Systems for monitoring a patient's neurological disease state

• US 8,781,597 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc
• Original Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc
• Inventors: DiLorenzo, Daniel John
• Primary Examiner(s): GETZOW, SCOTT M
• Application Number:
  US12/774,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20100217348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,532 Days
• Field of Search: 607/45, 607 30- 32, 607/59, 607/62
• US Class Current: 607/62
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4082 Diagnosing or monitoring movement diseases, e.g. Parkinson, Huntington or Tourette
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• 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

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and systems for modulating a patient'"'"'s neurological disease state. In one embodiment, the system comprises one or more sensors that sense at least one signal that comprise a characteristic that is indicative of a neurological disease state. A signal processing assembly is in communication with the one or more sensors and processes the at least one signal to estimate the neurological disease state and to generate a therapy to the patient that is based at least in part on the estimated neurological disease state. A treatment assembly is in communication with the signal processing assembly and delivers the therapy to a nervous system component of the patient.

Claims

1. A system for modulating a patient'"'"'s neurological disease state, the system comprising:

one or more sensors that sense at least one signal that comprise a characteristic that is indicative of a neurological disease state;

a signal processing assembly in communication with the one or more sensors that processes the at least one signal using a disease state processor to estimate the neurological disease state and to adjust a parameter of a therapy to the patient as a function of the estimated neurological disease state;

a treatment assembly in communication with the signal processing assembly, wherein said treatment assembly delivers the therapy to a nervous system component of the patient; and

a patient interface module that communicates with a patient the estimated disease state, said patient interface module being in communication with the signal processing assembly and external to the patient'"'"'s body.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the treatment assembly comprises an electrode array.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the electrode array is coupled to a peripheral nerve.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the electrode array comprises a vagus nerve electrode array.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the electrode array is positionable intracranially.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the patient interface module facilitates monitoring of a time history of at least one estimated disease state.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the patient interface module facilitates monitoring of a future disease state.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal processing assembly is implanted within the patient'"'"'s body.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal processing assembly implements a control law that determines the therapy to control the neurological disease state.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said signal processing assembly calculates the output of a control law.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein said signal processing assembly calculates at least one parameter to specify the therapy to control the neurological disease state.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein the signal processing assembly comprises a memory for storing at least one of the estimated neurological disease state and parameters of the therapy.