PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITION DETERMINATION BASED ON PRESSURE WAVE PRODUCED BY AN IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICE HOUSING
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Accused Products
Abstract
A physiological state of a patient is detected by at least producing and detecting pressure waves with a free wall of an implantable medical device (IMD) housing. An actuator element may contact the free wall, e.g., a portion of the IMD housing, and cause movement of the free wall that produces a pressure wave within the fluid and tissue of the patient. A detector element contacting the free wall may in turn detect reflected pressure waves received by the free wall. An acoustic module within the IMD may then determine a physiological condition of the patient, e.g., a bladder fullness state, based on the time delay between the transmitted and reflected pressure waves. In some examples in which the IMD also delivers stimulation therapy to the patient, e.g., incontinence therapy, the IMD may also automatically adjust stimulation therapy based on the determined physiological condition.
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Citations
39 Claims
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1-12. -12. (canceled)
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13. A method comprising:
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producing a pressure wave within a patient with a portion of a housing of an implantable medical device, wherein the housing substantially encloses a processor; detecting at least one reflected pressure wave with the housing portion; and determining, by the processor and based on the at least one reflected pressure wave, a physiological condition of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. A system comprising:
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an implantable medical device comprising a device housing; an acoustic module configured to produce a pressure wave within a patient with a portion of the device housing and detect at least one reflected pressure wave with the housing portion; and a processor configured to determine a physiological condition of the patient based on the at least one reflected pressure wave, wherein the device housing substantially encloses the processor. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A system comprising:
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means for producing a pressure wave within a patient with a portion of a housing of an implantable medical device, wherein the housing substantially encloses a processor; means for detecting at least one reflected pressure wave with the housing portion; and means for determining, based on the at least one reflected pressure wave, a physiological condition of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39)
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Specification