Downloadable software support in a pacemaker

• US 20020091416A1
• Filed: 01/05/2001
• Published: 07/11/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Wassmund, Paul G., Wilkinson, Jeffrey David, Penrose, Paul A., Johnson, Donald
• Granted Patent: US 6,584,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/30
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/362 Heart stimulators heart defibrillators A61N1/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/60 Software deployment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4486 Formation of subprogram jump address
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4812 by interrupt, e.g. masked

Abstract

A method is provided, the method comprising controlling an implantable medical device using a controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having a scheduling mechanism utilizing a priority inheritance protocol, the controller having a firmware architecture allowing at least one of modular feature design, modular feature implementation, extensible feature design and extensible feature implementation. The device also comprises analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis, providing an interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device and backing up at least some of the downloadable software using a non-volatile memory device, protecting the at least some of the downloadable software from a reset of the implantable medical device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

controlling an implantable medical device using a controller implementing a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having a scheduling mechanism, the controller having a firmware architecture allowing at least one of modular feature design, modular feature implementation, extensible feature design and extensible feature implementation;

analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis;

providing an interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device; and

backing up at least some of the downloadable software using a non-volatile memory device, protecting the at least some of the downloadable software from a reset of the implantable medical device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the implantable medical device using the controller comprises controlling a pulse generator for an implantable pacemaker.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein controlling the pulse generator for the implantable pacemaker comprises controlling the pulse generator for at least one of an implantable anti-brady pacemaker and an implantable anti-tachy pacemaker.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis comprises using a priority inheritance protocol in the scheduling mechanism of the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS).

5. The method of claim 2, wherein analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis comprises using a priority inheritance protocol in the scheduling mechanism of the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS).

6. The method of claim 3, wherein analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis comprises using a priority inheritance protocol in the scheduling mechanism of the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS).

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprises using call tables, and backing up the at least some of the downloadable software using the non-volatile memory device comprises using an electrical erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein providing the interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprises using call tables and backing up the at least some of the downloadable software using the non-volatile memory device comprises using an electrical erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein providing the interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprises using call tables and backing up the at least some of the downloadable software using the non-volatile memory device comprises using an electrical erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein providing the interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprises using call tables and backing up the at least some of the downloadable software using the non-volatile memory device comprises using an electrical erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device.

11. A device comprising:

an implantable medical device;

a controller controlling the implantable medical device, the controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having a scheduling mechanism, the controller having a firmware architecture allowing at least one of modular feature design, modular feature implementation, extensible feature design and extensible feature implementation, the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) capable of being analyzed using rate monotonic analysis;

an interface interfacing with downloadable software for the implantable medical device; and

a non-volatile memory device backing up at least some of the downloadable software, non-volatile memory device capable of protecting the at least some of the downloadable software from a reset of the implantable medical device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the controller controls a pulse generator for an implantable pacemaker.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the controller controls the pulse generator for at least one of an implantable anti-brady pacemaker and an implantable anti-tachy pacemaker.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the scheduling mechanism of the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) is capable of being analyzed using rate monotonic analysis comprises a priority inheritance protocol.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the scheduling mechanism of the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) is capable of being analyzed using rate monotonic analysis comprises a priority inheritance protocol.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein the scheduling mechanism of the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) is capable of being analyzed using rate monotonic analysis comprises a priority inheritance protocol.

17. The device of claim 11, wherein the interface interfacing with downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprises call tables and the non-volatile memory device backing up the at least some of the downloadable software comprises an electrical erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device.

18. The device of claim 14, wherein the interface interfacing with downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprises call tables and the non-volatile memory device backing up the at least some of the downloadable software comprises an electrical erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the interface interfacing with downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprises call tables and the non-volatile memory device backing up the at least some of the downloadable software comprises an electrical erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device.

20. The device of claim 16, wherein the interface interfacing with downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprises call tables and the non-volatile memory device backing up the at least some of the downloadable software comprises an electrical erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device.

21. A device comprising:

means for controlling an implantable medical device using a controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having a scheduling mechanism, the controller having a firmware architecture allowing at least one of modular feature design, modular feature implementation, extensible feature design and extensible feature implementation;

means for analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis;

means for providing an interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device; and

means for backing up at least some of the downloadable software using a non-volatile memory device, protecting the at least some of the downloadable software from a reset of the implantable medical device.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the means for controlling the implantable medical device using the controller comprises controlling a pulse generator for an implantable pacemaker.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the means for controlling the pulse generator for the implantable pacemaker comprises controlling the pulse generator for at least one of an implantable anti-brady pacemaker and an implantable anti-tachy pacemaker.

24. The device of claim 21, wherein the means for analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis comprises using a priority inheritance protocol in the scheduling mechanism of the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS).

25. The device of claim 22, wherein the means for analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis comprises using a priority inheritance protocol in the scheduling mechanism of the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS).

26. The device of claim 23, wherein the means for analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis comprises using a priority inheritance protocol in the scheduling mechanism of the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS).

27. The device of claim 21, wherein the means for providing the interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprises using call tables and the means for backing up the at least some of the downloadable software using the non-volatile memory device comprises using an electrical erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device.

28. The device of claim 24, wherein the means for providing the interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprises using call tables and the means for backing up the at least some of the downloadable software using the non-volatile memory device comprises using an electrical erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device.

29. The device of claim 25, wherein the means for providing the interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprises using call tables and the means for backing up the at least some of the downloadable software using the non-volatile memory device comprises using an electrical erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device.

30. The device of claim 26, wherein the means for providing the interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprises using call tables and the means for backing up the at least some of the downloadable software using the non-volatile memory device comprises using an electrical erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device.