Device and method for adding to breathing

• US 20070021795A1
• Filed: 09/25/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RMX, LLC (ASHINC Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Inspiration Medical Inc.
• Inventors: Tehrani, Amir
• Granted Patent: US 8,509,901 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 method and device is provided for adding to breathing by stimulating tissue to elicit a diaphragm response during intrinsic breathing.

Claims

1-99. -99. (canceled)

100. A device for stimulating a diaphragm response in a subject comprising:

at least one electrode configured to be coupled to tissue of a subject;

a signal source coupled to the electrode and configured to deliver an electrically stimulating signal to the tissue through the at least one electrode to elicit a diaphragm response;

wherein the signal source is configured to deliver the electrically stimulating signal to the tissue when a diaphragm is contracting; and

wherein the electrically stimulating signal is configured to add to intrinsic respiration to increase lung volume.

101. The device of claim 100 wherein the electrically stimulating signal is configured to increase tidal volume.

102. The device of claim 100 further comprising a sensor configured to sense a respiration parameter.

104. The device of claim 102 wherein the sensor is configured to sense a diaphragm EMG.

105. The device of claim 102 further comprising a responsive element configured to determine if a respiration parameter is within a predetermined range and to respond thereto by controlling the stimulating signal.

106. The device of claim 105 wherein the responsive element is configured to determine if stimulation provided by the device causes a respiration parameter meet a predetermined criterion and to respond if the respiration parameter does not meet the predetermined criterion by adjusting the stimulation signal.

107. The device of claim 105 wherein the responsive element is configured to determine if a respiration parameter meets a predetermined criterion of an intrinsic sleeping respiration parameter.

108. The device of claim 107 wherein the intrinsic sleeping respiration parameter is an intrinsic sleep EMG.

103. The device of 102 wherein the sensor is configured sense a respiration parameter corresponding to tidal volume.

109. A device for stimulating a diaphragm response in a subject comprising:

at least one electrode configured to be coupled to tissue of a subject;

a signal source coupled to the electrode and configured to deliver an electrically stimulating signal to the tissue through the at least one electrode to elicit a diaphragm response;

wherein the signal source is configured to deliver the electrically stimulating signal to the tissue during at least a portion of one or more intrinsic breathing cycles.

110. The device of claim 109 wherein the signal source is configured to thereby add diaphragm contraction during said one or more breathing cycles.

111. The device of claim 109 wherein the signal source is configured to thereby add to intrinsic breathing to provide an increased lung volume during the intrinsic breathing cycle.

117. The method of claim 110 further comprising the step of providing said stimulation to elicit a response wherein a respiration parameter approaches a desired respiration parameter.

112. A method for increasing lung volume of a subject comprising:

determining when inspiration is occurring in a subject;

stimulating tissue associated with the diaphragm when said inspiration is occurring to elicit an added diaphragm response in a patient to thereby increase lung volume.

113. The method of claim 112 wherein the step of determining when inspiration is occurring comprises detecting at least a portion of a diaphragm EMG associated with an inspiration.

114. The method of claim 112 wherein the step of determining when inspiration is occurring comprises detecting movement of the diaphragm.

115. The method of claim 114 wherein the step of detecting movement of the diaphragm comprises detecting movement with a sensor positioned on the diaphragm.

116. The method of claim 112 wherein the step of eliciting an added diaphragm response comprises electrically stimulating tissue associated with a diaphragm to increase muscle contraction to add to a diaphragm EMG.

118. The method of claim 112 further comprising the step of determining a desired tidal volume;

and wherein the step of stimulating tissue associated with the diaphragm when said inspiration is occurring comprises stimulating tissue associated with the diaphragm to increase tidal volume to achieve a desired tidal volume.

119. The method of claim 118 wherein the step of stimulating tissue comprises stimulating tissue to cause the tidal volume to approach the desired tidal volume.

120. The method of claim 119 further comprising the step of adjusting stimulation based on a response to the stimulation.

121. The method of claim 118 wherein the step of determining that the subject'"'"'s respiration is below the desired tidal volume comprises sensing a subject'"'"'s EMG.

122. A method of stimulating a diaphragm response in a subject comprising:

providing an electrode coupled to tissue of a subject and a signal source coupled to the electrode whereby an electrically stimulating signal is provided to the subject from the source through the electrode to cause a diaphragm response; and

stimulating the tissue during at least one respiration cycle where an existing diaphragm EMG is present to thereby add to EMG during said at least one respiration cycle.

123. The method of claim 122 further comprising the step of providing said stimulation to elicit a response wherein a respiration parameter approaches the desired respiration parameter.

124. The method of claim 123 wherein the desired respiration parameter is an EMG.

125. The method of claim 123 wherein the desired respiration parameter is an intrinsic respiration parameter during sleep.

126. The method of claim 125 wherein the intrinsic respiration parameter during sleep is a sleep EMG.

127. A method for treating a respiratory insufficiency of a subject comprising:

in a patient who is instrinsically breathing, stimulating tissue associated with the diaphragm occurring to elicit a diaphragm response to thereby elicit additional diaphragm contraction.

128. The method of claim 127 wherein the step of stimulating comprises stimulating to provide an increase in lung volume.