Patent US6093167A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US6093167A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
System for pancreatic stimulation and glucose measurement
Assignee: Medtronic Inc
•
Filing: 1997-06-16
•
Granted: 2000-07-25
•
Expires: 2017-06-16
Abstract
Abstract There is provided an implantable system and method for monitoring pancreatic beta cell electrical activity in a patient in order to obtain a measure of a patient's insulin demand and blood glucose level. A stimulus generator is controlled to deliver stimulus pulses so as to synchronize pancreatic beta cell depolarization, thereby producing an enhanced electrical signal which is sensed and processed. In a specific embodiment, the signal is processed to determine the start and end of beta cell depolarization, from which the depolarization duration is obtained. In order to reduce cardiac interference, each stimulus pulse is timed to be offset from the QRS signal which can interfere with the pancreas sensing. Additionally, the beta cell signals are processed by a correction circuit, e.g., an adaptive filter, to remove QRS artifacts, as well as artifacts from other sources, such as respiration. The thus obtained insulin demand signal is used either to control delivery of insulin from an implanted insulin pump, or to control ongoing pancreatic stimulation of a form to enhance insulin production.
Inventors
- 👤 Richard P. M. Houben
- 👤 Alexis C. M. Renirie
- 👤 Koen J. Weijand
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-23 20:09
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61B; A61B5/00; A61B5/145; A61B5/14532; A61B5/42; A61B5/4222; A61B5/425; A61B5/72; A61B5/7203; A61B5/7207; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/18; A61N1/32; A61N1/36; A61N1/36007
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
62 words
A system for sensing insulin demand of a patient, comprising: stimulating means for delivering stimulating pulses to the pancreas of said patient; sensing means for sensing the electrical responses of said pancreas to said stimulating pulses and obtaining signals representative of said responses; and processing means for processing said signals and deriving therefrom a measure of the insulin demand of said patient.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
62 words
A system for sensing insulin demand of a patient, comprising: stimulating means for delivering stimulating pulses to the pancreas of said patient; sensing means for sensing the electrical responses of said pancreas to said stimulating pulses and obtaining signals representative of said responses; and processing means for processing said signals and deriving therefrom a measure of the insulin demand of said patient.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
The system as described in claim 1, wherein said processing means comprises first means for obtaining data representative of the duration of the depolarization burst of pancreatic beta-cells following delivery of a said stimulating pulse.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
53 words
The system as described in claim 2, comprising heart sensing means for sensing cardiac signals from said patient, and control means responsive to said cardiac signals for controlling said stimulating means to deliver each said stimulus pulse at a time substantially free of cardiac signal interference, thereby enhancing detection of said burst duration.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
51 words
The system as described in claim 3, comprising R-wave means for determining the occurrence of cardiac QRS complexes, and wherein said control means comprises timing means for timing a next stimulating pulse at a predetermined delay following the last said QRS complex, thereby enhancing detection of the onset of said burst.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
The system as described in claim 1, comprising initiate means for automatically controlling said stimulating means to initiate delivering of stimulus pulses on a predetermined timing schedule.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
26 words
The system as described in claim 1, comprising external means for sending signals from an external location to enable said stimulating means to deliver stimulus pulses.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
42 words
The system as described in claim 1, wherein said stimulating means comprises electrodes positionable with respect to said patient's pancreas so as to deliver stimulus pulses and to sense electrical activity of a plurality of islets of Langerhans within the patient's pancreas.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
30 words
The system as described in claim 1, wherein said processing means comprises means for determining the duty cycle of the depolarization burst of pancreatic beta-cells following a delivered stimulus pulse.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
33 words
The system as described in claim 1, wherein said processing means comprises means for determining a measure of the spike frequency of the depolarization burst of pancreatic beta-cells following a delivered stimulus pulse.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
43 words
The system as described in claim 1, wherein said processing means comprises data storage means for storing data representative of said signals for a plurality of stimulus pulses, and means for deriving said insulin demand measure as a function of said stored data.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
28 words
The system as described in claim 1, comprising timing means for timing delivery of a said stimulating pulse to occur during a period of pancreatic beta cell repolarization.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
103 words
A system for providing improved sensing of pancreatic beta cells, whereby to obtain information representative of patient insulin demand, comprising: stimulating means for generating and delivering stimulus pulses to a predetermined patient location; sensing means for sensing electrical activity of pancreatic beta cells within said patient, said sensing means being operatively coordinated with said stimulating means so as to sense beta cell responses following said stimulus pulses; and processing means for processing said signals and deriving therefrom a measure of the insulin demand of said patient, wherein said stimulating means comprises pancreas delivery means for delivering said stimulus pulses to the patient's pancreas.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
103 words
A system for providing improved sensing of pancreatic beta cells, whereby to obtain information representative of patient insulin demand, comprising: stimulating means for generating and delivering stimulus pulses to a predetermined patient location; sensing means for sensing electrical activity of pancreatic beta cells within said patient, said sensing means being operatively coordinated with said stimulating means so as to sense beta cell responses following said stimulus pulses; and processing means for processing said signals and deriving therefrom a measure of the insulin demand of said patient, wherein said stimulating means comprises pancreas delivery means for delivering said stimulus pulses to the patient's pancreas.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
20 words
The system as described in claim 12, wherein said pancreas delivery means comprises plural electrode pairs at different pancreatic location.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4003379A
Cited
US4403984A
Cited
US4431004A
Cited
US4704029A
Cited
US5113859A
Cited
US5362307A
Cited
US5101814A
Cited
US5190041A
Cited
US5165407A
Cited
US5231988A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-07-25 | 2004-01-24 | 2004-07-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-07-25 | 2008-01-24 | 2008-07-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-07-25 | 2012-01-24 | 2012-07-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |