Utilizing multiple inputs to modulate the charging rate of a fully implantable system

Abstract

A controller implantable within the body of a patient as part of a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) system and a method therefore are provided. According to one aspect, the controller includes processing circuitry configured to receive inputs from at least one of: at least one internal component of the LVAD system, at least one external component of the LVAD system, and at least one clinician's device, and determine a charging rate for charging a battery of the LVAD system internal to the patient based on at least one of the received inputs.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A controller of a system comprising an implantable medical device configured to receive energy from a transcutaneous energy transfer system (TETS), the controller comprising processing circuitry configured to:
 receive inputs from at least one of:
 at least one internal component of the system, 
 at least one external component of the system, or 
 at least one clinician's device, 
   wherein the inputs comprise:
 a charge level of a battery of the system; and 
 one or more temperature inputs of the system; and 
   determine a charging rate for charging a battery of the system internal to a patient based on at least the charge level of the battery of the system and the one or more temperature inputs.   
     
     
         2 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more temperature inputs comprise:
 temperature inputs from internal components comprising:
 a battery temperature of the battery or a controller temperature of the controller; and 
   temperature inputs from external components comprising:
 a transmitter case temperature of a transmitter case or a surface temperature of a surface of at least one TETS component. 
   
     
     
         3 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 determine whether the one or more temperature inputs satisfy a temperature condition; and   responsive to determining that the one or more temperature inputs satisfy the temperature condition, generate a notification that indicates that the system is operating at a high temperature.   
     
     
         4 . The controller of  claim 3 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the one or more temperature inputs satisfy the temperature condition when at least one of the one or more temperature inputs is equal to or greater than a corresponding temperature threshold value. 
     
     
         5 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the implantable medical device is a ventricular assist device (VAD). 
     
     
         6 . The controller of  claim 5 , wherein the inputs further comprise a speed of a VAD pump, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the charging rate for charging the battery of the system internal to the patient further based on the speed of the VAD pump. 
     
     
         7 . The controller of  claim 6 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 determine whether the charge level of the battery of the system satisfies a critical condition;   determine whether the speed of the VAD pump satisfies a minimum speed condition;   responsive to determining that the charge level of the battery satisfies the critical condition and determining that the speed of the VAD pump satisfies the minimum speed condition, cause the battery of the system to charge at a first charging rate; and   responsive to determining that the charge level of the battery satisfies the critical condition and determining that the speed of the VAD pump satisfies the minimum speed condition, cause the battery of the system to charge at a second charging rate, wherein the first charging rate is less than the second charging rate.   
     
     
         8 . The controller of  claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the charge level of the battery satisfies the critical condition when a power headroom of the battery is equal to or less than a power headroom threshold value. 
     
     
         9 . The controller of  claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the charge level of the battery satisfies the critical condition when an internal capacity of the battery is equal to or greater than a reserve capacity threshold value. 
     
     
         10 . The controller of  claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the speed of the VAD pump satisfies the minimum speed condition when the speed of the VAD pump is equal to or less than a minimum speed threshold value. 
     
     
         11 . The controller of  claim 7 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 receive a patient preferred charging rate and a clinician preferred charging rate; and   responsive to determining that the charge level of the battery does not satisfy the critical condition and determining that the speed of the VAD pump does not satisfy the minimum speed condition, cause the battery of the system to charge at a rate based on at least one of the patient preferred charging rate or the clinician preferred charging rate.   
     
     
         12 . The controller of  claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 determine a time of day;   responsive to determining that the time of day is a first time, cause the battery of the system to charge at a first charging rate; and   responsive to determining that the time of day is a second time, cause the battery of the system to charge at a second charging rate, wherein the first time is earlier in the day than the second time, and wherein the first charging rate is different from the second charging rate.   
     
     
         13 . A system comprising:
 an implantable medical device configured to receive energy from a transcutaneous energy transfer system (TETS); and   an internal controller configured to electrically communicate with the implantable medical device, the internal controller comprising processing circuitry configured to:
 receive inputs from at least one of:
 at least one internal component of the system, 
 at least one external component of the system, or 
 at least one clinician's device, 
 
 wherein the inputs comprise:
 a charge level of a battery of the system; and 
 one or more temperature inputs of the system; and 
 
   determine a charging rate for charging a battery of the system internal to the patient based on at least the charge level of the battery of the system and the one or more temperature inputs.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more temperature inputs comprise:
 temperature inputs from internal components comprising:
 a battery temperature of the battery or a controller temperature of the controller; and 
   temperature inputs from external components comprising:
 a transmitter case temperature of a transmitter case or a surface temperature of a surface of at least one TETS component. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 determine whether the one or more temperature inputs satisfy a temperature condition; and   responsive to determining that the one or more temperature inputs satisfy the temperature condition, generate a notification that indicates that the system is operating at a high temperature.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein to determine the charging rate, the internal controller is further configured to select among a group of predefined rates. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the implantable medical device is a ventricular assist device (VAD), wherein the inputs further comprise a speed of a VAD pump, and wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the charging rate for charging the battery of the system internal to the patient further based on the speed of the VAD pump. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to:
 determine whether the charge level of the battery of the system satisfies a critical condition;   determine whether the speed of the VAD pump satisfies a minimum speed condition;   responsive to determining that the charge level of the battery satisfies the critical condition and determining that the speed of the VAD pump satisfies the minimum speed condition, cause the battery of the system to charge at a first charging rate; and   responsive to determining that the charge level of the battery satisfies the critical condition and determining that the speed of the VAD pump satisfies the minimum speed condition, cause the battery of the system to charge at a second charging rate, wherein the first charging rate is smaller than the second charging rate.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine that the speed of the VAD pump satisfies the minimum speed condition when the speed of the VAD pump is equal to or less than a minimum speed threshold value. 
     
     
         20 . A method for a controller of a system comprising an implantable medical device configured to receive energy from a transcutaneous energy transfer system (TETS), the method comprising:
 receiving, by processing circuitry of the controller, at least one of:
 at least one internal component of the system, 
 at least one external component of the system, or 
 at least one clinician's device, 
   wherein the inputs comprise:
 a charge level of a battery of the system; and 
 one or more temperature inputs of the system; and 
   determining, by the processing circuitry, a charging rate for charging a battery of the system internal to the patient based on at least the charge level of the battery of the system and the one or more temperature inputs.