Heart rate variability control of gastric electrical stimulator
First Claim
1. A digestive stimulation system, comprising a lead adapted to apply an electrical stimulation signal to a digestive system or a portion thereof of a patient;
- pulse generator operably connected to the lead and capable of generating the stimulation signal;
a sensor for detecting an indicator of autonomic nervous system function, and a first processor operatively connected to the pulse generator and the sensor, the first processor being capable of modifying a parameter of the stimulation signal based on the sensed indicator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and systems for stimulating a gastrointestinal system and for modifying a stimulation signal based on an indicator of autonomic nervous system function are described. One indicator of autonomic nervous system described is cardiac activity, including heart rate variability. Methods for selecting candidate patients for gastrointestinal stimulation therapy based on an indicator of autonomic nervous system function and methods of treating patients at risk of or suffering from gastrointestinal disorders by modifying therapy based on an indicator of autonomic function are also discussed.
49 Citations
54 Claims
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1. A digestive stimulation system, comprising
a lead adapted to apply an electrical stimulation signal to a digestive system or a portion thereof of a patient; -
pulse generator operably connected to the lead and capable of generating the stimulation signal;
a sensor for detecting an indicator of autonomic nervous system function, and a first processor operatively connected to the pulse generator and the sensor, the first processor being capable of modifying a parameter of the stimulation signal based on the sensed indicator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for treating a patient at risk of or suffering from a gastrointestinal disorder, comprising:
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placing a lead in a patient in a location adapted to stimulate a patient'"'"'s digestive system or a portion thereof;
applying a stimulation signal to the patient'"'"'s digestive system or a portion thereof via the lead;
detecting an indicator of autonomic nervous system function of the patient; and
modifying a parameter of the stimulation signal based on the detected indicator. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method for identifying a candidate patient for digestive stimulation therapy, comprising:
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selecting a patient suffering from or at risk of a gastrointestinal disorder;
detecting an indicator of autonomic nervous system function of the patient; and
determining whether the indicator is indicative of autonomic dysfunction, wherein the patient is identified as a candidate for digestive stimulation therapy if the indicator is indicative of autonomic dysfunction. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method for modifying a parameter of digestive stimulation therapy, comprising:
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detecting an indicator of autonomic nervous system function; and
modifying the parameter of the digestive stimulation therapy based on the detected indicator. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40)
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41. A method for modifying a parameter of digestive stimulation therapy, comprising:
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detecting an indicator of autonomic nervous system function;
applying a stimulation signal to at least a portion of a digestive system;
redetecting the indicator after applying the stimulation signal;
determining whether the redected indicator is indicative of an improvement in autonomic nervous system function; and
modifying the parameter of the digestive stimulation therapy if no improvement is detected. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A computer-readable medium, comprising
program instructions adapted to cause a programmable processor to determine whether an improvement in autonomic function has occurred based on information from a sensor capable of detecting an indicator of autonomic nervous system function.
Specification