System and method for determining remaining battery life for an implantable medical device

• US 20040039424A1
• Filed: 08/28/2003
• Published: 02/26/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Donald R. Merritt, James W. Busacker, Karen J. Kleckner, Kathleen U. Crandall, Mukul Jain
• Original Assignee: Donald R. Merritt, James W. Busacker, Karen J. Kleckner, Kathleen U. Crandall, Mukul Jain
• Inventors: Kleckner, Karen J., Jain, Mukul, Busacker, James W., Merritt, Donald R., Crandall, Kathleen U.
• Application Number:
  US10/650,579
• Publication Number:
  US 20040039424A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/29
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3708 for power depletion

Abstract

A system and method for determining a remaining life estimate of the remaining battery life of a battery of an implantable medical device (IMD). The IMD battery preferably exhibits a highly reproducible monotonically decreasing discharge curve. The estimated remaining life estimates are derived by periodically measuring battery voltage, and estimating the estimated past current drain of the IMD comprising an average of the sum of the quiescent current drain and therapy delivery current drain, and determining the estimated remaining longevity from the measured voltage and the estimated past current drain.

Claims

1. A method of estimating remaining life of a battery that powers an implantable medical device (IMD), comprising the steps of:

obtaining a measurement indicative of voltage provided by the battery;

obtaining an estimation of past current drain on the battery; and

determining the estimated remaining life of the battery from the measurement indicative of voltage and the estimation of past current drain.

2. The method of claim 25, wherein step c.) includes determining an estimated remaining life for an average battery.

3. The method of claim 25, wherein step b.) includes obtaining an impedance measurement of a load drawing current from the battery.

4. A system for monitoring life of a battery, comprising:

a sensing circuit to measure voltage provided by the battery; and

a processing circuit coupled to the sensing circuit to calculate past current drain on the battery and to further determine, based on the measured voltage and the past current drain, an estimated remaining life of the battery.