Obstructive Sleep Apnea Treatment Devices, Systems and Methods

• US 20120089199A1
• Filed: 12/15/2011
• Published: 04/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc
• Original Assignee: Apnex Medical, Inc.
• Inventors: Bolea, Stephen L., Hoegh, Thomas B., Persson, Bruce J., Atkinson, Robert E., Mazar, Scott T.
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0809 by impedance pneumography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7239 using differentiation including higher order derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0556 Cuff electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0558 Anchoring or fixation means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 of respiratory organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3606 adapted for a particular treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods for nerve stimulation for OSA therapy.

Claims

1-74. -74. (canceled)

75. A method of stimulating a hypoglossal nerve comprising:

chronically implanting a nerve cuff electrode on a portion of the hypoglossal nerve;

sensing a signal corresponding to respiration;

detecting expiratory onset from the sensed signal; and

delivering a stimulus to the portion of the hypoglossal nerve via the nerve cuff electrode, wherein the stimulus is delivered as a function of the detected expiratory onset.

76. A method as in claim 75, wherein the sensed signal is a bio-impedance signal.

77. A method as in claim 75, wherein a stimulus trigger time is predicted based on historical respiratory data.

78. A method as in claim 77, wherein the stimulus trigger time is predicted for a future respiratory cycle using respiratory data from a previous respiratory cycle and a current respiratory cycle.

79. A method as in claim 78, wherein the respiratory data comprises expiratory onset.

80. A method as in claim 79, wherein respiratory data from the previous and the current respiratory cycles are weighted differently.

81. A method as in claim 80, wherein respiratory data from the current respiratory cycle is weighted negatively relative to data from the previous respiratory cycle.

82. A method as in claim 75, wherein inspiratory onset is predicted based on expiratory onset.

83. A method as in claim 75, wherein the portion of the hypoglossal nerve corresponds to a portion innervating a genioglossus muscle of the patient.

84. A method as in claim 75, wherein the nerve cuff electrode includes an electrode contact arrangement configured for selectively activating only one of the superior, inferior, lateral, and medial fascicles of the hypoglossal nerve.

85. A method as in claim 82, wherein the stimulus is delivered approximately 300 ms before the predicted inspiratory onset.

86. A device for stimulating a hypoglossal nerve, comprising:

a neurostimulator for generating an electrical stimulus signal;

a lead connected to the neurostimulator, the lead having a nerve cuff electrode for delivering the electrical stimulus to a portion of the hypoglossal nerve; and

an algorithm contained in the neurostimulator that triggers stimulation delivery as a function of expiratory onset.

87. A device as in claim 86, wherein the sensed respiratory signal is bio-impedance.

88. A device as in claim 87, further comprising a sensor for sensing bio-impedance.

89. A device as in claim 86, wherein the algorithm predicts a stimulation trigger time based on historical respiratory data.

90. A device as in claim 89, wherein the algorithm predicts the stimulation trigger time for a future respiratory cycle using respiratory data from previous and current respiratory cycles.

91. A device as in claim 90, wherein the respiratory data comprises expiratory onset.

92. A device as in claim 91, wherein the algorithm applies differing weights to the data from the previous and current respiratory cycles.

93. A device as in claim 92, wherein the algorithm applies a negative weight to data from the current respiratory cycle relative to data from the previous respiratory cycle.

94. A device as in claim 86, wherein the algorithm predicts inspiratory onset based on expiratory onset.