THERAPY SYSTEM

• US 20080300657A1
• Filed: 11/20/2007
• Published: 12/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: ReShape LifeSciences, Inc.
• Original Assignee: ReShape LifeSciences, Inc.
• Inventors: STULTZ, MARK RAYMOND
• Application Number:
  US11/943,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20080300657A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0556 Cuff electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0558 Anchoring or fixation means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

A therapy system for applying an electrical signal to an internal anatomical feature of a patient includes an implantable component and an external component. Initial values for the parameters of a therapy program can be incremented after a predetermined period of time by a predetermined amount to obtain a subsequent value of the parameter and therapy can be applied using the subsequent value. A sensor may be implanted within the patient to determine an activity level of the patient. Weight loss of the patient can be analyzed to determine whether the weight loss corresponds to the activity level of the patient.

Claims

1. A method for providing therapy to a patient, comprising:

selecting initial values for the parameters of a therapy program;

programming an internal component implanted within a body of the patient to apply therapy to the patient according to the therapy program;

programming the internal component to increment the initial value of at least one of the parameters after a predetermined period of time by a predetermined amount to obtain a subsequent value of the parameter; and

programming the internal component to apply therapy to the patient using the subsequent value of the parameter after the initial value has been incremented.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is a parameter selected from the group consisting of:

voltage, current, pulse width, duty cycle, frequency, and rate of change.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting initial values comprises:

programming the initial values for the parameters of the therapy program into an external component; and

transmitting the therapy program including the initial values for the parameters to the internal component.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving instructions to override automatic incrementation of the parameter at an external component; and

transmitting the instructions to override from the external component to the internal component, wherein the internal component does not increment the initial value of the parameter if instructions to override are received.

5. A method comprising:

implanting at least one electrode within a body of a patient including implanting the electrode adjacent an anatomical feature of the patient to enable the electrode to provide therapy to the anatomical feature;

implanting an internal component within the patient including communicatively coupling the internal component to the electrode, the internal component being programmed to generate treatment signals according to a treatment program and to transmit the treatment signals to the electrode according to a treatment schedule;

implanting an internal antenna within the patient including communicatively coupling the internal antenna to the internal component, the internal antenna being configured to send and receive RF transmissions;

implanting a sensor within the patient including communicatively coupling the sensor to the internal component, the sensor being configured to determine an activity level of the patient and to forward an indication of the activity level to the internal component;

aligning an external antenna with the internal antenna sufficient to enable RF transmission between the external antenna and the internal antenna;

receiving RF transmissions at the external antenna from the internal antenna, the RF transmissions including the indication of the activity level of the patient, the RF transmissions also including an indication of whether therapy was provided to the patient in accordance with the therapy program and the therapy schedule; and

analyzing whether weight loss of the patient corresponds to the activity level of the patient.

6. The method of claim 6, further comprising analyzing whether the weight loss of the patient corresponds to the therapy provided to the patient.