Obstructive sleep apnea treatment devices, systems and methods
Inventors
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-11471685-B2
Publication Date
2022-10-18
Expiration Date
Abstract
A method of treating a patient, comprising: sensing a biological parameter indicative of respiration; analyzing the biological parameter to identify a respiratory cycle; identifying an inspiratory phase of the respiratory cycle; and delivering stimulation to a hypoglossal nerve of the patient, wherein stimulation is delivered if a duration of the inspiratory phase of the respiratory cycle is greater than a predetermined portion of a duration of the entire respiratory cycle.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to treating a patient with hypoglossal nerve stimulation based on a respiration-indicative biological parameter. The circuitry senses the biological parameter, analyzes it to identify a respiratory cycle, and identifies an inspiratory phase of the respiratory cycle, then determines that a duration of the inspiratory phase is at least a predetermined percentage of a duration of the entire respiratory cycle.
In response to that determination, the circuitry delivers stimulation generated by a generator to a hypoglossal nerve of the patient via a lead coupled to the generator. The predetermined percentage is specified as at least 25% in the method claim and the first device claim, and is specified as at least 50% in another device claim.
In implantable implementations, an implantable medical device includes circuitry configured to sense the biological parameter indicative of respiration, analyze it to identify the respiratory cycle, identify the inspiratory phase, determine the inspiratory-phase duration relative to the entire respiratory-cycle duration, and deliver the hypoglossal nerve stimulation via the lead and generator. The sensing and respiratory-cycle identification can use impedance, including impedance peaks, with optional comparison of impedance-peak amplitude to a threshold.
Claims Coverage
The document includes three independent claims, all centered on delivering hypoglossal nerve stimulation based on determining that an inspiratory phase duration meets a predetermined percentage of the entire respiratory-cycle duration. Across the independent claims, the main inventive features are respiration-indicative sensing and analysis, timing the inspiratory phase relative to the full respiratory cycle, and stimulation delivery to the hypoglossal nerve via a lead and generator, with the key threshold at least 25% or at least 50%.
Inspiratory-phase duration meets a predetermined percentage of the respiratory cycle
The circuitry determines that a duration of the inspiratory phase of the respiratory cycle is at least a predetermined percentage of a duration of the entire respiratory cycle, with the predetermined percentage at least 25% in two claims and at least 50% in one claim.
Respiration-indicative sensing, respiratory-cycle identification, and inspiratory-phase identification
The circuitry senses a biological parameter indicative of respiration, analyzes the biological parameter to identify a respiratory cycle, and identifies an inspiratory phase of the respiratory cycle.
Hypoglossal nerve stimulation delivered in response to the timing determination
The circuitry delivers stimulation generated by a generator to a hypoglossal nerve of the patient via a lead coupled to the generator in response to determining the duration of the inspiratory phase is at least the predetermined percentage of the duration of the entire respiratory cycle.
Implantable device circuitry sensing, analysis, timing determination, and stimulation delivery
An implantable medical device comprises circuitry configured to sense a biological parameter indicative of respiration, analyze it to identify a respiratory cycle, identify an inspiratory phase, determine the inspiratory-phase duration relative to the entire respiratory-cycle duration, and deliver stimulation to a hypoglossal nerve via a generator and lead.
Overall claim coverage emphasizes a timing-based trigger using an inspiratory phase duration expressed as a predetermined percentage of the entire respiratory cycle, combined with sensing and analysis of a respiration-indicative biological parameter and hypoglossal nerve stimulation delivery via a generator and lead, with explicit threshold values of at least 25% or at least 50% in the independent claims.
Stated Advantages
Documented Applications
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