Patient Event Indication for Therapy Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices lack the ability to effectively adjust and evaluate therapy programs in response to patient-specific events, such as seizures or migraines, leading to suboptimal treatment outcomes.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allow for the reception of patient event indications, generation of event markers, and association with therapy programs, enabling adjustments to therapy delivery based on these events, including restarting therapy cycles or modifying duration, using a medical device configured to deliver therapy according to specific programs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If therapy programs are delivered according to fixed schedules without patient event input, then device complexity is reduced and ease of operation is improved, but treatment efficacy deteriorates because therapy cannot be adjusted to patient-specific events
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates patient feedback through event indication buttons that allow patients to signal when symptoms occur. This feedback mechanism enables the therapy delivery system to adjust its operation based on actual patient needs, improving treatment efficacy while maintaining relatively simple device architecture through straightforward user interaction interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables patients to self-manage their therapy by directly indicating symptom events through user interface buttons. This self-service approach allows patients to actively participate in therapy adjustment without requiring complex automated sensing systems or frequent clinical interventions, thereby improving treatment relevance while keeping device complexity manageable.
2Ease of operation
If automated sensing systems are implemented to detect patient events, then ease of operation is improved and loss of time is reduced, but device complexity increases and manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses simple event indication buttons as intermediary interfaces between the patient and the therapy delivery system. Rather than implementing complex automated sensing systems, the intermediary button allows patients to directly communicate symptom events to the device, achieving ease of operation without the complexity and cost of advanced sensors and automated detection algorithms.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple therapy programs with different parameter combinations are provided, then adaptability is improved and treatment efficacy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides multiple therapy programs with different parameter combinations that can be dynamically selected and adjusted based on patient feedback. The therapy delivery parameters (amplitude, pulse width, rate) can be modified in response to patient-indicated events, allowing the system to adapt to changing patient needs while maintaining a manageable device architecture through structured program organization.
Data Source
AI summary
An indication that a patient event occurred may be used to evaluate the efficacy of at least one therapy program and/or adjust therapy delivery to the patient. In some examples, the patient event indication includes patient input that may be received via an event indication button of a programming device. In addition to or instead of the patient input, the patient event indication may be generated based on a physiological parameter of the patient. In some examples, therapy delivery may be adjusted by adjusting at least one therapy parameter value, switching therapy programs or therapy program groups or restarting a therapy cycle of a medical device. The patient input via an event indication button may also help evaluate whether a therapy system is useful for the patient.