Disabling an implantable medical device

• US 8,386,051 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2010
• Issued: 02/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Rys, Kenneth D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Manuel, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wieland, Robert N
• Application Number:
  US12/982,564
• Publication Number:
  US 20120172941A1
• Time in Patent Office: 789 Days
• Field of Search: 607/63
• US Class Current: 607/63
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/025 Digital circuitry features of electrotherapy devices, e.g. memory, clocks, processors
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3706 Pacemaker parameters stimulation threshold A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37211 Means for communicating with stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

Various techniques for using a disconnection element to disable an implantable medical device (IMD) are described. The disconnection element may be responsive to energy delivered from outside of the IMD to the disconnection element within the IMD. In response to the delivery of the energy, the power source and operational circuitry of the IMD may be decoupled.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a housing configured for implantation within a patient;

a power source within the housing;

operational circuitry within the housing that receives operational power from the power source and is configured to at least one of monitor the patient or deliver a therapy to the patient; and

a disconnection element within the housing and electrically coupled to both the power source and the operational circuitry, wherein the disconnection element is configured to decouple the power source and operational circuitry in response to reception of external energy from outside of the housing, and wherein the disconnection element comprises a fuse configured to break in response to the reception of the external energy.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the operational circuitry comprises at least one of:

a sensor module that receives a physiological signal of the patient; and

a therapy administration module configured to administer therapy.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the operational circuitry comprises at least one of:

a processor that controls the at least one of the monitoring of the patient or the delivery of the therapy to the patient;

a memory; and

a communication module for communication with an external programmer.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a leadless pacemaker.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electrodes coupled to the operational circuitry and the disconnection element, wherein operational circuitry is configured to at least one of deliver therapeutic electrical stimulation or sense physiological signals via the electrodes, and wherein the external energy comprises electrical energy received by the electrodes.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 5, wherein the electrodes are coupled to the disconnection element via at least one of a resistor-capacitor circuit or resistor-inductor-capacitor circuit tuned to allow current of a prescribed frequency to pass from the electrodes to the disconnection element.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a transducer element electrically coupled to the disconnection element and configured to provide a current to the disconnection element as a function of the external energy to modify the disconnection element.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein the external energy is an electromagnetic field at one of a plurality of frequencies and the transducer is configured to respond to the frequency of the external energy.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein the external energy is sound waves at one of a plurality of frequencies and the transducer is configured to respond to the frequency of the external energy.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein the external energy is light at one of a plurality of wavelengths and the transducer is configured to respond to the wavelength of the external energy.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising a parasitic circuit configured to drain the power source, wherein the disconnection element is configured to couple the power source and the parasitic circuit in response to the reception of the external energy from outside of the housing.

12. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a housing configured for implantation within a patient;

at least one of means for monitoring the patient or means for delivering a therapy to the patient within the housing;

means for providing power to the at least one of the means for monitoring or means for delivering within the housing; and

means within the housing for decoupling the means for providing power from the at least one of the means for monitoring or means for delivering in response to reception of external energy from outside of the housing, wherein the means for decoupling is electrically coupled to both the means for providing power and the at least one of the means for monitoring or means for delivering, and wherein the means for decoupling comprises a fuse configured to break in response to the reception of the external energy.

13. A system comprising:

a source configured to deliver energy; and

an implantable medical device comprising;

a housing configured for implantation within a patient;

a power source within the housing;

operational circuitry within the housing that receives operational power from the power source and is configured to at least one of monitor the patient or deliver a therapy to the patient; and

a disconnection element within the housing and electrically coupled to both the power source and the operational circuitry, wherein the disconnection element is configured to decouple the power source and operational circuitry in response to reception of energy from the source outside of the housing, and wherein the disconnection element comprises a fuse configured to break in response to the reception of the external energy.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a leadless pacemaker.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the source comprises a programmer configured to communicate with the implantable medical device.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the source comprises an external defibrillator.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the source comprises an elongated element for delivering the energy, the elongated element configured to be guided within the patient to a position proximate to the implantable medical device in order to deliver the external energy.

18. A method comprising:

attempting to communicate with an implantable medical device via an external programmer;

identifying failure of the communication with the implantable medical device; and

delivering energy to the implantable medical device, the energy configured to modify a disconnection element within the implantable medical device, the disconnection element electrically coupled to both a power source and operational circuitry within the implantable medical device, wherein modification of the disconnection element by the delivered energy decouples the power source and operational circuitry, and wherein the disconnection element comprises a fuse configured to break in response to the reception of the delivered energy.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein delivering energy comprises delivering energy from outside of a housing of the implantable medical device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein delivering energy comprises delivering energy from outside of the patient.