LEADLESS PACEMAKER WITH END-OF-LIFE PROTECTION

• US 20150174412A1
• Filed: 12/19/2014
• Published: 06/25/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Stahmann, Jeffrey E., Haasl, Benjamin J., Maile, Keith R., Linder, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 10,029,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3708 for power depletion
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/39622 Pacing therapy

Abstract

An implantable medical device includes operational circuitry, such as a therapy circuit. The implantable medical device also includes a power source configured to deliver energy to the operational circuitry, and a deactivation element configured to disable the therapy circuit. A power manager is configured to detect an end-of-life condition of the power source and, in response to detecting the end-of-life condition, cause the deactivation element to reversibly disable the therapy circuit.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device comprising:

operational circuitry, wherein the operational circuitry comprises at least one of a therapy circuit and a sensor circuit;

a communications module;

a power source configured to deliver energy to the operational circuitry; and

a deactivation element configured to at least partially disable the operational circuitry by interrupting delivery of energy from the power source to the operational circuitry;

a power manager configured to detect an end-of-life condition of the power source and, in response to detecting the end-of-life condition, cause the deactivation element to at least partially reversibly disable the operational circuitry.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a leadless cardiac pacing seed.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the operational circuitry comprises the therapy circuit.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 3, wherein the deactivation element is configured to prevent energy from being delivered to the therapy circuit.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a memory component configured to store an indication of a post end-of-life state of the implantable medical device.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein the memory component comprises an active storage element.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 6, wherein the power manager is configured to allow energy to be delivered to the memory component during the end-of-life state.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein the memory component comprises a non-volatile memory element.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 8, wherein the memory component is further configured to store a plurality of operational parameters during the end-of-life state.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 9, wherein the power source comprises a rechargeable battery.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 10, further comprising a controller, wherein the controller is configured to access the plurality of operational parameters in response to receiving an activation signal.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 11, wherein the controller is configured to restore the device to its pre-end-of-life state using the operational parameters.

13. A leadless cardiac pacing seed comprising:

a therapy circuit;

a communications module;

a power source configured to deliver energy to the therapy circuit and the communications module; and

a deactivation element configured to disable at least one of the therapy circuit and the communications module by reversibly interrupting delivery of energy from the power source to the therapy circuit or the communications module;

a power manager configured to detect an end-of-life condition of the seed and, in response to detecting the end-of-life condition, cause the deactivation element to reversibly disable at least one of the therapy circuit and the communications module.

14. The leadless cardiac pacing seed of claim 13, further comprising a memory component configured to store an indication of an end-of-life state.

15. The leadless cardiac pacing seed of claim 14, wherein the memory component comprises an active storage element.

16. The leadless cardiac pacing seed of claim 15, wherein the power manager is configured to allow energy to be delivered to the memory component during the end-of-life state.

17. The leadless cardiac pacing seed of claim 14, wherein the memory component comprises a non-volatile memory element.

18. The leadless cardiac pacing seed of claim 17, wherein the memory component is further configured to store a plurality of operational parameters during the end-of-life state, and wherein the controller is configured to access the plurality of operational parameters in response to receiving an activation signal.

19. The implantable medical device of claim 18, wherein the controller is configured to restore the device to its pre-end-of-life state using the operational parameters.

20. A cardiac pacing system comprising:

an implantable leadless cardiac pacing seed configured to deliver electrostimulation therapy to a patient, the implantable leadless cardiac pacing seed comprising;

a therapy circuit;

a communications module configured to receive a deactivation signal from an external device;

a power source configured to deliver energy to the therapy circuit and the communications module;

a power manager configured to detect an end-of-life condition of at least one of the power source and the therapy circuit and, in response to detecting the end-of-life condition, place the implantable leadless cardiac pacing seed in an end-of-life state;

a deactivation element configured to interrupt delivery of energy from the power source to the therapy circuit so as to reversibly disable the therapy circuit in response to the deactivation signal being received by the communications module; and

a memory component configured to store an indication of an end-of-life state of the seed; and

an external device configured to provide the deactivation signal to the communications module.