Patent ID: 8108048

Claim:
A system for telemetry communication involving multiple medical devices comprising: an implantable medical device: configured to communicate data over a communication channel during telemetry communications sessions using at least one of a handshaking mode and a low transfer rate mode for each of the telemetry communication sessions, the handshaking mode being configured to communicate over a first bandwidth and the low transfer rate mode being configured to communicate over the first bandwidth and a second bandwidth narrower than the first bandwidth; wherein at least one of the handshaking mode and the low transfer rate mode have a plurality of modulation schemes which modulate data transmitted during the telemetry communications sessions; and comprising circuitry configured to select one of the at least one of the handshaking mode and the low transfer rate mode and, if the one of the at least one of the handshaking mode and the low transfer rate mode has a plurality of modulation schemes, selecting one of the plurality of modulation schemes; and a plurality of electrical devices, each of the electrical devices being configured to enable telemetry communications with the implantable medical device using one of the at least one of the handshaking mode and the low transfer rate mode between that particular electrical device and the implantable medical device for each telemetry communication session; and wherein the handshaking mode is configured to maintain the communication channel between the implantable medical device and one of the plurality of electrical devices by locking the communication channel by transmitting handshaking signals not used, for transmitting patient data.