Adaptation of modulation parameters for communications between an implantable medical device and an external instrument

A method of adapting communications between an implantable medical device and an external instrument, comprising:

• transferring communication signals using a first initial modulation parameter setting over a telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument;
• listening during a period of time when no communication signals are being transferred between the external device and the implantable medical device to obtain a signal strength reference;
• analyzing a quality metric of the communication signals that have been transferred, the analyzing comprising comparing the signal strength reference to a signal strength of the communication signals to obtain a signal-to-noise ratio for the telemetry link;
• selecting a second modulation parameter setting as a replacement for the first initial modulation parameter setting in response to the analysis;
• and
• transferring communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument, wherein transferring communication signals using a first initial modulation parameter setting over a telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument further comprises using a second initial modulation parameter setting, the method further comprising selecting a third modulation parameter setting as a replacement for the second initial modulation parameter setting in response to the analysis, and wherein transferring communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument further comprises using the third modulation parameter setting in addition to the second modulation parameter setting.

A method of adapting communications between an implantable medical device and an external instrument, comprising:

• transferring communication signals using a first initial modulation parameter setting over a telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument;
• listening during a period of time when no communication signals are being transferred between the external device and the implantable medical device to obtain a signal strength reference;
• analyzing a quality metric of the communication signals that have been transferred, the analyzing comprising comparing the signal strength reference to a signal strength of the communication signals to obtain a signal-to-noise ratio for the telemetry link;
• selecting a second modulation parameter setting as a replacement for the first initial modulation parameter setting in response to the analysis;
• transferring communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument,
• sending between the external instrument and the implantable device a communication signal using the first initial modulation parameter setting that requests to change from the first initial modulation parameter setting to the second modulation parameter setting;
• and
• in response to the communication signal that requests to change, sending a responsive communication signal using the first initial modulation parameter setting.

A method of adapting communications between an implantable medical device and an external instrument, comprising:

• transferring communication signals using a first initial modulation parameter setting over a telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument;
• listening during a period of time when no communication signals are being transferred between the external device and the implantable medical device to obtain a signal strength reference;
• analyzing a quality metric of the communication signals that have been transferred, the analyzing comprising comparing the signal strength reference to a signal strength of the communication signals to obtain a signal-to-noise ratio for the telemetry link;
• selecting a second modulation parameter setting as a replacement for the first initial modulation parameter setting in response to the analysis;
• and
• transferring communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument, wherein selecting a second modulation parameter setting as a replacement for the first initial modulation parameter setting in response to the analysis comprises selecting the second modulation parameter setting for use by only the external instrument when transmitting and only the implantable medical device when receiving and wherein transferring communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument comprises transmitting communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link only by the external instrument and receiving communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link only by the implantable medical device.

A method of adapting communications between an implantable medical device and an external instrument, comprising:

• transferring communication signals using a first initial modulation parameter setting over a telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument;
• listening during a period of time when no communication signals are being transferred between the external device and the implantable medical device to obtain a signal strength reference;
• analyzing a quality metric of the communication signals that have been transferred, the analyzing comprising comparing the signal strength reference to a signal strength of the communication signals to obtain a signal-to-noise ratio for the telemetry link;
• selecting a second modulation parameter setting as a replacement for the first initial modulation parameter setting in response to the analysis;
• and
• transferring communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument, wherein selecting a second modulation parameter value as a replacement for the first initial modulation parameter setting in response to the analysis comprises selecting the second modulation parameter for use by only the implantable medical device when transmitting and only by the external instrument when receiving and wherein transferring communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument comprises transmitting communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link only by the implantable medical device and receiving communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link only by the external instrument.

A method of adapting communications between an implantable medical device and an external instrument, comprising:

• transferring communication signals using a first initial modulation parameter setting over a telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument;
• listening during a period of time when no communication signals are being transferred between the external device and the implantable medical device to obtain a signal strength reference;
• analyzing a quality metric of the communication signals that have been transferred, the analyzing comprising comparing the signal strength reference to a signal strength of the communication signals to obtain a signal-to-noise ratio for the telemetry link;
• selecting a second modulation parameter setting as a replacement for the first initial modulation parameter setting in response to the analysis;
• and
• transferring communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument, wherein transferring communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument comprises transferring communication signals from the external instrument to the implantable medical device, the method further comprising:
• listening at the external instrument for a response by the implantable medical device;
• and
• when the external instrument does not receive a valid response by the implantable medical device, then selecting the first initial modulation parameter setting and at a subsequent time transferring communication signals from the external instrument to the implantable medical device using the first initial modulation parameter setting.

A method of adapting communications between an implantable medical device and an external instrument, comprising:

• transferring communication signals using a first initial modulation parameter setting over a telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument;
• listening during a period of time when no communication signals are being transferred between the external device and the implantable medical device to obtain a signal strength reference;
• analyzing a quality metric of the communication signals that have been transferred, the analyzing comprising comparing the signal strength reference to a signal strength of the communication signals to obtain a signal-to-noise ratio for the telemetry link;
• selecting a second modulation parameter setting as a replacement for the first initial modulation parameter setting in response to the analysis;
• transferring communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument,
• analyzing the quality metric of the communication signals that have been transferred using the second modulation parameter setting and a second initial modulation parameter setting;
• selecting a third modulation parameter setting as a replacement for the second initial modulation parameter setting in response to the analysis;
• and
• transferring communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting and the third modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument.

A method of adapting communications between an implantable medical device and an external instrument, comprising:

• transferring communication signals using a first initial modulation parameter setting over a telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument;
• listening during a period of time when no communication signals are being transferred between the external device and the implantable medical device to obtain a signal strength reference;
• analyzing a quality metric of the communication signals that have been transferred, the analyzing comprising comparing the signal strength reference to a signal strength of the communication signals to obtain a signal-to-noise ratio for the telemetry link;
• selecting a second modulation parameter setting as a replacement for the first initial modulation parameter setting in response to the analysis;
• and
• transferring communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument, wherein transferring a communication signal using the first initial modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link comprises:
• transferring a first communication signal from the external instrument to the implantable medical device over the telemetry link;
• and
• transferring a second communication signal from the implantable medical device to the external instrument in response to the first communication signal over the telemetry link;
• and wherein analyzing the quality metric occurs at the implantable medical device by analyzing the first communication signal.

A method of adapting communications between an implantable medical device and an external instrument, comprising:

• transferring communication signals using a first initial modulation parameter setting over a telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument;
• listening during a period of time when no communication signals are being transferred between the external device and the implantable medical device to obtain a signal strength reference;
• analyzing a quality metric of the communication signals that have been transferred, the analyzing comprising comparing the signal strength reference to a signal strength of the communication signals to obtain a signal-to-noise ratio for the telemetry link;
• selecting a second modulation parameter setting as a replacement for the first initial modulation parameter setting in response to the analysis;
• and
• transferring communication signals using the second modulation parameter setting over the telemetry link between the implantable medical device and the external instrument, wherein selecting a second modulation parameter setting as a replacement for the first initial modulation parameter setting in response to the analysis comprises choosing the second modulation parameter setting based on a type of application for the communication signals.