Neuromuscular stimulation to avoid pulmonary embolisms
First Claim
1. A method for prophylactically treating a person to avoid pulmonary embolisms by using an implantable electronic device, said electronic device utilizing wireless communications and configured to selectively stimulate one or more of a person'"'"'s neuromuscular pathways to facilitate blood flow, said method comprising the steps of:
- automatically and sequentially measuring, at predetermined incremented times a parameter corresponding to the person'"'"'s movements;
comprising;
incrementing a timer in the absence of the persons movements; and
determining if the timer has reached a predetermined period of time; and
periodically stimulating one or more of the person'"'"'s neurological pathways utilizing at least one implanted electronic device to facilitate blood flow for avoiding pulmonary embolisms when it is determined according to said measured parameter that the person has gone through the predetermined period of time with limited movements.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method that provide a prophylactic treatment to a person, e.g., a patient, to avoid the occurrence of pulmonary embolisms by the system providing neuromuscular stimulation to a person'"'"'s lower extremities, e.g., the person'"'"'s legs, when the system senses that a person has been immobile for an extended period of time. An implantable neuromuscular pacer, such as that described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,193,539; 5,193,540; 6,164,284; 6,185,452; 6,208,894; 6,315,721; 6,564,807; and their progeny, may be used to provide to selectively provide such stimulation. Preferably, such a device may be battery powered so that it can operate independent of an external apparatus. In particular, systems and devices of the present invention preferably additionally include an activity monitor, e.g., an accelerometer or the like, that disables or limits stimulation to pronged time periods in which there is limited activity.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method for prophylactically treating a person to avoid pulmonary embolisms by using an implantable electronic device, said electronic device utilizing wireless communications and configured to selectively stimulate one or more of a person'"'"'s neuromuscular pathways to facilitate blood flow, said method comprising the steps of:
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automatically and sequentially measuring, at predetermined incremented times a parameter corresponding to the person'"'"'s movements;
comprising;incrementing a timer in the absence of the persons movements; and determining if the timer has reached a predetermined period of time; and periodically stimulating one or more of the person'"'"'s neurological pathways utilizing at least one implanted electronic device to facilitate blood flow for avoiding pulmonary embolisms when it is determined according to said measured parameter that the person has gone through the predetermined period of time with limited movements. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A system for prophylactically treating a person to avoid pulmonary embolisms by selectively stimulating one or more of the person'"'"'s neuromuscular pathways to facilitate blood flow, said system comprising:
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one or more implantable pulse generators, said one or more implantable pulse generators utilizing wireless communications and configured for delivering stimulation pulses and coupling to a plurality of electrodes suitable for placement proximate to one or more neurological pathways that respond to said stimulation pulses to facilitate blood flow; a sensor for measuring a parameter corresponding to the person'"'"'s movements; an inactivity timer configured to be incremented in the absence of the person'"'"'s movements, said inactivity timer including means to determine whether the inactivity timer has reached a predetermined period of time; and
wherein said one or more pulse generators periodically deliver stimulation pulses for facilitating blood flow when it is determined according to said parameter measured by said sensor that the person has gone through the predetermined period of time with limited movement. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification