Medical device apparatus, system, and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019175902-A1
Application number	US-201816189177-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 13, 2018
Priority date	Dec 12, 2017
Publication date	Jun 13, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

Disclosed are a medical device apparatus, system, and method. A method includes receiving biometric information, by an external device external to a body of a user, of the user from an internal device within the body of the user, and wirelessly transmitting stimulus information configured to specify a stimulus based on the biometric information, and power to the internal device configured to drive the internal device and to apply the stimulus in response to the transmitted stimulus information. A method also includes wirelessly transmitting, from an internal device in a body of a user, biometric information of the user to an external device located outside the body of the user, and wirelessly receiving from the external device stimulus information configured to specify a stimulus, and power configured to drive the internal device and to apply the stimulus to the user in response to the received stimulus information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A medical device method, the method comprising:
receiving biometric information, by an external device external to a body of a user, of the user from an internal device within the body of the user; and wirelessly transmitting:
stimulus information configured to specify a stimulus based on the biometric information; and
power to the internal device configured to drive the internal device and to apply the stimulus in response to the transmitted stimulus information.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining whether to apply the stimulus to the user based on the biometric information, wherein the wirelessly transmitting of the stimulus information and the wirelessly transmitting of the power are respectively performed dependent on a result of the determining.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining of whether to apply the stimulus to the user comprises determining to apply the stimulus in response to detection of an abnormal symptom in the user based on the biometric information.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining of whether to apply the stimulus to the user comprises determining not to apply the stimulus to the user in response to a determination that the body of the user is damaged or that the internal device is malfunctioning based on the biometric information.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving control information from a user terminal controlled by the user; and determining the stimulus information based on the control information.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the control information includes at least one of:
first control information determined by a first feedback loop including the internal device, the external device, and the user terminal; and second control information determined by a second feedback loop including the internal device, the external device, the user terminal, and an electronic device controlled by a medical specialist.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the first control information includes information indicating a stimulus pattern selected from at least one first stimulus pattern determined in association with the first feedback loop.

8 . The method of claim 6 , wherein the second control information includes at least one of:
information indicating a stimulus pattern selected from at least one second stimulus pattern determined in association with the second feedback loop; and information indicating a stimulus pattern generated in real time based on the biometric information.

9 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the control information is set by the user or a medical specialist diagnosing the user.

10 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining of the stimulus information based on the control information comprises resetting the stimulus information based on control information determined by a medical specialist diagnosing the user.

11 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the determining of the stimulus information based on the control information comprises resetting the stimulus information based on the control information determined by a medical specialist diagnosing the user in response to a current state of the user based on the biometric information.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wirelessly transmitting of the stimulus information and the wirelessly transmitting of the power are respectively performed dependent on the external device being within at least a proximity to the internal device enabling power and stimulus information transfer from the external device to the internal device.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wirelessly transmitting of the stimulus information and the wirelessly transmitting of the power are respectively performed using a coil of the external device, the coil corresponding to a coil of the internal device.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving of the biometric information of the user comprises receiving the biometric information of the user from the internal device while the power for driving the internal device is transmitted to the internal device from the external device.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the stimulus information includes information on any one or any combination of an intensity, a duration, an interval, and a repetition count of a pulse applied to the user.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the biometric information includes information on any one or any combination of a contact impedance, a humidity, a temperature, and an electroencephalogram (EEG) signal of the user.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the received biometric information to a user terminal controlled by the user while the external device is connected to the user terminal.

18 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the method is an operating method of a medical device system that includes the internal device and the external device, and the method further comprises controlling the internal device to collect the biometric information, and controlling the internal device to apply the stimulus.

19 . The method of claim 18 , wherein the medical device system further includes a user terminal, and the method further comprises determining control information set by a technician provided communication with the user terminal, and respectively controlling the wirelessly transmitting of the stimulus and the wirelessly transmitting of the power to the internal device by the external device based on the determining and/or the control information as provided by the user terminal.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the medical device system further includes an electronic device that includes a user interface to set the control information based on input by the technician to the user interface.

21 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 1 .

22 . A medical device method, the method comprising:
wirelessly transmitting, from an internal device in a body of a user, biometric information of the user to an external device located outside the body of the user; and wirelessly receiving from the external device:
stimulus information configured to specify a stimulus; and
power configured to drive the internal device and to apply the stimulus to the user in response to the received stimulus information.

23 . The method of claim 22 , further comprising:
generating the stimulus using the received power based on the stimulus information; and applying the generated stimulus to the body of the user through a plurality of electrodes arranged at different positions in the body of the user.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the applying of the generated stimulus to the user through the plurality of electrodes arranged at the different positions in the body of the user comprises applying the stimulus through a number of electrode pairs including an anode electrode and a cathode electrode, wherein the number of electrode pairs is equal to or greater than a number of channels of the stimulus.

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the applying of the stimulus through the number of electrode pairs includes variably changing the anode electrode and the cathode electrode included in each of the electrode pairs based on the stimulus information.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd
• Samsung Life Public Welfare Foundation

Inventors

• Lee Hyungwoo
• Na Duk Lyul
• Seo Dae Won
• Shon Young Min
• Lee Jin San
• Jung Woo Ram
• Kim Sang Joon
• Kang Joonseong
• Lee Wonseok

Classifications

• A61B5/05

  Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves (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 title

• A61N1/36

  for stimulation · CPC title

• A61B5/40

  Detecting, measuring or recording for evaluating the nervous system (for sleep A61B5/4806; for anaesthesia A61B5/4821; for pain A61B5/4824) · CPC title

• A61N1/05

  for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode (A61N1/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61B5/0002

  Remote monitoring of patients using telemetry, e.g. transmission of vital signals via a communication network (endoradiosondes A61B5/07) · CPC title