Implantable multi-function medical device

• US 6,044,295 A
• Filed: 04/16/1998
• Issued: 03/28/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Litronik Batterietechnologie GmbH & Co.
• Original Assignee: Litronik Batterietechnologie GmbH & Co.
• Inventors: Mueller, Juergen, Fehrmann, Gerd, Staub, Roland, Pilz, Juergen
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAYNO, CARL HERNANDZ
• Application Number:
  US09/061,043
• Time in Patent Office: 712 Days
• Field of Search: 607/4, 607/5, 607/9, 607/29
• US Class Current: 607/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 16/00 Structural combinations of different types of electrochemical generators
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/14 Cells with non-aqueous electrolyte
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/16 with organic electrolyte H01M6/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/425 Multimode batteries, batteries with "reserve cells"
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/50 Methods or arrangements for servicing or maintenance, e.g. for maintaining operating temperature constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5016 Multimode utilisation

Abstract

An implantable multi-function medical device, having a first therapy assembly that has a small current requirement and a second therapy assembly that has a large current requirement. The device further has a first battery component that is adapted to a consumer having a low current requirement, and a second battery component that is adapted to a consumer having a large current requirement, and a switching device which connects the second battery component only to the second therapy assembly until a control signal is emitted, which indicates that a predetermined voltage level of the first battery component has not been met, or that an internal resistance has been exceeded, but, as of this time, the switching device connects the second battery component to the first therapy assembly.

Claims

1. An implantable battery-operated, multi-function medical device comprising:

a first therapy assembly having a low current requirement;

a second therapy assembly having a large current requirement;

a first battery component adapted to be used with a device having a low current requirement and connected to said first therapy assembly;

a second battery component adapted to be used with a device having a large current requirement;

a sensor comprising a measuring device for detecting a measured value that is characteristic of the residual energy of the first battery component, taking into consideration the current and/or voltage requirement of the second therapy assembly, the measuring device having input and output sides, the input side of the measuring device being connected to an input side of the sensor, and being arranged to emit a control signal when the residual energy of the first battery component no longer suffices for low-current operation of the first therapy assembly, said measured value being the terminal voltage or the internal resistance of said first battery component; and

a switching device connected to the output side of the measuring device and connecting the second battery component only to the second therapy assembly until the control signal is emitted, which indicates that the available residual energy of the first battery component is less than a predetermined residual energy value, upon which the switching device connects the second battery component to the first therapy assembly, while also leaving the second battery component connected to the second therapy assembly.

2. The multi-function device as defined in claim 1, wherein the measuring device for detecting a measured value comprises a comparator circuit that compares the measured value with a reference value and emits an output signal if a predetermined difference between the measured value and a comparison value has been exceeded.

3. The multi-function device as defined in claim 2, wherein the measured value is the terminal voltage, and the comparison value is a reference voltage.

4. The multi-function device as defined in claim 2, wherein the comparator unit, or a logic element disposed downstream thereof, has a hysteresis characteristic such that the first battery component is re-connected to the first therapy assembly when the terminal voltage increases again or the internal resistance drops again.

5. The multi-function device as defined in claim 2, wherein the switching device has a logic element that is connected to the output of the comparator unit, a first and a second electronic switch, the switches being actuated by way of the logic element, and a voltage regulator or transformer that is selectively connected on the input side to the first or second battery by way of the electronic switches.

6. The multi-function device as defined in claim 5, in which the first and second battery components have different terminal voltages, wherein the transmission ratio of the voltage transformer can be switched by means of the control signal such that the transmission ratio essentially corresponds to the ratio of the terminal voltage of the first battery component to the supply voltage of the first therapy assembly when the first therapy assembly is connected to the first battery component, and the transmission ratio essentially corresponds to the ratio of the terminal voltage of the second battery component to the supply voltage of the first therapy assembly when the first therapy assembly is connected to the second battery component.

7. The multi-function device as defined in claim 2, wherein the output of the comparator unit or the measuring device is connected to an input of a low-current control circuit.

8. The multi-function device as defined in claim 1, wherein the switching device includes a component for separating the first battery component from the first therapy assembly when connecting the second battery component to the first therapy assembly.

9. The multi-function device as defined in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second battery components comprises a hermetically-sealed battery on a lithium base.

10. The multi-function device as defined in claim 1, wherein the first battery component comprises a lithium/iodine battery having a high energy density, and wherein the second battery component comprises a lithium/manganese dioxide battery or a lithium/penta-vanadium battery having a high power density.

11. The multi-function device as defined in claim 10, wherein the cathode material of the second battery component comprises a mixture of manganese dioxide and other metal oxides.

12. The multi-function device as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

a low-current control circuit for providing a current supply of the first therapy assembly; and

control lines connecting the second therapy assembly to the low-current control circuit.

13. The multi-function device as defined in claim 1, said device being implantable in a patient'"'"'s body and further comprising:

a further sensor comprising a further measuring device for detecting a measured value that is characteristic of the residual energy of the second battery component, taking into consideration the current and/or voltage requirement of the first therapy assembly, the further measuring device having input and output sides, the input side of the further measuring device being connected to an input side of the further sensor, and being arranged to emit a further control signal when the residual energy of the second battery component only suffices for low-current operation of the first therapy assembly for a limited amount of time; and

a telemetry device that is connected to the output of the further measuring device, and which transmits a telemetry signal to a receiver located outside of the patient'"'"'s body, the signal being influenced by the further control signal.

14. The multi-function device as defined in claim 13, wherein the device includes an encoding device, which combines the output signal of the further measuring device with the output signal of the measuring device, and that the telemetry signal is influenced, in different ways, by both the control signal and the further control signal.

15. The multi-function device as defined in claim 1, wherein the device is adapted to be used in a combination pacemaker/defibrillator.