System and method for conserving power in a medical device

• US 8,904,214 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2010
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Zoll Medical Corporation (Asahi Kasei Corporation)
• Inventors: Volpe, Shane, Rattanni, Richard A., Kaib, Thomas E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rehman, Mohammed
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hicks, Austin
• Application Number:
  US12/833,096
• Publication Number:
  US 20120011382A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 356/630, 700/117, 702/172
• US Class Current: 713/323
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/08 Arrangements or circuits for monitoring, protecting, controlling or indicating for external stimulators A61N1/3603; for implantable neurostimulators A61N1/36128; for heart stimulators A61N1/37; for defibrillators A61N1/3925
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3925 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3975 Power supply A61N1/378 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3203 Power management, i.e. event-based initiation of a power-saving mode
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3234 Power saving characterised by the action undertaken
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/324 by lowering clock frequency
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3296 by lowering the supply or operating voltage
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/542 Event management; Broadcasting; Multicasting; Notifications
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management

Abstract

A system and method for conservation of battery power in a portable medical device is provided. In one example, a processor arrangement that includes a plurality of processors is implemented. At least one of these processors is configured to execute the critical functions of the medical device, while one or more other processors assume a reduced service level, thereby drawing significantly less power. According to this arrangement, the medical device conserves energy by drawing the additional electrical power needed to activate the additional processing power only when needed.

Claims

1. A method for conserving electrical power in an external therapeutic medical device including at least one external ECG sensor, the method comprising:

instructing a general purpose processor located within the external therapeutic medical device to enter a reduced service state;

receiving ECG data from the at least one external ECG sensor, the at least one external ECG sensor being physically connected to the therapeutic medical device;

detecting, on a critical purpose digital signal processor located within the external therapeutic medical device, at least one event indicated within the ECG data that requires

processing by the general purpose processor;

dynamically instructing the general purpose processor to enter an active state; and

processing, on the general purpose processor, the at least one event.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein instructing the general purpose processor to enter the reduced service state includes instructing the general purpose processor to enter a sleeping state.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting, on the critical purpose digital signal processor, the at least one event includes detecting a critical event.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein processing, on the general purpose processor, the at least one event includes providing an indication of the critical event to a user.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein processing, on the general purpose processor, the at least one event further includes receiving an indication to delay treatment from the user.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting, on the critical purpose digital signal processor, the at least one event includes detecting expiration of a predetermined amount of time.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting, on the critical purpose digital signal processor, the at least one event includes detecting that a shared memory is full, the shared memory being accessible by the general purpose processor and the critical purpose digital signal processor.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein processing, on the general purpose processor, the at least one event includes:

reading data from the shared memory; and

storing the data in data storage.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising entering, on the general purpose processor, another reduced service state after storing the data in the data storage.

10. The method according to claim 8, further comprising initiating treatment on the critical purpose digital signal processor.

11. An external therapeutic medical device comprising:

at least one external ECG sensor physically connected to the external therapeutic medical device;

a shared memory;

a general purpose processor located within external therapeutic medical device and coupled to the shared memory and configured to process at least one event; and

a critical purpose digital signal processor located within the external therapeutic medical device and coupled to the shared memory and the general purpose processor and configured to;

instruct the general purpose processor to enter a reduced service state;

receive ECG data from the at least one external ECG sensor;

detect at least one event indicated within the ECG data that requires processing by the general purpose processor; and

dynamically instruct the general purpose processor to enter an active state, wherein the general purpose processor processes the at least one event that requires processing by the general purpose processor.

12. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 11, wherein the critical purpose digital signal processor is configured to instruct the general purpose processor to enter the reduced service state by instructing the general purpose processor to enter a sleeping state.

13. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 11, wherein the critical purpose digital signal processor is configured to detect the at least one event by detecting a critical event.

14. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 13, wherein the general purpose processor is configured to process the at least one event by providing an indication of the critical event to a user.

15. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 14, wherein the general purpose processor is configured to process the at least one event by receiving an indication to delay treatment from the user.

16. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 11, wherein the critical purpose digital signal processor is configured to detect the at least one event by detecting expiration of a predetermined amount of time.

17. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 11, wherein the critical purpose digital signal processor is configured to detect the at least one event by detecting that the shared memory is full.

18. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 17, wherein the general purpose processor is configured to process the at least one event by:

reading data from the shared memory; and

storing the data in data storage.

19. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 18, wherein the general purpose processor is further configured to enter another reduced service state after storing the data in the data storage.

20. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 18, wherein the critical purpose digital signal processor is further configured to initiate treatment.

21. An external therapeutic medical device comprising:

at least one external ECG sensor physically connected to the external therapeutic medical device;

at least one therapy delivery device; and

a portable treatment controller coupled to the at least one external ECG sensor and the at

least one therapy delivery device, the portable treatment controller including;

a shared memory;

a general purpose processor located within the portable treatment controller and coupled to the shared memory and configured to process at least one event; and

a critical purpose digital signal processor located within the portable treatment controller and coupled to the shared memory and the general purpose processor and configured to;

instruct the general purpose processor to enter a reduced service state;

receive ECG data from the at least one external ECG sensor;

detect at least one event indicated within the ECG data that requires processing by the general purpose processor; and

dynamically instruct the general purpose processor to enter an active state,

wherein the general purpose processor processes the at least one event that requires processing by the general purpose processor.

22. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 21, wherein the critical purpose digital signal processor is configured to instruct the general purpose processor to enter the reduced service state by instructing the general purpose processor to enter a sleeping state.

23. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 21, wherein the critical purpose digital signal processor is configured to detect the at least one event by detecting a critical event via the at least one external ECG sensor.

24. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 23, further comprising a user interface coupled to the general purpose processor, wherein the general purpose processor is configured to process the at least one event by providing an indication of the critical event to a user via the user interface.

25. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 24, wherein the general purpose processor is configured to process the at least one event by receiving an indication to delay treatment from the user via the user interface.

26. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 21, wherein the critical purpose digital signal processor is configured to detect the at least one event by detecting expiration of a predetermined amount of time.

27. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 21, wherein the critical purpose digital signal processor is configured to detect the at least one event by detecting that the shared memory is full.

28. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 27, wherein the general purpose processor is configured to process the at least one event by:

reading data from the shared memory; and

storing the data in data storage.

29. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 28, wherein the general purpose processor is further configured to enter another reduced service state after storing the data in the data storage.

30. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 28, wherein the critical purpose digital signal processor is further configured to initiate treatment via the at least one therapy delivery device.

31. The external therapeutic medical device according to claim 28, wherein the critical purpose digital signal processor is configured to respond to information received from the at least one external ECG sensor within 10 microseconds of receipt.