System to provide neural markers for sensed neural activity

• US 20060241697A1
• Filed: 04/25/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Stahmann, Jeffrey E., Kramer, Andrew P., Libbus, Imad, Linder, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,640,057 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4035 Evaluating the autonomic nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4047 afferent nerves, i.e. nerves that relay impulses to the central nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4052 efferent nerves, i.e. nerves that relay impulses from the central nervous system
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/726 using Wavelet transforms
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36135 using physiological parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3627 for treating a mechanical deficiency of the heart, e.g. congestive heart failure or cardiomyopathy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37 Monitoring; Protecting
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer

Abstract

Various aspects of the present subject matter relate to a method and a device. In various embodiments of the method, a neural activity signal is sensed, a feature from the sensed neural activity signal is extracted, and a neural marker for the extracted feature is created. The neural marker includes information regarding the extracted feature. In various embodiments, the device comprises a port to receive a neural activity signal, and a feature extractor adapted to receive and process the neural activity signal to produce a neural marker that includes information for the neural activity signal. In various embodiments, the device comprises a display, a memory adapted to store a neural marker associated with a sensed neural activity signal, and a controller adapted to communicate with the memory and the display to provide a representation of the neural marker on the display. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sensing a neural activity signal;

extracting a feature from the sensed neural activity signal;

creating a neural marker for the extracted feature, the neural marker including information regarding the extracted feature.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting a feature from the sensed neural activity signal includes filtering the sensed neural activity signal.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein filtering the sensed neural activity signal includes applying a wavelet transformation to the sensed neural activity signal.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein filtering the sensed neural activity signal includes applying a frequency-based filter to the sensed neural activity signal.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein filtering the sensed neural activity signal includes rectifying the sensed neural activity signal.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein filtering the sensed neural activity signal includes applying a moving window average to the sensed neural activity signal.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein filtering the sensed neural activity signal includes applying a logarithmic averaging to the sensed neural activity signal.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein filtering the sensed neural activity signal includes applying a logarithmic averaging to the sensed neural activity signal.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein filtering the sensed neural activity signal includes averaging repeated signals that are aligned to an index event.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting a feature from the sensed neural activity signal includes correlating the sensed neural activity signal to an event.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the event includes an application of a therapy.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the event includes a sensed event.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting a feature from the sensed neural activity signal includes comparing a parameter of the sensed neural activity signal to at least one programmable value.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the extracted feature includes a label for the extracted feature.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the extracted feature includes a time stamp for the extracted feature.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the extracted feature includes an indicator of a location where the neural activity was sensed.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the extracted feature includes an indicator of a neural pathway type.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the extracted feature includes information regarding a correlated event.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the information regarding the extracted feature includes information regarding at least one parameter of the sensed neural stimulation signal.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically adjusting an applied therapy based on the neural marker.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the neural marker.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein displaying the neural marker includes displaying information regarding a correlated event associated with the sensed neural activity signal.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein displaying the neural marker includes displaying a segment of the sensed neural activity signal for a time period determined by the time stamp of the neural marker.

24. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the neural marker in a memory, including automatically storing a neural marker in the memory in response to a trigger produced for at least one predetermined feature extracted from the sensed neural activity signal.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising storing the neural marker in the memory in response to a user-initiated trigger.

26. A device, comprising:

a port to receive a neural activity signal; and

a feature extractor adapted to receive and process the neural activity signal to produce a neural marker that includes information for the neural activity signal.

27. The device of claim 26, wherein the device includes an implantable medical device (IMD), the IMD including a sensor connected to the port to sense neural activity and provide the neural activity signal to the port.

28. The device of claim 26, wherein the device includes an external device to communicate with an implantable medical device (IMD) through a communication channel and to receive the neural activity signal at the port through the communication channel.

29. The device of claim 26, wherein the feature extractor includes a filter for the sensed neural stimulation signal.

30. The device of claim 26, wherein the feature extractor includes a correlator to correlate the sensed neural stimulation signal to an event.

31. The device of claim 26, wherein the feature extractor includes a comparator to compare a feature of the neural stimulation signal to at least one programmable value.

32. The device of claim 26, wherein the feature extractor includes a trigger mechanism to automatically store the neural marker in a memory.

33. The device of claim 26, further comprising a controller adapted to provide an alert based on the neural marker.

34. The device of claim 26, further comprising a controller adapted to automatically adjust a therapy based on the neural marker.

35. A device, comprising:

a display;

a memory adapted to store a neural marker associated with a sensed neural activity signal; and

a controller adapted to communicate with the memory and the display to provide a representation of the neural marker on the display.

36. The device of claim 35, wherein the representation of the neural marker includes a time stamp and a label.

37. The device of claim 35, wherein the representation of the neural marker includes an image of a portion of the sensed neural activity signal corresponding to the neural marker.

38. The device of claim 35, wherein the representation of the neural marker includes a representation of a correlated event.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein the correlated event includes a sensed event.

40. The device of claim 38, wherein the correlated event includes an applied therapy.