Implantable Device Using Heart Rate Variability for Chronic Condition Therapy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current implantable medical devices for treating chronic medical conditions lack efficient feedback-based treatment options, as they often rely on unreliable body parameters or are difficult to implement due to complex disease states, leading to inadequate analysis and treatment of chronic conditions.
Innovation Solution
An implantable medical device system that determines heart rate variability (HRV) and regulatory system parameters, such as the index of activity of regulatory systems (IARS), to assess stress levels and apply electrical signals to neural structures for treatment when these parameters exceed threshold values, providing feedback-based therapy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional non-feedback stimulation is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the treatment efficacy for chronic conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback-based stimulation by continuously monitoring heart rate variability (HRV) parameters and regulatory system indices, then adjusting vagus nerve stimulation delivery based on these physiological feedback signals. This closed-loop system improves treatment efficacy for chronic conditions by adapting stimulation parameters to real-time physiological state, resolving the contradiction between treatment efficacy and device complexity through intelligent feedback control.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes stimulation parameters (amplitude, pulse width, frequency, duty cycle) based on monitored physiological parameters such as HRV and regulatory system indices. This parameter adaptation allows the device to optimize treatment efficacy for chronic conditions by adjusting stimulation intensity and pattern according to real-time physiological feedback, thereby improving outcomes without requiring overly complex hardware architecture.
2Reliability
If feedback-based treatment is implemented, then the treatment efficacy improves, but the measurement precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses heart rate variability (HRV) parameters and regulatory system indices as intermediary measurements that reflect overall physiological state without requiring direct measurement of complex disease markers. These intermediary parameters serve as reliable proxies for assessing chronic condition status and guiding stimulation delivery, reducing the precision requirements while maintaining treatment efficacy through indirect but meaningful physiological monitoring.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple physiological parameters are monitored, then the treatment adaptability improves, but the loss of information increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and monitors specific key physiological parameters (heart rate variability metrics, regulatory system indices) that are most relevant for guiding vagus nerve stimulation therapy. By selectively extracting only the most informative parameters rather than processing all available physiological data, the system maintains high treatment adaptability while minimizing data processing load and information loss, efficiently identifying the critical signals needed for chronic condition management.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and apparatus for treating a chronic medical condition in a patient. A time of beat sequence of the patient's heart is determined. A regulatory system parameter is determined based on the time of beat sequence. The parameter is indicative of a stress level of the patient's regulatory adaptation systems. The determined regulatory system parameter is compared with a threshold regulatory system parameter value. An electrical signal is applied to a neural structure of the patient to treat the chronic medical condition if the determined regulatory system parameter exceeds the threshold regulatory system parameter value.