Medical device recharging based on patient activity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10946206-B2
Application number	US-201715601708-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 22, 2017
Priority date	May 22, 2017
Publication date	Mar 16, 2021
Grant date	Mar 16, 2021

Abstract

Devices, systems, and techniques for controlling charging power transmitted to an implantable medical device during a recharging process based on patient activity are disclosed. Various example techniques include a method comprising receiving, by processing circuitry, an activity signal generated by an implantable medical device and indicative of an activity level of a patient during charging of a rechargeable power source of the implantable medical device implanted in the patient, determining, by the processing circuitry and based on the activity signal, a patient status for the patient during charging of the rechargeable power source, and controlling, by the processing circuitry and based on the patient status, charging of the rechargeable power source of the implantable medical device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
an implantable medical device comprising processing circuitry and a rechargeable power source, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:
receive an activity signal generated by the implantable medical device, the activity signal indicative of an activity level of a patient during charging of the rechargeable power source of the implantable medical device implanted in the patient;
determine, based on the activity signal, a patient status for the patient during charging of the rechargeable power source; and
control, based on the patient status, charging of the rechargeable power source of the implantable medical device.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory configured to store one or more postures that are predefined inactive postures of the patient,
the processing circuitry configured to compare a current posture of the patient to the one or more predefined inactive postures, to determine whether the current posture corresponds to at least one of the predefined inactive postures, and to determine the patient status based at least in part on a determination of whether the current posture corresponds to one of the predefined inactive postures.

3. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a memory configured to store one or more threshold values associated with one or more physiological parameters associated with the patient,
the processing circuitry configured to receive sensor signals corresponding to the one or more physiological parameters, to compare the sensor signals to the one or more threshold values, and to determine the patient status based at least in part on the comparison of the sensor signals to the threshold values.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the sensor signals correspond to at least one of a heartrate and a respiration rate for the patient.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
an external charging device communicatively coupled to the implantable medical device and configured to provide power to the implantable medical device for recharging the rechargeable power source; and
a telemetry module coupled to the processing circuitry of the implantable medical device, the telemetry module configured to transmit an output signal to the external charging device when the patient status has transitioned to an inactive status during the charging of the rechargeable power source,
and wherein the external charging device is configured to receive the output signal, and to control the power level provided by the external charging device based on receipt of the output signal indicating that the patient status has transitioned to the inactive status.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the output signal comprises instructions including one or more parameters for setting a power level for recharging the rechargeable power source based on the patient status transitioning to an inactive status.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the telemetry module and the processing circuitry are further configured to:
transmit a prompt signal to an external device to prompt the patient for a response,
time a time period for receiving any response from the external device indicative of an input provided by the patient to the external device in reply to the prompt, and
determine that no response from the external device indicate of an input from the patient was received during the time period, and
wherein, to transmit the output signal to the external charging device when the patient status has transitioned to an inactive status during the charging of the rechargeable power source, the telemetry module and the processing circuitry are further configured to transmit the output signal indicating that the patient status has transitioned to the inactive status to the external recharging device based on the determination that no response from the external device inactive of input from the patient was received during the time period.

8. A system comprising:
means for receiving an activity signal generated by an implantable medical device and indicative of an activity of a patient during charging of a rechargeable power source of the implantable medical device implanted in the patient;
means for determining, based on the activity signal, a patient status for the patient during charging of the rechargeable power source;
means for charging the rechargeable power source; and
means for controlling, based on the patient status, the means for charging the rechargeable power source of the implantable medical device.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the activity signal comprises a current posture for the patient and one or more signals related to an activity level of the patient.

10. A method comprising:
receiving, by processing circuitry, an activity signal generated by an implantable medical device and indicative of an activity level of a patient during charging of a rechargeable power source of the implantable medical device implanted in the patient;
determining, by the processing circuitry and based on the activity signal, a patient status for the patient during charging of the rechargeable power source; and
controlling, by the processing circuitry and based on the patient status, charging of the rechargeable power source of the implantable medical device via an external charging device.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein determining the patient status comprises determining that the patient status is one of active or inactive based on the activity signal.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising generating the activity signal with one or more activity sensors of the implantable medical device, the activity signal indicative of a current posture of the patient, and wherein determining the patient status comprises comparing the current posture of the patient to one or more predefined postures, and determining, based on the comparison, the patient status as one of active or inactive.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein determining that the patient status is inactive based on the activity signal comprises:
determining that the current posture of the patient is a posture predefined as an inactive posture for the patient, and
determining that there have been no transitions within a predefined period of time from the current posture predefined as the inactive posture to another posture.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining that the patient status is inactive based on the activity signal comprises:
determining that the current posture of the patient is a posture predefined as an inactive posture for the patient, and
determining that no inputs provided by the patient have been detected within a predefined period of time while the patient has remained positioned in the inactive posture.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein determining that no inputs provided by the patient have been detected comprises:
transmitting, by transmitter circuitry within the implantable medical device, an output signal to an external device to prompt the patient for a response,
timing, by the processing circuitry, a time period for receiving the response, and
transmitting, by the transmitter circuitry, an inactive status output signal when the response by the patient has not been detected within the time period for receiving the response.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein determining that the patient status is inactive based on the activity signal comprises:
determining that the current posture of the patient is a posture predefined as an inactive posture for the patient, and
determining that a current time fa

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Gaddam Venkat R
• Bornhoft Reid K
• Olson David P
• Perz Leroy L
• Shongwe Mandla

Classifications

• A61N1/37223

  Circuits for electromagnetic coupling · CPC title

• A61N1/3787 Primary

  from an external energy source · CPC title

• A61N1/37252

  Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data · CPC title