Implantable medical device configured as a pedometer

• US 7,844,336 B2
• Filed: 04/10/2007
• Issued: 11/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Baker, Lemont, McCabe, Aaron, Esler, James A., Kawahara, Chie, Fricke, Jilliann G., Hopper, Donald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): MALAMUD, DEBORAH LESLIE
• Application Number:
  US11/733,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20080255626A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 607 1- 2, 607/9, 607/11, 607/17, 607/19, 607/25, 607/30, 607/32, 607 48- 49, 607/60, 607/77, 607/115, 607/116, 600300-301, 600508-510, 600515-518, 600/546, 128/903, 128/920
• US Class Current: 607/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/222 combined with detection or measurement of physiological parameters, e.g. heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36542 controlled by body motion, e.g. acceleration
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37282 characterised by communication with experts in remote locations using a network
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 22/006 Pedometers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/903 Radio telemetry
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

This document discusses, among other things, a system including an implantable medical device. The implantable medical device includes a control circuit and a motion sensing device. The motion sensing device is coupled to the control circuit, and the motion sensing device is configured to transmit signals to the control circuit. The control circuit is configured to identify one or more steps of a patient using the motion sensing device signal.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an implantable medical device comprising;

a control circuit; and

a motion sensing device, coupled to the control circuit, the motion sensing device configured to transmit a signal to the control circuit;

wherein the control circuit is configured to identify an individual step of a patient using the motion sensing device signal, the control circuit being configured to;

identify a first step;

start a timer; and

inhibit an identification of a second step until after expiration of the timer.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the motion sensing device includes an accelerometer.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the accelerometer comprises a three axis accelerometer, and wherein the control circuit is configured to identify a step up by the patient, a step down by the patient, and a step forward by the patient.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the control circuit comprises a circuit to identify the one or more steps of the patient by one or more of identifying a peak in an output of the accelerometer and by pattern matching an output of the accelerometer.

5. The system of claim 1, comprising a telemetry circuit, the telemetry circuit coupled to the control circuit for communicating to an external device.

6. The system of claim 5, further comprising the external device, wherein the external device is a local external device;

and further wherein the local external device is configured to communicate with a remote external device.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the implantable medical device and the external device are configured to calculate, using data about the one or more steps of the patient, at least one of:

a count of the one or more steps of the patient;

a count of the one or more steps of the patient during a particular period of time;

a physical activity category;

a distance traveled by the patient during a particular period of time;

an amount of time spent walking by the patient during a particular period of time;

a caloric expenditure by the patient during a particular period of time;

an amount of time between episodes of walking;

a stride pattern of the patient;

a measure of activity of the patient;

a velocity of the patient;

a length of a particular step; and

an amount of time relating to a duration of the particular step.

8. The system of claim 1, comprising an electrical stimulation circuit coupled to the control circuit, the electrical stimulation circuit configured to deliver at least one electrical pulse using data about the one or more steps of the patient.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the data about the one or more steps of the patient are used to initiate or adjust at least one of an AV delay, a current pacing rate, a baseline pacing rate, an upper limit of a pacing rate, and an acceleration of a pacing rate.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to confirm a single step by identifying a first step followed by a second step within a particular period of time.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the control circuit is configured to confirm a single step by identifying three consecutive steps.

12. The system of claim 1, comprising a drug titration circuit, the drug titration circuit configured to deliver a drug using data about the one or more steps of the patient.

13. The system of claim 1, comprising an alert circuit coupled to the control circuit, the alert circuit configured to provide an alert using data about the one or more steps of the patient.

14. A process comprising:

receiving data from an implantable motion sensing device; and

processing the data to identify an individual step taken by a patient, wherein identifying an individual step includes;

identifying a first step;

starting a timer; and

inhibiting an identification of a second step until after expiration of the timer.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein the motion sensing device includes an accelerometer.

16. The process of claim 15, comprising identifying the data about the one or more steps taken by the patient by one or more of identifying a peak in an output of the accelerometer and by pattern matching the output of the accelerometer.

17. The process of claim 14, comprising:

transmitting the data from the implantable motion sensing device to an external device; and

displaying the data about the one or more steps taken by the patient on the external device.

18. The process of claim 14, comprising:

transmitting the data about the one or more steps taken by the patient to an external device; and

displaying the data about the one or more steps taken by the patient on the external device;

wherein the processing the data to identify the one or more steps taken by the patient occurs on the external device.

19. The process of claim 14, comprising using the data about the one or more steps taken by the patient to calculate at least one of:

a number of steps taken by the patient;

a number of steps taken by the patient during a particular time period;

a physical activity category;

a caloric expenditure by the patient;

a stride pattern of the patient;

a measure of activity of the patient;

a velocity of the patient;

a length of a time interval between episodes of walking by the patient;

a time duration of an episode of walking of the patient;

a distance covered by the patient;

a measure of sustained steps during a period of time; and

a gait of the patient.

20. The process of claim 14, comprising identifying a step by identifying three or more consecutive steps.

21. The process of claim 14, comprising identifying a step by identifying a first step followed by a second step within a particular period of time.

22. The process of claim 14, comprising monitoring a disease progression of a patient using the data about the one or more steps taken by the patient.

23. The process of claim 14, comprising generating an alert using the data about the one or more steps taken by the patient.

24. The process of claim 14, comprising altering an operation of an implantable medical device using the data about the one or more steps taken by the patient.

25. The process of claim 14, comprising categorizing a patient into a physical activity category using the data about the one or more steps taken by the patient.

26. The process of claim 14, comprising evaluating patient compliance using the data about the one or more steps taken by the patient.

27. The process of claim 26, wherein the patient compliance relates to a patient exercise program.

28. The process of claim 14, further comprising identifying a step up by the patient, a step down by the patient, and a step forward by the patient.

29. A system comprising:

an implantable medical device comprising;

a control circuit;

a motion sensing device, coupled to the control circuit, the motion sensing device configured to transmit a signal to the control circuit; and

a telemetry circuit, coupled to the control circuit, and configured to transmit a signal to an external device;

wherein the external device is configured to identify an individual step of a patient using the signal from the implantable medical device, the external device being configured to;

identify a first step;

start a timer; and

inhibit an identification of a second step until after expiration of the timer.

30. The system of claim 29, further comprising the external device.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the motion sensing device includes an accelerometer.