External energy transfer system for an implantable medical device and method therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9789324-B2
Application number	US-201514985700-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 31, 2015
Priority date	Oct 2, 2003
Publication date	Oct 17, 2017
Grant date	Oct 17, 2017

Abstract

User interface for external power source, recharger, for an implantable medical device. At least some of patient controls and display icons of an energy transfer unit are common with at least some of the patient controls and the display icons of a patient control unit. An energy transfer unit is operable by the patient with less than three operative controls to control energy transfer from the external energy transfer unit to the implantable medical device. An external antenna having a primary coil can inductively transfer energy to a secondary coil of the implantable medical device when the external antenna is externally placed in proximity of the secondary coil. An energy transfer unit has an external telemetry coil allowing the energy transfer unit to communicate with the implantable medical device through the internal telemetry coil in order to at least partially control the therapeutic output of the implantable medical device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An implantable medical device system, comprising:
an implantable medical device for providing a therapeutic output to a patient;
an external patient control unit which can be operatively coupled via telemetry with said implantable medical device allowing said patient to control said therapeutic output of said implantable medical device; and
an external energy transfer unit which can be operatively coupled to said implantable medical device to transcutaneously transfer energy to said implantable medical device;
said external patient control unit having a first user interface operable by said patient having patient controls and display icons indicative of a status of operation of said patient control unit;
said energy transfer unit having a second user interface that is separate from the first user interface and that is operable by said patient having patient controls and display icons indicative of a status of operation of said energy transfer unit;
at least some of said patient controls and said display icons of said energy transfer unit being common with at least some of said patient controls and said display icons of said patient control unit.

2. A system as in claim 1 wherein at least one of said display icons comprises an icon representative of a state of charging of an energy storage device in said implantable medical device.

3. A system as in claim 1 wherein at least one of said patient controls comprises a control for adjusting said therapeutic output of said implantable medical device.

4. A system as in claim 1 wherein said external energy transfer unit inductively couples energy to said implantable medical device.

5. A system as in claim 1 wherein said implantable medical device has a rechargeable energy storage device and wherein said energy transfer unit charges said rechargeable energy storage device.

6. An external energy transfer unit adapted to transcutaneously transfer energy to an implantable medical device for providing a therapeutic output to a patient, said implantable medical device capable of communication with an external patient control unit allowing said patient to control said therapeutic output of said implantable medical device, said external patient control unit having a first user interface operable by said patient having patient controls and display icons indicative of a status of operation of said patient control unit, comprising:
a second user interface that is separate from the first user interface and that is operable by said patient having patient controls and display icons indicative of a status of operation of said energy transfer unit;
at least some of said patient controls and said display icons of said energy transfer unit being common with at least some of said patient controls and said display icons of said patient control unit.

7. An external energy transfer unit as in claim 6 wherein at least one of said display icons comprises an icon representative of a state of charging of an energy storage device in said implantable medical device.

8. An external energy transfer unit as in claim 6 wherein at least one of said patient controls comprises a control for adjusting said therapeutic output of said implantable medical device.

9. An external energy transfer unit as in claim 6 wherein said external energy transfer unit inductively couples energy to said implantable medical device.

10. An external energy transfer unit as in claim 6 wherein said implantable medical device has a rechargeable energy storage device and wherein said energy transfer unit charges said rechargeable energy storage device.

11. A method of providing therapeutic output to a patient using an implantable medical device, comprising the steps of:
operatively coupling via telemetry an external patient control unit with said implantable medical device allowing said patient to control said therapeutic output of said implantable medical device; and
operatively coupling an external energy transfer unit to said implantable medical device to transcutaneously transfer energy to said implantable medical device;
said external patient control unit having a first user interface operable by said patient having patient controls and display icons indicative of a status of operation of said patient control unit;
said energy transfer unit having a second user interface that is separate from the first user interface and that is operable by said patient having patient controls and display icons indicative of a status of operation of said energy transfer unit;
at least some of said patient controls and said display icons of said energy transfer unit being common with at least some of said patient controls and said display icons of said patient control unit.

12. A method as in claim 11 wherein at least one of said displays icons comprises an icon representative of a state of charging of an energy storage device in said implantable medical device.

13. A method as in claim 11 wherein at least one of said patient controls comprises a control for adjusting said therapeutic output of said implantable medical device.

14. A method as in claim 11 wherein said external energy transfer unit inductively couples energy to said implantable medical device.

15. A method as in claim 11 wherein said implantable medical device has a rechargeable energy storage device and wherein said energy transfer unit charges said rechargeable energy storage device.

16. An implantable medical device system, comprising:
an implantable medical device for providing a therapeutic output to a patient; and
an external energy transfer unit which can be operatively coupled to transcutaneously transfer energy to said implantable medical device, the external energy transfer unit including a housing and electronics within the housing that provides oscillating current to provide the energy being transferred to said implantable medical device;
said energy transfer unit being operable by said patient with at least one and less than three operative controls to control energy transfer from said external energy transfer unit to said implantable medical device, said energy transfer unit including the controls on the housing.

17. A system as in claim 16 wherein said energy transfer unit is operable with two operative controls to control energy transfer from said external energy transfer unit to said implantable medical device.

18. A system as in claim 17 wherein said two operative controls comprise a start control and a stop control.

19. A system as in claim 18 wherein said start control is a start button and wherein said stop control is a stop button.

20. A system as in claim 16 wherein said energy transfer unit further comprises operative controls to start and stop said therapeutic output of said implantable medical device.

21. A system as in claim 16 wherein said energy transfer unit further comprises a control to enable and silence audio feedback from said energy transfer unit.

22. A system as in claim 16 wherein said external energy transfer unit inductively couples energy to said implantable medical device.

23. A system as in claim 16 wherein said implantable medical device has a rechargeable energy storage device and wherein said energy transfer unit charges said rechargeable energy storage device.

24. An external energy transfer unit adapted to transcutaneously transfer energy to an implantable medical device for providing a therapeutic output to

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Bauhahn Ruth E
• Schommer Mark E

Classifications

• A61N1/37229

  Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna · CPC title

• A61N1/37247

  User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means · CPC title

• A61N1/3787 Primary

  from an external energy source · CPC title