ENERGY BALANCE THERAPY FOR OBESITY MANAGEMENT

• US 20090240194A1
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Published: 09/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Starkebaum, Warren L., Keimel, John G., Lubben, Gary L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,135,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/66
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control

Abstract

Techniques are described that allow an implantable device to sense gastric data and activity data from a patient, and estimate the patient'"'"'s amount of energy consumed and energy expended based on the sensed data. A system provides feedback to the patient, a family member, or a doctor about the patient'"'"'s energy consumed, energy expended, and net energy. The data may be provided in table or graphical format, and may show daily or weekly energy balance data or may show a trend of the daily or weekly energy data. The patient may receive feedback by an implanted alert module that provides and audio alert or a vibration alert. In addition, data acquired by the system may be used to adjust the patient'"'"'s stimulation therapy parameters.

Claims

1. An implantable device comprising:

a sensor to sense gastric data; and

a processor to estimate an amount of energy consumed by a patient based on the sensed gastric data and control therapy to the patient based on the amount of energy consumed.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein control of therapy by the processor includes directing delivery of feedback based on the amount of energy consumed.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein control of therapy by the processor includes modifying electrical stimulation parameters of an implantable stimulator implanted within the patient based on the estimated amount of energy consumed.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein control of therapy by the processor includes modifying drug therapy delivered by a drug delivery system implanted within the patient based on the estimated amount of energy consumed.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the sensor is one of a gastric electrical activity sensor, a pressure sensor, a piezoelectric sensor, a triboelectric sensor, a strain gauge sensor, a gastric impedance sensor, an acoustic sensor, and an ultrasonic sensor.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor determines a number of gastric contractions based on the sensed gastric data, and estimates an amount of energy consumed by the patient based on the number of gastric contractions.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the processor estimates the amount of energy consumed by multiplying the number of gastric contractions by an average amount of calories per contraction.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor calculates a projected physiological parameter based on the average amount of calories per contraction, compares the projected physiological parameter to an actual physiological parameter, and recalibrates the average amount of calories per contraction based the comparison, wherein the physiological parameter is one of patient weight and patient body fat.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the processor compares the estimated amount of energy consumed to a goal amount of energy consumed, and provides feedback based on the comparison.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a telemetry interface,

wherein the processor provides feedback by transmitting a wireless communication to an external module via the telemetry interface.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising an activity sensor to sense activity data, wherein the processor estimates an amount of energy expended by the patient based on the sensed activity data.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the activity sensor senses one of heart rate, heart rate variability, electrocardiogram (ECG), Q-T interval, night heart rate, cardiac variability index, minute volume, minute ventilation, blood oxygen level, activity level, blood pressure, and body temperature of the patient.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor calculates an amount of net energy based on the estimated energy consumed and the estimated energy expended, compares the calculated net energy to a goal amount of net energy, and provides feedback based on the comparison.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor controls therapy based on both the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy expended.

15. The device of claim 11, wherein control of therapy by the processor includes directing delivery of feedback based on both the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy expended.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein control of therapy by the processor includes modifying electrical stimulation parameters of an implantable stimulator implanted within the patient based on both the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy expended.

17. A system comprising:

an implantable device that senses gastric data and estimates an amount of energy consumed by a patient based on the sensed gastric data; and

an external module, wherein the implantable device transmits a wireless communication to the external module to provide feedback based on the amount of energy consumed.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a network server, wherein the external module transmits information about the amount of energy consumed to the server and the server transmits the information to one or more network clients for viewing via a web browser, and wherein the web browser displays the information on a web page.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the amount of energy consumed is displayed via one of the external module and the web page.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the external module displays trend information about the amount of energy consumed during a time period.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the external module is one of a patient monitor, a patient programmer, a physician programmer, a cellular telephone, a wristwatch, a personal digital assistant (PDA), and a pager.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the implantable device senses activity data and estimates an amount of energy expended by the patient based on the sensed activity data.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the implantable device calculates an amount of net energy based on the estimated energy consumed and the estimated energy expended, compares the calculated net energy to a goal amount of net energy, and provides feedback based on the comparison.