Implantable doppler tomography system

• US 7,925,329 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 04/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Proteus Digital Health, Inc. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Proteus Biomedical, Inc. (Otsuka Holdings Company Limited)
• Inventors: Savage, George M., Zdeblick, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen; Tse
• Assistant Examiner(s): Luong; Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/249,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20060116581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,009 Days
• Field of Search: 600/374, 600/508, 600/595, 600/407, 600/430
• US Class Current: 600/430
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1107 Measuring contraction of parts of the body, e.g. organ, muscle apparatus for measuring work or force in general G01L
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36528 the parameter being measured by means of ultrasound

Abstract

The inventive implantable Doppler tomography system allows, for the first time, the use of Doppler shift for purposes of tracking cardiac wall motion. The present inventive Doppler tomography system methods and devices provide a critical new tool in the physician'"'"'s armamentarium which provides accurate, real time monitoring of the mechanical performance of the heart.

Claims

1. A method of an implantable Doppler tomography system for describing movement of tissue locations in a subject, the method comprising:

(a) transmitting electromagnetic energy from a transmitter configured on a first implantable lead of the implantable Doppler tomography system, wherein the transmitter is stably associated with a first tissue location in the subject when the first implantable lead is placed along the first tissue location;

(b) directly detecting the electromagnetic energy at a sensor configured on a second implantable lead of the implantable Doppler tomography system, wherein the sensor is stably associated with a second tissue location in the subject when the second implantable lead is placed along the second tissue location;

(c) determining a Doppler shift in the electromagnetic energy received at the sensor using a signal processing element of the implantable Doppler tomography system; and

(d) providing data associated with a movement of the second tissue location relative to the first tissue location based on the Doppler shift in the electromagnetic energy received at the sensor.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic energy is an RF field.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter and sensor are electrodes.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitter transmits the electromagnetic energy in a pulse mode.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein each of the first tissue location and the second tissue location is a cardiac location.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the cardiac location is a heart wall location.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the heart wall is a chamber wall.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the chamber wall is a ventricular wall.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the ventricular wall is a septal wall.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first tissue location is on a first cardiac wall and the second tissue location is on a second cardiac wall.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the providing the data comprises determining a motion of the first cardiac wall relative to the second cardiac wall based on the Doppler shift.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the providing the data further comprises determining timing of the motion of the first cardiac wall relative to the motion of the second cardiac wall based on the Doppler shift.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising detecting ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony based on the Doppler shift.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony is interventricular.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony is intraventricular.

16. The method according to claim 13, further comprising performing cardiac resynchronization therapy based on an outcome of the ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony.

17. A system for describing movement of tissue locations in a subject, the system comprising:

(a) a first implantable lead and a second implantable lead;

(b) an electromagnetic energy transmitter configured on the first implantable lead and to transmit electromagnetic energy, wherein the electromagnetic energy transmitter is adapted to be stably associated with a first tissue location in the subject when the first implantable lead is placed along the first tissue location;

(c) an implantable sensing element configured on the second implantable lead and to detect the electromagnetic energy, wherein the implantable sensing element is adapted to be stably associated with a second tissue location in the subject when the second implantable lead is placed along the second tissue location; and

(d) a signal processing element communicatively coupled to the electromagnetic energy transmitter and the implantable sensing element and configured to determine a Doppler shift in the electromagnetic energy detected at the implantable sensing element and to provide data associated with a movement of the second tissue location relative to the first tissue location based on the Doppler shift.

18. The system according to claim 17, further comprising a cardiac electrical stimulation element.

19. The system according to claim 18, further comprising a cardiac resynchronization therapy element.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having a processing program stored thereon, wherein the processing program operates a processor to operate a system comprising:

a first implantable lead and a second implantable lead;

an electromagnetic energy transmitter configured on the first implantable lead, wherein the electromagnetic energy transmitter is adapted to be stably associated with a first tissue location in the subject when the first implantable lead is placed along the first tissue location;

an implantable sensing element configured on the second implantable lead, wherein the implantable sensing element is adapted to be stably associated with a second tissue location in the subject when the second implantable lead is placed along the second tissue location; and

a signal processing element communicatively coupled to the electromagnetic energy transmitter and the implantable sensing element, and wherein the processing program to perform a method comprising;

transmitting electromagnetic energy from the electromagnetic energy transmitter;

directly detecting the electromagnetic energy at the implantable sensing element; and

using the signal processing element, determining a Doppler shift in the electromagnetic energy received at the implantable sensing element and providing data associated with a movement of the second tissue location relative to the first tissue location based on the Doppler shift.