Methods and systems for continuous EEG monitoring

• US 20070161919A1
• Filed: 12/29/2006
• Published: 07/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc
• Original Assignee: Bioneuronics Corporation
• Inventors: DiLorenzo, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 9,113,801 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/544
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1101 Detecting tremor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/316 Modalities, i.e. specific diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4082 Diagnosing or monitoring movement diseases, e.g. Parkinson, Huntington or Tourette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4839 combined with drug delivery
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6852 Catheters
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6864 Burr holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6868 Brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6882 Anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7203 for noise prevention, reduction or removal
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0531 Brain cortex electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0539 Anchoring of brain electrode systems, e.g. within burr hole
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36067 Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36114 : Cardiac control, e.g. by vagal stimulation stimulating the heart A61N1/362
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36139 : with automatic adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/372 : Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 : from an external energy source

Abstract

A neurological control system for modulating activity of any component or structure comprising the entirety or portion of the nervous system, or any structure interfaced thereto, generally referred to herein as a “nervous system component.” The neurological control system generates neural modulation signals delivered to a nervous system component through one or more neuromodulators to control neurological state and prevent neurological signs and symptoms. Such treatment parameters may be derived from a neural response to previously delivered neural modulation signals sensed by one or more sensors, each configured to sense a particular characteristic indicative of a neurological or psychiatric condition.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring and storing EEG signals from a patient, the method comprising:

monitoring EEG signals from a patient with an implanted unit;

wirelessly transmitting a substantially real-time monitored EEG signal from the implanted unit to a communication module that is external to the patient'"'"'s body; and

storing the substantially-real time EEG signal in a memory that is external to the patient'"'"'s body.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication module is a portable patient interface module, and wherein the memory is within the portable patient interface module.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication module is a supervisory module that is used by a healthcare provider, and wherein the memory is within the supervisory module.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a wireless communication link between the implanted unit and the communication module that is external to the patient'"'"'s body;

wherein monitoring and transmitting the EEG signal is performed substantially continuously while the wireless communication link is established between the implanted unit and the communication module.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein storing the transmitted EEG signal creates a time history record of the EEG signal for a time period when the wireless communication link is established between the implanted unit and the communication module.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising wirelessly transmitting a stored time history of the EEG signals that was previously stored in a memory of the implanted unit.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein wirelessly transmitting the monitored EEG signal facilitates a real-time monitoring of the EEG signal with the communication module.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising analyzing the EEG signal to estimate the patient'"'"'s condition.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein analyzing the EEG signal from the patient to estimate the patient'"'"'s condition comprises predicting future symptomatology of the patient'"'"'s condition.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the condition comprises epilepsy and the future symptomatology comprises a seizure.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the condition comprises Parkinson'"'"'s disease and the future symptomatology comprises a tremor.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the condition comprises depression.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the condition comprises bipolar disorder.

14. The method of claim 10 further comprising using the communication module to provide an output to the patient that is indicative of the patient'"'"'s estimated condition.

15. The method of claim 9 further comprising initiating delivery of a therapy to the patient when the future symptomatology is predicted.

16. A method of monitoring a patient'"'"'s neurological or psychiatric condition, the method comprising:

transmitting substantially real-time EEG signals that are sampled with an implanted device to an external device; and

analyzing the substantially real-time EEG signals to estimate the patient'"'"'s condition and/or predict future symptomatology of the patient'"'"'s condition.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising facilitating delivery of a therapy to manage the patient'"'"'s condition and/or predicted future symptomatology.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the therapy comprises at least one of electrical stimulation of a peripheral nerve, electrical stimulation of brain tissue, and drug delivery.

19. The method of claim 16 further comprising using the external device to provide an output to the patient that is indicative of the patient'"'"'s estimated condition.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein transmitting is performed continuously during a time period in which there is a wireless communication link established between the implanted device and the external device.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the patient'"'"'s condition is epilepsy and the future symptomatology comprises a seizure.

22. The method of claim 16 wherein the patient'"'"'s condition comprises Parkinson'"'"'s disease and the future symptomatology comprises a tremor.

23. The method of claim 16 wherein the patient'"'"'s condition comprises depression.

24. The method of claim 16 wherein the patient'"'"'s condition comprises bipolar disorder.

25. A method of monitoring a patient'"'"'s epilepsy condition, the method comprising:

establishing a wireless communication link between an implanted device and a external device;

sampling an EEG signal from a patient with the implanted device;

continuously transmitting a substantially real-time EEG signal to the external device while the communication link is established;

extracting parameters from the EEG signal to estimate the patient'"'"'s epilepsy condition, wherein the parameters are indicative or predictive of a seizure; and

providing a substantially real-time output to the patient with the external device that is indicative of the patient'"'"'s epilepsy condition.

26. The method of claim 25 further comprising initiating delivery of a therapy to manage the patient'"'"'s epilepsy condition.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the therapy comprises at least one of electrical stimulation of a peripheral nerve, electrical stimulation of brain tissue, and drug delivery.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein continuously transmitting is carried out using a wireless radiofrequency communication link.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising storing the sampled EEG signal in a memory of the external device.