Cardiac monitoring via gastrointestinal stimulator

• US 20070255337A1
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Published: 11/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Lu, Richard
• Application Number:
  US11/414,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20070255337A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/00 Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor A61N2/00 takes precedence; irradiation apparatus A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

The invention is directed to techniques for delivering electrical stimulation to a gastrointestinal tract of a patient via an implantable stimulator and monitoring electrical activity of a patient'"'"'s heart by sensing cardiac signals via electrodes coupled to the implantable stimulator. The implantable stimulator may analyze the cardiac signals and generate a cardiac therapy recommendation for the patient, or may communicate the cardiac signals via telemetry circuitry to an external device for analysis. The sensed cardiac signals may be electrocardiogram (ECG) signals.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

delivering electrical stimulation to a gastrointestinal tract of a patient via an implantable stimulator; and

sensing cardiac signals via a plurality of electrodes coupled to the implantable stimulator.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing information based on the cardiac signals in a memory associated with the implantable stimulator.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting information based on the cardiac signals from the implantable stimulator to an external module via a telemetry interface associated with the implantable stimulator.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising displaying the information based on the cardiac signals via the external module.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

analyzing information based on the cardiac signals; and

generating a cardiac therapy recommendation based on the analysis.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein generating a cardiac therapy recommendation comprises recommending that the patient be implanted with a cardiac device.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein generating a cardiac therapy recommendation comprises activating an implanted alert module.

8. The method of claim 7, 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.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein analyzing information comprises detecting based on the cardiac signals one of atrial fibrillation, ventricular fibrillation, atrial tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia, bradycardia, wide QRS complexes due to unsynchronized ventricular contractions, ectopic events, ischemic events, asystole, ST elevation, premature atrial contraction, bundle branch block, irregular heart rate, long QT syndrome, chronotropic incompetence, and myocardial infarction.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising initiating an alert procedure upon detecting one of ventricular fibrillation and fast ventricular tachycardia based on the cardiac signals.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein initiating an alert procedure comprises issuing a communication to an emergency response system.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing cardiac signals comprises sensing the cardiac signals via a plurality of electrodes, wherein at least one electrode extends away from the implantable stimulator via a lead.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein sensing cardiac signals comprises sensing the cardiac signals via a plurality of electrodes, wherein at least one electrode is disposed on a housing of the implantable stimulator.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising alternating delivery of electrical stimulation to the gastrointestinal tract with sensing intervals of sensing the cardiac signals.

15. An implantable device comprising:

a plurality of electrodes;

a pulse generator that delivers electrical stimulation to a gastrointestinal tract of a patient via at least some of the electrodes; and

a processor that senses cardiac signals via at least some of the electrodes.

16. The device of claim 15, further comprising a memory that stores information based on the cardiac signals.

17. The device of claim 15, further comprising a telemetry interface that transmits information based on the cardiac signals to an external module.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor analyzes information based on the cardiac signals and generates a cardiac therapy recommendation based on the analysis.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the processor activates an implanted alert module based on the analysis.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the sensed cardiac signals are electrocardiogram (ECG) signals.

21. The device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises at least one electrode that extends away from the implantable device via a lead.

22. The device of claim 15, wherein the plurality of electrodes comprises at least one electrode that is disposed on a housing of the implantable stimulator.

23. A system comprising:

an implantable device that delivers electrical stimulation to a gastrointestinal tract of a patient with a pulse generator and senses cardiac signals via a plurality of electrodes; and

an external module, wherein the implantable device transmits information based on the cardiac signals to the external module via a telemetry interface associated with the implantable device.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising a network server, wherein the external module transmits information based on the cardiac signals 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.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the information based on the cardiac signals is displayed via one of the external module and the web page.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the server analyzes information based on the cardiac signals and generates a cardiac therapy recommendation based on the analysis.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the external module analyzes information based on the cardiac signals and generates a cardiac therapy recommendation based on the analysis.

28. The system of claim 23, 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.

29. An implantable device comprising:

means for delivering electrical stimulation to a gastrointestinal tract of a patient via an implantable stimulator; and

means for sensing cardiac signals via a plurality of electrodes coupled to the implantable stimulator.

30. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that cause a programmable processor to:

deliver electrical stimulation to a gastrointestinal tract of a patient via an implantable stimulator; and

sense cardiac signals via a plurality of electrodes coupled to the implantable stimulator.