Insulin-mediated glucose uptake monitor

• US 20030199925A1
• Filed: 04/22/2002
• Published: 10/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Richard Houben
• Original Assignee: Richard Houben
• Inventors: Houben, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,069,078 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14532 for measuring glucose, e.g. by tissue impedance measurement

Abstract

An implanted medical device may detect the onset of impaired glucose tolerance or Type II diabetes. The implanted medical device may have additional functionality. For example, the implanted medical device may be a pacemaker or a pressure monitor, but may also monitor insulin-mediated glucose uptake by processing electrical signals from the heart. An implanted medical device that monitors insulin-mediated glucose uptake may be implanted in a patient who has not been diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance or Type II diabetes, and may give the patient early warning if these conditions develop.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device system comprising:

an implantable medical device that receives an electrical signal from a heart, wherein the implantable medical device comprises at least one of a pacemaker, a pacemaker-cardioverter-defibrillator, an implantable pressure monitor, an implantable nerve stimulator, an implantable muscle stimulator, an implantable drug delivery device, and an implantable cardiac monitor; and

a processor coupled to the implantable medical device that monitors insulin-mediated glucose uptake as a function of the electrical signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor monitors insulin-mediated glucose uptake by monitoring at least one of a T-wave amplitude in the electrical signal, a Q-T interval in the electrical signal and an S-T elevation in the electrical signal.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising memory coupled to the processor.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device and the processor are included in a single implantable device.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an electrode coupled to the implantable medical device, wherein the implantable medical device receives the electrical signal from the electrode.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the electrode is disposed in a chamber of the heart.

7. A method comprising:

receiving a cardiac signal from a heart;

monitoring insulin-mediated glucose uptake by monitoring at least one of a T-wave amplitude in the cardiac signal, a Q-T interval in the cardiac signal and an S-T elevation in the cardiac signal; and

performing at least one of delivering a pacing pulse to the heart, defibrillating the heart, sensing a pressure in the heart, delivering a nerve stimulus, delivering a muscle stimulus, classifying a cardiac rhythm, sensing an activity and sensing a temperature.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

separating the cardiac signal into a plurality of cardiac cycle signals; and

summing the cardiac cycle signals.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising computing an average cardiac cycle signal as a function of the summed cardiac cycle signals.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the cardiac signal is a first cardiac signal, the method further comprising:

receiving a second cardiac signal;

monitoring the change, between the first cardiac cycle and the second cardiac cycle, in at least one of a T-wave amplitude in the cardiac signal, a Q-T interval in the cardiac signal and an S-T elevation in the second cardiac signal.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the cardiac signal is a first cardiac signal, the method further comprising receiving a second cardiac signal following the first cardiac signal and a waiting period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the waiting period is approximately nine minutes.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising comparing the monitored insulin-mediated glucose uptake to a reference insulin-mediated glucose uptake.

14. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that cause a processor to:

receive a cardiac signal from a heart;

monitor insulin-mediated glucose uptake by monitoring at least one of a T-wave amplitude in the cardiac signal, a Q-T interval in the cardiac signal and an S-T elevation in the cardiac signal; and

cause a device to perform at least one of delivering a pacing pulse to the heart, defibrillating the heart, sensing a pressure in the heart, delivering a nerve stimulus, delivering a muscle stimulus, and classifying a cardiac rhythm.

15. The medium of claim 14, the instructions further causing the processor to:

separate the cardiac signal into a plurality of cardiac cycle signals; and

sum the cardiac cycle signals.

16. The medium of claim 15, the instructions further causing the processor to compute an average cardiac cycle signal as a function of the summed cardiac cycle signals.

17. The medium of claim 14, wherein the cardiac signal is a first cardiac signal, the instructions further causing the processor to:

receive a second cardiac signal;

monitor the change, between the first cardiac cycle and the second cardiac cycle, in at least one of a T-wave amplitude in the cardiac signal, a Q-T interval in the cardiac signal and an S-T elevation in the second cardiac signal.

18. The medium of claim 14, wherein the cardiac signal is a first cardiac signal, the instructions further causing the processor to receive a second cardiac signal following the first cardiac signal and a waiting period.

19. The medium of claim 14, the instructions further causing the processor to compare the monitored insulin-mediated glucose uptake to a reference insulin-mediated glucose uptake.

20. A method comprising:

implanting a sensor in a patient, the patient having not been diagnosed with Type II diabetes prior to the implantation; and

implanting a monitor in the patient, the monitor coupled to the sensor;

wherein the monitor and the sensor cooperate to monitor one of blood glucose and blood insulin.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the patient has not been diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance prior to the implantation.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the monitor and the sensor cooperate to monitor one of blood glucose and blood insulin by monitoring insulin-mediated glucose uptake.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising controlling the monitor to record a reference insulin-mediated glucose uptake.

24. An implantable medical device system comprising:

an implantable medical device means that receives an electrical signal from a heart;

a processor means coupled to the implantable medical device means that monitors insulin-mediated glucose uptake as a function of the electrical signal;

a sensor means that senses the electrical signal and transmits it to implantable medical device means; and

at least one of a monitoring means that receives a signal other than the electrical signal from the heart, a diagnostic means that diagnoses a condition other than insulin-mediated glucose uptake and a therapeutic means that delivers a therapy other than delivery of insulin.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor means monitors insulin-mediated glucose uptake by monitoring at least one of a T-wave amplitude in the electrical signal, a Q-T interval in the electrical signal and an S-T elevation in the electrical signal.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the implantable medical device means and the processor means are included in a single implantable device.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the monitoring means receives one of an activity signal from an activity sensor, a pressure signal from a pressure sensor and a temperature signal from a temperature sensor.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the diagnostic means analyzes at least one of a heart rhythm and a pressure in the heart.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the therapeutic means delivers at least one of pacing pulses, defibrillation, nerve stimulation and muscle stimulation.