Method and Apparatus for Preventing Excessive Power Drain from an Implantable Device

• US 20080097532A1
• Filed: 09/28/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Pacesetter Incorporated (Abbott Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Propato, Claudio
• Granted Patent: US 7,778,710 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0209 adapted for power saving
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37276 characterised by means for reducing power consumption during telemetry

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided for controlling interrogation of an implantable device such as a pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter, or a defibrillator utilizing an external device in a home environment. The method controls how frequently a patient can retrieve status information from the implantable device based on a time period elapsed since a last interrogation and a power level of a battery.

Claims

1. A method for controlling interrogation of an implantable device utilizing an external device, the method comprising:

receiving a current request for information to be retrieved from an implantable device;

determining a temporal history of previous interrogations of the implantable device;

allowing the interrogation process to proceed based on a comparison of the temporal history of previous interrogations with the current request for information; and

transmitting information from the implantable device to the external device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting information includes reading the information from a memory location within the implantable device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining a temporal history of previous interrogations is performed by the external device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining a temporal history of previous interrogations is performed by the implantable device.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the information includes at least one of physiological information, programmable information, timing information, and a battery condition.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprises preventing transmission of the information when a battery power level is less than a threshold battery value.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the implantable device constitutes at least one of a pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, and a defibrillator.

8. A system for controlling interrogation of an implantable device utilizing an external device, the system comprising:

a module adapted to receive a current request for information to be retrieved from the implantable device;

a monitoring module adapted to record a temporal history of previous interrogations of the implantable device and to decide whether to allow the interrogation process to proceed based on a comparison of the temporal history of previous interrogations with the current request for information; and

a telemetry unit to establish a wireless communication link with the external device.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the information requested includes at least one of physiological information, programmable information, timing information, and a battery condition.

10. The system according to claim 8, wherein the information constitutes physiological information that includes at least one of a heart rate, an electrical activation pattern of the heart, a strength of contraction of heart muscle, an amount of fluid in the lungs, a tachycardia rate, a bradycardia rate, a fibrillation rate, and an arrhythmia rate.

11. The system according to claim 8, wherein the information constitutes battery condition that includes at least one of a low power battery status, a battery internal resistance, a number of charge/discharge cycles, battery age, a battery voltage and a remaining battery charge.

12. The system according to claim 8, wherein the monitoring module is adapted to prevent the interrogation process from proceeding when a period of time elapsed since a last request for the information is shorter than a threshold period of time.

13. The system according to claim 8, wherein the monitoring module is adapted to prevent the interrogation process from proceeding when a battery power level is below a threshold battery value.

14. The system according to claim 8, wherein the implantable device constitutes at least one of a pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, and a defibrillator.

15. The system according to claim 8, wherein the monitoring module dynamically updates a threshold period of time to a new value based on a power level of a battery within the implantable device.