Pelvic floor muscle training

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10201702-B2
Application number	US-201113305405-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2011
Priority date	Nov 30, 2010
Publication date	Feb 12, 2019
Grant date	Feb 12, 2019

Abstract

Electrical stimulation is delivered to a patient based on input from a patient indicative of an intent of the patient to contract a pelvic floor muscle or an attempt by the patient to contract the pelvic floor muscle. The electrical stimulation is configured to induce a contraction of the pelvic floor muscle of the patient to strengthen the pelvic floor muscle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for training a pelvic floor muscle of a patient with aid of electrical stimulation, the method comprising:
receiving input, from the patient via an external programmer, indicative of an intent of the patient to contract the pelvic floor muscle of the patient or an attempt by the patient to contract the pelvic floor muscle; and
controlling an electrical stimulation module to deliver the electrical stimulation to a nerve of the patient according to a predetermined training schedule in response to receiving the input, wherein the electrical stimulation is configured to induce a contraction of the pelvic floor muscle of the patient, and wherein the delivery of the electrical stimulation according to the predetermined training schedule is configured to strengthen the pelvic floor muscle over time such that the patient at least partially regains control over one or more functions controlled by the pelvic floor muscle.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation comprises a frequency of 20 Hertz to 50 Hertz.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving input comprises receiving input from the patient via a user interface of the external programmer.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving input indicative of tapping of an implantable medical device, wherein the receipt of the signal indicative of the tapping comprises another input indicative of the intent of the patient to contract the pelvic floor muscle of the patient or the attempt by the patient to contract the pelvic floor muscle; and
controlling the electrical stimulation module to deliver the electrical stimulation to the nerve of the patient according to the predetermined training schedule in response to receiving the another input.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the electrical stimulation module to deliver electrical stimulation according to the predetermined training schedule comprises controlling the electrical stimulation module to deliver electrical stimulation to the patient during at least one stimulation session, wherein the at least one stimulation session comprises a plurality of cycles of electrical stimulation.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of cycles of electrical stimulation comprises ten cycles of electrical stimulation and wherein controlling the electrical stimulation module to deliver electrical stimulation during the at least one stimulation session comprises controlling the electrical stimulation module to deliver the electrical stimulation during three separate stimulation sessions within a twenty four hour period.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein a time duration of the at least one stimulation session is twenty minutes and wherein controlling the electrical stimulation module to deliver electrical stimulation during the at least one stimulation session comprises controlling the electrical stimulation module to deliver the electrical stimulation during two separate stimulation sessions within a twenty four hour period.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein each cycle of the plurality of cycles comprises an on period in which electrical stimulation is delivered to the patient and an off period in which electrical stimulation is not delivered to the patient, wherein a time duration of the on period is ten seconds and a time duration of the off period is 20 seconds, and wherein the electrical stimulation is characterized by a frequency of 20 Hertz to 50 Hertz.

9. The method of claim 5 , wherein each cycle of the plurality of cycles comprises an on period in which electrical stimulation is delivered to the patient and an off period in which electrical stimulation is not delivered to the patient, wherein a time duration of the on period is 3 seconds and a time duration of the off period is 40 seconds, and wherein the electrical stimulation is characterized by a frequency of 50 Hertz to 70 Hertz.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein each cycle of the plurality of cycles comprises an on period in which electrical stimulation is delivered to the patient and an off period in which electrical stimulation is not delivered to the patient, wherein a time duration of the on period is 5 seconds and a time duration of the off period is 40 seconds, and wherein the electrical stimulation is characterized by a frequency of 10 Hertz to 30 Hertz.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nerve comprises at least one of a sacral nerve, at least one branch of the sacral nerve, a pudendal nerve, or at least one branch of the pudendal nerve.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation is configured to activate at least one of slow twitch muscle fibers, medium twitch muscle fibers, or fast twitch muscle fibers of the pelvic floor muscle.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the electrical stimulation module to deliver electrical stimulation to a nerve of the patient according to the predetermined training schedule in response to the input comprises controlling the electrical stimulation module to deliver electrical stimulation to the nerve of the patient within two seconds after receiving the input.

14. A system for training a pelvic floor muscle of a patient with aid of electrical stimulation, the system comprising:
at least one electrode configured for implantation proximate to a nerve of the patient;
an electrical stimulation module electrically coupled to the at least one electrode and configured to generate and deliver the electrical stimulation; and
a processor configured to receive input, from the patient via an external programmer, indicative of an intent of the patient to contract the pelvic floor muscle of the patient or an attempt by the patient to contract the pelvic floor muscle, and to control the electrical stimulation module to deliver electrical stimulation via the at least one electrode to the nerve of the patient and according to a predetermined training schedule in response to receiving the input, wherein the electrical stimulation is configured to induce a contraction in the pelvic floor muscle of the patient, and wherein the delivery of the electrical stimulation by the electrical stimulation module according to the predetermined training schedule is configured to strengthen the pelvic floor muscle of the patient over time such that the patient at least partially regains control over one or more functions controlled by the pelvic floor muscle.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to control the electrical stimulation module to deliver electrical stimulation according to the predetermined training schedule at a frequency of 20 Hertz to 50 Hertz in response to receiving the input.

16. The system of claim 14 , further comprising the external programmer comprising a user interface, wherein the processor is configured to receive the input from the patient via the user interface.

17. The system of claim 14 , further comprising:
an implantable medical device; and
a motion sensor integral with the implantable medical device, wherein the motion sensor is configured to generate a signal indicative of tapping of the implantable medical device, and wherein the processor is configured to receive the signal indicative of tapping as another input indicative of the intent of the patient to contract the pelvic floor muscle of the patient or the attempt by the patient to contract the pelvic floor muscle, and wherein the processor is configured to control the electrical stimulation module to deliver the electrical stimulation via the at least one electrode to the nerve of the pat

Assignees

• Bonde Eric H
• Wei Xuan K
• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Bonde Eric H
• Wei Xuan K

Classifications

• A61N1/36007 Primary

  of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control · CPC title

• A61N1/37247

  User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means · CPC title

• A61N1/36132

  using patient feedback · CPC title

• A61N1/36107

  Sexual dysfunction (stimulating genital organs A61N1/36007) · CPC title

• A61N1/36071

  Pain · CPC title