Posture state redefinition based on posture data

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9968784-B2
Application number	US-43385509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 30, 2009
Priority date	Jul 11, 2008
Publication date	May 15, 2018
Grant date	May 15, 2018

Abstract

The disclosure is directed towards posture-responsive therapy. To avoid interruptions in effective therapy, an implantable medical device may include a posture state module that detects the posture state of the patient and automatically adjusts therapy parameter values according to the detected posture state. A system may include a memory that stores posture state definitions, a posture state module that records a plurality of postures of a patient over a period of time, and a processor that identifies a set of the plurality of postures that fall within a posture state, and redefines a boundary of the posture state based on where the postures fall within the posture state.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a memory configured to store posture state definitions;
a posture state module configured to sense a plurality of postures of a patient over a period of time; and
a processor configured to:
identify, based on one of the posture state definitions, a set of two or more of the plurality of postures that fall within a posture state;
identify a portion of the posture state where a specified amount of the postures fall; and
automatically update the one of the posture state definitions to redefine at least one boundary of the posture state to change a size of the posture state and to correspond to the identified portion based on where the postures in the set of postures fall within the posture state and the identified portion.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the specified amount comprises at least a specified percentage of postures of the set of the plurality of postures.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to update the one of the posture state definitions to redefine the at least one boundary to change the size of the posture state by at least modifying a tolerance from a posture reference vector at a center of the posture state.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the posture state module is configured to periodically sample the posture of the patient.

5. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a medical device, wherein the medical device comprises at least one of the memory, posture state module, and processor.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the medical device comprises an implantable medical device.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising an external programmer, wherein the external programmer comprises at least one of the memory, posture state module, and processor.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the external programmer comprises at least one of a patient programmer or a clinician programmer.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to update the one of the posture state definitions to change the size of the posture state by shrinking the posture state.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to update the one of the posture state definitions to change the size of the posture state by expanding the posture state.

11. The system of claim 2 , wherein the specified percentage of postures comprises at least 80 percent of postures of the set of the plurality of postures.

12. The system of claim 3 , wherein the tolerance comprises one of an angle or a cosine value.

13. A system comprising:
means for sensing a plurality of postures of a patient over a period of time;
means for identifying, based on one of a plurality of posture state definitions, a set of two or more of the plurality of postures that fall within a posture state;
means for identifying a portion of the posture state where a specified amount of the postures fall; and
means for automatically updating the one of the posture state definitions to redefine at least one boundary of the posture state to change a size of the posture state and to correspond to the identified portion based on where the postures in the set of postures fall within the posture state and the identified portion.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the specified amount comprises at least a specified percentage of postures of the set of the plurality of postures.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the means for updating the one of the posture state definitions to redefine the at least one boundary of the posture state comprises means for modifying a tolerance from a posture reference vector at a center of the posture state.

16. The system of claim 13 , wherein the means for sensing a plurality of postures of the patient over the period of time comprises means for periodically sampling the posture of the patient.

17. The system of claim 13 , wherein the means for updating the one of the posture state definitions comprises means for shrinking the posture state.

18. The system of claim 13 , wherein the means for updating the one of the posture state definitions comprises means for expanding the posture state.

19. The system of claim 15 , wherein the tolerance comprises one of an angle or a cosine value.

20. An implantable medical device comprising:
a memory configured to store posture state definitions;
a posture state module configured to sense a plurality of postures of a patient over a period of time; and
a processor configured to:
identify, based on one of the posture state definitions, a set of two or more of the plurality of postures that fall within a posture state;
identify a portion of the posture state where a specified amount of the postures fall; and
automatically update the one of the posture state definitions to redefine at least one boundary of the posture state to change a size of the posture state and to correspond to the identified portion based on where the postures in the set of postures fall within the posture state and the identified portion.

21. An external programmer comprising:
a memory configured to store posture state definitions; and
a processor configured to:
record a plurality of postures of a patient over a period of time;
identify, based on one of the posture state definitions, a set of two or more of the plurality of postures that fall within a posture state;
identify a portion of the posture state where a specified amount of the postures fall; and
automatically update the one of the posture state definitions to redefine at least one boundary of the posture state to change a size of the posture state and to correspond to the identified portion based on where the postures in the set of postures fall within the posture state and the identified portion.

22. A system comprising:
a memory configured to store posture state definitions;
a posture state module configured to sense a plurality of postures of a patient over a period of time; and
a processor configured to:
identify, based on one of the posture state definitions, a set of two or more of the plurality of postures that fall within a posture state; and
update the one of the posture state definitions to redefine at least one boundary of the posture state to change a size of the posture state by at least modifying a posture reference vector at a center of the posture state based on where the postures in the set of postures fall within the posture state.

23. A system comprising:
means for sensing a plurality of postures of a patient over a period of time;
means for identifying, based on one of a plurality of posture state definitions, a set of two or more of the plurality of postures that fall within a posture state; and
means for updating the one of the posture state definitions to redefine at least one boundary of the posture state to change a size of the posture state by at least modifying a posture reference vector at a center of the posture state based on where the postures in the set of postures fall within the posture state.

Assignees

• Skelton Dennis M
• Davis Jon P
• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Skelton Dennis M
• Davis Jon P

Classifications

• A61B5/1116 Primary

  Determining posture transitions · CPC title

• A61N1/36542

  controlled by body motion, e.g. acceleration · CPC title

• A61B5/7435

  Displaying user selection data, e.g. icons in a graphical user interface · CPC title

• A61N1/36535

  controlled by body position or posture · CPC title

• A61B2560/0219

  of externally powered implanted units · CPC title