures being operable with said circuitry to emit and/or receive radio waves of different polarizations and thereby exhibiting polarization diversity, and said first and second electrically conductive structures being adjacent to each other at a fixed distance from each other, giving said electrically conductive structures spatial diversity that is independent of said polarization diversity.