Sleep detection using an adjustable threshold

• US 20070161873A1
• Filed: 03/13/2007
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Kent, Ni, Quan, Hatlestad, John, Hajenga, Zoe, Daum, Douglas, Stahmann, Jeff
• Granted Patent: US 8,535,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/085 Measuring impedance of respiratory organs or lung elasticity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7271 Specific aspects of physiological measurement analysis A61B5/316, A61B5/349 and A61B5/374 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7282 Event detection, e.g. detecting unique waveforms indicative of a medical condition A61B5/4094, A61B5/4818, A61B5/349, A61B5/0823 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/362 Heart stimulators heart defibrillators A61N1/39
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/365 controlled by a physiological parameter, e.g. heart potential evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36542 controlled by body motion, e.g. acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

Devices and methods for sleep detection involve the use of an adjustable threshold for detecting sleep onset and termination. A method for detecting sleep includes adjusting a sleep threshold associated with a first sleep-related signal using a second sleep-related signal. The first sleep-related signal is compared to the adjusted threshold and sleep is detected based on the comparison. The sleep-related signals may be derived from implantable or external sensors. Additional sleep-related signals may be used to confirm the sleep condition. A sleep detector device implementing a sleep detection method may be a component of an implantable pulse generator such as a pacemaker or defibrillator.

Claims

1. A method of detecting sleep, comprising:

sensing a plurality of sleep-related signals;

defining a relationship between at least two of the sleep-related signals, the relationship associated with sleep detection; and

detecting sleep using the sleep-related signal relationship, wherein at least one of sensing, defining, and detecting is performed at least in part implantably.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the relationship comprises defining the relationship between a patient activity signal and a respiratory signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the relationship comprises defining the relationship between a cardiac signal and a respiratory signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein defining the relationship comprises establishing a sleep criterion.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein establishing the sleep criterion comprises establishing a sleep threshold associated with one of the sleep-related signals.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein establishing the sleep criterion further comprises modifying the sleep criterion.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein establishing the sleep criterion further comprises adjusting the sensitivity of the sleep criterion.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising adjusting the sleep criterion associated with one sleep-related signal using another sleep-related signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sleep-related signals is a non-physiological signal.

10. A sleep detection device, comprising:

sensors configured to sense a plurality of sleep-related signals; and

a sleep processor coupled to the sensors, the sleep processor configured to detect sleep using based on a relationship between at least two of the sleep-related signals.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the sleep processor is implantable.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein the sleep processor is configured to determine the relationship between the at least two sleep-related signals based on patient data.

13. The device of claim 10, wherein the relationship is established based on clinical data.

14. The device of claim 10, wherein the sensors include an accelerometer configured to sense patient activity and transthoracic impedance sensor configured to sense respiration.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the sensors include cardiac electrodes configured to sense cardiac electrical signals.

16. The device of claim 10, wherein at least one of the sensors is external of the patient.

17. The device of claim 10, wherein the sleep processor is a component of an implantable cardiac therapy device.

18. A sleep detection system, comprising:

sensors configured to detect a plurality of sleep-related signals; and

means for implantably detecting sleep based on a relationship between at least two of the sleep-related signals.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for determining the relationship between the at least two sleep-related signals.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for establishing a sleep criterion associated with at least one of the sleep-related signals.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for modifying the sleep criterion.

22. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for adjusting the sleep criterion associated with one sleep-related signal using another sleep-related signal.