System and method of predicting efficacy of tongue-base therapies

• US 20070239056A1
• Filed: 03/28/2006
• Published: 10/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kent Moore
• Original Assignee: Kent Moore
• Inventors: Moore, Kent
• Granted Patent: US 7,697,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/529
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/113 occurring during breathing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/08 Detecting organic movements or changes, e.g. tumours, cysts, swellings A61B8/02 - A61B8/06 take precedence

Abstract

A method, computer-readable medium, and system for predicting a response to tongue-base therapies (particularly as it relates to obstructive sleep apnea) are provided. The method includes generating with a processing element a plurality of images of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s anatomy, acquiring data indicative of the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy from the images, and determining a probability of a patient'"'"'s response to a tongue-base treatment based on the acquired data.

Claims

1. A method for predicting a response to tongue-base therapies comprising:

generating with a processing element a plurality of images of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s anatomy;

acquiring data indicative of the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy from the images; and

determining a probability of a patient'"'"'s response to a tongue-base treatment based on the acquired data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating comprises generating at least one supine hypotonic image of an upper airway of the patient with the patient'"'"'s head and neck in a neutral standard position.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein generating comprises generating at least one image of an airway with the mandible at rest and the mandible at an advanced position.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein acquiring comprises acquiring at least one of an anterior/posterior measurement and a lateral measurement of a most critical site of proximal narrowing of the upper airway with the mandible at rest and the mandible at an advanced position.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein acquiring comprises acquiring at least one of an area of a most critical site of proximal narrowing of the upper airway with the mandible at rest and the mandible at an advanced position.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein acquiring comprises acquiring a percentage area airway expansion.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising inputting patient-specific data, wherein the patient-specific data comprises at least one of body mass index, respiratory disturbance index, apnea hypopnea index, age, neck circumference, and gender.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising displaying the probability of a response as a graphical image.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein determining comprises determining the probability of a response to treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein determining comprises determining the probability of response to at least one of a treatment of obstructive sleep apnea with oral appliances, tongue-base directed therapies, and mandibular advancement surgery.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising capturing data indicative of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s anatomy.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein generating comprises generating the at least one image based on the captured data.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein generating comprises generating a plurality of images during a wakefulness state or a sleep state.

14. A computer-readable medium containing instructions for causing a processing element to perform the steps of:

generating a plurality of images of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s anatomy;

acquiring data indicative of the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy from the images; and

determining a probability of a patient'"'"'s response to a tongue-base treatment based on the acquired data.

15. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein generating comprises generating at least one supine hypotonic image of an upper airway of the patient with the patient'"'"'s head and neck in a neutral standard position.

16. The computer-readable medium according to claim 15, wherein generating comprises generating at least one image of an airway with the mandible at rest and the mandible at an advanced position.

17. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein acquiring comprises acquiring at least one of an anterior/posterior measurement and a lateral measurement of a most critical site of proximal narrowing of the upper airway with the mandible at rest and the mandible at an advanced position.

18. The computer-readable medium according to claim 16, wherein acquiring comprises acquiring at least one of an area of a most critical site of proximal narrowing of the upper airway with the mandible at rest and the mandible at an advanced position.

19. The computer-readable medium according to claim 18, wherein acquiring comprises acquiring a percentage area airway expansion.

20. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising inputting patient-specific data, wherein the patient-specific data comprises at least one of body mass index, respiratory disturbance index, apnea hypopnea index, age, neck circumference, and gender.

21. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising displaying the probability of a response as a graphical image.

22. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, wherein determining comprises determining the probability of a response to treatment for obstructive sleep apnea.

23. The computer-readable medium according to claim 22, wherein determining comprises determining the probability of response to at least one of a treatment of obstructive sleep apnea with oral appliances, tongue-base directed therapies, and mandibular advancement surgery.

24. The computer-readable medium according to claim 14, further comprising capturing data indicative of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s anatomy.

25. The computer-readable medium according to claim 24, wherein generating comprises generating the at least one image based on the captured data.

26. A system for predicting a response to tongue-base therapies comprising:

a device for capturing data indicative of at least a portion of a patient'"'"'s anatomy; and

a processing element in communication with the device and for generating a plurality of images based on the captured data, acquiring data indicative of the portion of the patient'"'"'s anatomy from the images, and determining a probability of a patient'"'"'s response to a tongue-base treatment based on the acquired data.

27. The system according to claim 26, wherein the device comprises one of an endoscope, acoustic pharyngometer, ultrasound, -, MRI, or CT scanner.

28. The system according to claim 27, wherein the processing element comprises a graphical user interface for displaying the plurality of images.

29. The system according to claim 28, wherein the graphical user interface is capable of displaying an image representative of the probability of a response.