End-of-life indication system for implantable pulse generator

• US 5,496,353 A
• Filed: 09/23/1993
• Issued: 03/05/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gregory P. Gadson
• Original Assignee: Gregory P. Gadson
• Inventors: Leinders, Robert, Grandjean, Pierre A., Bourgeois, Ivan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHAETZLE, KENNEDY
• Application Number:
  US08/126,152
• Time in Patent Office: 894 Days
• Field of Search: 607/29, 607/32, 607/16, 600/16
• US Class Current: 607/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36042 of grafted tissue, e.g. skeletal muscle
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3708 for power depletion

Abstract

An end-of-life (EOL) indicator for an implantable pulse generator (IPG)--especially of the neuromuscular stimulation variety--indicates an approaching battery EOL condition via an electrocardiogram (ECG) by changing the nature of the muscle stimulation burst signals. IPG internal circuitry detects an approaching EOL condition and modifies the burst signals by, for example, decreasing the number of pulses in a burst, increasing the heart contraction-to-powering-muscle contraction ratio, or alternating between two numbers of pulses in successive burst cycles. The approaching battery EOL condition can be easily ascertained via trans-telephonic monitoring by analyzing a transmitted ECG alone, for the above-mentioned burst signal changes. By observing the patterns in the ECG caused by the burst signal changes, a clinician could be aware of an approaching EOL without having known the original muscle stimulation burst signal parameters.

Claims

1. A pacemaker system comprising:

an implantable pulse generator (IPG) comprising stimulation pulse generator means, battery end-of-life (EOL) monitoring means for detecting an approaching battery EOL condition, and stimulation pulse generator modifier means coupled to said stimulation pulse generator means for intelligently modifying stimulation pulse signals generated by said stimulation pulse generator wherein said IPG monitors cardiac stimulation signals and generates muscle stimulation bursts, and said stimulation pulse generator modifier means modifies a synchronization ratio between said cardiac stimulation signals and said muscle stimulation bursts; and

a battery end-of-life (EOL) condition indicator means coupled to said EOL monitoring means and to said stimulation pulse generator modifier means;

wherein, upon the detection of an approaching battery EOL condition, said EOL condition indicator means activates said stimulation pulse generator modifier means, and said stimulation pulse signals form discernible patterns indicating said approaching EOL condition, without reference to stimulation pulse signal parameters.

2. The pacemaker system in claim 1 wherein said IPG is adapted to at least monitor cardiac stimulation signals and generate muscle stimulation bursts, and said stimulation pulse generator modifier means modifies the number of pulses in said stimulation bursts when activated.

3. The pacemaker system in claim 2 wherein said stimulation pulse generator modifier means is adapted to further modify the number of pulses in said stimulation bursts when the voltage of a subject battery is further reduced beyond an EOL condition.

4. The pacemaker system in claim 1 wherein said stimulation pulse generator modifier means is adapted to further modify said synchronization ratio when the voltage of a subject battery is further reduced beyond an EOL condition.

5. In an implantable pulse generator (IPG) comprising stimulation pulse generator means, and telephonic signal generator means coupled to said stimulation pulse generator mean adapted to transmit an electrocardiogram (ECG), a battery end-of-life (EOL) condition indicator comprising:

battery EOL monitoring means for detecting an approaching battery EOL condition; and

stimulation pulse generator modifier means coupled to said stimulation pulse generator means for intelligently modifying stimulation signals output by said stimulation pulse generator wherein said IPG monitors cardiac stimulation signals and generates muscle stimulation bursts and said stimulation pulse generator modifier means modifies a synchronization ratio between said cardiac stimulation signals and said muscle stimulation bursts;

wherein, upon the detection of an approaching battery EOL condition said ECG is modified to display discernible patterns indicating said approaching EOL condition, without reference to stimulation pulse signal parameters.

6. The battery EOL condition indicator in claim 5 wherein said IPG is adapted to at least monitor cardiac stimulation signals and generate muscle stimulation bursts, and said stimulation pulse generator modifier means modifies the number of pulses in said stimulation bursts when activated.

7. The battery EOL condition indicator in claim 6 wherein said stimulation pulse generator modifier means is adapted to further modify the number of pulses in said stimulation bursts when the voltage of a subject battery is further reduced beyond an EOL condition.

8. The battery EOL condition indicator in claim 5 wherein said stimulation pulse generator modifier means is adapted to further modify said synchronization ratio when the voltage of a subject battery is further reduced beyond an EOL condition.

9. An implantable pulse generator comprising:

a stimulation pulse generator for generating muscle stimulation bursts and cardiac pacing pulses in a predefined ratio;

a battery end-of-life monitor for detecting an approaching end-of-life condition for a battery; and

a stimulation pulse modifier coupled to the stimulation pulse generator and the battery end-of-life monitor, the stimulation pulse modifier modifying the predefined ratio of muscle stimulation bursts and cardiac pacing pulses upon detection of the approaching end-of-life condition.