Patient compliance management device and method

• US 20060036294A1
• Filed: 10/13/2005
• Published: 02/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RMX, LLC (ASHINC Corp.)
• Original Assignee: RMX, LLC (ASHINC Corp.)
• Inventors: Tehrani, Amir J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,348,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• 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 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 of respiratory organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36132 using patient feedback

Abstract

A device and method are provided for managing the treatment of a patient With respiratory disorders or symptoms. Respiratory parameters are sensed and recorded and communicated to an external device to provide information to a patient and/or provider for further treatment or diagnosis. Also respiratory disorders such as apnea or hypoventilation may be treated by electrically stimulating the diaphragm muscle or phrenic nerve in response to a sensed respiratory parameter or characteristic.

Claims

1-99. -99. (canceled)

100. A device for managing patient treatment comprising:

an implantable sensor configured to sense information corresponding to the patient'"'"'s respiration;

an implantable communication device coupled to sensor and configured to communicate the information sensed by the sensor to an external device; and

an external device configured to upload said information;

wherein the external device is configured to track patient activity compliance.

101. The device of claim 100 wherein the external device includes a patient interface configured to receive patient input concerning patient activity compliance.

102. The device of claim 100 wherein the patient activity compliance comprises drug treatment compliance.

103. The device of claim 100 wherein the patient activity compliance comprises life-style compliance.

104. The device for managing patient treatment of claim 100 further comprising:

an implantable memory device coupled to the sensor configured to store the information sensed;

wherein the communication device comprises a telemetry device coupled to the memory device and is configured to communicate the information stored in the memory to the external device; and

wherein the external device is configured to upload information from the memory device.

105. The device for managing patient treatment of claim 100 wherein the external device is configured to communicate patient activity compliance information to a health care provider.

106. The device for managing patient treatment of claim 100 wherein the external device is programmed to recommend patient activity based on the sensed information and the patient activity compliance.

107. The device for managing patient treatment of claim 106 wherein the device further comprises a hyperventilation detector coupled to the sensor and configured to detect at least one hyperventilation event, and wherein the device is programmed to recommend patient activity based on detection of at least one hyperventilation event and patient activity compliance.

108. The device for managing patient treatment of claim 107 wherein the device is programmed to recommend a drug regimen modification based on detection of at least one hyperventilation event and patient drug regimen compliance.

109. A device for managing treatment of a patient comprising:

an implantable sensor configured to sense information corresponding to the patient'"'"'s respiration;

a communication device coupled to the sensor and configured to communicate the information to an external device; and

an external device configured to upload the information, wherein the external device is programmed to recommend patient activity based on sensed information to the external device.

110. The device for managing treatment of a patient of claim 109 wherein the recommended patient activity is a recommended drug regimen.

111. The device for managing treatment of a patient of claim 109 further comprising:

a hyperventilation detector coupled to the sensor and configured to detect at least one hyperventilation event, wherein the external device is configured to recommend patient activity based on detection of at least one hyperventilation event.

112. The device for managing treatment of a patient of claim 109 further comprising:

an implantable memory device coupled to the sensor and configured to store the information sensed;

wherein the communication device comprises telemetry device coupled to the memory device and is configured to communicate the information stored in the memory to the external device; and

wherein the external device is configured to upload the information from the memory device.

113. A device for managing treatment of a patient comprising:

at least one implantable electrode configured to be coupled to tissue of a patient'"'"'s body;

a stimulation pulse generator configured to deliver electrical stimulation through the at least one implantable electrode to the tissue to thereby elicit a diaphragm respiratory response;

a sensor configured to sense information corresponding to the patient'"'"'s respiration;

a hyperventilation detector coupled to the sensor configured to determine a hyperventilation event based at least in part on the sensed information; and

an external device configured to communicate to the patient to comply with medication requirements in response to determination of at least one hyperventilation event.

114. The device of claim 113 wherein the electrode and stimulation pulse generator are configured to stimulate the tissue to elicit a breathing response in response to the hyperventilation detector detecting a hyperventilation event.

115. The device of claim 113 further comprising:

an implantable memory device coupled to the sensor and configured to store the information sensed; and

a telemetry device coupled to the memory device configured to communicate the information stored in the memory to the external device wherein the external device is configured to communicate to the patient to comply with a medication requirement in response to determination of at least one hyperventilation event.

116. A method for managing the treatment of a patient comprising the steps of:

sensing information corresponding to the patient'"'"'s respiration with an implanted sensor;

communicating the information to an external device configured to receive the information;

detecting a respiratory event from the sensed information; and

receiving patient compliance information from the patient into a external memory of the external device.

117. The method of claim 116 wherein the step of receiving patient compliance information comprises receiving drug treatment compliance information.

118. The method of claim 117 further comprising the step of determining the effectiveness of a drug regimen based on the sensed information and the patient compliance information.

120. The method of claim 116 further comprising the step of providing a user with a patient status based on the sensed information and the patient compliance information.

121. The method of claim 120 wherein the user is a patient.

122. The method of claim 120 wherein the user is a health care provider.

123. The method of claim 116 further comprising the step of providing a hyperventilation parameter detector coupled to the sensor and detecting at least one hyperventilation event.

125. The method of claim 116 wherein the step of receiving patient compliance information comprises receiving lifestyle compliance information.

124. The method of claim 124 further comprising the step of determining a patient pulmonary edema status based on detection of the at least one hyperventilation event.