Therapy system including multiple posture sensors

• US 9,717,846 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2012
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Skelton, Dennis M., Miesel, Keith A., Denison, Timothy J., Davis, Jon P.
• Primary Examiner(s): DOUGHERTY, SEAN PATRICK
• Application Number:
  US13/561,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20120296236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,828 Days
• Field of Search: 600595
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/14208 with a programmable infusion control system, characterised by the infusion program
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/17 with redundant control systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0693 Brain, cerebrum
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1053 Stomach
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1078 Urinary tract
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/1089 Urethra
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/62 Posture
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means

Abstract

Posture-responsive therapy is delivered by the medical system based on posture state input from only one of multiple posture sensors at any given time. An example implantable medical system includes a first posture sensor and a second sensor. A processor controls therapy delivery to the patient based on at least one of a patient posture state or a patient activity level determined based on input from only one of the first or second posture sensors. In some examples, one of multiple posture sensors of an implantable posture-responsive medical system is used to automatically reorient another posture sensor (of the system), which has become disoriented. The disoriented posture sensor may be automatically reoriented for one or more posture states at a time.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating, via one or more processors of at least one of a medical device or a programmer for the medical device, each of multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states, wherein at least one of the posture states is associated with fewer than all of the multiple posture sensors;

upon a patient assuming a posture state, selectively receiving, via the one or more processors of the at least one of the medical device or the programmer for the medical device, output from one or more of the multiple posture sensors associated with the assumed posture state for use in determining the assumed posture state;

determining, via the one or more processors of the at least one of the medical device or the programmer for the medical device, the assumed posture state based on the received output of the one or more posture sensors associated with the assumed posture state; and

controlling, via the one or more processors of the at least one of the medical device or the programmer for the medical device, the medical device to deliver therapy to the patient based on the determined posture state.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein associating, via the one or more processors, each of the multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states comprises associating each of the multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states based on effectiveness of each sensor in sensing the one or more posture states.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein associating, via the one or more processors, each of multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states comprises associating each of multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states based on effectiveness of each sensor in sensing one or more activity levels.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein associating, via the one or more processors, each of multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states comprises associating each of multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states based on a location of each sensor relative to the patient.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, via the one or more processors, that one of the associated ones of the posture sensors has become disoriented; and

deactivating the disoriented one of the posture sensors.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving, via the one or more processors, output of a different one of the posture sensors for use instead of the disoriented one of the posture sensors.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the posture state based on the received output of the one or more posture sensors comprises confirming the posture state based on the received output of the one or more posture sensors.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively receiving output from one or more associated ones of the posture sensors comprises selecting, via the one or more processors, the one or more associated ones of the posture sensors based on a signal from one of the multiple posture sensors.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein associating, via the one or more processors, each of multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states comprises automatically comparing posture states detected by each of the multiple sensors.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein associating, via the one or more processors, each of multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states comprises automatically comparing efficacy of the delivered therapy resulting from posture states detected by each of the multiple sensors.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input indicating one or more posture states to be associated with a posture sensor.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively receiving output from one or more of the multiple posture sensors associated with the assumed posture state comprises selectively activating the one or more of the multiple posture sensors associated with the assumed posture state.

30. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a notification based on the assumed posture state.

12. A system, comprising:

multiple posture sensors adapted to be disposed relative to a patient; and

one or more processors of at least one of a medical device or a programmer of the medical device, the one or more processors configured to;

associate each of the multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states, wherein fewer than all of the posture sensors are associated with at least one of the posture states,

upon the patient assuming a posture state, selectively receive input from one or more of the posture sensors associated with the assumed posture state,

determine the posture state based on the received input from the one or more posture sensors, and

control the medical device to deliver therapy to the patient based on the determined posture state.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to associate each of the multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states based on effectiveness of each sensor in sensing one or more postures.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to associate each of the multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states based on effectiveness of each sensor in sensing one or more activity levels.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to associate each of the multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states based on a location of each sensor relative to the patient.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine that an associated one of the posture sensors has become disoriented and to deactivate the disoriented posture sensor.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are configured to receive input from a different one of the posture sensors for use instead of the disoriented posture sensor.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to selectively receive input from one or more associated ones of the posture sensors based on a signal from one of the multiple posture sensors.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to associate each of multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states by comparing posture states detected by each of the multiple sensors.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured to associate each of multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states by comparing efficacy of the delivered therapy resulting from posture states detected by each of the multiple sensors.

21. The system of claim 12, further comprising a user interface configured to receive user input indicating one or more posture states to be associated with a posture sensor.

22. The system of claim 12, further comprising the medical device that comprises at least one of the one or more processors.

23. The system of claim 12, further comprising a programmer that comprises at least one of the one or more processors.

27. The system of claim 12, wherein each of the multiple posture sensors comprises a three-axis accelerometer.

28. The system of claim 12, wherein output of the posture sensors associated with the assumed posture state are configured to be selectively provided to the one or more processors, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the posture state based on, the selectively received output.

29. The system of claim 12, wherein the posture sensors associated with the assumed posture state are configured to be selectively activated, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the posture state based on output of the posture sensors that are selectively activated.

24. A non-transitory storage medium to store instructions executable by a processor of a programmer or a medical device to cause the processor to:

associate each of multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states, wherein at least one of the posture states is associated with fewer than all of the multiple posture sensors;

upon a patient assuming a posture state, to selectively receive output of one or more of the multiple posture sensors associated with the assumed posture state;

determine the posture state based on the received output of the one or more posture sensors; and

control the medical device to deliver therapy to the patient based on the determined posture state.

25. A medical system, comprising:

multiple posture sensors adapted to be disposed relative to a patient; and

at least one of a medical device or a programmer of the medical device comprising;

means for associating each of the multiple posture sensors with one or more posture states of the patient, wherein at least one of the posture states is associated with fewer than all of the posture sensors;

upon the patient assuming one of the posture states, means for selectively receiving output of one or more of the multiple posture sensors associated with the assumed posture state;

means for determining the posture state based on the received output of the one or more posture sensors; and

means for controlling the medical device to deliver therapy to the patient based on the determined posture state.