Using acoustic energy to compute a lung edema fluid status indication
First Claim
1. A system comprising:
- a fully implantable device including an acoustic transducer that emits acoustic energy to a lung and receives a responsive acoustic energy echo from the lung; and
an implantable or external processor circuit configured to receive information about the acoustic energy echo and configured to detect increases in the number of acoustic energy echoes received per nit of time, the processor circuit including a comparator circuit configured to compare an energy profile of the received acoustic energy echo to a stored specified threshold, algorithm, pattern, or data array,wherein the processor circuit is configured to compute and provide a worsening heart failure decomposition indication from the detected increase in echoes per unit of time and information about the energy profile comparison.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods for monitoring lung edema fluid status, such as monitoring the presence or absence of pulmonary edema, in a subject using information about responsive acoustic energy echoes from a lung are described. The system comprises, among other things, an implantable device including an acoustic transducer configured to emit acoustic energy to a lung and to receive one or more responsive acoustic energy echoes from a lung. In an example, the implantable device includes a cardiac function management device having an acoustic window in a body thereof. In another example, the implantable device includes one or more subcutaneous leads. An implantable or external processor circuit is configured to receive information about the acoustic energy echoes to compute and provide a lung edema fluid status indication; such information may include an increased number or special pattern of acoustic energy echoes received or a decreased time between successively received echoes.
54 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a fully implantable device including an acoustic transducer that emits acoustic energy to a lung and receives a responsive acoustic energy echo from the lung; and an implantable or external processor circuit configured to receive information about the acoustic energy echo and configured to detect increases in the number of acoustic energy echoes received per nit of time, the processor circuit including a comparator circuit configured to compare an energy profile of the received acoustic energy echo to a stored specified threshold, algorithm, pattern, or data array, wherein the processor circuit is configured to compute and provide a worsening heart failure decomposition indication from the detected increase in echoes per unit of time and information about the energy profile comparison. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 23, 24)
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11. A method comprising:
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emitting acoustic energy defined by a first set of acoustic energy parameters toward a lung using a fully implantable device; receiving and processing one or more acoustic energy echoes; computing a lung edema fluid status indication from information about the one or more acoustic energy echoes, including determining at least one of an increased number, a decreased number, or a pattern of acoustic energy echoes received, or a decrease in time between successively received acoustic energy echoes; and verifying and displaying an accuracy of the lung edema fluid status indication, including programmably or automatically changing at least one of an amplitude, a frequency, pulse shape, or a duration of the emitted acoustic energy to define a second set of acoustic energy parameters, and comparing acoustic energy echo information related to the first set of acoustic energy parameters with acoustic energy echo information related to the second set of acoustic energy parameters. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25)
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Specification