System and apparatus for early detection, prevention, containment or abatement of spread abnormal brain activity

• US 9,095,303 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2012
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Flint Hills Scientific, LLC
• Original Assignee: Flint Hills Scientific, LLC
• Inventors: Osorio, Ivan
• Primary Examiner(s): Koharski, Christopher D
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDWARDS, PHILIP CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US13/449,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20120265262A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,204 Days
• Field of Search: 607/45, 607/9, 607/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• 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 5/16 Devices for psychotechnics using teaching or educational appliances G09B1/00 - G09B7/00; Testing reaction times ; Devices for evaluating the psychological state
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/18 for vehicle drivers or machine operators
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/37 Intracranial electroencephalography [IC-EEG], e.g. electrocorticography [ECoG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/372 Analysis of electroencephalograms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4848 Monitoring or testing the effects of treatment, e.g. of medication
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7264 Classification of physiological signals or data, e.g. using neural networks, statistical classifiers, expert systems or fuzzy systems neural networks per se G06N3/00; expert systems per se G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36114 Cardiac control, e.g. by vagal stimulation stimulating the heart A61N1/362
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36139 with automatic adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36146 specified by the stimulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3621 for treating or preventing abnormally high heart rate

Abstract

A method, comprising detecting an epileptic event in a neural network, wherein the event occurs in a first node; identifying a second node; and applying a therapy to the second node or any connection. A method, comprising determining a first body index indicative of epileptic activity; monitoring a second body index; detecting an indication of activity spread, based upon at least the second body index; and taking a responsive action, such as delivering therapy, modifying therapy, logging the indication, or warning. A method, comprising detecting an epileptic event in a first node of a neural network; applying a first therapy to a first neural structure for treating the event; and applying a second therapy to a second neural structure of the patient based on an event spread proclivity to a third neural structure. A non-transitive, computer-readable storage device for storing data that when executed by a processor, perform a method.

Claims

1. A non-transitive, computer-readable storage device for storing data that when executed by a processor, perform a method, comprising:

determining a first body index indicative of an epileptic activity in a patient;

monitoring a second body index different from the first body index, in response to said determining;

detecting an indication of epileptic activity spread in a brain of the patient, based upon at least said second body index, comprising determining a spread quotient relating to said epileptic event, said spread quotient comprising information relating to at least one or more of a probability of a spread of said epileptic activity, a speed of said spread of said epileptic activity, a location of said epileptic activity, or a direction of said spread of said epileptic event; and

taking a responsive action in response to said detecting, wherein said responsive action is selected from delivering a therapy to at least one neural structure of said patient, modifying a therapy to at least one neural structure of said patient, logging said indication of spread, or warning said patient, a caregiver, or a medical professional of said indication of spread.

2. The non-transitive, computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein said first body index is a non-electrocortical neurologic index, and said second body index is a non-neurologic index.

3. The non-transitive, computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein said second body index is derived from the same body signal as the first body index.

4. The non-transitive, computer-readable storage device of claim 1, wherein said first body index is selected from an autonomic index, a neurologic index, a metabolic index, an endocrine index, a tissue stress marker index, a physical fitness index, a body integrity index, a quality of life index, or a seizure burden index, and said second body index is selected from an autonomic index, a neurologic index, a metabolic index, an endocrine index, a tissue stress marker index, a physical fitness index, a body integrity index, a quality of life index, or a seizure burden index.

5. The non-transitory computer readable program storage unit of claim 1, wherein said first body index is a cardiac index and said second body index is a motor activity index.

6. The non-transitive, computer-readable storage device of claim 5, wherein the cardiac index is selected from heart rate (HR), HR variability (HRV), or electrocardiogram (EKG) complex morphology, and the motor activity index is selected from an amplitude of a body movement, a direction of the body movement, or a force of the body movement.

7. The non-transitory computer readable program storage unit of claim 1, wherein said first body index is HR and said second body index is HRV.

8. The non-transitory computer readable program storage unit of claim 1, wherein said therapy comprises at least one of an electrical therapy, a thermal therapy, a chemical therapy, a cognitive therapy, or a mechanical therapy.

9. The non-transitory computer readable program storage unit of claim 8, wherein said therapy is an electrical therapy applied to a cranial nerve, a region or node of a spinal cord, or a peripheral nerve.