Managing recharge power for implantable medical devices

A method comprising:

• calculating, by processing circuitry, an estimated cumulative thermal dose delivered to a patient during charging of a rechargeable power source of an implantable medical device over a period of time;
• selecting, by the processing circuitry based on the estimated cumulative thermal dose, a power level for subsequent charging of the rechargeable power source;
• and
• controlling, by the processing circuitry, a charging module to charge the rechargeable power source according to the selected power level.

A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause processing circuitry to:

• calculate an estimated cumulative thermal dose delivered to a patient during charging of a rechargeable power source of an implantable medical device over a period of time;
• select, based on the estimated cumulative thermal dose, a power level for subsequent charging of the rechargeable power source;
• and
• control a charging module to charge the rechargeable power source according to the selected power level.