# US 11,439,806 B2 · Energy management of blood pump controllers > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,439,806 B2 - Document ID: US11439806B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/909,035 - Filed: 2020-06-23 - Published: 2020-11-05 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2015-11-20 - Assignees: Tc1 LLC - Applicants: Tc1 LLC - Inventors: Brian Kimball; Joseph C. Stark, III; Peter Thatcher; John Freddy Hansen; Peter Andriola; Carine Hoarau; Jaime Arturo Romero; Jesse Gage - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11439806B2 ## CPC - H02J 7/50: acting upon multiple batteries simultaneously or sequentially - A61M 60/117: for assisting the heart, e.g. transcutaneous or external ventricular assist devices - A61M 60/148: in line with a blood vessel using resection or like techniques, e.g. permanent endovascular heart assist devices - A61M 60/178: drawing blood from a ventricle and returning the blood to the arterial system via a cannula external to the ventricle, e.g. left or right ventricular assist devices - A61M 60/232: Centrifugal pumps - A61M 60/50: Details relating to control - A61M 60/538: Regulation using real-time blood pump operational parameter data, e.g. motor current - A61M 60/871: Energy supply devices; Converters therefor - A61M 60/876: Implantable batteries - H02J 7/00: Circuit arrangements for charging or discharging batteries or for supplying loads from batteries - H02J 7/34: Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other DC sources, e.g. providing buffering (H02J7/14 takes precedence) - H02J 7/80: including monitoring or indicating arrangements - A61M 2205/3368: Temperature - A61M 2205/3523: using telemetric means - A61M 2205/3592: using telemetric means, e.g. radio or optical transmission - A61M 2205/8206: battery-operated - A61M 2205/8237: Charging means - A61M 2205/8262: connectable to external power source, e.g. connecting to automobile battery through the cigarette lighter - G01R 31/382: Arrangements for monitoring battery or accumulator variables, e.g. SoC - H02J 2105/46: Medical devices, medical implants or life supporting devices - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} - G01R: MEASURING ELECTRIC VARIABLES; MEASURING MAGNETIC VARIABLES (indicating correct tuning of resonant circuits H03J3/12) ## Abstract Systems and related methods for supplying power to a medical device employ serially-connectable portable batteries. A method of supplying electrical power to a medical device includes discharging a first external battery to output electrical power to a second external battery. Distribution of the electrical power received by the second external battery is controlled to simultaneously charge the second external battery and output electrical power from the second external battery to supply electrical power to the medical device. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A medical system comprising: a medical device configured to be worn by a user or implanted in the user; a first external battery module comprising one or more battery cells and a first external battery module output connector configured to output electrical power discharged by the one or more battery cells of the first external battery module; a second external battery module comprising one or more battery cells, a second external battery module input connector, a second external battery module output connector, and a second external battery module controller; wherein the second external battery module input connector is configured for coupling with the first external battery module output connector to receive the electrical power discharged by the one or more battery cells of the first external battery module, and wherein the second external battery module controller is operable to control distribution of the electrical power received by the second external battery module from the first external battery module to simultaneously recharge the second external battery module and output electrical power via the second external battery module output connector to power operation of the medical device; and a base module comprising a base module input connector and a base module output connector, wherein the base module is configured to control operation of the medical device, output electrical power via the base module output connector to power operation of the medical device, and receive electrical power from the second external battery module via the base module input connector. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The medical system of claim 1, wherein: the base module comprises one or more base module battery cells; and the base module is configured to control distribution of electrical power received via the base module input connector to charge the one or more base module battery cells and/or to be output via the base module output connector to supply electrical power to the medical device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The medical system of claim 2, wherein each of the base module input connector, the first external battery module output connector, the second external battery module input connector, and the second external battery module output connector comprises a respective data connection for transferring a connection signal to the base module and/or to the second external battery module indicating connection of the first external battery module to the second external battery module. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The medical system of claim 3, wherein: the base module is configured to monitor a base module charge level of the one or more base module battery cells; and the base module is configured to indicate the base module charge level to the user or a person other than the user. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The medical system of claim 4, wherein: the second external battery module controller is configured to monitor a charge level of the second external battery module and communicate the charge level of the second external battery module to the base module; and the base module is configured to communicate the charge level of the second external battery module to the user or a person other than the user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 3) The medical system of claim 3, wherein the base module is configured to control the second external battery module controller to control the distribution of electrical power received via the second external battery module input connector to charge the second external battery module and/or to be output via the second external battery module output connector. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The medical system of claim 1, further comprising a percutaneous connection line configured to operatively couple the medical device to the base module output connector. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The medical system of claim 1, wherein the electrical power for powering operation of the medical device is transferred via transcutaneous power transmission. ### Claim 9 A method of supplying electrical power to a medical device worn by a user or implanted in the user, the method comprising: discharging a first external battery module to output electrical power to a second external battery module; receiving, by the second external battery module, the electrical power output by the first external battery module via the discharging of the first external battery module; and controlling, via a second external battery module controller of the second external battery module, distribution of the electrical power received by the second external battery module to simultaneously charge the second external battery module and output electrical power from the second external battery module to supply electrical power to the medical device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising: supplying electrical power to the medical device via a base module; controlling, by the base module, operation of the medical device; and supplying electrical power to the base module from the second external battery module. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein: the base module comprises one or more base module battery cells; and the method further comprises controlling, via the base module, distribution of electrical power received by the base module from the second external battery module to charge the one or more base module battery cells and/or to be output to the medical device. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: transferring a first connection signal from the first external battery module to the second external battery module indicating connection of the first external battery module to the second external battery module; and transferring a second connection signal from the second external battery module to the base module indicating connection of the second external battery module to the base module and connection of the first external battery module to the second external battery module. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising controlling, by the base module, distribution of the electrical power received by the second external battery module from the first external battery module to simultaneously charge the second external battery module and output electrical power from the second external battery module to supply electrical power to the medical device via the base module. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising implementing a charging sequence in which the base module is charged first via the electrical power discharged by the first external battery module and the second external battery module is charged via the electrical power discharged by the first external battery module after the base module is charged. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: generating a base module temperature signal indicative of a temperature of the base module; and controlling, via the base module, charging of the base module based on the base module temperature signal to prevent a charging induced exceedance of a predetermined base module temperature. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising: monitoring a base module charge level of the base module; and communicating the base module charge level to the user or a person other than the user. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein communicating the base module charge level to the user or a person other than the user comprises wirelessly transmitting the external controller the base module charge level to an electronic device for communication to the user or the person other than the user. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: monitoring, via a second external battery module controller of the second external battery module, a charge level of the second external battery module; communicating the charge level of the second external battery module to the base module; and communicating, via the base module, the charge level of the second external battery module to the user or a person other than the user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: monitoring, via a first external battery module controller of the first external battery module, a charge level of the first external battery module; communicating the charge level of the first external battery module to the base module; and communicating, via the base module, the charge level of the first external battery module to the user or the person other than the user. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: generating a second external battery module temperature signal indicative of a temperature of the second external battery module; and controlling, via a second external battery module controller of the second external battery module, charging of the second external battery module based on the second external battery module temperature signal to prevent a charging induced exceedance of a predetermined second external battery module temperature. ### Claim 21 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising transmitting electrical power to the medical device through a percutaneous connection line. ### Claim 22 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising transferring the electrical power supplied to the medical device via transcutaneous power transmission.