Therapy control using relative motion between sensors

• US 20080281376A1
• Filed: 05/07/2007
• Published: 11/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Gerber, Martin T., Rondoni, John C.
• Granted Patent: US 8,103,351 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36135 using physiological parameters

Abstract

The invention is directed to controlling therapy delivery based on a relative motion between a first and second activity sensor. The relative motion between the activity sensors is representative of the relative motion between the locations of the body of the patient at which the respective activity sensors are located. The use of relative motion, however, may substantially remove motion experienced by both the activity sensors, e.g., motion caused by the environment in which patient is located, thus providing a new reference frame from which to analyze the motion measurements. The relative motion may be used to detect a condition of a movement disorder and/or control delivery of the therapy delivered to patient to treat or reduce the condition.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a therapy delivery device that delivers a therapy to a patient;

a first activity sensor that generates a signal as a function of motion at a first location of a body of the patient;

a second activity sensor that generates a signal as a function of motion at a second location of the body of the patient; and

at least one processor that compares the signal generated by the first activity sensor and the signal generated by the second activity sensor to determine a relative motion of the second location of the patient relative to the first location of the patient, and controls the therapy delivered to the patient based on the relative motion.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first activity sensor is located in close proximity to the therapy delivery device and the second activity sensor is located at a limb of the patient.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a lead coupled to the therapy delivery device to deliver the therapy from the therapy delivery device to a target therapy delivery site of the patient, wherein the second activity sensor is coupled to the lead.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the lead includes a lead body that extends from a proximal end coupled to the therapy delivery device to a distal end proximal to the target therapy delivery site, and wherein the second activity sensor is proximal to the distal end of the lead body.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the lead includes a lead body that extends from a proximal end coupled to the therapy delivery device to a distal end proximal to the target therapy delivery site, and wherein the second activity sensor is located within the lead body.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the therapy delivery device includes a housing, and wherein the first activity sensor is located within the housing.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the second activity sensor is located externally on the limb of the patient.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein the second activity sensor is implanted within the limb of the patient.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first activity sensor is located to detect motion of a torso of the patient and the second activity sensor is located to detect motion of a limb of the patient.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first activity sensor is located to detect motion of a head of the patient and the second activity sensor is located to detect motion of a location other than the head.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor compares at least one of a difference in magnitude of the motions detected by the first activity sensor and the second activity sensor and a difference in directionality of the motions detected by the first activity sensor and the second activity sensor to determine a magnitude of the relative motion and a directionality of the relative motion.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor detects a condition of a movement disorder when at least one of the magnitude of the relative motion and the directionality of the relative motion exceeds a threshold.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor detects a condition of a movement disorder when at least one of the magnitude of the relative motion and the directionality of the relative motion exceeds the threshold for a threshold number of measurements within a time period.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor detects a condition of a movement disorder when the relative motion of a threshold number of measurements within a time period substantially matches a pre-defined pattern.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor detects a condition of a movement disorder when a frequency of relative motion exceeds a threshold within a time period.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor adjusts one or more therapy parameters of the therapy based on the relative motion.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second activity sensors comprise an accelerometer.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the therapy delivery device comprises an implantable neurostimulation device.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor comprises a processor of the therapy delivery device.

20. A method comprising:

generating a signal as a function of motion at a first location of a body of a patient via a first activity sensor;

generating a signal as a function of motion at a second location of the body of the patient via a second activity sensor;

comparing the signal generated by the first activity sensor and the signal generated by the second activity sensor to determine a relative motion of the second location of the patient relative to the first location of the patient; and

controlling a therapy delivered to the patient based on the relative motion.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein:

generating a signal as a function of motion at the first location comprises generating a signal as a function of motion at a location in close proximity to a therapy delivery device, and

generating a signal as a function of motion at the second location comprises generating a signal as a function of motion at a limb of the patient.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein generating a signal as a function of motion at the location at the limb of the patient comprises generating a signal as a function of motion at a location along a lead that is coupled to the therapy delivery device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the lead comprises a lead body that extends from a proximal end coupled to the therapy delivery device to a distal end proximal to a target therapy delivery site, and generating a signal as a function of motion at the location along the lead comprises generating a signal as a function of motion at a location proximal to the distal end of the lead body.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the lead comprises a lead body that extends from a proximal end coupled to the therapy delivery device to a distal end proximal to a target therapy delivery site, and generating a signal as a function of motion at the location along the lead comprises generating a signal as a function of motion at a location within the lead body.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the therapy delivery device includes a housing, and further wherein generating a signal as a function of motion at the location in close proximity to the therapy delivery device comprises generating a signal as a function of motion at a location within the housing.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein:

generating a signal as a function of motion at the first location comprises generating a signal as a function of motion of a torso of the patient, and

generating a signal as a function of motion at the second location comprises generating a signal as a function of motion of a limb of the patient.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein:

generating a signal as a function of motion at the first location comprises generating a signal as a function of motion of a head of the patient, and

generating a signal as a function of motion at the second location comprises generating a signal as a function of motion of a location other than the head of the patient.

28. The method of claim 20, further comprising comparing at least one of a difference in magnitude of the signal generated by the first activity sensor and the signal generated by the second activity sensor and a difference in directionality of the signal generated by the first activity sensor and the signal generated by the second activity sensor to determine a magnitude of the relative motion and a directionality of the relative motion.

29. The method of claim 28, further comprising detecting a condition of a movement disorder when at least one of the magnitude of the relative motion and the directionality of the relative motion exceeds a threshold.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein detecting the condition of the movement disorder comprises detecting the condition of the movement disorder when at least one of the magnitude of the relative motion and the directionality of the relative motion exceeds the threshold for a threshold number of measurements within a time period.

31. The method of claim 20, further comprising detecting a condition of a movement disorder when the relative motion of a threshold number of measurements with a time period substantially matches a pre-defined pattern.

32. The method of claim 20, further comprising detecting a condition of the movement disorder when a frequency of the relative motion exceeds a threshold within a time period.

33. The method of claim 20, wherein controlling the therapy comprises adjusting one or more therapy parameters of the therapy based on the relative motion.

34. The method of claim 20, wherein controlling the therapy comprises controlling a neurostimulation therapy.

35. A system comprising:

first means for generating a signal as a function of motion at a first location of a body of a patient via a first activity sensor;

second means for generating a signal as a function of motion at a second location of the body of the patient via a second activity sensor;

means for comparing the signal generated by the first generating means and the signal generated by the second generating means to determine a relative motion of the second location of the patient relative to the first location of the patient; and

means for controlling a therapy delivered to the patient based on the relative motion.

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

generate a signal as a function of motion at a first location of a body of a patient via a first activity sensor;

generate a signal as a function of motion at a second location of the body of the patient via a second activity sensor;

compare the signal generated by the first activity sensor and the signal generated by the second activity sensor to determine a relative motion of the second location of the patient relative to the first location of the patient; and

control a therapy delivered to the patient based on the relative motion.