A medical device and method are provided. The medical device includes a battery, a charge bank configured to store supplemental energy, memory to store program instructions, and device operational circuitry. The device operational circuitry identifies an energy demand (ED) action to be performed by the device operational circuitry in connection with at least one of monitoring a medical characteristic of interest (COI), treating the medical COI, or wirelessly communicating with a separate device. The device operational circuitry obtains an energy consumption estimate for an amount of energy to be consumed by the device operational circuitry in connection with performing the ED action and dispatches a charge instruction to charge the charge bank from the battery with supplemental energy. The device operational circuitry supplies the supplemental energy to the device operational circuitry for performing the ED action in connection with the at least one of monitoring, treating or communicating operations.

The present invention involves approaches for selecting one or more electrode combinations. Various method embodiments can include implanting a plurality of cardiac electrodes supported by one or more leads in a patient, attaching the one or more leads to a patient external analyzer circuit, delivering electrical stimulation to the patient's heart using the plurality of cardiac electrodes and the analyzer circuit, evaluating, for each electrode combination of a plurality of electrode combinations of the plurality of cardiac electrodes, one or more first parameters and one or more second parameters produced by the electrical stimulation delivered using the electrode combination, the first parameters supportive of cardiac function consistent with a prescribed therapy and the second parameters not supportive of cardiac function consistent with the prescribed therapy, selecting one or more electrode combinations of the plurality of cardiac electrodes based on the evaluation, the one or more electrode combinations selected as being associated with the one or more first parameters and less associated with the one or more second parameters relative to other electrode combinations of the plurality of cardiac electrodes, programming an implantable pacing circuit to deliver a cardiac pacing therapy that preferentially uses the selected one or more electrode combinations relative to other electrode combinations of the plurality of cardiac electrodes, detaching the one or more leads from the analyzer circuit, attaching the one or more leads to the implantable pacing circuit, and implanting the implantable pacing circuit.

Provided herein are methods of treating a patient comprising providing a medical apparatus comprising an external system and an implantable system, implanting the implantable system, and delivering at least one of power or data to the implantable system with the external system. The external system comprises: at least one external antenna configured to transmit a first transmission signal to the implantable system; an external transmitter configured to drive the at least one external antenna; an external power supply; and an external controller. The implantable system comprises: at least one implantable antenna configured to receive the first transmission signal from the first external device; an implantable receiver; at least one implantable functional element configured to interface with the patient; an implantable controller; an implantable energy storage assembly; and an implantable housing surrounding at least the implantable controller and the implantable receiver. Medical apparatus are also provided.

Described herein are methods, systems, and devices for estimating remaining longevity of an IMD powered by a battery that at any given time has a battery voltage (BV) and a remaining battery capacity (RBC). Such a method can include estimating the RBC using a first technique when the battery is operating within a t least one of one or more plateau regions, estimating the RBC using a second technique, that differs from the first technique when the battery is operating within a decline region, and estimating the remaining longevity of the IMD based on at least one of the estimates of the RBC. Additionally, historical battery data can be stored and used to estimate the RBC, e.g., when the battery is operating within a heavy usage and recovery period. RBC estimation can also depend on whether the IMD is close to its recommended replacement time (RRT).

Implanted pulse generators with reduced power consumption via signal strength-duration characteristics, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. A representative method for treating a patient in accordance with the disclosed technology includes receiving an input corresponding to an available voltage for an implanted medical device and identifying a signal delivery parameter value of an electrical signal based on a correlation between values of the signal delivery parameter and signal deliver amplitudes. The signal deliver parameter can include at least one of pulse width or duty cycle. The method can further include delivering an electrical therapy signal to the patient at the identified signal delivery parameter value using a voltage within a margin of the available voltage.

Provided herein are methods of treating a patient comprising providing a medical apparatus comprising an external system and an implantable system, implanting the implantable system, and delivering at least one of power or data to the implantable system with the external system. The external system comprises: at least one external antenna configured to transmit a first transmission signal to the implantable system; an external transmitter configured to drive the at least one external antenna; an external power supply; and an external controller. The implantable system comprises: at least one implantable antenna configured to receive the first transmission signal from the first external device; an implantable receiver; at least one implantable functional element configured to interface with the patient; an implantable controller; an implantable energy storage assembly; and an implantable housing surrounding at least the implantable controller and the implantable receiver. Medical apparatus are also provided.

Described herein are methods, devices, and systems that estimate a total amount of time it takes to discharge a battery of an IMD from initial to subsequent capacity levels, which total amount of time is indicative of a longevity of the IMD. In certain embodiments, a range of capacity levels for the battery is separated into N separate intervals. For each of the N intervals, an estimate of an amount of time it takes for the battery to discharge from a beginning to an end of the interval is determined, to thereby determine N amounts of time that are summed to estimate the total amount of time that it takes to discharge the battery from the initial to subsequent capacity levels. In other embodiments, an iterative equation is used to estimate the total amount of time takes it takes to discharge the battery from the initial to subsequent capacity levels.

Techniques for minimizing rate of depletion of a non-rechargeable power source, to extend the operational lifetime of an implantable medical device that includes the non-rechargeable power source, by enforcing operational-mode-specific communication protocols whereby inter-device communication between the implantable medical device and another implantable medical device is such that level of power draw from the non-rechargeable power source by the implantable medical device is less than level of power draw from the rechargeable power source by the another implantable medical device for the implantable medical devices to engage in communication with each other.

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.

A lead for use with cardiac stimulus device with at least two electrodes positioned at a single longitudinal location is provided. The electrodes may include a shocking coil electrode and a sensing and/or pacing ring electrode and may be separated by an insulating element. The at least two electrically insulated electrodes may be electrically isolated and serve separate purposes in the device.