Neurostimulator with activation based on changes in body temperature
First Claim
1. A method of providing electrical neurostimulation therapy to a cranial nerve of a patient comprising:
- generating a time series of temperature data representative of the body temperature of the patient;
determining a time rate of change of body temperature for the patient over at least one predetermined time period;
comparing the time rate of change of the patient'"'"'s temperature with a threshold time rate of change of temperature; and
providing an electrical neurostimulation therapy to a cranial nerve of the patient if the time rate of change of the patient'"'"'s body temperature exceeds said threshold time rate of change, wherein the threshold time rate of change comprises a maximum rate of temperature change associated with the patient.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Improved methods and devices are provided for detecting and/or predicting the onset of an undesirable physiological event or neural state, such as an epileptic seizure, to facilitate rapid intervention with a treatment therapy such as neurostimulation or drug therapy. The methods and devices involve monitoring the patient'"'"'s body temperature, preferably by an implanted temperature sensor, to detect a sudden change in a body temperature parameter. The temperature parameter change may comprise an increase or decrease in the patient'"'"'s body temperature, time rate of change of body temperature, or a difference in a moving average temperature for a first period from that of a second period. When a parameter change is detected that exceeds a threshold, neurostimulation therapy is delivered to a neural structure of the patient.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method of providing electrical neurostimulation therapy to a cranial nerve of a patient comprising:
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generating a time series of temperature data representative of the body temperature of the patient; determining a time rate of change of body temperature for the patient over at least one predetermined time period; comparing the time rate of change of the patient'"'"'s temperature with a threshold time rate of change of temperature; and providing an electrical neurostimulation therapy to a cranial nerve of the patient if the time rate of change of the patient'"'"'s body temperature exceeds said threshold time rate of change, wherein the threshold time rate of change comprises a maximum rate of temperature change associated with the patient. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of determining a physiological marker for an epileptic seizure in a patient comprising:
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generating a first time series of temperature data representative of the body temperature of the patient, determining a time rate of change of body temperature for the patient over at least one predetermined time period; comparing the time rate of change of the patient'"'"'s temperature with a threshold time rate of change of temperature; and wherein the threshold time rate of change comprises a maximum rate of temperature change associated with the patient. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A method of providing electrical neurostimulation therapy to a cranial nerve of a patient comprising:
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generating a first time series of temperature data representative of the body temperature of the patient; determining when an undesired physiological event has occurred in the patient; analyzing the first time series temperature data for a first predetermined time interval preceding the occurrence of the undesired physiological event to determine at least one temperature marker in the data stream as a predictor of the undesired physiological event; generating a second time series of temperature data representative of the body of the temperature of the patient; analyzing the second time series temperature data stream for the presence of the at least one temperature marker; and providing an electrical neurostimulation therapy to said cranial nerve of the patient in response to detecting the presence of said at least one temperature marker in said second time series temperature data stream wherein detecting the presence of said at least one temperature marker in the said time series temperature data stream comprises comparing at least a portion of said second time series temperature data stream to a threshold time series of temperature data associated with the patient. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A neurostimulator system for providing a neurostimulation therapy to a cranial nerve of a patient comprising:
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a pulse generator capable of generating an electrical signal for stimulation of a neural structure in a patient, a stimulation electrode assembly coupled to said pulse generator and to said neural structure, said stimulation electrode adapted for delivering said electrical signal to said neural structure, a controller to regulate delivery of said electrical stimulation to said neural structure, said controller comprising a temperature sensing unit, said temperature sensing unit comprising a temperature sensor element; timing circuitry, said circuitry operating to control the rate at which said temperature element senses body temperature and to generate a first time series of temperature data preceding the occurrence of a physiological event and a second time series of temperature data after said event, temperature analysis circuitry, said circuitry operating to analyze said first time series of temperature data to determine a marker of a physiological event, and said second time series of temperature data to detect the presence of said marker, and activation circuitry for causing said pulse generator to provide said electrical signal to said neural structure if said marker is detected in said second time series of temperature data, wherein detecting the marker in the said time series temperature data stream comprises comparing at least a portion of said second time series temperature data stream to a threshold time series of temperature data associated with the patient. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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39. A method of providing electrical neurostimulation therapy to a cranial nerve of a patient comprising:
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generating a first time series of temperature data representative of the body temperature of the patient, determining from the first time series of temperature data a body temperature parameter selected from the group consisting of a time rate of change of body temperature and a difference in a moving average body temperature for a first time domain and a moving average body temperature for a second time domain, comparing the body temperature parameter to a threshold for the body temperature parameter, and if the body temperature parameter exceeds said threshold, providing electrical neurostimulation pulses to a cranial nerve of the patient, said threshold for the body temperature parameter comprises a maximum body temperature associated with the patient. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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Specification