IP Library Granted Patent US 11,944,833
Granted Patent B2
US 11,944,833 · App. 17/078,507 · Granted Apr 2, 2024

User centered system for recharging implanted neurostimulator

Inventors: Andrew Fried (Woodbury, MN); Janet Creaser (New Brighton, MN); Prathyusha Marri (Blaine, MN); Charles Nowell (Longwood, FL); Robert Schulzetenberg (Columbia Heights, MN)
Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
A61N1/3787A61N1/08A61N1/36128A61N1/37247
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,944,833
App. No.
17/078,507
Granted
Apr 2, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems and methods for improved user experience with rechargers for implantable medical devices. An external charging device for providing power to a rechargeable implantable device can determine a firmware state of the external charging device during recharging of the rechargeable implantable device, display a searching indication using a light indicator when the firmware state is determined to be in a searching state, display a charging indication using the light indicator when the firmware state is determined to be a charging state, and display an error indication using the light indicator when the firmware state is determined to be an error state. An optional user device application can provide complementary graphical user interfaces according to the firmware states.

Claims (40)

1. An external charging device for providing power to a rechargeable implantable device, the external charging device comprising:

a housing;

a single button arranged in the housing;

an indicator light illuminating the single button, the indicator light comprising at least one light emitting diode (LED);

at least one processor and a memory operably coupled to the at least one processor; and

instructions that, when executed on the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

determine a primary firmware state of the external charging device during recharging of the rechargeable implantable device, wherein the primary firmware state is indicative of different operations of the external charging device and each of the different operations including a plurality of various, aggregated firmware states of various functionalities associated with that primary firmware state,

display a searching indication using the indicator light when the primary firmware state is determined to be in a searching state,

display a charging indication using the indicator light when the primary firmware state is determined to be a charging state, and

display an error indication using the indicator light when the primary firmware state is determined to be an error state.

2. The external charging device of claim 1 , wherein the searching indication and the charging indication are in a first color and the error indication is in a second color, the first color being different than the second color.

3. The external charging device of claim 1 , wherein the searching state includes at least two firmware states.

4. The external charging device of claim 3 , wherein the at least two firmware states include the external charging device attempting to detect metal and the external charging device attempting to communicate with the rechargeable implantable device.

5. The external charging device of claim 1 , wherein the charging state includes at least two firmware states.

6. The external charging device of claim 5 , wherein the at least two firmware states include open loop charging and closed loop charging.

7. The external charging device of claim 1 , further comprising an alignment indicator arranged on the housing.

8. The external charging device of claim 7 , wherein the alignment indicator comprises two concentric circles to be positioned relative to a patient user coupling alignment indicator.

9. A system for medical treatment, the system comprising:

a rechargeable implantable medical device configured to provide a medical therapy to a patient; and

a recharger including

an indicator light having a at least one light emitting diode (LED) illuminating a single button,

at least one processor and a memory operably coupled to the at least one processor; and

instructions that, when executed on the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to implement:

a user interface engine configured to determine a primary firmware state of an external charging device during recharging of the rechargeable implantable device, wherein the primary firmware state is indicative of different operations of the external device and each of the different operations including a plurality of various, aggregated firmware states of various functionalities associated with that primary firmware state, and

display status of the recharging on the indicator light based on the determined primary firmware state.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the rechargeable implantable medical device is an implantable neurostimulator (INS).

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the primary firmware state includes a searching state corresponding to the external charging device attempting to detect metal on the INS or the external charging device attempting to communicate with the INS.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein the primary firmware state includes a charging state corresponding to open loop charging of the INS closed loop charging of the INS.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the primary firmware state includes a plurality of charging-related states and the indicator light is a binary indication of charging or not charging.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the primary firmware state includes a plurality of searching-related states and the indicator light is a binary indication of searching or not searching.

15. The system of claim 9 , further comprising:

a mobile user device including computing hardware of at least one processor and memory operably coupled to the at least one processor; and

instructions that, when executed on the mobile user device, cause the mobile user device to implement:

an input/output engine operably coupled to the recharger and configured to transmit data to and receive data from the recharger;

a graphical user interface engine configured to display interfaces according to a state machine including:

a graphical indication of charging when the recharger is actively charging the rechargeable implantable medical device,

a graphical indication of searching when the recharger is actively searching for the rechargeable implantable medical device, and

a graphical indication of an error when the recharger cannot charge or find the rechargeable implantable medical device.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the graphical indication of searching includes a row of three values corresponding to the level of metal loading between the recharger and the rechargeable implantable medical device.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the three values includes a low value, a high value, and an actual value.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 23, 2020
From: FRIED, ANDREW; CREASER, JANET; MARRI, PRATHYUSHA; NOWELL, CHARLES M., JR.; SCHULZETENBERG, ROBERT
To: MEDTRONIC, INC.
Reel/Frame 054151/0361 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62926136 · Oct 25, 2019
Related Publication 20210121708A1 · Apr 29, 2021
Cited By (1)
US 12,521,561