MezaJarJarBinks said:
WOW! That is GREAT NEWS! It sounds like they have really improved things since my last one was installed.
I think they've been working on continuously improving it. I know another system recently got FDA approved, so Medtronic has some competition, which probably benefits all of us.
MezaJarJarBinks said:
How long do you expect the battery will last?
(My doc says my current device should last a few more years. I just hope I can last that long
. He also says the next generation will be using Tesla battery technology.)
My doctor says 5-10 years. They have a rechargeable one that I considered, but both my doctor and the Medtronic rep didn't recommend it in my case. It has to be recharged every couple of weeks by wearing a belt that holds a wireless charger against it, and I couldn't get an answer on how long the rechargeable battery would last - you know how older cell phone batteries get!. Since it's rapidly improving, I decided that getting a new, updated one in a few years was the best option.
Naturally, the lower the stimulation level, the longer it will last. I've been using 0.7 at night, which seems to be the time that the leads end up farthest from the nerve, and 0.4 to 0.6 during the day.
MezaJarJarBinks said:
Do you know if your device is okay with MRI imaging?
(My doc said that the next generation will be MRI friendly.)
That was the issue that kept me from getting one several years ago. It's not the device itself, but rather the leads that cause problems with MRIs. The full-body MRI compatible leads came out over the summer, after a couple of years of being promised "soon." My doctor has said that they're compatible only with 1.5T MRI machines, but I read something on the Medtronic site that says that 3.0T is OK. I'll probably have to call Medtronic with my serial number (which they have on a card in the case) to get a definitive answer.
Note that replacing the leads is more involved than replacing the entire unit, so you'll have to go through a similar surgery to installing the device in order to get the MRI-safe leads.
To expand a bit on all that, magnetic field strengths are measured in Tesla, abbreviated T. 1.5T is an extremely intense magnetic field; 3.0T is double that. Newer MRI machines have been tending to move to 3T, since they can use larger tube sizes, faster scans, and higher resolution with smaller voxels (the "volume elements" that make up the image, similar to pixels making up a 2D image). Being limited to 1.5T magnets is a limitation, but there will be plenty of 1.5T MRI machines around for the foreseeable future. (If you're wondering, I'm an engineer, and I have my name on multiple patents for magnetic devices used in healthcare - I know way more than I'd ever really wanted to about magnets and magnetic fields!)
MezaJarJarBinks said:
I wish I did not have to carry all the hardware around with me. I have to carry a bag for the external controller, antennae plate, and the wire to connect them, plus extra batteries and owners manual.
Then it takes 2 hands to operate. I have to use one hand to hold the antennae plate over the implanted device and another hand to operate the controller. (But, I have an implanted heart monitor that uses "Bluetooth" to communicate with my cell phone 24 hours a day, so I think that Medtronic can figure it out someday.)
I've attached pictures of the control setup in its case (Samsung Galaxy J3 phone with modified Android software, Medtronic Bluetooth remote antenna unit). The antenna unit has its own battery and connects to the phone with Bluetooth. To use it, I turn on the antenna unit, hold it over my implant (or tuck it in my pants waist if I don't want to have to hold it), wake up the cell phone, swipe the screen (I could set a screen lock if desired), start the app, wait for it to make the Bluetooth connection, tell it to find the device, then make changes to the intensity or the program. After that, I power down the Bluetooth antenna, wait for the app to tell me that it's lost connection, and tell it to terminate the app. It's not difficult, but it's not the smooth user interface that I would have expected.
I looked to see if there was an app I can download on my phone to use in place of the remote, and I've thought about trying to use the remote as a phone so I don't have to carry my own. The former doesn't show up in Google Play, and the latter sounds like an unwise idea (although the device appears to have an AT&T data connection).
I think the problem that Medtronic is having is that the device must pass FDA certification, and there's no way for a customer-supplied cell phone, with all the various Android and/or IOS versions, apps, and everything else that goes on with cell phones, to pass the rigorous FDA process.
MezaJarJarBinks said:
Another question for you:
How long do the batteries last for your controller?
My controller eats batteries even when I'm not using it. It never stops using power. I carry extra batteries in my bag because I have been caught with a dead controller even though I haven't used it. There is no way to turn it off when I'm not using it. I hope they have improved that problem.
Both parts are rechargeable via micro USB, and the stuff they gave me after surgery included a charging cable and a power block. The antenna has a single button, and holding it for 5s or so powers it off. I have a multi-port charger by my bed that I use to charge my personal phone, work phone, and Kindle, so I just added the charger cord to that so I can charge both pieces simultaneously. I just checked the battery; the antenna ("Communicator") battery is at 88%, and the phone ("Handset") is at 81%. I charged them both fully on Friday, but I've played around a bit with the phone - it's currently hooked to my WiFi, and I was reading through the various support documentations along with Medtronic's job opening listings. (Medtronic does have some interesting job openings involving core parts of my skill set, but I don't want to leave Albuquerque until my kids finish school, so I think I'll stick with my current employer for now!)
I imagine it'll go a week or so between chargings, and maybe a bit longer, once I quit playing with it.
MezaJarJarBinks said:
He has, and very abundantly! I'm trying my best to use the gifts He's given me to spread His blessing to others. I have to say I'm very grateful to all the people here for their support and concern, and especially to MezaJarJarBinks for all the wonderful information he's shared.
