Charge pump system, devices and methods for an implantable stimulator

• US 9,731,116 B2
• Filed: 07/02/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Greatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Greatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chen, Joey
• Primary Examiner(s): Alter, Alyssa M
• Application Number:
  US14/322,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20150012063A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0841 for locating instruments
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0553 Paddle shaped electrodes, e.g. for laminotomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36125 Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36139 with automatic adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36146 specified by the stimulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36153 Voltage A61N1/3616 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

A medical device for providing an electrical stimulation therapy for a patient includes a microcontroller configured to generate a plurality of electrical pulses and a control signal. The medical device includes a stimulation driver coupled to the microcontroller. The stimulation driver is configured to amplify the electrical pulses into amplified electrical pulses to be delivered to the patient as a part of the electrical stimulation therapy. The medical device includes a battery configured to supply a first voltage. The medical device includes a voltage up-converter coupled between the battery and the stimulation driver. The voltage up-converter is configured to convert, in response to the control signal from the microcontroller, the first voltage to a compliance voltage for the stimulation driver. The compliance voltage is a fraction of the first voltage, and the fraction is greater than 1.

Claims

1. A medical device for providing an electrical stimulation therapy for a patient, the medical device comprising:

a microcontroller configured to generate a plurality of electrical pulses and a control signal;

a stimulation driver coupled to the microcontroller, the stimulation driver being configured to amplify the electrical pulses into amplified electrical pulses to be delivered to the patient as a part of the electrical stimulation therapy;

a battery configured to supply a first voltage; and

a voltage up-converter coupled between the battery and the stimulation driver, the voltage up-converter including a charge pump;

wherein;

the charge pump is configured to receive the first voltage and convert, in response to the control signal from the microcontroller, the first voltage to a compliance voltage for the stimulation driver;

the compliance voltage is a fraction of the first voltage; and

the fraction is a non-integer value that is greater than 1.

2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the voltage up-converter further includes a level shifter switch configured to shift up the control signal from the microcontroller.

3. The medical device of claim 1, wherein:

the microcontroller is configured to control, via the control signal, an amount of time the voltage up-converter is turned on or off; and

the fraction is a function of the amount of time that the voltage up-converter is turned on.

4. The medical device of claim 1, wherein for any particular electrical pulse, the charge pump is configured to convert the first voltage to the compliance voltage in a manner such that the compliance voltage exceeds an amplitude of the electrical pulse by at least a predefined headroom voltage.

5. The medical device of claim 1, wherein for any particular electrical pulse, the charge pump is configured to convert the first voltage to the compliance voltage in a manner such that the compliance voltage exceeds an amplitude of the electrical pulse by at least a second voltage, the second voltage being a function of a load of the voltage up-converter.

6. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller and the voltage up-converter are collectively configured to dynamically adjust the compliance voltage pulse-to-pulse in response to respective amplitudes of the electrical pulses.

7. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the microcontroller is configured to rapidly enable and disable the voltage up-converter during the electrical pulses.

8. A medical system for providing an electrical stimulation therapy for a patient, the medical system comprising:

an electronic programmer configured to generate stimulation programming instructions for an implantable pulse generator (IPG);

the IPG configured to provide, in response to the stimulation programming instructions, stimulation pulses to be delivered to the patient as a part of the electrical stimulation therapy, wherein the IPG contains;

a microcontroller configured to generate a plurality of electrical pulses and a control signal;

a stimulation driver coupled to the microcontroller, the stimulation driver being configured to amplify the electrical pulses into the stimulation pulses;

a battery configured to supply a first voltage; and

a voltage up-converter coupled between the battery and the stimulation driver, the voltage up-converter including a charge pump, wherein the charge pump is configured to receive the first voltage and convert, in response to the control signal from the microcontroller, the first voltage to a compliance voltage for the stimulation driver, and wherein the compliance voltage is a fraction of the first voltage, the fraction being a value that is greater than 1 but is between two different integer multiples.

9. The medical system of claim 8, further comprising:

an implantable lead configured to be attached to the IPG, wherein the implantable lead contains a plurality of electrodes configured to deliver the electrical pulses generated by the IPG to a peripheral nerve of the patient.

10. The medical system of claim 8, wherein the voltage up-converter further includes a level shifter switch configured to shift up the control signal from the microcontroller.

11. The medical system of claim 8, wherein:

the microcontroller is configured to control, via the control signal, an amount of time the voltage up-converter is turned on or off; and

the fraction is a function of the amount of time that the voltage up-converter is turned on.

12. The medical system of claim 8, wherein for any particular electrical pulse, the charge pump is configured to convert the first voltage to the compliance voltage in a manner such that the compliance voltage exceeds an amplitude of the electrical pulse by at least a predefined headroom voltage.

13. The medical system of claim 8, wherein for any particular electrical pulse, the charge pump is configured to convert the first voltage to the compliance voltage in a manner such that the compliance voltage exceeds an amplitude of the electrical pulse by at least a second voltage, the second voltage being a function of a load of the voltage up-converter.

14. A method of providing an electrical stimulation therapy for a patient, the method comprising:

generating, via a microcontroller, a plurality of electrical pulses and a control signal;

supplying, via a battery, a first voltage to a charge pump of a voltage up-converter;

converting, via the charge pump and in response to the control signal, the first voltage to a compliance voltage, wherein the compliance voltage is a fraction of the first voltage, and wherein the fraction is a value that is greater than 1 but is between two integers;

providing the compliance voltage to a stimulation driver; and

amplifying, via the stimulation driver, the plurality of electrical pulses into amplified electrical pulses to be delivered to the patient as a part of the electrical stimulation therapy.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the voltage up-converter further includes a level shifter switch configured to shift up the control signal from the microcontroller.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising, controlling, via the control signal, an amount of time the voltage up-converter is turned on or off, wherein the fraction is a function of the amount of time that the voltage up-converter is turned on.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the controlling the amount of time the voltage up-converter is turned on such that the compliance voltage exceeds an amplitude of the electrical pulse by at least a predefined headroom voltage.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the controlling the amount of time the voltage up-converter is turned on such that the compliance voltage exceeds an amplitude of the electrical pulse by at least a second voltage, the second voltage being a function of a load of the voltage up-converter.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the converting comprises dynamically adjusting the compliance voltage pulse-to-pulse in response to respective amplitudes of the electrical pulses.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the converting comprises rapidly enabling and disabling the voltage up-converter during the electrical pulses.