IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,194,301
Granted Patent B2
US 12,194,301 · App. 17/552,813 · Granted Jan 14, 2025

Managing therapy delivery based on physiological markers

Inventors: Thaddeus S. Brink (St. Paul, MN); Dwight E. Nelson (Shoreview, MN); Xin Su (Plymouth, MN); Lance Zirpel (Lino Lakes, MN)
Assignee: Medtronic, Inc.
A61N1/36139A61B5/204A61B5/4836A61N1/36007A61B5/0538A61B5/1113A61B5/1116A61B5/207A61B5/391
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,194,301
App. No.
17/552,813
Granted
Jan 14, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods may manage therapy delivery to a patient based on one or more physiological markers. In some examples, a method includes detecting a physiological marker that occurs prior in time to a dysfunctional phase of a physiological cycle, wherein a dysfunctional state of the physiological cycle occurs during the dysfunctional phase without treatment, responsive to detecting the physiological marker, initiating a first phase of the physiological cycle having a duration of time. The method may also include, responsive to the first phase elapsing, controlling a therapy delivery module to deliver neurostimulation therapy during a second phase that begins prior to the dysfunctional phase, wherein the neurostimulation therapy is configured to treat the dysfunctional state.

Claims (54)

1. A method comprising:

monitoring, by processing circuitry, one or more physiological markers associated with fill cycles of a bladder of a patient;

withholding, by the processing circuitry and based on the monitoring of the one or more physiological markers, neurostimulation therapy delivery to the patient during a first fill cycle;

controlling, by the processing circuitry, a medical device to deliver the neurostimulation therapy to the patient during the first fill cycle and subsequent to withholding the neurostimulation therapy delivery during the first fill cycle, the neurostimulation therapy configured to inhibit contraction of the bladder of the patient.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein withholding the neurostimulation therapy delivery comprises:

determining, based on monitoring the one or more physiological markers, an end of an initial fill cycle; and

responsive to determining the end of the initial fill cycle, withholding the neurostimulation therapy delivery during the first fill cycle that immediately follows the initial fill cycle.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the end of the initial fill cycle comprises detecting a voiding event of the patient.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, based on monitoring the one or more physiological markers, an end of the first fill cycle;

responsive to determining the end of the first fill cycle, withholding the neurostimulation therapy delivery during a second fill cycle that immediately follows the first fill cycle; and

controlling the medical device to deliver the neurostimulation therapy to the patient during the second fill cycle and subsequent to withholding the neurostimulation therapy delivery during the second fill cycle.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein withholding the neurostimulation therapy delivery comprises withholding delivery of all neurostimulation therapy to the patient.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the medical device to deliver the neurostimulation therapy comprises determining to deliver the neurostimulation therapy after withholding the neurostimulation therapy by at least:

tracking a time period from a voiding event associated with an initial fill cycle prior to the first fill cycle;

comparing the time period to a fill time threshold; and

responsive to the time period exceeding the fill time threshold, controlling the medical device to deliver the neurostimulation therapy during the first fill cycle and subsequent to withholding the neurostimulation therapy during the first fill cycle.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising predicting the fill time threshold based on respective durations of a plurality of previous fill cycles of the patient.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein controlling the medical device to deliver the neurostimulation therapy comprises controlling the medical device to deliver the neurostimulation therapy during a third quartile of the first fill cycle.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physiological markers comprise at least one of a pressure of the bladder, a flow of urine from the bladder, a wetness of an article external of the patient, an electromyogram (EMG) signal, a nerve recording, a posture change, a physical location of the patient within a structure, or a toilet use event.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sensing the one or more physiological markers via one or more sensors carried on one or more leads implanted in the patient, wherein the medical device is configured to deliver the neurostimulation therapy via an electrode combination carried on the one or more leads.

11. A system comprising:

processing circuitry configured to:

monitor one or more physiological markers associated with fill cycles of a bladder of a patient;

withhold, based on the monitoring of the one or more physiological markers, neurostimulation therapy delivery to the patient during a first fill cycle;

control a medical device to deliver the neurostimulation therapy to the patient during the first fill cycle and subsequent to withholding the neurostimulation therapy delivery during the first fill cycle, the neurostimulation therapy configured to inhibit contraction of the bladder of the patient.

12. The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to withhold the neurostimulation therapy delivery by at least:

determining, based on monitoring the one or more physiological markers, an end of an initial fill cycle; and

responsive to determining the end of the initial fill cycle, withholding the neurostimulation therapy delivery during the first fill cycle that immediately follows the initial fill cycle.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to determine the end of the initial fill cycle by at least detecting a voiding event of the patient.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

determine, based on monitoring the one or more physiological markers, an end of the first fill cycle;

responsive to determining the end of the first fill cycle, withhold the neurostimulation therapy delivery during a second fill cycle that immediately follows the first fill cycle; and

control the medical device to deliver the neurostimulation therapy to the patient during the second fill cycle and subsequent to withholding the neurostimulation therapy delivery during the second fill cycle.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to withhold the neurostimulation therapy delivery by at least withholding delivery of all neurostimulation therapy to the patient.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the medical device to deliver the neurostimulation therapy by at least determining to deliver the neurostimulation therapy after withholding the neurostimulation therapy by at least:

tracking a time period from a voiding event associated with an initial fill cycle prior to the first fill cycle;

comparing the time period to a fill time threshold; and

responsive to the time period exceeding the fill time threshold, controlling the medical device to deliver the neurostimulation therapy during the first fill cycle and subsequent to withholding the neurostimulation therapy during the first fill cycle.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to predict the fill time threshold based on respective durations of a plurality of previous fill cycles of the patient.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the medical device to deliver the neurostimulation therapy by at least controlling the medical device to deliver the neurostimulation therapy during a third quartile of the first fill cycle.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the one or more physiological markers comprise at least one of a pressure of the bladder, a flow of urine from the bladder, a wetness of an article external of the patient, an electromyogram (EMG) signal, a nerve recording, a posture change, a physical location of the patient within a structure, or a toilet use event.

20. The system of claim 11 , further comprising sensing circuitry configured to sense the one or more physiological markers via one or more sensors carried on one or more leads implanted in the patient, wherein the medical device is configured to deliver the neurostimulation therapy via an electrode combination carried on the one or more leads.

21. The system of claim 11 , further comprising the medical device, wherein the medical device comprises a therapy delivery module configured to deliver the neurostimulation therapy to the patient.

22. A computer-readable medium comprising instruction that, when executed, cause processing circuitry to:

monitor one or more physiological markers associated with fill cycles of a bladder of a patient;

withhold, based on the monitoring of the one or more physiological markers, neurostimulation therapy delivery to the patient during a first fill cycle;

control a medical device to deliver the neurostimulation therapy to the patient during the first fill cycle and subsequent to withholding the neurostimulation therapy delivery during the first fill cycle, the neurostimulation therapy configured to inhibit contraction of the bladder of the patient.

23. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, from a sensor associated with the patient, a signal; and

determining, based on the signal, the one or more physiological markers indicative of one or more respective phases of a fill cycle of the bladder of the patient.

24. The method of claim 11 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to:

receive, from a sensor associated with the patient, a signal; and

determine, based on the signal, the one or more physiological markers indicative of one or more respective phases of a fill cycle of the bladder of the patient.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2021
From: BRINK, THADDEUS S.; NELSON, DWIGHT E.; SU, XIN; ZIRPEL, LANCE
To: MEDTRONIC, INC.
Reel/Frame 058407/0442 →
Continuity (4)
Continuation 16663023 · Oct 24, 2019
Continuation 15256242 · Sep 2, 2016
Provisional Application 62214750 · Sep 4, 2015
Related Publication 20220105348A1 · Apr 7, 2022
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