Feedback Systems and Methods for Communicating Diagnostic and/or Treatment Signals to Enhance Obesity Treatments

• US 20120214140A1
• Filed: 04/27/2012
• Published: 08/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IntraPace, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IntraPace, Inc.
• Inventors: Brynelsen, Charles R., Volzing, Mace, Province, Rose, Hedman, Mike, Hills, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 8,715,181 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 434/127
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/411 Detecting or monitoring allergy or intolerance reactions to an allergenic agent or substance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4205 Evaluating swallowing
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6846 specially adapted to be brought in contact with an internal body part, i.e. invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6871 Stomach
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 5/0053 remotely adjustable
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/0092 Nutrition
• 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 20/60 relating to nutrition control, e.g. diets
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Feedback systems and methods communicate implanted sensor-based feedback signals to promote behavior modifications that ameliorate obesity and other eating disorders. The system and methods described may also be applicable to any treatment in which presenting feedback regarding patients'"'"' eating and exercise habits is desired. The present invention provides a method and system for treating a patient by collecting ingestion and exercise information about the patient from an implanted sensor and communicating the collected information to the patient, his or her physician and/or other health care providers. In some embodiments, stimulation of the patient'"'"'s stomach is also provided to reduce caloric intake. In some embodiments, the collected data is transmitted to a central server. Further embodiments may provide access to additional information in conjunction with the collected patient information, such as a calorie database, an exercise planner, and so forth, with the data optionally being used within a social networking system.

Claims

1. A system for providing feedback to treat an obese patient comprising:

an implantable sensor adapted to be coupled with the stomach of the patient the sensor configured to sense patient data related to food ingestion;

an implanted wireless transmitter coupled to the sensor;

a wireless portable device comprising a processor, a storage medium, and transmitting/receiving circuitry, the wireless transmitter configured to transmit sensor-based patient ingestion data to the device when the patient is within a distance less than about 30 feet from the device;

a GPS receiver configured to position signals indicating patient location; and

a remote server, the server comprising a tangible medium embodying machine-readable instructions for analyzing the sensor-based patient data received from the device and the position signals from the GPS receiver and for, in response thereto, communicating analysis results to the patient or another user via at least one of an email, a text message, a phone call, or a web page;

wherein the device is in communication with the sensor via the transmitting/receiving circuitry and with the server, the device configured to receive patient sensor-based patient data from the sensor and transmit the sensor-based patient data to the server.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless portable device comprises a cellular telephone, a smart phone, a personal digital assistant, a handheld computer, or a notebook computer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the analysis results include a comparison of sensor-based performance with patient goals.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a server determination that the patient location is in a restaurant or a food store induces the server to send a message to the patient encouraging healthy eating behavior, within fifteen minutes of receipt of position signals by the server.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein a server determination that the patient location is in a sports or outdoor recreation location induces the server to send a message to the patient encouraging healthy exercise activity, within fifteen minutes of receipt of position signals by the server.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising patient stimulation circuitry wirelessly coupled to the device and/or coupled to the sensor, wherein the circuitry is adapted to be implanted in the patient and includes at least one electrode, the electrode(s) coupled to the sensor by a processor of the circuitry so that the processor processes the data and delivers ingestion altering signals to the patient via the electrode(s).

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the device is also configured to receive data from at least one of an electronic scale, a glucose monitor, blood pressure cuff, a telephone, an image capture device or a personal digital assistant.

8. A system for treating an obese patient, the system comprising:

an implantable device having at least one sensor, the device configured to collect patient data with the sensor(s) in response to ingestion-related activity by the patient and in response to physical activity by the patient when the device is implanted in a patient body;

a processor coupleable to the implantable device so as to, in response to the patient data, analyze the patient data to determine sensor-based ingestion-related information and sensor-based exercise information about the patient; and

a user interface coupled to the processor, communicating the sensor-based ingestion-related and physical activity information so as to provide behavior modifying feedback to the patient.

9. A system for treating an eating disorder of a patient, the patient having at least one implanted sensor generating sensor signals in response to an eating-related event and/or an exercise activity of the patient, the system comprising:

a server coupleable to the sensor(s) and a patient device, the server configured to transmit message data to a device associated with a member of a patient support group, the message data being generated in response to the patient sensor(s) signals, the message data inducing the device associated with the member of the patient support group to present a new message to the member of the patient support group to encourage the patient to eat healthy and/or exercise.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a device associated with the patient, wherein the patient device prompts the patient, in response to the sensor(s) signals, to enter eating-related and/or exercise information into the patient device such that the information is uploaded to the server.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the message comprises a positive reinforcement message so as to promote the member of the patient group to encourage a continuation of behavior by the patient, and wherein the server is configured to transmit the message data in response to and within two days of:

the eating-related events sensed by the sensor being within a patient ingestion-related goal;

the exercise activity sensed by the sensor meeting a patient exercise goal; and

/or

a quantitative measurement of the patient indicating the patient has reached a weight-related goal, the weight related goal comprising a change in weight of the patient, a change in a size measurement of the patient, or a change in exercise performance of the patient.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the message comprises a negative reinforcement message so as to promote the at least one member of the patient group to discourage behavior by the patient, and wherein the server is configured to transmit the message data in response to and within two days of:

Eating-related events sensed by the sensor exceeding a patient ingestion-related goal; and

/or

exercise activity sensed by the sensor being below a patient exercise goal.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising a device associated with the patient, wherein the server is configured to transmit to the patient device message data inducing the patient device to present another message regarding another member of the patient group, the message data generated using sensor signals from sensor data from a sensor of another device implanted in the other member of the patient group, the patient group comprising a support group of patients having implanted sensors.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the message comprises information about ingestion and identifies the ingestion-related events of the patient.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the message comprises information about exercise and identifies the exercise activities of the patient.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising generating an ingestion-related goal and/or an exercise goal in response to input from the patient, comparing the goal to the ingestion-related information and/or the exercise information to generate comparison data, and transmitting the comparison information from the server to a device associated with a member of the group so as to encourage the member to urge increased alignment between the behavior of the patient and the goal.