PATIENT EVENT INFORMATION

• US 20090082640A1
• Filed: 09/23/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Graves, Nina M., Ball, Warren W., Alme, Sarah B., Kovach, Peter J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,376,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/08 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for evaluating the respiratory organs A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/743 Displaying an image simultaneously with additional graphical information, e.g. symbols, charts, function plots
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 10/60 for patient-specific data, e.g. for electronic patient records
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising

Abstract

Patient input indicating the occurrence of an event and information relating to the event may be collected by a computing device. In some examples, the patient input is received via an event indication input mechanism of a medical device programmer. A clinician may review the event information to evaluate the efficacy of a therapy system (e.g., a particular therapy program or program group) or a patient'"'"'s condition. In one example, a patient may activate an event indication input mechanism to indicate the occurrence of a seizure symptom, and input information relating to the seizure, such as the duration, severity, type of seizure or efficacy of a therapy system implemented to manage seizures.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of a patient event, wherein the event is related to a condition of a patient;

automatically generating an event marker;

receiving event information relating to the patient event from the patient, wherein the event information indicates an efficacy of therapy that is delivered to the patient to manage the condition;

associating the event information with the event marker; and

storing the event information within a memory.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient event comprises at least one of a seizure symptom, a headache, an anxiety event, a depressive event, a manic event, an obsessive-compulsive event, a urinary or fecal incontinence event or a movement disorder symptom.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the event information and the event marker to a computing device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the event information further comprises at least one of a type of patient event, a duration of the patient event, a severity of the patient event, a type of drug taken prior to the patient event, a drug dosage taken prior to the patient event or an activity engaged in by the patient prior to the patient event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the condition of the patient comprises a seizure disorder, a psychiatric disorder, urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, chronic headaches or a movement disorder.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the indication of the patient event comprises receiving the indication from the patient via a patient programmer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying the event information to a user.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the displaying the event information to the user comprises generating a graphical or linear display of the event information and displaying the graphical or linear display to the user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the event marker comprises a time and date indication.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting physiological parameter data from a sensor; and

associating the physiological parameter data with the event marker.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of the patient event comprises a first indication, the method further comprising:

receiving a second indication upon completion of the patient event; and

determining a duration of the patient event based on the first indication and the second indication.

12. A system comprising:

an event indication input mechanism;

a user interface;

a memory; and

a processor that generates an event marker upon activation of the event indication input mechanism and receives event information relating to a patient condition from a patient via the user interface, wherein the processor associates the event marker with the event information and stores the event information and event marker in the memory, and wherein the event information indicates an efficacy of therapy that is delivered to the patient to manage the patient condition.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising a telemetry module, wherein the processor transmits the event information to a computing device via the telemetry module.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to generate a display of the event information.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the display comprises at least one of a linear display or a graphical display of the event information.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the display comprises at least one of a table, list, Venn diagram or graph of the event information.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the event information further comprises at least one of a type of patient event, a duration of the patient event, a severity of the patient event, a type of drug taken prior to the patient event, a drug dosage taken prior to the patient event or an activity engaged in by the patient prior to the patient event.

18. The system of claim 12, further comprising a sensor that senses a physiological parameter of the patient, wherein the processor receives physiological parameter data from the sensor and associates the physiological parameter data with the event marker in the memory.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the activation of the event indication input mechanism comprises a first activation of the event indication input mechanism and the processor is configured to receive a second activation of the event indication input mechanism and determine a duration of the patient event based on the first and second activations of the event indication input mechanism.

20. The system of claim 12, further comprising a medical device that delivers the therapy to the patient to manage the patient condition, wherein the processor modifies the therapy based on the generation of the event marker.

21. A system comprising:

an event indication input mechanism that receives an indication of a patient event from a patient;

a processor that generates an event marker in response to the indication of the patient event;

a user input mechanism that receives event information relating to the patient event from the patient, wherein the event information comprises an efficacy of a therapy system implemented to manage a seizure; and

a memory that stores the event marker and the event information.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the event information further comprises at least one of a type of patient event, a duration of the patient event, a severity of the patient event, a type of drug taken prior to the patient event, a drug dosage taken prior to the patient event or an activity engaged in by the patient prior to the patient event.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the processor is configured to generate a display of the event information.

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

receive an indication of a patient event, wherein the event is related to a condition of a patient;

generate an event marker;

receive event information relating to the patient event from the patient, wherein the event information indicates an efficacy of therapy that is delivered to the patient to manage the condition;

associate the event information with the event marker; and

store the event information within a memory.

25. The computer readable medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions that cause the programmable processor to:

collect physiological parameter data from a sensor; and

associate the physiological parameter data with the event marker.

26. The computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein the indication of the patient event comprises a first indication, the computer readable medium further comprising instructions that cause the programmable processor to:

receive a second indication indicative of a completion of the patient event; and

determine a duration of the patient event based on the first indication and the second indication.

27. A system comprising:

means for receiving an event indication from a patient;

means for generating an event marker in response to the event indication;

means for receiving event information relating to a patient event from the patient, wherein the event information indicates an efficacy of therapy that is delivered to the patient to manage the condition; and

means for storing the event marker and the event information.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising means for sensing a physiological parameter of the patient and means for associating the physiological parameter with the event marker.