Apparatus to monitor obstructive sleep apnea termination

• US 9,011,341 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Issued: 04/21/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Jensen, Donald N., Condie, Catherine R., Cho, Yong K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEE, ERICA SHENGKAI
• Application Number:
  US13/456,568
• Publication Number:
  US 20120209127A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 600/509, 600/513, 600/515, 600/518
• US Class Current: 600/484
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0538 invasively, e.g. using a catheter
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0809 by impedance pneumography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for detecting and monitoring obstructive sleep apnea. The apparatus measures sinus tachycardia and a change in the atrial-ventricular conduction, and includes a controller for receiving the measurement of the sinus tachycardia and the change in the atrial-ventricular conduction to detect obstructive sleep apnea based upon the sinus tachycardia and the change in the atrial-ventricular conduction.

Claims

1. A medical device for detecting and monitoring obstructive sleep apnea, comprising:

means for detecting sinus tachycardia;

means for measuring an atrial-ventricular conduction to detect a change in the atrial-ventricular conduction; and

means for determining release of an airway obstruction based upon the detection of sinus tachycardia and the detected change in the atrial-ventricular conduction, wherein a confirmed release of the airway obstruction is indicative of a terminated obstructive sleep apnea event that immediately precedes the release of the airway obstruction.

2. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the means for measuring the atrial-ventricular conduction comprises an electrical sensor operatively coupled to a controller that is configured to measure electrical activity in a heart, said controller adapted to receive the electrical activity and to detect said atrial-ventricular conduction based upon said electrical activity.

3. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the means for detecting the sinus tachycardia comprises an electrical sensor operatively coupled to a controller that is configured to measure electrical activity in a heart, said controller adapted to receive the electrical activity and to detect said sinus tachycardia based upon said electrical activity.

4. The medical device of claim 3, wherein the electrical sensor detects cardiac depolarizations.

5. The medical device of claim 3, wherein the electrical sensor comprises an electrical sensing amplifier and at least one of a cardiac electrode and a subcutaneous electrode.

6. The medical device of claim 3, further comprising a telemetry interface adapted to facilitate real-time access to the data on the controller.

7. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the means for measuring the atrial-ventricular conduction further comprises detecting an increase in the atrial-ventricular conduction.

8. The medical device of claim 1, wherein the change in the atrial-ventricular conduction includes an increase in the atrial-ventricular conduction during the tachycardia.