System and method for detecting an involuntary muscle movement disorder

• US 20050080463A1
• Filed: 09/13/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Stahmann, Jeffrey E., Hartley, Jesse W., Lee, Kent, Ni, Quan
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,988 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/62
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/05 Surgical care
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/395 Details of stimulation, e.g. nerve stimulation to elicit EMG response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6869 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance

Abstract

Methods and systems are directed to evaluating a pathological condition and involve acquiring muscle movement signals, such as electromyogram (EMG) or accelerometer signals, and detecting the presence of the pathological condition. Methods and systems also provide for detecting sleep-related involuntary muscle disorders and non sleep-related involuntary muscle disorders using muscle movement signals. Drug therapy, transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation therapy, or other therapy may be delivered to treat a detected or diagnosed involuntary muscle disorder.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating a pathological condition, comprising:

sensing muscle movement signals; and

implantably detecting presence of an involuntary muscle movement disorder using the muscle movement signals.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing is performed at least in part patient-internally.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting presence of the involuntary muscle movement disorder comprises detecting a sleep-related involuntary muscle movement disorder using the muscle movement signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting presence of the involuntary muscle movement disorder comprises detecting a non sleep-related involuntary muscle movement disorder using the muscle movement signals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting presence of the involuntary muscle movement disorder comprises detecting a disease using the muscle movement signals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting presence of the involuntary muscle movement disorder comprises detecting a pathological syndrome using the muscle movement signals.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the involuntary muscle movement disorder comprises a condition associated with one or more of bruxism, periodic limb movement disorder, restless leg syndrome, muscular dystrophy, muscle inflammation, pinched nerves, peripheral nerve damage, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, and disc herniation.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing muscle movement signals comprises acquiring at least one of accelerometer data and electromyogram signals.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein information associated with the detected involuntary muscle movement disorder is at least one of stored, trended, communicated, displayed, or printed.

10. The method of claim 1;

further comprising;

detecting onset and offset of sleep; and

detecting presence of a sleep-related involuntary muscle movement disorder based at least in part on the detected onset and offset of sleep.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting onset and offset of sleep; and

discriminating between sleep-related and non sleep-related involuntary limb movement conditions based at least in part on the detected onset and offset of sleep.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating one or both of the sensed muscle movement signals and information associated with the detected involuntary muscle movement disorder to a patient-external processing system.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating one or both of the sensed muscle movement signals and information associated with the detected involuntary muscle movement disorder to a patient-internal processing system.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing the muscle movement signals comprises sensing at least some of the muscle movement signals from one or more intramuscular locations.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting one or more sleep stages using the muscle movement signals.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of delivering and controlling a therapy based on one or both of the muscle movement signals and the detected involuntary muscle movement disorder.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the therapy comprises a patient-internal therapy.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of delivering and controlling a transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation therapy based on one or both of the muscle movement signals and the detected involuntary muscle movement disorder.

19. A system for evaluating a pathological condition, comprising:

a sensor configured to sense movement of skeletal musculature;

a detector coupled to the sensor; and

an implantable processor coupled to the detector, the processor configured to determine presence of an involuntary muscle movement disorder.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein one of the sensor and detector comprises an implantable component.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein each of the sensor and detector comprises an implantable component.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the sensor comprises one or both of an electromyogram (EMG) sensor and an accelerometer.

23. The system of claim 19, further comprising a sleep detector coupled to the processor.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to determine presence of a condition associated with one or more of bruxism, periodic limb movement disorder, restless leg syndrome, muscular dystrophy, muscle inflammation, pinched nerves, peripheral nerve damage, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, myasthenia gravis, and disc herniation.

25. The system of claim 19, further comprising a communication interface coupled to the processor, the/communication interface configured to effect connectivity between the processor and a patient-external processing system or network.

26. The system of claim 19, further comprising a therapy delivery system configured to deliver a therapy to treat the involuntary muscle movement disorder.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the therapy delivery system comprises an implantable component.

28. The system of claim 26, wherein the therapy delivery system is configured to deliver at least one of a drug therapy and a transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation therapy.

29. The system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the sensor and the processor is component of an implantable cardiac rhythm management device.

30. A system for evaluating a pathological condition, comprising:

means for sensing muscle movement signals; and

means for implantably detecting presence of an involuntary muscle movement disorder using the muscle movement signals.