Medical device including processor running independent processes to cooperatively control therapy

• US 20060009921A1
• Filed: 07/07/2005
• Published: 01/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Minimed Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Alfred E. Mann Foundation For Scientific Research
• Inventors: Bowman, Sam W., Shelton, Brian M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,758,567 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 702/31
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 9/0024 Solid, semi-solid or solidifying implants, which are implanted or injected in body tissue compositions for intravenous administration, normal injectable solutions or dispersions for, e.g. subcutaneous administration A61K9/0019; brain implants A61K9/0085; (coated) prostheses, catheters or stents A61L

Abstract

A medical system comprising an implantable medical device and an external controller. The medical device includes a therapy administration subsystem, a telemetry subsystem, and a control subsystem which includes a microprocessor operable in response to data and/or code provided via said telemetry subsystem for producing an output signal for controlling said therapy administration subsystem. The controller includes a user input means and a telemetry subsystem responsive to said user input means for communicating data and/or code to said medical device telemetry subsystem. The medical device control subsystem includes program means for causing said microprocessor to separately execute at least two software processes to respectively produce separate therapy control output components. Combinatorial logic means responds to the separate output components to produce the output signal for controlling the therapy administration subsystem.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device including:

a therapy administration subsystem; and

a control subsystem configured to produce a therapy control output signal for controlling said therapy administration subsystem, said control subsystem comprising;

a microprocessor; and

means for causing said microprocessor to separately execute at least two separate software processes to respectively produce separate therapy control output components; and

combinatorial logic means responsive to said separate output components for producing said therapy control output signal.

2. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said combinatorial logic means is responsive to all of said output components for producing said therapy control output signal.

3. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said combinatorial logic means is responsive to a threshold number of said output components for producing said therapy control output signal.

4. The medical device of claim 1 wherein each of said output components represents a vote to take a certain action;

and wherein

said combinatorial logic means includes means defining a vote threshold for producing said output signal when the number of voting output components exceeds said vote threshold.

5. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said therapy administration subsystem includes a pump mechanism actuatable to deliver a drug from a drug reservoir to a drug outlet.

6. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said two software processes execute the same algorithm.

7. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said two software processes execute different algorithms.

8. The medical device of claim 1 wherein said therapy administration subsystem includes a pump mechanism actuatable to produce a pump stroke for delivering a unit volume of drug to a drug outlet;

and wherein

said therapy control output signal controls the rate of pump strokes.

9. The medical device of claim 8 wherein a first of said processes produces an output component comprising one or more fire command pulses for initiating pump strokes, and wherein

a second of said processes produces an output component comprising an enable signal for limiting the rate at which said pump strokes are produced.

10. The medical device of claim 9 wherein said second process produces an enable signal which limits the rate of pump strokes to a basal drug delivery rate during a defined time interval.

11. The medical device of claim 1 further including a first oscillator means for producing a primary clock and second oscillator means functioning to verify the frequency of said primary clock.

12. A medical system comprising:

an implantable medical device including a therapy administration subsystem, a telemetry subsystem, and a control subsystem including a microprocessor operable in response to data and/or code provided via said telemetry subsystem for producing an output signal for controlling said therapy administration subsystem; and

a controller including a telemetry subsystem responsive to a user input for communicating data and/or code to said medical device telemetry subsystem;

said medical device control subsystem including a stored program for causing said microprocessor to separately execute at least two software processes to respectively produce separate therapy control output components; and

wherein

said medical device includes combinatorial logic responsive to said separate output components for producing said output signal for controlling said therapy administration subsystem.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said controller includes means responsive to user input data and/or code for producing an original copy and a duplicate copy;

and

means for displaying said duplicate copy.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said original copy and said duplicate copy are both communicated to said implantable medical device.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein a first of said software processes uses said original copy and a second of said software processes uses said duplicate copy.

16. The system of claim 12 wherein said combinatorial logic is responsive to all of said output components for producing said therapy control output signal.

17. The system of claim 12 wherein said combinatorial logic is responsive to a threshold number of said output components for producing said therapy control output signal.

18. The system of claim 12 wherein said therapy administration subsystem includes a pump mechanism actuatable to produce a pump stroke for delivering a unit volume of drug to a drug outlet;

and wherein

said therapy control output signal controls the rate of pump strokes.

19. The system of claim 12 wherein a first of said processes produces an output component comprising sequential fire command pulses for initiating pump strokes, and wherein

a second of said processes produces an output component comprising an enable signal for limiting the rate at which said pump strokes are produced.

20. The system of claim 12 wherein said second process produces an enable signal which limits the rate of pump strokes to a basal drug delivery rate during a defined time interval.

21. A method of operating an implantable medical device to safely administer therapy, said method including”

providing a therapy administration subsystem;

providing a control subsystem for producing a therapy control output signal to control said therapy administration subsystem;

configuring said control subsystem with a microprocessor;

causing said microprocessor to separately execute at least two software processes to respectively produce separate therapy control output components; and

responding to said output components to produce said output signal for

controlling said therapy administration subsystem.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein said therapy administration subsystem includes an actuatable pump mechanism and wherein said output signal actuates said mechanism to transfer a unit volume of medication from a reservoir to a body site.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein a first of said processes produces an output component comprising one or more fire command pulses for initiating pump strokes, and wherein

a second of said processes produces an output component comprising an enable signal for limiting the rate at which said pump strokes are produced.