Implant revision recognition by exchanging the revision data during transmission

Method for establishing communication among a control device having a first memory device for storing multiple versions of application software for operation of the control device and an implantable medical device having a second memory device for storing single current version of the application software for operation of the implantable medical device, comprising the steps of:

• generating an interrogation signal at the control device;
• transmitting the generated interrogation signal from the control device to the implantable medical device with which it is in communication;
• generating at the implantable medical device a response signal including identification information associated with the implantable medical device;
• transmitting the generated response signal from the implantable medical device back to the control device with which it is in communication;
• extracting the identification information from the response signal received by the control device, the identification information including both a unique identification number associated with the implantable medical device and a current version of application software currently being utilized by the implantable medical device;
• and
• based on the extracted identification information associated with the implantable medical device, correlating thereto a version of the application software from among the multiple versions of application software associated with the control device that is compatible with the recognized version of the application software currently being utilized by the implantable medical device.