Activity sensing for stimulator control
AssigneeMedtronic, Inc.
InventorWilbert A. Wesselink
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The disclosure describes a system that measures the distance between one or more electrodes and tissue of a patient, and controls one or more parameters of the stimulation delivered to the tissue by the electrodes based on the measured distance. The system controls the measurement of the distance between the electrodes and the tissue as a function of activity of the patient. The system uses, for example, a piezoelectric transducer to sense activity of the patient, and may determine whether or how frequently to measure the distance between electrodes and tissue based on the sensed physical activity. A piezoelectric transducer may be used both to sense activity and to measure the distance between the electrodes and the tissue.
Claims25
A method comprising:
- sensing activity of a patient;
- determining a measurement frequency that is based on the sensed activity;
- measuring, at the measurement frequency, a distance between an electrode and a tissue to which the electrode delivers stimulation;
- and
- adjusting a parameter of the stimulation based on the measured distance.
A method comprising:
- sensing activity of a patient;
- measuring a distance between an electrode and tissue to which the electrode delivers stimulation based on the sensed activity;
- and
- adjusting a parameter of the stimulation based on a change in the measured distance between the electrode and the tissue.
A system comprising:
- means for sensing physical activity of a patient;
- means for determining a measurement frequency that is based on the sensed physical activity;
- means for measuring, at the measurement frequency, the distance between an electrode and a tissue to which the electrode delivers stimulation based on the sensed physical activity;
- and
- means for adjusting a parameter of the stimulation based on the measured distance.
A system comprising:
- means for sensing activity of a patient;
- means for measuring a distance between an electrode and tissue to which the electrode delivers stimulation based on the sensed activity;
- and
- means for adjusting a parameter of the stimulation based on a change in the measured distance between the electrode and the tissue.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.