Therapy delivery architecture for implantable medical device

• US 9,421,385 B2
• Filed: 07/18/2013
• Issued: 08/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Vijayagopal, Ramprasad, Stessman, Nicholas J., Linder, William J., Balczewski, Ron A., Maile, Keith R., Ternes, David J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Flory, Christopher A
• Application Number:
  US13/945,109
• Publication Number:
  US 20140052207A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,132 Days
• Field of Search: 607/9, 607/60, 607/66, 607/70, 607/116
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36125 Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36185 Selection of the electrode configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/372 Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply

Abstract

An implantable medical device (IMD) may include multiple power supply circuits and an electrostimulation therapy output circuit configured to, in response to a control signal specifying an electrostimulation therapy, controllably connect any one or more of the first or second power supply circuits to any one or more of a first electrostimulation output node or a second electrostimulation output node to deliver an electrostimulation. In an embodiment, the IMD may include an electrostimulation therapy return circuit configured to establish a return path for the electrostimulation delivered via one or more of the first electrostimulation output node or the second electrostimulation output node.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a first power supply circuit;

a second power supply circuit;

an electrostimulation therapy control circuit, configured to provide a control signal specifying an electrostimulation therapy selected from a first electrostimulation therapy that uses the first power supply circuit and a second electrostimulation therapy that uses the second power supply circuit;

an electrostimulation therapy output circuit coupled to the electrostimulation therapy control circuit and the first and second power supply circuits, the electrostimulation therapy output circuit configured to respond the control signal by controllably connecting the first power supply circuit to one or more electrostimulation output nodes to deliver the first electrostimulation therapy or controllably connecting the second power supply circuit to one or more of the electrostimulation output nodes to deliver the second electrostimulation therapy; and

an electrostimulation therapy return circuit coupled to the electrostimulation therapy control circuit and configured to provide or maintain a charge-balance condition for the electrostimulation therapies, the electrostimulation therapy return circuit configured to respond to the control signal by establishing a first return path when the first electrostimulation therapy is selected and a second return path when the second electrostimulation therapy is selected, the first return path having a capacitance between at least one of the electrostimulation output nodes and a reference node to passively bleed charges to provide or maintain the charge-balanced condition during the first electrostimulation therapy, the second return path having a capacitance between at least one of the electrostimulation output nodes and the reference node to passively bleed charges to provide or maintain the charge-balanced condition during the second electrostimulation therapy;

wherein each of the electrostimulation output nodes is configured to couple to one or more implantable electrodes.

2. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the electrostimulation therapy return circuit comprises an array of two or more capacitors and two or more switches each coupled to at least one of the two or more capacitors, and wherein the electrostimulation therapy return circuit is electrically coupled between a reference node and one or more of the electrostimulation output nodes via a capacitance established using one or more capacitors controllably selected from the array of two or more capacitors according to the selection of the first or second electrostimulation therapy.

3. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the electrostimulation therapy includes a neural stimulation therapy, and the one or more electrostimulation output nodes are configured for coupling to the one or more implantable electrodes for delivery of the electrostimulation to a neural tissue site.

4. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the electrostimulation therapy includes a cardiac pacing therapy, and the one or more electrostimulation output nodes are configured for coupling to the one or more implantable electrodes for delivery of the electrostimulation to a cardiac tissue site.

5. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the first power supply circuit comprises a current-mode power supply circuit and wherein the second power supply circuit comp rises a voltage-mode power supply circuit.

6. The implantable medical device of claim 1, comprising a plurality of power supply circuits and a plurality of electrostimulation output nodes;

and

wherein, in response to the control signal, the electrostimulation therapy output circuit and the electrostimulation therapy return circuits are configured to generate first and second at least partially contemporaneous electrostimulation therapies, to deliver the first electrostimulation therapy to a first tissue site using a first combination of the plurality of electrostimulation output nodes controllably connected to a first power supply circuit included in the plurality of power supply circuits, and to deliver the second electrostimulation therapy to a second tissue site using a second combination of the plurality of electrostimulation output nodes controllably connected to a second power supply circuit included in the plurality of power supply circuits.

7. The implantable medical device of claim 6, wherein the electrostimulation therapy output circuit includes power supply selection switches and therapy delivery switches, the power supply selection switches each coupled to at least one of the plurality of power supply circuits, the therapy delivery switches each coupled to at least one of the plurality of electrostimulation output nodes;

and

wherein the control signal specifying the electrostimulation therapy defines a state of the power supply switches and the therapy delivery switches.

8. The implantable medical device of claim 7, wherein one or more of the power supply selection switches or the therapy delivery switches includes a transmission gate structure, and wherein the therapy output circuit and the therapy return circuit comprise a commonly-shared integrated circuit assembly.

9. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the control signal specifying an electrostimulation therapy defines one or more of an electrostimulation morphology, a specification of an electrostimulation output node configuration, a specification of a power supply circuit configuration, or a specification of a return path configuration.

10. The implantable medical device of claim 1, wherein the electrostimulation therapy control circuit is configured to control generation of an electrostimulation for delivery via a combination of electrostimulation output nodes, the electrostimulation comprising a first amplitude and a first polarity during a first duration using the first power supply circuit, and a second amplitude and a second polarity during a second duration using the second power supply circuit.

11. The implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein the electrostimulation comp rises a bi-phasic waveform.

12. The implantable medical device of claim 10, wherein the electrostimulation comprises a multi-phasic waveform including two or more phases each corresponding to electrostimulation generated by at least one of the power supply circuits.

13. The implantable medical device of claim 1, further comprising an implantable lead including an electrode;

and

wherein at least one of the electrostimulation output nodes is electrically coupled to the electrode via the implantable lead.

14. An implantable medical device, comprising:

a plurality of power supply circuits;

a plurality of electrostimulation output nodes;

an electrostimulation therapy control circuit, configured to provide a control signal specifying an electrostimulation therapy;

an electrostimulation therapy output circuit coupled to the electrostimulation therapy control circuit and configured to respond to the control signal by controllably connecting one or more of the plurality of power supply circuits to any specified one or more of the plurality of electrostimulation output nodes to deliver an electrostimulation therapy;

an electrostimulation therapy return circuit coupled to the electrostimulation therapy control circuit and configured to provide or maintain a charge-balance condition for the electrostimulation therapies, the electrostimulation therapy return circuit configured to respond to the control signal by establishing a return path having a capacitance between at least one of the plurality of electrostimulation output nodes and a reference node to passively bleed charges to provide or maintain the charge-balanced condition during the electrostimulation therapy;

wherein each of the respective electrostimulation output nodes is configured to couple to respective implantable electrodes;

wherein, under the control of the therapy control circuit, the electrostimulation therapy output circuit and the electrostimulation therapy return circuits are configured to generate two or more at least partially contemporaneous electrostimulation therapies for respective delivery at two different specified tissue sites using any specified combination of the plurality of electrostimulation output nodes; and

wherein the specified electrostimulation therapy includes a specified neural stimulation therapy.

15. An implantable medical device comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory circuit;

wherein the at least one memory circuit includes instructions that, when performed by the at least one processor, cause the implantable medical device to;

controllably connect a first power supply circuit to one or more electrostimulation output nodes to deliver a first electrostimulation therapy or controllably connect a second power supply circuit to one or more of the electrostimulation output nodes to deliver a second electrostimulation therapy in response to a control signal specifying an electrostimulation therapy and using an electrostimulation therapy output circuit coupled to an electrostimulation therapy control circuit and the first and second power supply circuits; and

provide or maintain a charge-balance condition for the electrostimulation therapies by establishing a first return path when the first electrostimulation therapy is selected and a second return path when the second electrostimulation therapy is selected, the first return path having a capacitance between at least one of the electrostimulation output nodes and a reference node to passively bleed charges to provide or maintain the charge-balanced condition during the first electrostimulation therapy using an electrostimulation therapy return circuit coupled to the electrostimulation therapy control circuit, the second return path having a capacitance between at least one of the electrostimulation output nodes and the reference node to passively bleed charges to provide or maintain the charge-balanced condition during the second electrostimulation therapy using the electrostimulation therapy return circuit coupled to the electrostimulation therapy control circuit;

wherein each of the electrostimulation output nodes is configured to couple to one or more implantable electrodes.

16. The implantable medical device of claim 15, wherein the instructions that cause the implantable medical device to establish the first or second return path include instructions to couple a reference node to one or more of the electrostimulation output nodes via a specified capacitance established using one or more capacitors included in an array of two or more capacitors.

17. The implantable medical device of claim 15, wherein the specified electrostimulation therapy includes a neural stimulation therapy or a cardiac pacing therapy.

18. The implantable medical device of claim 15, wherein the control signal specifying an electrostimulation therapy defines one or more of an electrostimulation morphology, a specification of an electrostimulation output node configuration, a specification of a power supply circuit configuration, or a specification of a return path configuration.

19. The implantable medical device of claim 15, wherein the first power supply circuit comprises a current-mode power supply circuit and wherein the second power supply circuit comp rises a voltage-mode power supply circuit.

20. The implantable medical device of claim 15, wherein the memory circuit includes instructions that cause the implantable medical device to generate two or more at least partially contemporaneous electrostimulation therapies, each of the two or more electrostimulation therapies delivered at one of two different tissue sites using plurality of electrostimulation output nodes controllably connected to one of a plurality of power supply circuits.