Inter-chip communications for implantable stimulating devices
AssigneeCochlear Limited
InventorsTom Van Assche, Mark Janssens, Geert Carron
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device including a first integrated circuit (IC), a second IC configured to provide instructions to the first IC based on received data, wherein the first IC is a high-voltage IC and the second IC is a low-voltage IC, and a communication interface between the first and second ICs including a data bus of parallel data lines. The second IC is configured to select, based on the received data, one of a plurality of different communication modes for providing the instructions to the first IC via the communication interface, wherein each mode is defined by a quantity of address data and a quantity of configuration data used to provide the instructions to the first IC.
Claims16
A stimulating medical device comprising:
- a stimulator integrated circuit (IC) configured to output electrical stimulation via a plurality of electrodes in response to stimulation instructions;
- a processor IC configured to provide the stimulation instructions to the simulator IC based on received data;
- and
- a communication interface between the stimulator and processor ICs including a data bus of parallel data lines, wherein the processor IC is configured to select, based on the received data, one of a plurality of different communication modes for providing the instructions to the stimulator IC via the communication interface, wherein each mode is defined by a quantity of address data and a quantity of configuration data used to provide the instructions to the stimulator IC.
A method for operating a medical device including a stimulator integrated circuit (IC) configured to output electrical stimulation via a plurality of electrodes in response to stimulation instructions, a processor IC configured to provide the stimulation instructions to the stimulator IC via a communication interface having a data bus of parallel data lines, and a plurality of addressable components, the method comprising:
- selecting one of a plurality of communication modes based on data received by the processor IC, wherein each mode is defined by a quantity of address data and a quantity of configuration data used to provide the instructions to the stimulator IC;
- and
- providing the instructions, based on the received data, to the stimulator IC via the communication interface using the selected communication mode.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.