System and method for monitoring power source longevity of an implantable medical device
First Claim
1. An implantable medical device for delivering a therapeutic output to a patient, comprising:
- an electrical power source having a useful life and a voltage which declines over said useful life;
a therapeutic delivery device operatively coupled to said power source and adapted to deliver said therapeutic output to said patient; and
a power source longevity monitor operatively coupled to said power source and said therapeutic delivery device, comprising;
an energy counter for counting the amount of energy used by said implantable medical device;
an energy converter for converting said energy used into an estimate of remaining power source longevity and generating an energy longevity estimate;
a voltage monitor for monitoring said voltage of said power source;
a voltage converter for converting said voltage monitored by said voltage monitor into an estimate of remaining longevity of said power source and generating a voltage longevity estimate; and
a calculator operatively coupled to said energy converter and to said voltage converter, said calculator predicting said power source longevity using said energy longevity estimate early in said useful life of said power source and using said voltage longevity estimate later in said useful life of said power source.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Power source longevity monitor for an implantable medical device. An energy counter counts the amount of energy used by the implantable medical device. An energy converter converts the energy used into an estimate of remaining power source longevity and generating an energy longevity estimate. A voltage monitor monitors the voltage of the power source. A voltage converter converts the voltage monitored by the voltage monitor into an estimate of remaining longevity of the power source and generating a voltage longevity estimate. A calculator is operatively coupled to the energy converter and to the voltage converter and predicts the power source longevity using the energy longevity estimate early in the useful life of the power source and using the voltage longevity estimate later in the useful life of the power source.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. An implantable medical device for delivering a therapeutic output to a patient, comprising:
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an electrical power source having a useful life and a voltage which declines over said useful life;
a therapeutic delivery device operatively coupled to said power source and adapted to deliver said therapeutic output to said patient; and
a power source longevity monitor operatively coupled to said power source and said therapeutic delivery device, comprising;
an energy counter for counting the amount of energy used by said implantable medical device;
an energy converter for converting said energy used into an estimate of remaining power source longevity and generating an energy longevity estimate;
a voltage monitor for monitoring said voltage of said power source;
a voltage converter for converting said voltage monitored by said voltage monitor into an estimate of remaining longevity of said power source and generating a voltage longevity estimate; and
a calculator operatively coupled to said energy converter and to said voltage converter, said calculator predicting said power source longevity using said energy longevity estimate early in said useful life of said power source and using said voltage longevity estimate later in said useful life of said power source. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of monitoring longevity of an electrical power source in an implantable medical device capable of delivering a therapeutic output to a patient, having an electrical power source having a useful life and a voltage which declines over said useful life and a therapeutic delivery device operatively coupled to said power source and adapted to deliver said therapeutic output to said patient, comprising the steps of:
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determining an amount of energy used by said implantable medical device;
converting said amount of energy used into an estimate of power source longevity and generating an energy longevity estimate;
monitoring said voltage of said power source;
converting said voltage into an estimate of power source longevity and generating a voltage longevity estimate; and
predicting said power source longevity using said energy longevity estimate early in said useful life of said power source and using said voltage longevity estimate later in said useful life of said power source. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification