Methods and systems for managing epilepsy and other neurological disorders

• US 9,592,004 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2016
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LivaNova USA, Inc. (LivaNova Plc)
• Original Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc
• Inventors: DiLorenzo, Daniel J., Leyde, Kent W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Holmes, Rex R
• Application Number:
  US15/082,957
• Publication Number:
  US 20160206236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 351 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 5/369 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 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4833 Assessment of subject's compliance to treatment
• 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: A61B 5/7275 Determining trends in physiological measurement data; Predicting development of a medical condition based on physiological measurements, e.g. determining a risk factor
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/1723 using feedback of body parameters, e.g. blood-sugar, pressure measurement of body parameters A61B5/00
• 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 1/37258 Alerting the patient
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/10 relating to drugs or medications, e.g. for ensuring correct administration to patients
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/30 for calculating health indices; for individual health risk assessment

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for managing epilepsy. In one embodiment, a method of the present invention characterize a patient'"'"'s propensity for a future epileptic seizure and communicates to the patient and/or a health care provider a therapy recommendation. The therapy recommendation is typically a function of the patient'"'"'s propensity for the future epileptic seizure.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring a patient, the method comprising:

using a processor to evaluate a first physiological signal received from the patient indicative of a first patient status regarding an onset of a first neurological event;

using the processor to provide a therapy recommendation, wherein the therapy recommendation is selected from a plurality of therapy recommendations based on the first patient status regarding the onset of the first neurological event;

using the processor to evaluate a second physiological signal received from the patient indicative of a second patient status regarding an onset of a second neurological event that is subsequent to the first neurological event, the second physiological signal being different from the first physiological signal; and

transmitting to a communications assembly an alert, wherein the alert is selected from a plurality of alerts based on the second patient status regarding the onset of the second neurological event.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the using of the processor to evaluate the second physiological signal includes evaluating an effectiveness of a therapy applied in response to the therapy recommendation.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first patient status and the second patient status is based on a heart rate signal of the patient.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the using of the processor to evaluate the second physiological signal includes evaluating an effectiveness of a therapy applied in response to the therapy recommendation.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising administering a therapy to the patient in response to the therapy recommendation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmitting to the communications assembly the alert includes transmitting at least one alert indicative of an effectiveness of the therapy.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using the processor to evaluate a third physiological signal received from the patient indicative of a third patient status regarding an onset of a third neurological event that is subsequent to the second neurological event, the third physiological signal being different from the second physiological signal; and

transmitting to the communications assembly another alert, wherein the another alert is selected from the plurality of alerts based on the third patient status regarding the onset of the third neurological event.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the using of the processor to evaluate the second and/or third physiological signals includes evaluating an effectiveness of a therapy applied in response to the therapy recommendation.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the first patient status, the second patient status, and the third patient status is based on a heart rate signal of the patient.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the using of the processor to evaluate the second and/or third physiological signals includes evaluating an effectiveness of a therapy applied in response to the therapy recommendation.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining stimulation parameters to apply using the response and applying stimulation using the implanted device using the determined stimulation parameters.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the continuation of at least a portion of the first neurological event is at least one of an increased heart rate and a seizure movement.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising administering a second therapy to the patient subsequent to the initial therapy, wherein the second therapy is a modification of the initial therapy based on the second neurological event.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the alert is indicative of an effectiveness of the initial therapy.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the using of the processor to evaluate the second physiological signal includes evaluating an effectiveness of a therapy applied in response to the therapy recommendation.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first patient status and the second patient status is based on a heart rate signal of the patient.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising transmitting to a communications assembly an alert, wherein the alert is selected from a plurality of alerts based on the second patient status regarding the onset of the second neurological event.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

using the processor to evaluate a third physiological signal received from the patient indicative of a third patient status regarding an onset of a third neurological event that is subsequent to the second neurological event, the third physiological signal being different from the second physiological signal; and

administering a second therapy to the patient, wherein the second therapy is a modification of the first therapy based on the third patient status regarding the onset of the third neurological event.

12. A method of monitoring a patient, the method comprising:

using a processor to evaluate a first physiological signal received from the patient indicative of a first neurological event;

administering an initial therapy to the patient in response to the first neurological event;

using the processor to evaluate a second physiological signal subsequent to the administering of the initial therapy, the second physiological signal indicative of a second neurological event comprising a continuation of at least a portion of the first neurological event; and

transmitting to a communications assembly an alert, wherein the alert is selected from a plurality of alerts based on at least one of the first neurological event and the second neurological event.

16. A method of monitoring a patient, the method comprising:

using a processor to evaluate a first physiological signal received from the patient indicative of a first patient status regarding an onset of a first neurological event;

using the processor to provide a therapy recommendation, wherein the therapy recommendation is selected from a plurality of therapy recommendations based on the first patient status regarding the onset of the first neurological event;

using the processor to evaluate a second physiological signal received from the patient indicative of a second patient status regarding an onset of a second neurological event that is subsequent to the first neurological event, the second physiological signal being different from the first physiological signal;

determining stimulation parameters to apply using a response; and

applying stimulation using the implanted device using the determined stimulation parameters to apply a first therapy.