GASTRIC ELECTRICAL STIMULATION WITH LOCKOUT INTERVAL ANTI-DESENSITIZATION FEATURE

• US 20090088817A1
• Filed: 09/24/2008
• Published: 04/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Pivotto, Luiz Geraldo, Starkebaum, Warren L., Maude-Griffin, Roland C., Yuan, Charlene X.
• Granted Patent: US 9,446,234 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

The disclosure is directed to gastric stimulation programmers, stimulators and methods for controlling delivery of gastric stimulation therapy to maintain the efficacy of the therapy over time. Maintaining the efficacy of gastric stimulation therapy may be possible by implementing one or more anti-desensitization features in a gastric stimulation controller or stimulator. As electrical stimulation therapy is continuously delivered to a patient, the stimulated tissue may become desensitized to the electrical stimulation therapy such that the beneficial effect of the electrical stimulation is diminished. Once desensitization occurs, the affected tissue may not respond favorably to electrical stimulation therapy. Application of one or more anti-desensitization features to control gastric stimulation therapy may reduce or prevent desensitization and effectively extend the efficacy of the therapy over time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request to deliver gastric electrical stimulation therapy to a patient;

prohibiting delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy if the request is received within a lockout period following a previous delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy; and

permitting delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy if the request is not received within a lockout period following the previous delivery of gastric stimulation therapy.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising terminating delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy upon expiration of a therapy window following a start of the delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising prohibiting delivery of the gastric stimulation therapy if the request is not received within a time period specified by a therapy schedule.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the request from a patient via an external programmer via wireless telemetry.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein permitting delivery of gastric electrical stimulation therapy comprises delivering the gastric electrical stimulation therapy to one of a stomach or a small intestine of the patient.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising indicating at least one of a running time, a countdown, or an expiration time of the lockout period to a user via an external programmer.

7. A device comprising:

means for receiving a request to deliver electrical gastric stimulation therapy to a patient;

means for prohibiting delivery of the gastric stimulation therapy if the request is received within a lockout period following a previous delivery of gastric stimulation therapy; and

means for permitting delivery of the gastric stimulation therapy if the request is not received within a lockout period following the previous delivery of gastric stimulation therapy.

8. The device of claim 7, further comprising means for terminating delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy upon expiration of a therapy window following a start of the delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy.

9. The device of claim 7, comprising means for prohibiting delivery of the gastric stimulation therapy if the request is not received within a time period specified by a therapy schedule.

10. The device of claim 7, further comprising means for receiving the request from a patient via an external programmer via wireless telemetry.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the means for permitting delivery of gastric electrical stimulation therapy comprises means for delivering the gastric electrical stimulation therapy to one of a stomach or a small intestine of the patient.

12. The device of claim 7, further comprising means for indicating at least one of a running time, a countdown, or an expiration time of the lockout period to a user via an external programmer.

13. A system comprising:

a stimulator that delivers gastric electrical stimulation therapy to a patient; and

an external programmer that controls the stimulator to deliver the gastric electrical stimulation therapy,

wherein one of the programmer or the stimulator;

receives a request to deliver the electrical gastric stimulation therapy to the patient,

prohibits delivery of the gastric stimulation therapy by the stimulator if the request is received within a lockout period following a previous delivery of gastric stimulation therapy, and

permits delivery of the gastric stimulation therapy by the stimulator if the request is not received within a lockout period following the previous delivery of gastric stimulation therapy.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the programmer or the stimulator terminates delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy upon expiration of a therapy window following a start of the delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein one of the programmer or the stimulator prohibits delivery of the gastric stimulation therapy if the request is not received within a time period specified by a therapy schedule.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the request is received from a patient via the programmer via wireless telemetry.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the stimulator is configured to deliver the gastric electrical stimulation therapy to treat a disorder of one of a stomach or a small intestine of the patient.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the programmer is configured to indicate at least one of a running time, a countdown, or an expiration time of the lockout period to a user.

19. An external programmer for a gastric electrical stimulator, the programmer comprising:

a user interface that receives a request to deliver the gastric electrical stimulation therapy to a patient; and

a processor that controls the gastric electrical stimulator to;

prohibit delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy by the stimulator if the request is received within a lockout period following a previous delivery of gastric electrical stimulation therapy, and

permit delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy by the stimulator if the request is not received within a lockout period following the previous delivery of gastric stimulation therapy.

20. The programmer of claim 19, wherein the programmer controls the stimulator to terminate delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy upon expiration of a therapy window following a start of the delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy.

21. The programmer of claim 19, wherein the programmer prohibits delivery of the gastric stimulation therapy if the request is not received within a time period specified by a therapy schedule.

22. The programmer of claim 19, wherein programmer includes a user interface that receives the request from the a patient.

23. The programmer of claim 19, wherein the programmer is configured to control the stimulator to deliver the gastric electrical stimulation therapy to treat a disorder of one of a stomach or a small intestine of the patient.

24. The programmer of claim 19, wherein the programmer includes a user interface configured to indicate at least one of a running time, a countdown, or an expiration time of the lockout period to a user.

25. A gastric electrical stimulator comprising:

a stimulation generator that delivers gastric electrical stimulation therapy;

an interface that receives a request to deliver the electrical gastric stimulation therapy to a patient; and

a processor that controls the stimulation generator such that the stimulator generator prohibits delivery of the gastric stimulation therapy by the stimulator if the request is received within a lockout period following a previous delivery of gastric stimulation therapy, and permits delivery of the gastric stimulation therapy by the stimulator if the request is not received within a lockout period following the previous delivery of gastric stimulation therapy.

26. The stimulator of claim 25, wherein the processor controls the stimulation generator to terminate delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy upon expiration of a therapy window following a start of the delivery of the gastric electrical stimulation therapy.

27. The stimulator of claim 25, wherein the processor controls the stimulation generator to prohibit delivery of the gastric stimulation therapy if the request is not received within a time period specified by a therapy schedule.

28. The stimulator of claim 25, wherein the interface receives the request from the programmer via wireless telemetry.

29. The stimulator of claim 25, wherein the stimulation generator is configured to deliver the gastric electrical stimulation therapy to treat a disorder of one of a stomach or a small intestine of the patient.

30. A method comprising:

delivering gastric electrical stimulation therapy from an implantable gastric electrical stimulator to a patient for a first period of time; and

denying a patient request received by an external programmer to deliver the gastric electrical stimulation therapy from the implantable gastric electrical stimulator to the patient for a lockout period of time following the first period of time.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving the patient request received by the external programmer in the implantable gastric stimulator via wireless telemetry.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein delivering gastric electrical stimulation therapy comprises delivering the gastric electrical stimulation therapy to one of a stomach or a small intestine of the patient.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising indicating at least one of a running time, a countdown, or an expiration time of the lockout period to a user via the external programmer.