DETECTING SLEEP TO EVALUATE THERAPY

• US 20080071326A1
• Filed: 03/26/2007
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: LaPorte, Steve, Heruth, Kenneth, Graves, Nina, Miesel, Keith, Werder, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,055,348 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4815 Sleep quality
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2005/1726 the body parameters being measured at, or proximate to, the infusion site
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2210/0693 Brain, cerebrum
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/10 Electroencephalographic signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/40 Respiratory characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/62 Posture
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/63 Motion, e.g. physical activity
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/14276 specially adapted for implantation
• 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 1/36067 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3614 based on impedance measurement
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36585 controlled by two or more physical parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A system includes one or more sensors and a processor. Each of the sensors generates a signal as a function of at least one physiological parameter of a patient that may discernibly change when the patient is asleep. The processor monitors the physiological parameters, and determines whether the patient is asleep based on the parameters. In some embodiments, the processor determines plurality of sleep metric values, each of which indicates a probability of the patient being asleep, based on each of a plurality of physiological parameters. The processor may average or otherwise combine the plurality of sleep metric values to provide an overall sleep metric value that is compared to a threshold value in order to determine whether the patient is asleep. In addition, an electroencephalogram signal may be used to identify sleep states of the patient.

Claims

1. A method for evaluating the efficacy of at least one of a movement disorder therapy, psychological disorder therapy, or deep brain stimulation comprising:

monitoring at least physiological parameter of a patient via an implantable medical device that delivers the at least one of the movement disorder therapy, psychological disorder therapy, or deep brain stimulation to the patient;

monitoring sleep patterns of the patient with the implantable medical device based on the physiological parameter; and

presenting sleep quality information to a user based on the sleep patterns for evaluation of the efficacy of the at least one of the movement disorder therapy, psychological disorder therapy, or deep brain stimulation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein monitoring sleep patterns comprises:

determining the value of a sleep probability metric based on the physiological parameter; and

determining whether the patient is asleep based on the sleep probability metric.

3. The method of claim 2,

wherein monitoring at least physiological parameter comprises monitoring a plurality of physiological parameters,

wherein determining a value of a sleep probability metric comprises determining a value for each of a plurality of sleep probability metrics, each of the values determined based on a respective one of the physiological parameters, and

wherein determining whether the patient is asleep comprises determining whether the patient is asleep based on the plurality of sleep probability metrics.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining whether the patient is asleep based on the plurality of sleep probability metrics comprises:

applying a weighting value to at least one of the sleep probability metrics; and

determining a value of an overall sleep probability metric based on the plurality of sleep probability metric values.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising comparing the value of the sleep probability metric to a plurality of thresholds, wherein monitoring sleep patterns of the patient comprises determining a sleep state of the patient based on the comparison.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein determining a sleep state of the patient comprises determining whether the patient is in one of an S3 or and S4 sleep state.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein monitoring at least physiological parameter of a patient comprising monitoring an electroencephalogram (EEG) of the patient, and

wherein monitoring sleep patterns of the patient comprises determining a sleep state of the patient based on a frequency of the EEG.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining a sleep state of the patient comprises determining whether the patient is in one of an S3 or and S4 sleep state.

9. A medical system comprising:

a sensor that generates a signal as a function of at least one physiological parameter of a patient;

an implantable medical device that delivers at least one of a movement disorder therapy, psychological disorder therapy, or deep brain stimulation, monitors the at least one physiological parameter of the patient based on the signal output by the sensor, and monitors sleep patterns of the patient based on the physiological parameter; and

a computing device that provides sleep quality information based on the sleep patterns for evaluation of the efficacy of the at least one of the movement disorder therapy, psychological disorder therapy, or deep brain stimulation.

10. The medical system of claim 9, wherein the implantable medical device determines the value of a sleep probability metric based on the physiological parameter, and determines whether the patient is asleep based on the sleep probability metric.

11. The medical system of claim 10,

further comprising a plurality of sensors, each of the sensors generating a respective signal as a function of at least one of a plurality of physiological parameters,

wherein the implantable medical device monitors the plurality of physiological parameters, determines a value for each of a plurality of sleep probability metrics, each of the values determined based on a respective one of the physiological parameters, and determines whether the patient is asleep based on the plurality of sleep probability metrics.

12. The medical system of claim 11, wherein the implantable medical device applies a weighting value to at least one of the sleep probability metrics, and determines a value of an overall sleep probability metric based on the plurality of sleep probability metric values.

13. The medical system of claim 10, wherein the implantable medical device compares the probability metric to a plurality of thresholds, and monitors sleep patterns by determining a sleep state of the patient based on the comparison.

14. The medical system of claim 13, wherein the implantable medical device determines whether the patient is in one of an S3 or and S4 sleep state.

15. The medical system of claim 9,

wherein the sensor comprises an electrode coupled to the implantable medical device, and

wherein the implantable medical device monitors an electroencephalogram (EEG) of the patient via the electrode, and monitors sleep patterns of the patient by determining a sleep state of the patient based on a frequency of the EEG.

16. The medical system of claim 15, wherein the implantable medical device determines whether the patient is in one of an S3 or and S4 sleep state.

17. The medical system of claim 9, wherein the implantable medical device comprises at least one of an implantable neurostimulator or an implantable pump.

18. A medical system comprising:

means for monitoring at least physiological parameter of a patient via an implantable medical device that delivers the at least one of the movement disorder therapy, psychological disorder therapy, or deep brain stimulation to the patient;

means for monitoring sleep patterns of the patient with the implantable medical device based on the physiological parameter; and

means for presenting sleep quality information to a user based on the sleep patterns for evaluation of the efficacy of the at least one of the movement disorder therapy, psychological disorder therapy, or deep brain stimulation.

19. The medical system of claim 18, wherein the means for monitoring sleep patterns comprises:

means for determining the value of a sleep probability metric based on the physiological parameter; and

means for determining whether the patient is asleep based on the sleep probability metric.

20. The medical system of claim 18, wherein the means for monitoring sleep patterns comprises means for identifying whether that patient is in at least one of a S1, S2, S3, S4 or rapid eye movement (REM) sleep state.