Heart failure patient treatment and management device

Abstract

A device and method to detect and manage heart failure patient symptoms is provided. Respiration and/or cardiac parameters may be sensed or observed to determine the status of a patient's condition. These symptoms may be classified for appropriate patient disease management. A patient's activity level may be monitored in conjunction with respiration and/or cardiac parameters to provide additional patient status information. These symptoms may be classified for appropriate patient disease management. Pulmonary edema is one condition that may be determined to exist when a respiration parameter is out of range for a given sensed activity level. If edema is determined to be present, the device may be configured to respond to treat the edema.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION DATA [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 686,891, entitled: “BREATHING DISORDER DETECTION AND THERAPY DELIVERY DEVICE AND METHOD”, by Tehrani filed Oct. 15, 2003, and incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention relates to devices and methods for managing heart failure patients by monitoring cardiac and / or respiration parameters and identifying the severity of heart failure / cardiac and / or pulmonary disorders. Another aspect includes monitoring pulmonary edema. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] A number of cardiac parameters are believed to be predictors of adverse outcomes in heart failure patients. Such parameters may relate, for example, to aspects of the ECG waveform and to heart rate. [0004] Patients with heart failure are prone to a variety of cardiac arrhythmias that may have an important role in cardiac function, symptoms and prognosis. [0005] General cardiac arrhythmias,...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0015] One aspect of the invention provides for decompensation monitoring. As decompensation is developing, the ECG QRS and QT periods increase. The respiratory parameters also change as breathing becomes more rapid and shallow as compared to a baseline. Also, in some situations, pulmonary edema severity may increase.

[0016] One aspect of the invention provides for pulmonary edema monitoring, an indicator of heart failure status. According to this aspect of the invention, a pulmonary monitoring device senses a patient activity level and at least one respiration parameter. For example, a low or at rest activity level with a high or out of range respiration rate may indicate existence or a worsening of pulmonary edema. Other respiration parameters relative to a patient's activity level may indicate a worsening pulmonary edema condition. If a patient's respiratory rate increases with an increase in activity and decreases with a decrease in activity, within a normal range, the patient's system will be considered functioning normally. This information may be used in a patient management scheme that also monitors drug titrations, diuretic use, ACE Inhibitors, Beta Blockers and patient compliance.

Problems solved by technology

Decompensation typically occurs when cardiac filling pressure increases, lungs fill with fluids, and cardiac output cannot meet the body's needs at rest.

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