PACEMAKER EVENT QUEUE TO CONTROL DEVICE PROCESSOR OPERATING POWER

• US 20140100634A1
• Filed: 12/16/2013
• Published: 04/10/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Hansen, Daniel L., Ecker, Robert M., Solheim, Paul R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,855,780 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3708 for power depletion
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply

Abstract

In the present disclosure, conservation of an implantable medical device power supply of is facilitated by controlling the power consumption of the device'"'"'s processing component. The power supplied to the processing component is controlled to enable processing of received events as a function of predetermined criteria rather than the actual occurrence of the events which is frequent, but irregular. Accordingly, the need for the processing component to start and stop (and thereby be fully powered on each start) with receipt of each event is obviated thereby maintaining the power consumption of the processing component and increasing longevity of the device. Event data associated with received events is stored in an event queue and subsequently retrieved and transmitted for processing based on predetermined criteria. The power supplied during an idle state of the processing component may be reduced in relation to the power supplied during a wake up state.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device having at least one power supply comprising:

means for detecting an event;

means for storing event data associated with the event;

means for processing the event data;

means for generating an interrupt signal based on predetermined criteria, wherein the event data is provided to the processing means based on the interrupt signal; and

means for controlling an output of the power supplied to the processing means by the power supply based on the predetermined criteria.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the generating means comprises circuitry for comparing the number of stored events to a threshold and generating the interrupt signal based on the events exceeding the threshold.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the generating means comprises circuitry for identifying a given event and generating the interrupt signal based on a classification of the event.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the generating means monitors the expiration of a predetermined time window and generates the interrupt signal at the expiration of the time window in response to storage of one or more events during the time window.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the control means controls the output of the power supply to provide a first power level in response to an idle state of the processing means and a second power level in response to a wake up state of the processing means.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein the second power level is provided until the processing means returns to the idle state.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a clock signal output means for outputting at least two clock signals to the processing means based on the predetermined criteria, wherein the at least two signals have a first frequency and a second frequency different from the first frequency.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein the first frequency is output to the processing means during an idle state of the processing means.

9. A method for conserving power in an implantable medical device comprising:

receiving an event to be processed by a processing component;

storing data the event;

transferring the event data to the processing component triggered by a predetermined criteria;

controlling a power supply to the processing component based on the transfer of the event data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein controlling the power supply comprises providing a first power level to the processing component during an idle state and providing a second power level to the processing component in response to the transfer of event data to the processing component

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the received event includes a signal indicative of a physiologic event.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the events are stored in a sequential manner.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating an interrupt signal based on the predetermined criteria.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined criteria includes storage of data associated with a predefined number of events.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the predetermined criteria includes expiration of a predefined time window.