Systems and methods for monitoring a patient's neurological disease state

• US 20070142862A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc
• Original Assignee: NeuroVista Corporation
• Inventors: Dilorenzo, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 7,747,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4082 Diagnosing or monitoring movement diseases, e.g. Parkinson, Huntington or Tourette
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36067 Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and systems for modulating a patient'"'"'s neurological disease state. In one embodiment, the system comprises one or more sensors that sense at least one signal that comprise a characteristic that is indicative of a neurological disease state. A signal processing assembly is in communication with the one or more sensors and processes the at least one signal to estimate the neurological disease state and to generate a therapy to the patient that is based at least in part on the estimated neurological disease state. A treatment assembly is in communication with the signal processing assembly and delivers the therapy to a nervous system component of the patient.

Claims

1. A system for modulating a patient'"'"'s neurological disease state, the system comprising:

one or more sensors that sense at least one signal that comprise a characteristic that is indicative of a neurological disease state;

a signal processing assembly in communication with the one or more sensors that processes the at least one signal to estimate the neurological disease state and to generate a therapy to the patient that is based at least in part on the estimated neurological disease state; and

a treatment assembly in communication with the signal processing assembly, wherein said treatment assembly delivers the therapy to a nervous system component of the patient.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the treatment assembly comprises an electrode array.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the electrode array is coupled to a peripheral nerve.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the electrode array comprises a vagus nerve electrode array.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the electrode array is positionable intracranially.

6. The system of claim 4 comprising a patient interface module in communication with the signal processing assembly that communicates an output that is indicative of the estimated disease state.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the patient interface module facilitates monitoring of a time history of at least one estimated disease state.

8. The system of claim 6 wherein the patient interface module facilitates monitoring of a future disease state.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the signal processing assembly is implanted within a patient'"'"'s body and the patient interface module is external to the patient'"'"'s body.

10. The system of claim 6 wherein the signal processing assembly and patient interface module are implanted within a patient'"'"'s body.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal processing assembly implements a control law that determines the therapy to control the neurological disease state.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein said signal processing assembly calculates the output of a control law.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein said signal processing assembly calculates at least one parameter to specify a therapy to control neurological disease state.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal processing assembly comprises a memory for storing at least one of the estimated neurological disease state and parameters of the therapy.

15. A method of modulating a patient'"'"'s neurological disease state, the method comprising:

sensing at least one neurological signal from the patient;

processing the at least one neurological signal to estimate the neurological disease state;

generating a therapy output, wherein the generated therapy output is function of the estimated neurological disease state; and

delivering the therapy output to the patient.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein delivering the therapy output is carried out with an electrode array.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising coupling the electrode array to a peripheral nerve.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the peripheral nerve comprises a vagus nerve electrode array.

19. The method of claim 16 comprising positioning the electrode array intracranially.

20. The method of claim 15 comprising communicating the estimated neurological disease state to the patient.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein communicating the estimated neurological disease state to the patient comprises displaying of a time history of the estimated neurological disease state.

22. The method of claim 20 wherein communicating the estimated neurological disease state comprises estimating a future neurological disease state.

23. The method of claim 15 wherein sensing is carried out with one or more sensors and processing is carried out with a signal processing assembly, the method comprising implanting the signal processing assembly within a patient'"'"'s body and positioning the patient interface module external to the patient'"'"'s body.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein sensing is carried out with one or more sensors and processing is carried out with a signal processing assembly, the method comprising implanting the signal processing assembly and patient interface module within the patient'"'"'s body.

25. The method of claim 15 wherein generating the therapy output is carried out with a control law.

26. A method of modulating a patient'"'"'s epilepsy disease state, the method comprising:

sensing at least one neurological signal from a nervous system component of the patient;

processing the at least one neurological signal to estimate the patient'"'"'s epilepsy disease state;

generating an electrostimulation therapy output that is based at least in part on the estimated epilepsy disease state; and

delivering the electrostimulation therapy output to a vagus nerve of the patient.