Stimulation system for treatment of dysphagias

• US 8,165,670 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2008
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Biotronik SE & Company KG
• Original Assignee: Biotronik VI Patent AG (Biotronik SE & Company KG)
• Inventors: Philipp, Jens, Kautz, Dirk, Feussner, Hubertus
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Niketa
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAIRCHILD, MALLIKA DIPAYAN
• Application Number:
  US12/190,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20090048645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,351 Days
• Field of Search: 607 1- 76, 607115-154
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Stimulation system, comprising an implantable stimulation device (60), at least one implantable stimulation electrode (70) and at least one initializing sensor (40), whereby the initializing sensor (40) is configured to detect in the implanted state a voluntarily controlled muscle movement, a voluntarily induced brainwave or a voluntarily generated nerve pulse of a patient during the initial phase of a swallowing process and to generate a sensor signal in response thereto either continuously or in a clocked cycle or in response to the preceding and to send this signal to the stimulation device (60), and whereby the stimulation device (60) is configured to trigger the delivery of a stimulation pulse via the stimulation electrode (70) in response to such a sensor signal of the initializing sensor (40) which is based on a voluntarily initiated swallowing process.

Claims

1. A stimulation system for treatment of dysphagias comprising:

an implantable stimulation device (60);

at least one implantable stimulation electrode (70);

at least one initializing sensor (40) configured to be attached in or to a palate of a patient wherein said at least one initializing sensor is further configured to detect a swallowing process in the patient through detection of a pressure of a tongue against the palate of said patient,

generate a sensor signal continuously, or in a clocked cycle and

send the sensor signal to the implantable stimulation device (60); and

,

wherein the implantable stimulation device (60) comprises a computer unit (110) that is configured to

filter out of said sensor signal, a filtered sensor signal, that represents only signals which can be attributed to a voluntary initiation of said swallowing process through comparison of a chronological characteristic of said sensor signal to a pressure profile or patient-individual pressure profile to prevent unwanted stimulation of said swallowing process;

trigger a delivery of a stimulation pulse via the at least one implantable stimulation electrode (70) in response to the filtered sensor signal that represents a voluntary initiation of the swallowing process.

2. The stimulation system according to claim 1, wherein the implantable stimulation device (60) comprises a timer and is configured to induce the delivery of the stimulation pulse after a predetermined delay time after receipt of a triggering sensor signal.

3. The stimulation system according to claim 1, wherein the implantable stimulation device (60) is electrically connected to the at least one initializing sensor (40) via a sensor electrode line (50).

4. The stimulation system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one initializing sensor (40) comprises a power supply and is configured to allow wireless transmission of the sensor signal to the implantable stimulation device (60).

5. The stimulation system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one initializing sensor (40) is a pressure sensor and the sensor signal is processed in the at least one initializing sensor (40) itself.

6. The stimulation system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one initializing sensor (40) is a pressure sensor configured to deliver the sensor signal to the implantable stimulation device (60) wherein the implantable stimulation device (60) is configured to process the sensor signal of the at least one initializing sensor.

7. The stimulation system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one implantable stimulation electrode (70) is connected electrically to the implantable stimulation device (60) via a stimulation electrode line (80).

8. The stimulation system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one implantable stimulation electrode (70) comprises a power supply and is wirelessly connected to the implantable stimulation device (60).

9. The stimulation system according to claim 1, wherein the implantable stimulation device (60) has at least two stimulation electrodes (70) and/or at least two initializing sensors (40).

10. The stimulation system according to claim 1, wherein the implantable stimulation device (60) comprises:

a stimulation pulse shaper (180);

a memory (120) configured to store parameters for the computer unit to utilize; and

,

wherein the computer unit (110) is further configured to

determine a time lag between a triggering sensor signal and the delivery of the stimulation pulse,

and/or determine a stimulation frequency,

and/or determine a type of stimulation,

and/or determine a duration of a stimulation cycle,

and/or determine a frequency of stimulation cycles, and

induce a corresponding pulse generation by the stimulation pulse shaper (180).

11. The stimulation system according to claim 10, wherein the implantable stimulation device (60) further comprises a wireless data transmission unit (130), which is configured to receive parameters sent wirelessly via an external programming device (90) that are stored in the memory (120).

12. The stimulation system according to claim 1, wherein the implantable stimulation device (60) is configured to induce an automatic adjustment of stimulation parameters.

13. The stimulation system of claim 1 further comprising an external programming device (90) that comprises at least one input interface and a wireless data transmission unit, which is configured to transmit stimulation parameters wirelessly to the implantable stimulation device (60).

14. The stimulation system of claim 13 wherein the external programming device (90) comprises a wireless data receiving unit and a parameter analyzing unit, which is configured to receive and analyze the stimulation parameters transmitted wirelessly from the implantable stimulation device (60).