Energy balance therapy for obesity management

• US 20070255334A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Starkebaum, Warren, Lubben, Gary, Keimel, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,558,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control

Abstract

Techniques are described that allow an implantable device to sense gastric data and activity data from a patient, and estimate the patient'"'"'s amount of energy consumed and energy expended based on the sensed data. A system provides feedback to the patient, a family member, or a doctor about the patient'"'"'s energy consumed, energy expended, and net energy. The data may be provided in table or graphical format, and may show daily or weekly energy balance data or may show a trend of the daily or weekly energy data. The patient may receive feedback by an implanted alert module that provides and audio alert or a vibration alert. In addition, data acquired by the system may be used to adjust the patient'"'"'s stimulation therapy parameters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving gastric data sensed by an implantable device implanted within a patient;

estimating an amount of energy consumed by the patient based on the sensed gastric data; and

controlling therapy to the patient based on the amount of energy consumed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling therapy includes providing feedback based on the amount of energy consumed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling therapy includes modifying electrical stimulation parameters of an implantable stimulator implanted within the patient based on the estimated amount of energy consumed.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling therapy includes modifying drug therapy delivered by a drug delivery system implanted within the patient based on the estimated amount of energy consumed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the sensed gastric data comprises receiving gastric data from one or more of a gastric electrical sensor, a pressure sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, a triboelectric sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a gastric impedance sensor, an acoustic sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a number of gastric contractions based on the sensed gastric data, and estimating an amount of energy consumed by the patient based on the number of gastric contractions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein estimating the amount of energy consumed based on the number of gastric contractions comprises multiplying the number of gastric contractions by an average amount of calories per contraction.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

comparing a projected physiological parameter to an actual physiological parameter, wherein the projected physiological parameter is calculated based on the average amount of calories per contraction, and wherein the physiological parameter is one of patient weight and patient body fat; and

recalibrating the average amount of calories per contraction based the comparison.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring an amount of body fat of the patient using an impedance sensor of the implantable device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing the estimated amount of energy consumed to a goal amount of energy consumed; and

providing feedback based on the comparison.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein providing feedback comprises transmitting a wireless communication to an external module.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying information about the amount of energy consumed to the patient via the external module.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein providing feedback comprises activating an implanted alert module.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein activating an implanted alert module comprises alerting the patient using one of an audio transducer, vibration in the implantable device, or stimulation by the implanted device of patient tissue.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein providing feedback comprises displaying trend information about the amount of energy consumed during a time period.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the time period is one of a week and a month.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving activity data sensed by an implantable device implanted within a patient; and

estimating an amount of energy expended by the patient based on the sensed activity data,

wherein controlling therapy includes controlling therapy based on both the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy expended.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein controlling therapy includes providing feedback based on the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy expended.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein controlling therapy includes modifying electrical stimulation parameters of an implantable stimulator implanted within the patient based on the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy expended.

24. The method of claim 1, wherein modifying electrical stimulation parameters includes modifying electric stimulation parameters to reduce energy intake by the patient.

20. A method comprising:

receiving activity data sensed by an implantable device implanted within a patient;

estimating an amount of energy expended by the patient based on the sensed activity data; and

modifying electrical stimulation parameters of an implantable stimulator implanted within the patient based on the estimated amount of energy expended.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing feedback based on the amount of energy expended.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein receiving sensed activity data comprises receiving data indicating one of heart rate, heart rate variability, electrocardiogram (ECG), Q-T interval, night heart rate, cardiac variability index, minute volume, minute ventilation, blood oxygen level, activity level, blood pressure, and body temperature of the patient.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein receiving sensed activity data comprises receiving accelerometer data.

25. A method comprising:

receiving an estimated amount of energy expended by a patient;

receiving an estimated amount of energy consumed by the patient, wherein at least one of the estimated amount of energy expended and the estimated amount of energy consumed is estimated based on sensed data received from an implantable device implanted within the patient; and

calculating an amount of net energy based on the amounts of energy expended and energy consumed.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising providing feedback based on the amount of net energy.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein providing feedback comprises transmitting a wireless communication to an external module.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising displaying information about the amount of energy consumed to the patient via the external module.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein at least one of the estimated amount of energy expended and the estimated amount of energy consumed is an average value stored in a memory.

30. The method of claim 25, further comprising comparing the calculated amount of net energy to a goal amount of net energy.

31. The method of claim 29, further comprising modifying stimulation parameters of an implantable stimulator based on the comparison.

32. An implantable device comprising:

a sensor to sense gastric data; and

a processor to estimate an amount of energy consumed by a patient based on the sensed gastric data and control therapy to the patient based on the amount of energy consumed.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein control of therapy by the processor includes directing delivery of feedback based on the amount of energy consumed.

34. The device of claim 32, wherein control of therapy by the processor includes modifying electrical stimulation parameters of an implantable stimulator implanted within the patient based on the estimated amount of energy consumed.

35. The device of claim 32, wherein control of therapy by the processor includes modifying drug therapy delivered by a drug delivery system implanted within the patient based on the estimated amount of energy consumed.

36. The device of claim 32, wherein the sensor is one of a gastric electrical activity sensor, a pressure sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, a triboelectric sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a gastric impedance sensor, an acoustic sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

37. The device of claim 32, wherein the processor determines a number of gastric contractions based on the sensed gastric data, and estimates an amount of energy consumed by the patient based on the number of gastric contractions.

38. The device of claim 37, wherein the processor estimates the amount of energy consumed by multiplying the number of gastric contractions by an average amount of calories per contraction.

39. The device of claim 38, wherein the processor calculates a projected physiological parameter based on the average amount of calories per contraction, compares the projected physiological parameter to an actual physiological parameter, and recalibrates the average amount of calories per contraction based the comparison, wherein the physiological parameter is one of patient weight and patient body fat.

40. The device of claim 32, wherein the processor compares the estimated amount of energy consumed to a goal amount of energy consumed, and provides feedback based on the comparison.

41. The device of claim 32, further comprising:

a telemetry interface,

wherein the processor provides feedback by transmitting a wireless communication to an external module via the telemetry interface.

42. The device of claim 32, further comprising an activity sensor to sense activity data, wherein the processor estimates an amount of energy expended by the patient based on the sensed activity data.

43. The device of claim 42, wherein the activity sensor senses one of heart rate, heart rate variability, electrocardiogram (ECG), Q-T interval, night heart rate, cardiac variability index, minute volume, minute ventilation, blood oxygen level, activity level, blood pressure, and body temperature of the patient.

44. The device of claim 42, wherein the processor calculates an amount of net energy based on the estimated energy consumed and the estimated energy expended, compares the calculated net energy to a goal amount of net energy, and provides feedback based on the comparison.

45. The device of claim 42, wherein the processor controls therapy based on both the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy expended.

46. The device of claim 42, wherein control of therapy by the processor includes directing delivery of feedback based on both the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy expended.

47. The device of claim 42, wherein control of therapy by the processor includes modifying electrical stimulation parameters of an implantable stimulator implanted within the patient based on both the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy expended.

48. A system comprising:

an implantable device that senses gastric data and estimates an amount of energy consumed by a patient based on the sensed gastric data; and

an external module, wherein the implantable device transmits a wireless communication to the external module to provide feedback based on the amount of energy consumed.

49. The system of claim 48, further comprising a network server, wherein the external module transmits information about the amount of energy consumed to the server and the server transmits the information to one or more network clients for viewing via a web browser, and wherein the web browser displays the information on a web page.

50. The system of claim 48, wherein the amount of energy consumed is displayed via one of the external module and the web page.

51. The system of claim 48, wherein the external module displays trend information about the amount of energy consumed during a time period.

52. The system of claim 48, wherein the external module is one of a patient monitor, a patient programmer, a physician programmer, a cellular telephone, a wristwatch, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a pager.

53. The system of claim 48, wherein the implantable device senses activity data and estimates an amount of energy expended by the patient based on the sensed activity data.

54. The system of claim 53, wherein the implantable device calculates an amount of net energy based on the estimated energy consumed and the estimated energy expended, compares the calculated net energy to a goal amount of net energy, and provides feedback based on the comparison.