ASSOCIATING THERAPY ADJUSTMENTS WITH POSTURE STATES USING STABILITY TIMERS

• US 20100010590A1
• 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 8,326,420 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/62
• 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 5/103 Detecting, measuring or recording devices for testing the shape, pattern, colour, size or movement of the body or parts thereof, for diagnostic purposes A61B5/08 takes precedence; measuring aids for tailors A41H1/00; measuring instruments specially adapted for dentistry A61C19/04
• 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: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36139 with automatic adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36535 controlled by body position or posture
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

The disclosure describes techniques for associating therapy adjustments with posture states using statiblity timers. The techniques may include detecting a patient adjustment to electrical stimulation therapy delivered to the patient, sensing a posture state of the patient, and associating the detected adjustment with the sensed posture state if the sensed posture state is sensed within a first period following the detection of the adjustment and if the sensed posture state does not change during a second period following the sensing of the sensed posture state.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting a patient adjustment to electrical stimulation therapy delivered to the patient;

sensing a posture state of the patient; and

associating the detected adjustment with the sensed posture state if the sensed posture state is sensed within a first period following the detection of the adjustment and if the sensed posture state does not change during a second period following the sensing of the sensed posture state.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

starting a posture search timer to time the first period in response to the detection of the adjustment; and

starting a posture stability timer to time the second period in response to the sensing of the posture state.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising restarting the posture search timer if a new patient adjustment is detected before the end of the first period.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

restarting the posture stability timer if the sensed posture state changes to a different posture state during the stability period; and

associating the detected adjustment with the different posture state if the different posture state does not change during the second period following the sensing of the different posture state.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising associating the detected adjustment with the different posture state if the different posture state does not change during the second period following the sensing of the different posture state and the posture stability timer is restarted before expiration of the first period.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second periods are equal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second periods are different.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second period starts before an end of the first period and extends beyond the end of the first period.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first period is between approximately 30 seconds and 30 minutes, and the second period is between approximately 30 seconds and 30 minutes.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first period is between approximately 2 minutes and 4 minutes, and the second period is between approximately 2 minutes and 4 minutes.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the association in a memory of at least one of an implantable medical device or an external programmer for the implantable medical device.

12. A system comprising:

a user interface configured to detect a patient adjustment to electrical stimulation therapy delivered to the patient;

a posture state module that senses a posture state of the patient; and

a processor that associates the detected adjustment with the sensed posture state if the sensed posture state is sensed within a first period following the detection of the adjustment and if the sensed posture state does not change during a second period following the sensing of the sensed posture state.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to:

start a posture search timer to time the first period in response to the detection of the adjustment; and

start a posture stability timer to time the second period in response to the sensing of the posture state.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the processor restarts the posture search timer if a new patient adjustment is detected before the end of the first period.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the processor is configured to:

restart the posture stability timer if the sensed posture state changes to a different posture state during the stability period; and

associate the detected adjustment with the different posture state if the different posture state does not change during the second period following the sensing of the different posture state.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to associate the detected adjustment with the different posture state if the different posture state does not change during the second period following the sensing of the different posture state and the posture stability timer is restarted before expiration of the first period.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the first and second period are equal.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the first and second periods are different.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the second period starts before an end of the first period and extends beyond the end of the first period.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the first period is between approximately 30 seconds and 30 minutes, and the second period is between approximately 30 seconds and 30 minutes.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the first period is between approximately 2 minutes and 4 minutes, and the second period is between approximately 2 minutes and 4 minutes.

22. The system of claim 13, further comprising an implantable medical device that delivers the electrical stimulation therapy, wherein the processor is configured to store the association in a memory of at least one of the implantable medical device or an external programmer for the implantable medical device, and wherein the processor is located in one of the implantable medical device or the external programmer.

23. A system comprising:

means for detecting a patient adjustment to electrical stimulation therapy delivered to the patient;

means for sensing a posture state of the patient; and

means for associating the detected adjustment with the sensed posture state if the sensed posture state is sensed within a first period following the detection of the adjustment and if the sensed posture state does not change during a second period following the sensing of the sensed posture state.

24. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

means for starting a posture search timer to time the first period in response to the detection of the adjustment; and

means for starting a posture stability timer to time the second period in response to the sensing of the posture state.

25. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for restarting the posture search timer if a new patient adjustment is detected before the end of the first period.

26. The system of claim 24, further comprising:

means for restarting the posture stability timer if the sensed posture state changes to a different posture state during the stability period; and

means for associating the detected adjustment with the different posture state if the different posture state does not change during the second period following the sensing of the different posture state.

27. The system of claim 26, further comprising means for associating the detected adjustment with the different posture state if the different posture state does not change during the second period following the sensing of the different posture state and the posture stability timer is restarted before expiration of the first period.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the first and second period are equal.

29. The system of claim 24, wherein the first and second periods are different.

30. The system of claim 24, wherein the second period starts before an end of the first period and extends beyond the end of the first period.

31. The system of claim 24, wherein the first period is between approximately 30 seconds and 30 minutes, and the second period is between approximately 30 seconds and 30 minutes.

32. The system of claim 24, wherein the first period is between approximately 2 minutes and 4 minutes, and the second period is between approximately 2 minutes and 4 minutes.

33. The system of claim 24, further comprising means for storing the association in a memory of at least one of an implantable medical device or an external programmer for the implantable medical device.

34. An external programmer for an implantable medical device comprising:

a user interface that receives patient adjustments to electrical stimulation therapy delivered to the patient by the implantable medical device;

a telemetry interface that receives a sensed posture state from the implantable medical device and transmits the received adjustments to the implantable medical device;

a processor that associates the detected adjustment with the sensed posture state if the sensed posture state is sensed within a first period following the detection of the adjustment and if the sensed posture state does not change during a second period following the sensing of the sensed posture state; and

a memory that stores the associations of the received adjustments with the sensed posture state in a memory.

35. An implantable medical device comprising:

a stimulation generator that delivers electrical stimulation therapy to a patient;

a telemetry interface that receives patient adjustments to the electrical stimulation therapy from an external programmer;

a posture sensing module that senses a posture state of the patient;

a processor that associates the received adjustments with the sensed posture state if the sensed posture state is sensed within a first period following the receiving of the adjustment and if the sensed posture state does not change during a second period following the sensing of the sensed posture state; and

a memory that stores the associations of the received adjustments with the sensed posture state in a memory.