Ultrasonic transducer for bi-directional wireless communication
AssigneeCardiac Pacemakers, Inc.
InventorsEyal Doron, Bin Mi, Abhi V. Chavan, Keith R. Maile
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Abstract
A piezoelectric element within an external ultrasonic transducer assembly can be used for wireless communication of data between an implantable device and the external ultrasonic transducer assembly such as using ultrasonic energy coupled to a flexible portion of a housing of the transducer assembly. The flexible portion can be configured to contact skin of a body containing the implantable device. The transducer assembly can be configured to respectively transmit or receive ultrasonic energy using at least partially overlapping respective ranges of resonant frequencies.
Claims20
An ultrasonic transducer assembly comprising:
- a housing including a flexible portion, the flexible portion configured to contact skin of a body containing an implantable device;
- a piezoelectric element within the housing configured for wireless communication of data between the implantable device and the ultrasonic transducer assembly using ultrasonic energy coupled to the flexible portion of the housing;
- a matching circuit included at least partially within the housing;
- wherein the matching circuit is configured to provide energy to the piezoelectric element using a first resonant operating frequency range, and to receive energy from the piezoelectric element using a second resonant operating frequency range when the piezoelectric element is receiving ultrasonic energy;
- and
- wherein the first and second resonant operating frequency ranges are at least partially overlapping.
A method, comprising:
- providing or using an ultrasonic transducer assembly, including a matching circuit coupled to a piezoelectric element, for wireless communication of data between an implantable device within the body and the ultrasonic transducer assembly, the providing including using ultrasonic energy coupled between the piezoelectric element and the implantable device;
- providing or using energy coupled through a matching circuit to the piezoelectric element for transmission to the implantable device using a first resonant operating frequency range;
- providing or using energy coupled from the piezoelectric element through the matching circuit using a second resonant operating frequency range when the piezoelectric element is receiving the ultrasonic energy;
- and
- wherein first and second resonant operating frequency ranges are at least partially overlapping.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.