Stimulus timer for a closed loop neuromodulator

• US 20100057148A1
• Filed: 08/21/2009
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dymedix Corporation
• Original Assignee: Dymedix Corporation
• Inventors: Henke, Reinhold, Stasz, Peter, Zymowski, Thomas H.
• Application Number:
  US12/583,591
• Publication Number:
  US 20100057148A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4058 for evaluating the central nervous system A61B5/4806, A61B5/4821 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2016/0033 electrical
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0011 in a subliminal way, i.e. below the threshold of sensation
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0022 by the tactile sense, e.g. vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0066 with heating or cooling
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0072 with application of electrical currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3553 remote, e.g. between patient's home and doctor's office
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/52 with memories providing a history of measured variating parameters of apparatus or patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/40 Respiratory characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 of respiratory organs
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 1/0007 of radio frequency interference filters
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 11/1252 Two integrator-loop-filters
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 11/126 using a single operational amplifier H03H11/1204 takes precedence; parallel-T filters H03H11/1295
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 90/10 Information and communication technologies [ICT] supporting adaptation to climate change, e.g. for weather forecasting or climate simulation

Abstract

This document discusses, among other things, a system and method for preventing stimulus delivery to a patient for a predetermined interval after commencing sleep therapy to ensure that the patient is asleep. An indication of abnormal respiration activity can be received from an activity detector of a closed loop neuromodulator at a therapy delay gate. The indication of abnormal respiration activity can be provided to a sleep disorder gate after a predetermined delay interval following commencement of the sleep therapy. A sleep disorder event can be detected if the indication of abnormal respiration activity exceeds a predetermined sleep disorder interval, and a stimulus start signal can be provided to the closed loop neuromodulator in response to the detected sleep disorder event.

Claims

1. A timer for preventing stimulus delivery to a patient for a predetermined interval after commencing sleep therapy to ensure that the patient is asleep, the timer comprising:

a therapy delay gate configured to receive an indication of abnormal respiration activity from an activity detector of a closed loop neuromodulator and to provide the indication of abnormal respiration activity to a sleep disorder gate after a predetermined delay interval following commencement of the sleep therapy; and

wherein the sleep disorder gate is configured to receive the indication of abnormal respiration activity, to detect a sleep disorder event if the indication of abnormal respiration activity exceeds a predetermined sleep disorder interval, and to provide a stimulus start signal to the closed loop neuromodulator in response to the detected sleep disorder event.

2. The timer of claim 1, wherein the closed loop neuromodulator is configured to provide a first stimulus to the patient in response to the stimulus start signal, the first stimulus configured to not interrupt the detected sleep disorder event;

and

wherein the closed loop neuromodulator is configured to provide a second stimulus to the patient in response to the stimulus start signal, following the first stimulus, the second stimulus having more energy than the first stimulus and configured to interrupt the detected sleep disorder event.

3. The timer of claim 1, including a stimulus rate generator configured to receive activity information from the activity detector, to receive the stimulus start signal from the sleep disorder gate, and to provide, in response to the stimulus start signal, stimulus rate information to the closed loop neuromodulator using the activity information.

4. The timer of claim 1, including a stimulus delay gate configured to receive the stimulus start signal from the sleep disorder gate and to delay the providing the stimulus start signal to the closed loop neuromodulator for a stimulus delay interval.

5. The timer of claim 1, including a stimulus duration timer configured to receive activity information from the activity detector, to receive the stimulus start signal from the sleep disorder gate, and to provide, in response to the stimulus start signal, stimulation duration information to the closed loop neuromodulator using the activity information, the stimulus duration information configured to define a duration of a stimulus pulse of the sleep therapy of the closed loop neuromodulator.

6. The timer of claim 5, including a stimulus counter coupled to the stimulus duration timer, the stimulus counter configured to count each stimulus pulse of the sleep therapy using the stimulus duration information.

7. The timer of claim 6, including a stimulus count register coupled to the stimulus counter, the stimulus counter register configured to provide the stimulus count to a user and to reset the stimulus counter.

8. The timer of claim 1, including a sleep disorder duration timer coupled to the sleep disorder gate and configured to time and store a duration of the detected sleep disorder event.

9. The timer of claim 1, including a sleep disorder counter coupled to the sleep disorder gate and configured to count and store each detected sleep disorder event.

10. A system for preventing stimulus delivery to a patient for a predetermined interval after commencing sleep therapy to ensure that the patient is asleep, the system comprising:

a sensor configured to detect information indicative of respiration from the patient;

a closed loop neuromodulator configured to optimize the sleep therapy, the closed loop neuromodulator including;

a timer including;

a therapy delay gate configured to receive an indication of abnormal respiration activity from the sensor and to provide the indication of abnormal respiration activity to a sleep disorder gate after a predetermined delay interval following commencement of the sleep therapy;

wherein the sleep disorder gate is configured to receive the indication of abnormal respiration activity, to detect a sleep disorder event if the indication of abnormal respiration activity exceeds a predetermined sleep disorder interval, and to provide a stimulus start signal to the closed loop neuromodulator in response to the detected sleep disorder event;

a stimulus rate generator configured to receive respiration information from the sensor, to receive the stimulus start signal from the sleep disorder gate, and to provide, in response to the stimulus start signal, stimulus rate information to the closed loop neuromodulator using the respiration information;

a stimulus delay gate configured to receive the stimulus start signal from the sleep disorder gate and to delay the providing the stimulus start signal to the closed loop neuromodulator for a stimulus delay interval;

a stimulus duration timer configured to respiration information from the sensor, to receive the stimulus start signal from the sleep disorder gate, and to provide, in response to the stimulus start signal, stimulation duration information to the closed loop neuromodulator using the respiration information from the sensor, the stimulus duration information configured to define a duration of a stimulus pulse of the sleep therapy of the closed loop neuromodulator;

a stimulus counter coupled to the stimulus duration timer, the stimulation counter configured to count each stimulus pulse of the sleep therapy using the stimulus duration information;

a stimulus count register coupled to the stimulus counter, the stimulus counter register configured to provide the stimulus count to a user and to reset the stimulus counter;

a sleep disorder duration timer coupled to the sleep disorder gate, the sleep disorder timer configured to time and store the duration of the detected sleep disorder event; and

a sleep disorder counter coupled to the sleep disorder gate, the sleep disorder counter configured to count and store each detected sleep disorder event;

wherein the closed loop neuromodulator is configured to receive the respiration information from the sensor, to detect the sleep disorder event using the respiration information, to provide a first stimulus to a transducer, the first stimulus configured to not interrupt the detected sleep disorder event, and to provide a second stimulus to the transducer, the second stimulus having more energy than the first stimulus and configured to interrupt the detected sleep disorder event; and

wherein the transducer is configured to deliver the first and second stimuli to the patient.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a thermocouple, a thermistor, an air pressure transducer, an electrode, a respiratory effort belt, or a pyro/piezoelectric sensors;

and

wherein the transducer includes at least one of an acoustic transducer, a tactile mechanical agitator, an ocular stimulator, an electrical stimulator, a thermal stimulator, or an ultrasonic stimulator configured to modulate an audible signal onto an ultrasonic sound carrier.

12. A method for preventing stimulus delivery to a patient for a predetermined interval after commencing sleep therapy to ensure that the patient is asleep, the method comprising:

receiving an indication of abnormal respiration activity from an activity detector of a closed loop neuromodulator at a therapy delay gate;

providing the indication of abnormal respiration activity to a sleep disorder gate after a predetermined delay interval following commencement of the sleep therapy;

receiving the indication of abnormal respiration activity at the sleep disorder gate;

detecting a sleep disorder event if the indication of abnormal respiration activity exceeds a predetermined sleep disorder interval; and

providing a stimulus start signal to the closed loop neuromodulator in response to the detected sleep disorder event.

13. The method of claim 12, including:

providing a first stimulus to the patient in response to the stimulus start signal, the first stimulus configured to not interrupt the detected sleep disorder event; and

providing a second stimulus to the patient in response to the stimulus start signal, following the first stimulus, the second stimulus having more energy than the first stimulus and configured to interrupt the detected sleep disorder event.

14. The method of claim 12, including:

receiving activity information from the activity detector at a stimulus rate generator;

receiving the stimulus start signal at the stimulus rate generator; and

providing, in response to the stimulus start signal, stimulus rate information to the closed loop neuromodulator using the activity information.

15. The method of claim 12, including:

receiving the stimulus start signal at a stimulus delay gate; and

delaying the stimulus start signal between the sleep disorder gate and the rate generator for a stimulus delay interval.

16. The method of claim 12, including:

receiving activity information from the activity detector at a stimulus duration timer;

receiving the stimulus start signal at the stimulus duration timer; and

providing, in response to the stimulus start signal, stimulation duration information to the closed loop neuromodulator using the activity information, the stimulus duration information configured to define a duration of a stimulus pulse of the sleep therapy of the closed loop neuromodulator.

17. The method of claim 12, including counting each stimulus pulse of the sleep therapy using a stimulus counter.

18. The method of claim 17, including providing the stimulus count to a user and resetting the stimulus counter using a stimulus count register.

19. The method of claim 12, including timing and storing a duration of the detected sleep disorder event.

20. The method of claim 12, including counting and storing each detected sleep disorder event.