초록

An apparatus and method for determining the condition of a battery in an implantable cardioverter/defibrillator. A battery's operating status is determined from measurements of its open circuit voltage and the time required to charge an energy storage capacitor.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method for determining the operating status of a battery in an implantable cardioverter/defibrillator, comprising:intermittently measuring an open circuit battery voltage, and determining a present open circuit voltage status as being one of a plurality of open circuit voltage status states ran

1. A method for determining the operating status of a battery in an implantable cardioverter/defibrillator, comprising:intermittently measuring an open circuit battery voltage, and determining a present open circuit voltage status as being one of a plurality of open circuit voltage status states ranging from best to worst based upon the voltage measurement; intermittently reforming an electrolytic capacitor by charging the capacitor to full voltage and measuring the time required for such charging, and determining a present capacitor charge time status as being one of a plurality of capacitor charge time states ranging from best to worst based upon the charge time measurement; determining a present operating status of the battery to be one of a plurality of operating status states ranging from best to worst based upon a combination of the present open circuit voltage status and capacitor charge time status; and, adjusting a time interval for periodically reforming the electrolytic capacitor in a manner dependent upon the present operating status of the battery.