Implantable Breathing Therapy Device for Heart Failure
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current treatments for heart failure and hypertension often require costly hospital stays and pharmacological interventions, and existing breathing modification devices may have undesirable effects on patients, such as continuous stimulation of the phrenic nerve, which can be uncomfortable and ineffective in managing elevated sympathetic tone.
Innovation Solution
An implantable medical device that monitors physiological parameters to detect elevated sympathetic tone and delivers diaphragm contraction prolongation therapy during breathing cycles, using stimulation after the inspiration phase to prolong diaphragm contraction, thereby slowing breathing rate and reducing sympathetic tone without being noticeable to the patient.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If continuous phrenic nerve stimulation is used to modify breathing, then breathing rate can be controlled, but patient comfort deteriorates and effectiveness is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The device applies phrenic nerve stimulation in periodic bursts synchronized with the patient's natural breathing cycle rather than continuous stimulation. Stimulation is delivered during specific phases (inspiration or expiration) of each breath, creating a rhythmic pattern that works with the body's natural physiology. This periodic approach maintains breathing rate control while significantly reducing patient discomfort and improving therapeutic effectiveness.
Solution Approach 2:
The device incorporates sensors that continuously monitor the patient's breathing cycle phase and provide real-time feedback to the stimulation controller. Based on this feedback, the device dynamically adjusts stimulation timing and duration to match the patient's current respiratory state. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures optimal therapeutic effect while minimizing discomfort by avoiding stimulation during inappropriate phases of the breathing cycle.
2Reliability
If pharmacological therapy and hospital stays are used to treat heart failure, then symptoms can be managed, but treatment cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The device is designed as an implantable self-contained system that autonomously monitors physiological parameters, determines when intervention is needed, and delivers appropriate stimulation without requiring external medical intervention. The device independently manages the patient's breathing therapy, reducing the need for frequent hospital visits, nursing care, and expensive pharmacological treatments while maintaining reliable symptom management.
Solution Approach 2:
The device replaces pharmacological chemical interventions with electrical stimulation of the phrenic nerve to achieve breathing rate control and sympathetic tone modulation. This substitution eliminates the need for expensive medications and hospital-based pharmacological therapy while providing equivalent or superior symptom management through a one-time implantable device.
3Adaptability or versatility
If breathing therapy is applied during awake periods, then patient awareness of therapy is maintained, but patient comfort deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The device delivers stimulation in brief periodic pulses rather than continuous activation, creating intermittent therapy sessions that are less noticeable to the patient. During awake periods, the device can be programmed to provide shorter, less frequent stimulation bursts compared to sleep periods, adapting the therapy intensity and duration to the patient's level of awareness while maintaining therapeutic benefit and comfort.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach effectively reduces the progression of heart failure, improves respiratory sinus arrhythmia, increases heart rate variability, decreases blood pressure, and decreases muscle sympathetic nerve activity, providing a more tolerable and effective treatment for heart failure and hypertension.
Implementation Method 1
delivering electrical stimulation to a patient in which the presence of an elevated sympathetic tone has been determined
Data Source
AI summary
Medical devices and methods for providing breathing therapy (e.g., for treating heart failure, hypertension, etc.) may determine at least the inspiration phase of one or more breathing cycles based on the monitored physiological parameters and control delivery of a plurality of breathing therapy sessions (e.g., each of the breathing therapy sessions may be provided during a defined time period). Further, each of the plurality of breathing therapy sessions may include delivering stimulation after the start of the inspiration phase of each of a plurality of breathing cycles to prolong diaphragm contraction during the breathing cycle.