Activating functional electrical stimulation of abdominal muscles to assist coughing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016310068-A1
Application number	US-201415102588-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 9, 2014
Priority date	Dec 9, 2013
Publication date	Oct 27, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for assisted coughing includes a first sensor for measuring a parameter which can indicate a closed glottis and producing a first signal, a processor for receiving the first signal, determining a state indicating the closed glottis and generating an instruction for a Functional Electric Stimulation (FES) controller based, at least in part, on the determining, and a FES controller for generating an electric stimulation signal.

First claim

1 . A system for assisted coughing comprising:
a first air flow sensor configured for sensing a patient's air flow, for measuring a parameter which can indicate a closed glottis and producing a first signal; a processor and associated memory for receiving the first signal, determining a state indicating the closed glottis and generating an instruction for Functional Electric Stimulation (FES) controller based, at least in part, on the determining; and a FES controller for generating an electric stimulation signal; wherein the processor determines a specific point in time associated with the indication of the closed glottis based, at least in part, on detecting a start of a plateau in the first signal.

2 . The system of claim 1 in which the processor is further configured for detecting a command input, and to attempt to determine a state indicating closed glottis following the command input.

3 . The system of claim 1 in which the first sensor comprises a nasal air sensor configured for sensing the patient's nasal air flow.

4 . The system of claim 1 and further comprising a second sensor configured to accept the command input.

5 - 7 . (canceled)

8 . The system of claim 4 in which the second sensor comprises at least one patient command sensor selected from a group comprising:
the same nasal air sensor configured for sensing the patient's nasal air flow:
an eye blink sensor;
a microphone;
an electromyography (EMG) electrode configured for sensing the patient's EMG activity of the neck muscles;
a chest belt for monitoring respiration; and
an electrophysiological sensor for sensing abdominal muscles.

9 - 16 . (canceled)

17 . A method of assisted coughing comprising:
determining when a patient's glottis is closed based, at least in part, on analyzing a signal from an air flow sensor configured to sense a patient's air flow; and producing Functional Electric Stimulation (FES) based, at least in part, on the determining; wherein the determining that the patient's glottis is closed is based, at least in part, on determining a specific point in time associated with a start of a plateau in the signal from the air flow sensor.

18 . (canceled)

19 . The method of claim 17 in which the determining when the patient's glottis is closed based, at least in part, on analyzing a nasal air signal from the patient's nasal air flow sensor.

20 . (canceled)

21 . The method of claim 17 wherein the determining when the patient's glottis is closed is based, at least in part, on determining a slope in the nasal air signal followed by determining a start of a plateau in the nasal air signal, the plateau lasting at least 50 milliseconds.

22 . The method of claim 21 and wherein:
a negative slope is fitted to a straight line having a slope α;
and the plateau is fitted to a straight line having a slope β;
a value of α is below a threshold Tα; and
a value of β is below a threshold Tβ.

23 . The method of claim 22 wherein α and β are calculated as follows:

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Assignees

• Yeda Res & Dev
• Mor Research Applic Ltd

Inventors

• Haviv Lior
• Sobel Noam
• Catz Amiram
• Glass Itzhak
• Plotkin Anton
• Weissbrod Aharon
• Shushan Sagit

Classifications

• A61B5/4836 Primary

  Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods (A61B5/0036 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61N1/36034

  specified by the stimulation parameters · CPC title

• A61N1/36031

  using physiological parameters for adjustment · CPC title

• A61B5/7475

  User input or interface means, e.g. keyboard, pointing device, joystick · CPC title

• A61N1/3601

  of respiratory organs · CPC title