Scoring of sensed neurological signals for use with a medical device system

• US 8,187,181 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2003
• Issued: 05/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Osorio, Ivan, Frei, Mark G., Graves, Nina M., Giftakis, Jonathon E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Sam
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sands, Davin K
• Application Number:
  US10/687,389
• Publication Number:
  US 20040133119A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,149 Days
• Field of Search: 600300-301, 600/544, 600/545, 128897-898, 128/906, 128/920, 128924-925, 604 66- 68, 607 28- 32, 607 58- 60
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/374 Detecting the frequency distribution of signals, e.g. detecting delta, theta, alpha, beta or gamma waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36135 using physiological parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3702 Physiological parameters A61N1/365 takes precedence; evoked response A61N1/371
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 128/92 Computer assisted medical diagnostics

Abstract

A medical device system capable of scoring a severity of sensed neurological signals relating to a nervous system disorder. The system comprises a monitoring element that receives a neurological signal having at least one event to be scored. The medical device system identifies one or more features of the neurological signal to use in scoring and computes a score of relative severity of the event using the identified feature. Once two or more events have been scored, the events may be ranked by severity relative to each other.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for scoring a severity of a neurological event associated with a nervous system disorder, the computer-implemented method comprising:

(a) determining using a processor that one or more sensed neurological signals represent a plurality of neurological events;

(b) identifying using a processor at least one feature of each of the plurality of neurological events, wherein the plurality of neurological events are selected from the group consisting of a detection cluster event and a reported event;

(c) computing using a processor a relative severity score for each of the plurality of neurological events using the at least one feature; and

(d) ranking using a processor the plurality of neurological events by severity using the relative severity scores.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one feature identified in (b) is selected from the group consisting of a duration of a seizure detection, a spread, a number of clusters per unit time, a number of detections within a cluster, a duration of an event cluster, a duration of a detection, and an inter-seizure interval.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) communicating the ranked plurality of neurological events to an external device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

(e) displaying the ranked plurality of neurological events.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the ranking in (d) is performed by an implanted device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying the at least one feature in (b) comprises:

(i) using algorithm-based measures of activity of the nervous system disorder.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of neurological events is a seizure and the computing the score in (c) comprises:

(i) relating duration, intensity, and extent of electrographic spread of the neurological event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the feature is selected from the group consisting of a number of monitoring elements involved in the neurological event, a number of clusters per unit time, a number of detections within a detection cluster, a duration of a detection cluster, a duration of a detection, and an inter-seizure interval.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing the score in (c) comprises:

(i) computing a relative severity minimum, wherein the lowest relative severity score associated with clinical manifestations or other behaviors indicative of a nervous system disorder activity is useful for minimizing a probability of missing clinical events.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensed neurological signals are received from a monitoring element and are selected from the group consisting of a chemical signal, a biological signal, a temperature signal, a pressure signal, a respiration signal, a heart rate signal, a ph-level signal, and a peripheral nerve signal.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the nervous system disorder is selected from the group consisting of a peripheral nervous system disorder, a mental health disorder, and a psychiatric disorder.

12. A computer-implemented method for determining the severity of a detection cluster comprising:

(a) determining using a processor that one or more sensed neurological signals represent a plurality of detection clusters;

(b) identifying using a processor at least one feature of each of the detection clusters;

(c) computing using a processor a relative severity score for each of the detection clusters using the identified at least one feature; and

(d) ranking using a processor the plurality of detection clusters by severity using the relative severity scores.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one feature identified in (b) is selected from the group consisting of a spread of the detection cluster, a number of detection clusters per unit time, a number of detections within the detection cluster, a detection cluster severity, and an inter-seizure interval.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the computing of the relative severity score in (c) comprises:

(i) computing a relative severity minimum, in which the lowest relative severity score associated with clinical manifestations or other behaviors indicative of a nervous system disorder activity is useful for minimizing a probability of missing clinical events.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the computing of the relative severity score in (c) comprises:

(i) allowing a user to exclude a certain event from being scored.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein (b)-(d) occur after a respective detection cluster has ended.

17. A computer-implemented method for determining the severity of a detected neurological event comprising:

(a) receiving one or more neurological signals;

(b) processing using a processor the one or more neurological signals to detect a plurality of neurological events;

(c) characterizing using a processor at least one feature of each of the plurality of detected neurological events; and

(d) computing using a processor a relative severity score for each of the neurological events based on the at least one feature.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

(e) ranking the plurality of neurological events based on the relative severity scores for each of the neurological events.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one feature characterized in (c) is selected from the group consisting of a spread of a detection cluster, a number of detection clusters per unit time, a number of detections within a detection cluster, a detection cluster severity, and an inter-seizure interval.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the computing in (d) comprises:

(i) computing a relative severity minimum, in which the lowest relative severity score associated with clinical manifestations or other behaviors indicative of a nervous system disorder activity is useful for minimizing a probability of missing clinical events.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the computing in (d) comprises:

(i) allowing a user to exclude a certain neurological event from being scored.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein (c)-(d) occur after a respective detected neurological event has concluded.