POSTURE STATE REDEFINITION BASED ON POSTURE DATA AND THERAPY ADJUSTMENTS

• US 20100010574A1
• Filed: 04/30/2009
• Published: 01/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Davis, Jon P., Skelton, Dennis M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,437,861 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0219 of externally powered implanted units
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7435 Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36135 using physiological parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36535 controlled by body position or posture
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36542 controlled by body motion, e.g. acceleration
• 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 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

The disclosure is directed towards posture-responsive therapy. To avoid interruptions in effective therapy, an implantable medical device may include a posture state module that detects the posture state of the patient and automatically adjusts therapy parameter values according to the detected posture state. A system may include a posture state module that records a current posture of a patient, a user interface that receives a therapy adjustment, a processor that associates a posture that the posture state module recorded when the user interface received the therapy adjustment with the therapy adjustment, determines whether the posture falls within a defined posture state, compares the therapy adjustment to therapy information associated with the defined posture state, and updates the set of posture state definitions based on the determination and comparison.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

recording a therapy adjustment and a posture of a patient corresponding to the therapy adjustment;

determining whether the posture falls within a defined posture state;

comparing the therapy adjustment to therapy information associated with the defined posture state; and

updating a set of posture state definitions based on the determination and comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the posture falls within the posture state, updating the set of posture state definitions comprises at least one of merging the posture state with an adjacent posture state or splitting the posture state into multiple posture states.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein comparing the therapy adjustment to therapy information associated with the defined posture state comprises determining whether a difference between an adjusted therapy parameter value corresponding to the therapy adjustment and an associated therapy parameter value associated with the posture state is less than a threshold difference.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, if the difference is greater than the threshold difference, analyzing one or more previous therapy adjustments associated with postures that fall within the posture state and splitting the posture state into two or more new posture states based on the analysis.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising, if the difference is less than the threshold difference:

determining whether a distance between the posture state and an adjacent posture states is below a threshold distance;

determining whether a difference between the adjusted therapy parameter value corresponding to the therapy adjustment and an adjacent therapy parameter value associated with the adjacent posture state is less than the threshold difference; and

merging the posture state and adjacent posture state based on the determinations.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein, if the posture falls outside of the posture state, updating the set of posture state definitions comprises at least one of expanding the posture state to include the posture or creating a new posture state that includes the posture.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the therapy adjustment with a posture of the set of updated posture state definitions.

8. A system comprising:

a posture state module that records a current posture of a patient;

a user interface that receives a therapy adjustment;

a processor that associates a posture that the posture state module recorded when the user interface received the therapy adjustment with the therapy adjustment, determines whether the posture falls within a defined posture state, compares the therapy adjustment to therapy information associated with the defined posture state, and updates the set of posture state definitions based on the determination and comparison.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a memory that stores the set of posture state definitions and associated therapy information.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor determines that the posture falls within the posture state and determines whether to at least one of merge the posture state with an adjacent posture state or split the posture state into multiple posture states.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor determines whether a difference between an adjusted therapy parameter value corresponding to the therapy adjustment and an associated therapy parameter value associated with the posture state is less than a threshold difference.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein, if the difference is greater than the threshold difference, the processor analyzes one or more previous therapy adjustments associated with postures that fall within the posture state and splits the posture state into two or more new posture states based on the analysis.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein, if the difference is less than the threshold difference, the processor determines whether a distance between the posture state and an adjacent posture states is below a threshold distance, determines whether a difference between the adjusted therapy parameter value corresponding to the therapy adjustment and an adjacent therapy parameter value associated with the adjacent posture state is less than the threshold difference, and merges the posture state and adjacent postures state based on the determinations.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor determines that the posture falls outside of the posture state and determines whether to at least one of expand the posture state to include the posture or create a new posture state that includes the posture.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising an external programmer that comprises at least one of the memory, posture state module, user interface, or processor.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the external programmer comprises at least one of a patient programmer or a clinician programmer.

17. The system of claim 9, further comprising a medical device that comprises at least one of the memory, posture state module, or processor.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the medical device comprises an implantable medical device.

19. A system comprising:

means for recording a therapy adjustment and a posture of a patient corresponding to the therapy adjustment;

means for determining whether the posture falls within a defined posture state;

means for comparing the therapy adjustment to therapy information associated with the defined posture state; and

means for updating a set of posture state definitions based on the determination and comparison.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for updating the set of posture state definitions comprises means for at least one of merging the posture state with an adjacent posture state or splitting the posture state into multiple posture states if the posture falls within the posture state.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for comparing the therapy adjustment to therapy information associated with the defined posture state comprises means for determining whether a difference between an adjusted therapy parameter value corresponding to the therapy adjustment and an associated therapy parameter value associated with the posture state is less than a threshold difference.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for analyzing, if the difference between an adjusted therapy parameter value corresponding to the therapy adjustment and an associated therapy parameter value associated with the posture state is greater than the threshold difference, one or more previous therapy adjustments associated with postures that fall within the posture state and splitting the posture state into two or more new posture states based on the analysis.

23. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for determining, if the difference between an adjusted therapy parameter value corresponding to the therapy adjustment and an associated therapy parameter value associated with the posture state is less than the threshold difference, whether a distance between the posture state and an adjacent posture states is below a threshold distance;

means for determining, if the difference between an adjusted therapy parameter value corresponding to the therapy adjustment and an associated therapy parameter value associated with the posture state is less than the threshold difference, whether a difference between the adjusted therapy parameter value corresponding to the therapy adjustment and an adjacent therapy parameter value associated with the adjacent posture state is less than the threshold difference; and

means for merging the posture state and adjacent posture state based on the determinations.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein, if the posture falls outside of the posture state, the means for updating the set of posture state definitions comprises mean for at least one of expanding the posture state to include the posture or creating a new posture state that includes the posture.

25. The system of claim 19, further comprising means for associating the therapy adjustment with a posture of the set of updated posture state definitions.