Methods and devices for detection of context when addressing a medical condition of a patient

• US 20040073093A1
• Filed: 10/11/2002
• Published: 04/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hatlestad, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,400,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/300
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• 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 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/686 Permanently implanted devices, e.g. pacemakers, other stimulators, biochips A61B5/6861 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3987 characterised by the timing or triggering of the shock

Abstract

Methods and devices detect context related to a patient when monitoring a physiological condition of the patient and/or when applying one or more modes of therapy. The context may be a patient context such as posture or an environmental context such as ambient conditions. The context may be used in various ways in relation to the physiological measurement, such as to control when the physiological measurements are made, to appropriately flag physiological measurements, to be recorded in association with the physiological measurements, and/or to correct the physiological measurements based on a reference context. A device such as a beacon transmitter is used in detecting the context and a measurement device such as an implantable cardiovascular device is used to capture the physiological measurements.

Claims

1. A method of monitoring physiological conditions of a patient, comprising:

utilizing a first device to detect whether at least one contextual condition associated with the patient exists; and

when the existence of the at least one contextual condition is detected, automatically measuring at least one physiological condition of the patient using a measurement device coupled to the patient.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the measurement device is implanted in the body of the patient

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one contextual condition defines a patient context.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein detecting whether the at least one contextual condition exists comprises interacting between the first device and the measurement device to detect the patient context, and wherein the measurement device is implanted in the body of the patient.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the first device is external to the patient and the patient context comprises a proximity of the external first device to the measurement device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the first device is external to the patient and interacting between the external first device and the measurement device coupled to the patient comprises:

emitting a signal from the external first device;

receiving the signal at the measurement device coupled to the patient when the measurement device is within a transmission range of the external first device; and

automatically measuring the at least one physiological condition upon the measurement device receiving the signal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one condition defines an environmental context.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the environmental context is ambient temperature present proximal to the patient.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the environmental context is ambient light present proximal to the patient.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one physiological condition comprises a cardiovascular value.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one physiological condition comprises a respiratory value.

12. A method of monitoring physiological conditions of a patient, comprising:

measuring at least one physiological condition of the patient with a measurement device;

while measuring the at least one physiological condition, utilizing an external device to detect whether at least one contextual condition associated with the patient exists; and

flagging with a first indicator the measurements resulting from the measuring done while the at least one contextual condition continues to exist.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the measurement device is implanted in the body of the patient

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one contextual condition defines a patient context.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein detecting whether the at least one contextual condition exists comprises interacting between the external device and the measurement device to detect the patient context, and wherein the measurement device is implanted in the body of the patient.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the patient context comprises a proximity of the external device to the measurement device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein interacting between the external device and the measurement device coupled to the patient comprises:

emitting a signal from the external device;

receiving the signal at the measurement device coupled to the patient when the measurement device is within a transmission range of the external device; and

flagging with the first indicator the measurements of the at least one physiological condition upon the measurement device receiving the signal.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one condition defines an environmental context.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the environmental context is temperature present proximal to the patient.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one physiological condition comprises a cardiovascular value.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the at least one physiological condition comprises a respiratory value.

22. A method of monitoring physiological conditions of a patient, comprising:

measuring at least one physiological condition of the patient using a measurement device;

utilizing an external device, measuring at least one condition defining a patient context; and

correlating the measurements of the at least one physiological condition with the measurements of the at least one condition defining the patient context.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

measuring at least one condition defining an environmental context; and

correlating the measurements of the at least one condition defining the environmental context with the measurements of the at least one physiological condition.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein correlating the measurements of the at least one physiological condition with the measurements of the at least one condition defining the patient context comprises flagging the measurements of the physiological condition when the measurements of the at least one condition defining a patient context indicate the existence of a predefined contextual condition.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein correlating the measurements of the at least one physiological condition with the measurements of the at least one condition defining the patient context comprises measuring the physiological condition only when the measurements of the at least one condition defining a patient context indicate the existence of a predefined contextual condition.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein correlating the measurements of the at least one physiological condition with the measurements of the at least one condition defining the patient context comprises storing the measurements of the physiological condition in association with the measurements of the at least one condition defining a patient context.

27. The method of claim 22, wherein correlating the measurements of the at least one physiological condition with the measurements of the at least one condition defining the patient context comprises correcting the measurements of the at least one physiological by application of a correction factor.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein the measurement device is implanted in the body of the patient.

29. A device for monitoring physiological conditions of a patient, comprising:

a detector that is responsive to a contextual condition associated with the patient;

a physiological sensor that is responsive to a physiological condition of the patient; and

a processing device configured to automatically measure from the physiological sensor at least one physiological condition of the patient when the existence of the at least one contextual condition is detected.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the detector is a electromagnetic wave receiver.

31. The device of claim 29, wherein the physiological sensor captures a cardiovascular value.

32. The device of claim 29, further comprising a transmitter that outputs a signal encoded with the measurements made by the processing device from the physiological sensor.

33. A system for monitoring physiological conditions of a patient, comprising:

a transmitter external to the patient;

a detector that is responsive to the transmitter to detect at least one contextual condition;

a physiological sensor responsive to a physiological condition of the patient; and

a processing device configured to measure from the physiological sensor at least one physiological condition of the patient and flag the measurements taken during the existence of the at least one contextual condition that is indicated by the detector.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the detector is an electromagnetic wave receiver.

35. The system of claim 33, wherein the physiological sensor captures a cardiovascular value.

36. The system of claim 33, further comprising:

a second transmitter that outputs a signal encoded with the measurements made by the processing device from the physiological sensor; and

a receiver external to the patient that receives the signal output by the second transmitter.

37. A system for monitoring physiological conditions of a patient, comprising:

means for measuring at least one physiological condition of the patient using a measurement device;

means at least partially external to the patient for measuring at least one condition defining a patient context; and

means for correlating the measurements of the at least one physiological condition with the measurements of the at least one condition defining the patient context.

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the means for measuring at least one physiological condition of the patient comprises a pulse rate sensor.

39. The system of claim 37, wherein the means for correlating the measurements comprises a processing device configured to record measurements of the physiological condition only when the measurements of the at least one condition defining a patient context indicate the existence of a predefined contextual condition.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the means for correlating the measurements comprises a processing device configured to store the measurements of the physiological condition in association with the measurements of the at least one condition defining a patient context.

41. The system of claim 37, wherein the means at least partially external to the patient for measuring at least one condition defining a patient context comprises a transmitter external to the patient and a receiver responsive to the transmitter.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the receiver is implanted in the body of the patient.

43. The system of claim 37, wherein the means at least partially external to the patient for measuring at least one condition defining a patient context comprises a transmitter external to the patient and a transponder responsive to the transmitter.

44. A method of providing therapy to a patient, comprising:

utilizing a device to detect whether the patient is located within a predefined proximity; and

when the patient is within the predefined proximity, providing a first mode of therapy to the patient with a medical device.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein when the patient is not within the predefined proximity, providing a second mode of therapy to the patient with the medical device.