System for Deep Brain Stimulation Employing a Sensor for Monitoring Patient Movement and Providing Closed Loop Control

• US 20140257427A1
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Marnfeldt, Goran N.
• Granted Patent: US 9,119,964 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1101 Detecting tremor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4082 Diagnosing or monitoring movement diseases, e.g. Parkinson, Huntington or Tourette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36067 Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36139 with automatic adjustment

Abstract

A closed loop system is disclosed for monitoring patient movements, such as tremors, and for automatically controlling an implantable stimulator device on the basis of the detected movements. The system includes a motion sensor such as a wearable item that contains an accelerometer to monitor a patient'"'"'s movements, such as a ring locatable proximate to a patient'"'"'s hand tremor. The motion sensor periodically transmits a feedback signal to the implantable stimulator device instructing it to change the stimulation parameters, such as current amplitude, in an attempt to reduce the tremor. The motion sensor can additionally communicate with other system components such as an external controller. In a preferred embodiment, the motion sensor and the implantable stimulator device communicate using short range electromagnetic radio waves.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

an implantable medical device configured to provide therapy to a patient experiencing patient tremor; and

at least one motion sensor, wherein the at least one motion sensor is configured to determine an amplitude and a frequency of patient movements and to transmit one or more feedback signals to the implantable medical device based on the amplitude and the frequency of the patient movements,

wherein the implantable medical device is further configured to receive the one or more feedback signals and to adjust the therapy being provided to the patient based on the one or more feedback signals.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one motion sensor is configured to be wearable by the patient.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one motion sensor is configured to be affixable to the patient'"'"'s skin by an adhesive patch.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the at least one motion sensor comprises a means for retaining the motion sensor proximate to the patient tremor.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one motion sensor is implantable.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one motion sensor transmits the one or more feedback signals using short wave electromagnetic radio wave communications.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one motion sensor transmits the one or more feedback signals using inductive coupling.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one motion sensor comprises an accelerometer, and wherein the patient movements are sensed by the accelerometer.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more feedback signals comprise the amplitude and the frequency.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the amplitude and the frequency are determined over a time period.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more feedback signals are transmitted and received periodically.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising an external controller with a user interface configured to communicate with the implantable medical device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least one motion sensor and the external controller are configured to bidirectionally communicate with each other.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a brain stimulator.

15. A device for monitoring patient tremor, comprising:

means for retaining the device proximate to a patient tremor;

a battery configured to provide power to the device;

an accelerometer configured to produce accelerometer data indicative of patient movements;

control circuitry comprising movement algorithm, wherein the movement algorithm is configured to analyze the accelerometer data to determine an amplitude and a frequency of the patient movements;

transmission circuitry configured to form one or more signals based on the amplitude and the frequency; and

an antenna configured to wirelessly transmit the one or more signals to an implantable medical device.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the movement algorithm is further configured to compare the amplitude and frequency relative to one or more threshold to determine if the patient movements are indicative of the patient tremor, and wherein the one or more signals are based on the comparison to the one or more thresholds.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the device comprises a ring, and wherein the means for retaining comprises a hoop.

18. The device of claim 15, wherein the means for retaining comprises an adhesive.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the means for retaining comprises a band or belt.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the means for retaining comprises an article of clothing.

21. The device of claim 15, wherein the antenna is configured to wirelessly transmit the one or more signals using short range electromagnetic radio wave communications.

22. The device of claim 15, wherein the antenna is configured to wirelessly transmit the one or more signals using inductive coupling.

23. The device of claim 15, wherein the one or more signals comprise the amplitude and the frequency.

24. The device of claim 15, further comprising a memory configured to store information regarding transmissions of the one or more feedback signals.

25. The device of claim 15, further comprising receiver circuitry configured to receive instructions from an external controller.

26. A system, comprising:

an implantable medical device configured to provide therapy to a patient experiencing patient tremor; and

at least one motion sensor configured to sense patient movements, wherein the at least one motion sensor is configured to determine whether the patient movements are indicative of the patient tremor and to transmit one or more instructions to the implantable medical device to adjust the therapy based on the determination of patient tremor,

wherein the implantable medical device is further configured to receive the one or more instructions and to adjust the therapy being provided to the patient using the one or more instructions.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one motion sensor is configured to be wearable by the patient.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one motion sensor is configured to be affixable to the patient'"'"'s skin by an adhesive patch.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the at least one motion sensor comprises a means for retaining the motion sensor proximate to the patient tremor.

30. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one motion sensor is implantable.

31. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one motion sensor transmits the one or more instructions using short wave electromagnetic radio wave communications.

32. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one motion sensor transmits the one or more instructions using inductive coupling.

33. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one motion sensor comprises an accelerometer, and wherein the patient movements are sensed by the accelerometer.

34. The system of claim 26, wherein the at least one motion sensor is configured to determine whether the patient movements are indicative of the patient tremor over a time period.

35. The system of claim 26, wherein the one or more instructions are transmitted and received periodically.

36. The system of claim 26, wherein the therapy to the patient comprises a current or voltage, and wherein the one or more instructions comprise an instruction to increase or decrease an amplitude of the current or voltage.

37. The system of claim 26, wherein the one or more instructions comprise a stimulation program for the implantable medical device.

38. The system of claim 26, further comprising an external controller with a user interface configured to communicate with the implantable medical device.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the at least one motion sensor and the external controller are configured to bidirectionally communicate with each other.

40. The system of claim 26, wherein the implantable medical device comprises a brain stimulator.

41. A device for monitoring patient tremor, comprising:

means for retaining the device proximate to a patient tremor;

a battery configured to provide power to the device;

an accelerometer configured to produce accelerometer data indicative of patient movements;

control circuitry comprising movement algorithm, wherein the movement algorithm is configured to determine whether the patient movements are indicative of the patient tremor;

transmission circuitry configured to form one or more instructions to the implantable medical device to adjust a therapy provided by the implantable medical device based on the determination of patient tremor; and

an antenna configured to wirelessly transmit the one or more instructions to an implantable medical device.

42. The device of claim 41, wherein the device comprises a ring, and wherein the means for retaining comprises a hoop.

43. The device of claim 41, wherein the means for retaining comprises an adhesive.

44. The device of claim 41, wherein the means for retaining comprises a band or belt.

45. The device of claim 41, wherein the means for retaining comprises an article of clothing.

46. The device of claim 41, wherein the antenna is configured to wirelessly transmit the one or more signals using short range electromagnetic radio wave communications.

47. The device of claim 41, wherein the antenna is configured to wirelessly transmit the one or more signals using inductive coupling.

48. The device of claim 41, wherein the one or more signals comprise an instruction to increase or decrease an amplitude of a current or a voltage of the therapy.

49. The device of claim 41, wherein the one or more instructions comprise a stimulation program.

50. The device of claim 41, further comprising a memory configured to store information regarding transmissions of the one or more feedback signals.

51. The device of claim 41, further comprising receiver circuitry configured to receive instructions from an external controller.