Downloadable software support in a pacemaker

A method comprising:

• controlling an implantable medical device using a controller implementing a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having a scheduling mechanism, the controller having a firmware architecture allowing at least one of modular feature design, modular feature implementation, extensible feature design and extensible feature implementation;
• analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis comprising using a priority inheritance protocol in the scheduling mechanism of the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS);
• providing an interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device;
• and
• backing up at least some of the downloadable software using a non-volatile memory device, protecting the at least some of the downloadable software from a reset of the implantable medical device.

A device comprising:

• an implantable medical device;
• a controller controlling the implantable medical device, the controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having a scheduling mechanism, the controller having a firmware architecture allowing at least one of modular feature design, modular feature implementation, extensible feature design and extensible feature implementation, the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) capable of being analyzed using rate monotonic analysis;
• an interface interfacing with downloadable software for the implantable medical device;
• and
• a non-volatile memory device backing up at least some of the downloadable software, non-volatile memory device capable of protecting the at least some of the downloadable software from a reset of the implantable medical device.

A system comprising:

• an implantable medical device;
• a controller controlling the implantable medical device the controller using a pre-emotive real-time operating system (RTOS) having a scheduling mechanism, the controller having a firmware architecture allowing at least one of modular feature design, modular feature implementation, extensible feature design and extensible feature implementation, the pre-emptive real-time operating system:
• (RTOS) capable of being analyzed using rate monotonic analysis comprising a priority inheritance protocol;
• an interface interfacing with downloadable software for the implantable medical device;
• and
• a non-volatile memo device backing up at least some of the downloadable software, non-volatile memory device capable of protecting the at least some of the downloadable software from a reset of the implantable medical device.

A system comprising:

• an implantable medical device;
• a controller controlling the implantable medical device, the controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having a scheduling mechanism, the controller having a firmware architecture allowing at least one of modular feature design, modular feature implementation, extensible feature design and extensible feature implementation, the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) capable of being analyzed using rate monotonic analysis;
• an interface accessing downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprising call tables;
• and
• a non-volatile memory device backing up at least some of the downloadable software, the non-volatile memory device being capable of protecting the downloadable software from a reset of the implantable medical device and comprising an electrical erasable programmable mad-only memory (EEPROM) device.

A device comprising:

• means for controlling an implantable medical device using a controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having a scheduling mechanism, the controller having a firmware architecture allowing at least one of modular feature design, modular feature implementation, extensible feature design and extensible feature implementation;
• means for analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis;
• means for providing an interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device;
• and
• means for backing up at least some of the downloadable software using a non-volatile memory device, protecting the at least some of the downloadable software from a reset of the implantable medical device.

A system comprising:

• means for controlling an implantable medical device using a controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having a scheduling mechanism, the controller having a firmware architecture allowing at least one of modular feature design, modular feature implementation, extensible feature design and extensible feature implementation;
• means for analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis using a priority inheritance protocol in the scheduling mechanism of the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS);
• means for providing an interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device:
• and
• means for backing up at least some of the downloadable software using a non-volatile memory device, protecting the at least some of the downloadable software from a reset of the implantable medical device.

A system comprising:

• means for controlling an implantable medical device using a controller using a pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) having a scheduling mechanism, the controller having a firmware architecture allowing at least one of the modular feature design, modular feature implementation, extensible feature design and extensible feature implementation;
• means for analyzing the pre-emptive real-time operating system (RTOS) using rate monotonic analysis;
• means for providing an interface with downloadable software for the implantable medical device comprising call tables;
• and
• means for backing up at least some of the downloadable software using an electrical erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) device and for protecting the downloadable software from a reset of the implantable medical device.