Medtronic, Inc.

Anne J Van Leeuwen

John J Grevious

Kenneth L Graves

Mark W Sandberg

A method and apparatus for programming implantable medical devices employing RF telemetry, and more particularly, altering the RF telemetry antenna Q to accommodate telemetry with implantable medical devices having differing RF telemetry receiving characteristics is disclosed. The RF head telemetry antenna comprises an LC tank circuit including an RF head telemetry coil and a tuning capacitor and has a predetermined antenna Q. The RF head telemetry antenna is adapted to be driven into oscillation by applied oscillating energy and to continue to oscillate in a series of declining amplitude oscillations after the oscillating energy is no longer applied as residually stored oscillating energy is dissipated therethrough. A transmit telemetry pulse is generated for establishing a pulse width of the telemetry RF pulse. Upon the termination of the telemetry transmit pulse antenna Q is reduced from the predetermined antenna Q, and the declining amplitude oscillations are thereby attenuated. The reduction of the antenna Q is effected by a grounding a sense coil located in the programmer RF head that is employed to sense the RF pulse and regulate the amplitude thereof during the transmit telemetry pulse at the termination of the transmit telemetry pulse.

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Apeldoorn, Netherlands

Anne J Van Leeuwen