Sleep quality data collection and evaluation

• US 8,002,553 B2
• Filed: 08/18/2003
• Issued: 08/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Stahmann, Jeffrey E., Hatlestad, John D., Lee, Kent, Zhu, Qingsheng, Kenknight, Bruce H., Ni, Quan, Daum, Douglas R., Hartley, Jesse
• Primary Examiner(s): Thai; Xuan M
• Assistant Examiner(s): MUSSELMAN, TIMOTHY A
• Application Number:
  US10/642,998
• Publication Number:
  US 20050042589A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,927 Days
• Field of Search: 340575-576, 600/26, 600/300, 600/587, 600/595, 600/544, 600/28, 434262-275, 128/630, 128670-671, 128/716, 128/731, 128/733, 446/83
• US Class Current: 434/262
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0809 by impedance pneumography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/398 Electrooculography [EOG], e.g. detecting nystagmus; Electroretinography [ERG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4528 Joints A61B5/4533, A61B5/4538 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3621 for treating or preventing abnormally high heart rate
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems

Abstract

A sleep quality assessment approach involves collecting data based on detected physiological or non-physiological patient conditions. At least one of detecting patient conditions and collecting data is performed using an implantable device. Sleep quality may be evaluated using the collected data by an implantable or patient-external sleep quality processor. One approach to sleep quality evaluation involves computing one or more summary metrics based on occurrences of movement disorders or breathing disorders during sleep.

Claims

1. A method for collecting sleep quality data, comprising:

sensing physiological information regarding at least one physiological condition related to sleep quality of a patient and indicative of patient sleep state;

sensing non-physiological information regarding at least one non-physiological condition that affects the sleep quality of the patient, the at least one non-physiological condition comprising an ambient condition external to the patient, the physiological information and the non-physiological information sensed contemporaneously by respective sensors;

storing the physiological information and the non-physiological information in an implantable device; and

evaluating the patient'"'"'s sleep quality using both the physiological and non-physiological information by calculating a composite sleep quality metric as a function of the physiological and non-physiological information stored in the implantable device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the composite sleep quality metric comprises a sleep disturbance index.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one physiological condition comprises a respiratory system condition.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one physiological condition comprises a muscle system condition.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising trending the composite sleep quality metric over time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-physiological information comprises ambient temperature.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-physiological condition comprises an environmental condition.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one non-physiological condition comprises a contextual condition.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the physiological information comprises collecting data associated with sleep stages.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the physiological information comprises collecting data associated with sleep disruption.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the physiological information comprises collecting data associated with disordered breathing.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the physiological information comprises collecting data associated with a movement disorder.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein collecting the non-physiological information comprises sensing the at least one non-physiological condition external to the patient and transmitting the sensed non-physiological condition to the implantable device.

14. A method for assessing sleep quality of a patient, comprising:

sensing physiological information regarding at least one physiological condition related to sleep quality of a patient using an implantable device;

sensing non-physiological information regarding at least one non-physiological condition that affects the sleep quality of the patient, the at least one non-physiological condition comprising an ambient condition external to the patient, the physiological information and the non-physiological information sensed contemporaneously by respective sensors; and

evaluating the sleep quality of the patient using the physiological and non-physiological information by calculating a composite sleep quality metric as a function of the physiological and non-physiological information, wherein the evaluating the sleep quality is performed at least in part by the implantable device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the non-physiological information comprises patient location information.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein evaluating the sleep quality further comprises determining one or more sleep stages.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the physiological information is indicative of sleep disruption.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the composite sleep quality metric comprises a sleep disturbance index.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the non-physiological information comprises ambient temperature.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the non-physiological information is indicative of external air quality.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein evaluating the sleep quality further comprises trending the composite sleep quality metric over time.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the physiological information is indicative of disordered breathing.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the physiological information is indicative of one or more movement disorders.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the non-physiological information is indicative of events that disrupt sleep.

25. The method of claim 14, wherein sensing the non-physiological information comprises sensing the at least one non-physiological condition external to the patient and transmitting the sensed non-physiological condition to the implantable device.