Determining and Forecasting End of Life for an Implantable Medical Device Having a Rechargeable Battery

• US 20180152025A1
• Filed: 01/24/2018
• Published: 05/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Marnfeldt, Goran N., Carbunaru, Rafael, Parramon, Jordi
• Granted Patent: US 10,806,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36128 Control systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3708 for power depletion
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/3648 comprising digital calculation means, e.g. for performing an algorithm
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/392 Determining battery ageing or deterioration, e.g. state of health
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0048 Detection of remaining charge capacity or state of charge [SOC]
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0049 Detection of fully charged condition
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/005 Detection of state of health [SOH]

Abstract

An algorithm programmed into the control circuitry of a rechargeable-battery Implantable Medical Device (IMD) is disclosed that can quantitatively forecast and determine the timing of an early replacement indicator (tEOLi) and an IMD End of Life (tEOL). These forecasts and determinations of tEOLi and tEOL occur in accordance with one or more parameters having an effect on rechargeable battery capacity, such as number of charging cycles, charging current, discharge depth, load current, and battery calendar age. The algorithm consults such parameters as stored over the history of the operation of the IMD in a parameter log, and in conjunction with a battery capacity database reflective of the effect of these parameters on battery capacity, determines and forecasts tEOLi and tEOL. Such forecasted or determined values may also be used by a shutdown algorithm to suspend therapeutic operation of the IMD.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an implantable medical device comprising a rechargeable battery; and

an external device configured to display a forecasted end of life of the implantable medical device, wherein the forecasted end of life is determined using estimates of a capacity of the rechargeable battery at different points in time during operation of the implantable medical device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external charger configured to wirelessly charge the rechargeable battery of the implantable medical device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the external device comprises a patient external controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the external device comprises a clinician'"'"'s programmer.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device comprises control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine the forecasted end of life of the implantable medical device using the estimates of the capacity of the rechargeable battery at the different points in time during operation of the implantable medical device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the implantable medical device further comprises telemetry circuitry configured to telemeter the forecasted end of life to the external device.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the telemetry circuitry is configured to telemeter the forecasted end of life upon receipt of a command from the external device, or when the external device initiates a communication session with the implantable medical device.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the control circuitry is further configured to suspend therapeutic operation of the implantable medical device when the forecasted end of life has been reached.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the control circuitry is configured to store a shutdown time at which therapeutic operation of the implantable medical device is normally suspended.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein if the stored shutdown time has been reached and is earlier than the forecasted end of life, the control circuitry is further configured to extend therapeutic operation of the implantable medical device beyond the shutdown time.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein if the stored forecasted end of life has been reached and is earlier than the shutdown time, the control circuitry is further configured to suspend therapeutic operation of the implantable medical device.

12. The system of claim 5, wherein the implantable medical device further comprises:

memory configured to store at least one parameter having an effect on the capacity of the rechargeable battery, wherein the at least one parameter comprises one or more of;

at least one first parameter determined during previous charging of the battery, at least one second parameter determined during previous use of the medical device to provide therapy, and an age of the battery,

wherein the control circuitry is configured to estimate the capacity of the battery at the different points in time using the at least one parameter.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the forecasted end of life is determined as a time at which the rechargeable battery is expected to reach a capacity threshold.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the external device is further configured to display an forecasted early replacement indicator for the implantable medical device that precedes the forecasted end of life.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the implantable medical device comprises control circuitry, wherein the control circuitry is configured to determine the forecasted early replacement indicator using the estimates of the capacity of the rechargeable battery at the different points in time during operation of the medical device.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the implantable medical device further comprises telemetry circuitry configured to telemeter the forecasted early replacement indicator to the external device.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the forecasted early replacement indicator is determined as a first time at which the rechargeable battery is expect to reach a first capacity threshold.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the forecasted end of life is determined as a second time later than the first time at which the rechargeable battery is expect to reach a second capacity threshold.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the early replacement indicator is forecasted using the forecasted end of life.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the forecasted early replacement indicator comprises a set time before the forecasted end of life.