Electroconvulsive therapy apparatus and method for monitoring patient seizures
First Claim
1. A method in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to monitor the termination of an induced seizure in a patient, the method including the steps of:
- (a) selecting a major muscle group of the patient and isolating the muscle group from effects of muscle relaxing pharmacological agents;
(b) detecting the muscle activity of the muscle group prior to the ECT by amplifying the electrical signals from the muscle group to detect EMG signals, converting the EMG signals into a first set of EMG digital data, setting an established EMG reference voltage for the EMG signals based upon the first set of EMG digital data, and storing in system digital computer memory the established EMG reference voltage;
(c) employing an ECT device, removably securing a plurality of electrodes of the ECT device on the head of the patient and applying electricity through the electrodes in an electroconvulsive therapy session to induce seizure;
(d) in the range of less than 30.0 seconds immediately following termination of the application of electricity to induce the seizure by the ECT device, commencing detecting the muscle activity of the major muscle group of the patient by amplification of the electrical signals from the patient'"'"'s muscle group using the EMG device and removable electrodes and converting the amplified EMG signals into a second set of digital EMG data in order to commence the monitoring of the termination of the seizure;
(e) automatically determining, by use of the digital computer system, the termination of seizure as indicated by the monitored EMG signals declining to the established EMG reference voltage by a comparison of the established EMG reference voltage with the second set of digital EMG data; and
(f) displaying the results of said comparison as indicating said termination of seizure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
In electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) the duration of the generated skeletal muscle, heart and brain wave activity during the administration of the electrically induced therapeutic seizures is automatically monitored. The ECT device includes a special purpose electromyograph (EMG) to detect isolated muscle activity and, in one embodiment, an electrocardiograph (ECG) to detect heart-beat intervals, and in another embodiment also includes an electroencephalograph (EEG) system to detect an EEG parameter of the electrically induced EEG seizure. The detected voltage from the EMG, ECG and EEG are converted to digital data and compared to a set of threshold reference values previously obtained from the same patient. The operator is informed by a display, or auditory signal, if the selected parameters have crossed the predetermined threshold reference value and the time period, since termination of the ECT that each parameter has taken to reach the reference value.
160 Citations
30 Claims
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1. A method in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to monitor the termination of an induced seizure in a patient, the method including the steps of:
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(a) selecting a major muscle group of the patient and isolating the muscle group from effects of muscle relaxing pharmacological agents; (b) detecting the muscle activity of the muscle group prior to the ECT by amplifying the electrical signals from the muscle group to detect EMG signals, converting the EMG signals into a first set of EMG digital data, setting an established EMG reference voltage for the EMG signals based upon the first set of EMG digital data, and storing in system digital computer memory the established EMG reference voltage; (c) employing an ECT device, removably securing a plurality of electrodes of the ECT device on the head of the patient and applying electricity through the electrodes in an electroconvulsive therapy session to induce seizure; (d) in the range of less than 30.0 seconds immediately following termination of the application of electricity to induce the seizure by the ECT device, commencing detecting the muscle activity of the major muscle group of the patient by amplification of the electrical signals from the patient'"'"'s muscle group using the EMG device and removable electrodes and converting the amplified EMG signals into a second set of digital EMG data in order to commence the monitoring of the termination of the seizure; (e) automatically determining, by use of the digital computer system, the termination of seizure as indicated by the monitored EMG signals declining to the established EMG reference voltage by a comparison of the established EMG reference voltage with the second set of digital EMG data; and (f) displaying the results of said comparison as indicating said termination of seizure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to monitor the termination of an induced seizure in a patient, the method including the steps of:
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(a) detecting the heartbeat rate of the patient prior to the ECT by amplifying the electrical signals from the heart using an electrocardiograph ECG device having electrodes removably attached to the skin of the patient to detect ECG signals, converting the ECG heartbeat rate signals into a first set of ECT heartbeat rate digital data, storing in system digital computer memory the first set of ECG digital data and setting an established ECG heartbeat rate reference based on said first set of ECG heartbeat rate digital data; (b) employing an ECT device, removably securing a plurality of electrodes of the ECT device on the head of the patient and applying electricity through the electrodes in an electroconvulsive therapy session to induce seizure; (c) in the range of less than 30 seconds immediately following termination of the application of electricity by the ECT device to induce the seizure, commencing monitoring the heartbeat rate of the patient by amplification of the electrical signals from the heart using the ECG device and removable electrodes and converting the amplified ECG signals into a second set of heartbeat rate digital data in order to commence the monitoring of the termination of the seizure; (d) automatically determining the termination of seizure as indicated by the monitored ECG heartbeat rate signals declining to the established reference by a comparison, using the digital computer system, of the established ECG heartbeat rate reference with the second set of ECG digital data; and (e) displaying the results of said comparison as indicating said termination of seizure. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to monitor the termination of an induced seizure in a patient, the method including the steps of:
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(a) selecting a major muscle group of the patient and isolating the muscle group from the effects of muscle relaxing pharmacological agents; (b) detecting muscle activity of the muscle group prior to the ECT by amplifying the electrical signals from the muscle group using an electromyograph (EMG) device having electrodes removably attached to the muscle group to detect EMG signals, converting the EMG signals into a first set of EMG digital data, setting an established EMG reference voltage based on the first set of EMG digital data, storing in system digital computer memory the established EMG reference voltage; (c) detecting the heartbeat rate of the patient prior to the ECT by amplifying the electrical signals from the heart using an electrocardiograph (ECG) device having electrodes removably attached to the skin of the patient to detect ECG signals, converting the ECG signals into a first set of ECG heartbeat rate digital data, setting an established heartbeat rate ECG reference based on the first set of ECG heartbeat rate digital data; and
storing in system digital computer memory the established ECG heartbeat rate reference;(d) detecting the brain wave activity of the patient prior to the ECT by amplifying the electrical signals from the brain using an electroencephalographic (EEG) device having electrodes removably attached to the head of the patient to detect EEG signals, converting the EEG signals into a first set of EEG digital data, and setting an established EEG reference voltage based on the first set of EEG digital data, and storing in system digital computer memory the established EEG reference voltage; (e) employing an ECT device, removably securing a plurality of electrodes of the ECT device on the head of the patient and applying electricity through the electrodes in an electroconvulsive therapy session to induce seizure; (f) commencing in the range of less than 30.0 seconds immediately following termination of the application of electricity to induce the seizure by the ECT device, (i) detecting the muscle activity of the major muscle group of the patient by amplification of the electrical signals from the muscle group using the EMG device and removable electrodes and converting the amplified EMG signals into a second set of EMG digital data; (ii) monitoring the heart beat rate of the patient by amplification of the electrical signals from the heart using the ECG device and removable electrodes and converting the amplified ECG signals into a second set of heart beat rate digital data; (iii) detecting the brain wave activity of the patient using the EEG device and removable electrodes and converting the amplified EEG signals into a second set of EEG digital data; (g) automatically analyzing the termination of seizure as determined by the monitored EEG, ECG and EMG signals approaching the established respective EEG, ECG and EMG references by comparisons using the digital computer system of the established EEG, ECG and EMG references with the second sets of respective EEG, ECG and EMG digital data; (h) combining the EEG comparison, and the ECG heart beat comparison and the EMG comparison in the computer system to provide a combined EMG, ECG and EEG determination of the termination of seizure; and (i) displaying the results of said combined determination as indicating said termination of seizure.
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20. A system in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to induce seizure in a patient and monitor the termination of the induced seizure, the system including:
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(a) EMG means for detecting muscle activity of a muscle group prior to the ECT by amplifying electrical signals from the muscle group, said EMG means including an electromyograph (EMG) device and electrodes adapted to be removably attached to the muscle group to produce EMG signals, A/D means for converting the EMG signals into a first set of EMG digital data, and computer means for established and storing in digital computer memory data of an established EMG reference voltage based on the first set of EMG digital data; (b) ECT means for inducing the seizure including a plurality of electrodes adapted to be removably secured on the head of the patient and means for applying electricity through the electrodes to the patient in an electroconvulsive therapy session to induce seizure; (c) means for storing a second set of EMG digital data obtained from the EMG means on commencement of the monitoring of the termination of the seizure in the range of less than 30 seconds after ceasing the said application to induce seizure; (d) means for automatically determining the termination of seizure as determined by the monitored EMG signals declining to the established EMG reference by comparison, using the digital computer system, of the established EMG reference voltage with the second set of digital data; and (e) means for displaying the results of said comparison as indicating said termination of seizure. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A system in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to induce seizure in a patient and monitor the termination of the induced seizure, the system including:
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(a) ECG means for detecting the heart rate of the patient prior to the ECT by amplifying electrical signals from the heart, said ECG means including an electrocardiograph (ECG) device and electrodes adapted to be removably attached to the patient to produce ECG signals, A/D means for converting the ECG signals into a first set of ECG digital data, and computer means for storing in digital computer memory an EEG reference voltage based on the first set of ECG digital data; (b) ECT means for inducing the seizure including a plurality of electrodes adapted to be removably secured on the head of the patient and means for applying electricity through the electrodes to the patient in an electroconvulsive therapy session to induce seizure; (c) means for storing a second set of ECG heart beat rate digital data obtained from the ECG means on commencement of the monitoring of the termination of the seizure in the range of 1-30 seconds after ceasing the said application to induce seizure; (d) means for automatically determining the termination of seizure as determined by the monitored ECG signal compared to the ECG heartbeat rate reference, using the digital computer system; and (e) means for displaying the results of said comparison as indicating said termination of seizure. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. A system in electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) to induce seizure in a patient by electrical stimulation and monitor the termination of the induced seizure, the system including:
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(a) EMG means for detecting muscle activity of a muscle group prior to, during and immediately after the electrical stimulation by amplifying electrical signals from the muscle group, said EMG means including an electromyograph (EMG) device and electrodes adapted to be removably attached to the muscle group to produce EMG signals, A/D means for converting the EMG signals in respective first and second sets of EMG digital data, and computer means for storing in digital computer memory the sets of EMG digital data; (b) EEG means for detecting the brain wave activity of the patient prior to, during and immediately after the electrical stimulation by amplifying electrical signals from the brain, said EEG means including an electroencephalograph (EEG) device and electrodes adapted to be removably attached to the head of the patient to produce EEG signals, A/D means for converting the EEG signals into respective first and second sets of EEG digital data, and computer means for storing in digital computer memory the sets of EEG digital data; (c) ECG means for detecting the heart beat rate of the patient prior to, during and immediately after the electrical stimulation by amplifying electrical signals from the heart, said ECG means including an electrocardiograph (ECG) device and electrodes adapted to be removably attached to the skin of the patient to produce ECG signals, A/D means for converting the ECG signals into respective first and second sets of ECG digital data, and computer means for storing in digital computer memory the sets of ECG digital data; (d) ECT means for inducing the seizure including a plurality of electrodes adapted to be removably secured on the head of the patient and means for applying electrical stimulation through the electrodes to the patient in an electroconvulsive therapy session to induce seizure; (e) computer means for automatically analyzing the termination of seizure as determined by the monitored EEG, ECG and EMG signals approaching selected respective EEG, ECG and EMG references based on the first sets of respective EEG, ECG and EMG digital data to produce a combined indication of said termination; and (f) display means to display the combined indication of said termination. - View Dependent Claims (30)
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Specification