Systems and methods for monitoring and managing power consumption of an implantable medical device

• US 7,469,161 B1
• Filed: 12/16/2004
• Issued: 12/23/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Kelly, Jonathan, Bohn, Derek, Gandhi, Raj
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Carl H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malamud; Deborah
• Application Number:
  US11/015,429
• Time in Patent Office: 1,468 Days
• Field of Search: 607 1- 5, 607/9, 607 27- 29, 607 31- 32, 607/60, 607115-116, 607/119, 128897-899, 324/426, 702/63
• US Class Current: 607/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3708 for power depletion
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means

Abstract

In one embodiment, an external programming device is operable to determine and graphically display power consumption of an implantable medical device (“IMD”). In accordance with this particular embodiment, the external programming device includes a graphical user interface display and a communication interface operable to receive information from an IMD. In this embodiment, the external programming device is operable to receive IMD parameter settings and/or battery parameter values from the IMD, calculate an power consumption rate for the IMD, and then display the power consumption on the graphical user interface display using a graphical visual indicator.

Claims

1. A method for managing power consumption of an implantable medical device (“

IMD”

), comprising;

calculating a power consumption rate for the IMD; and

displaying the power consumption rate using a graphical visual indicator.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the IMD is a cardiac rhythm management device selected from the group consisting of a pacemaker, an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (“

ICD”

), a pacer/defibrillator, and a cardiac resynchronization (“

CRT”

) device.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the step of calculating a power consumption rate for the IMD comprises calculating a power consumption rate based on one or more parameters selected from the group consisting of lead impedance, pace percent, programmed pulse width, and programmed pulse amplitude.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising using the power consumption rate to determine whether the IMD battery longevity is sub-optimal.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising displaying one or more parameters that might be affecting the power consumption rate.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining whether the power consumption rate is sub-optimal; and

identifying one or more parameters that might be contributing to the sub-optimal power consumption rate.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein an external programming device performs the identifying step.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

adjusting at least one of one or more parameters that might be contributing to the sub-optimal power consumption rate;

calculating an adjusted power consumption rate for the IMD using the at least one adjusted parameter; and

displaying the adjusted power consumption rate on the graphical visual indicator.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical visual indicator is selected from the group consisting of a level indicator, a multi-colored display, a gray-scale display, a multi-size indicator, a radial indicator and a pie indicator.

10. The method as recited in claim 9, wherein the graphical visual indicator comprises a three-color display.

11. The method as recited in claim 10, wherein the first color on the display indicates a power consumption rate, the second color on the display indicates an elevated power consumption rate, and the third color on the display indicates a high power consumption rate.

12. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the graphical visual indicator comprises a multi-level display.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the first level on the display indicates a power consumption rate, the second level on the display indicates an elevated power consumption rate, and third level on the display indicates a high power consumption rate.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein each level of the display comprises one or more level indicators within each level.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein each level indicator is an indicator of a power consumption rate.

16. A method for managing power consumption of an implantable medical device (“

IMD”

) comprising;

calculating a power consumption rate for the IMD using an IMD parameter that influences power consumption of the IMD, the IMD parameter having a first value;

displaying the power consumption rate and the IMD parameter on a graphical visual indicator;

adjusting the IMD parameter from the first value to a second value;

calculating an adjusted power consumption rate using the second value of the IMD parameter; and

displaying the adjusted power consumption rate and the second value of the IMD parameter using the graphical visual indicator.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the IMD parameter includes at least one of pulse width and pulse amplitude.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the IMD parameter includes at least one of pace rate and sense rate.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the IMD parameter includes at least one load parameter of one or more sensors associated with the IMD.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the power consumption rate and the IMD parameter are displayed to a health care provider.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein a health care provider adjusts the IMD parameter from the first value to the second value upon an external programmer of the IMD analyzing the power consumption rate to determine that it is sub-optimal and the external programmer notifying the health care provider that the power consumption rate is suboptimal.

22. A method for managing power consumption of an implantable medical device (“

IMD”

) comprising;

calculating a power consumption rate for the IMD using an IMD parameter that influences power consumption of the IMD, the IMD parameter having a first value, wherein the IMD parameter includes at least one load parameter of one or more sensors associated with the IMD;

displaying the power consumption rate and the IMD parameter on a graphical visual indicator;

adjusting the IMD parameter from the first value to a second value;

calculating an adjusted power consumption rate using the second value of the IMD parameter; and

displaying the adjusted power consumption rate and the second value of the IMD parameter using the graphical visual indicator.