Abstract: Assessing decongestive therapy delivered to a heart failure patient involves use of an implantable sensor configured to sense a physiologic parameter indicative of the patient's diuresis status and a processor coupled to the implantable sensor. The sensor may comprise a thoracic fluid sensor, a heart sounds sensor, a cardiac chamber or arterial pressure sensor, a respiration sensor, or a blood chemistry sensor, for example. The processor is configured to determine if a target level of patient diuresis has been achieved based on a relationship between the sensed physiologic parameter and a threshold developed for the patient, and to produce an output in response to determining that the target level of patient diuresis has been achieved. The processor may be disposed in an implantable housing, in a patient-external housing, or in a network server system.

Abstract: Assessing decongestive therapy delivered to a heart failure patient involves use of an implantable sensor configured to sense a physiologic parameter indicative of the patient's diuresis status and a processor coupled to the implantable sensor. The sensor may comprise a thoracic fluid sensor, a heart sounds sensor, a cardiac chamber or arterial pressure sensor, a respiration sensor, or a blood chemistry sensor, for example. The processor is configured to determine if a target level of patient diuresis has been achieved based on a relationship between the sensed physiologic parameter and a threshold developed for the patient, and to produce an output in response to determining that the target level of patient diuresis has been achieved. The processor may be disposed in an implantable housing, in a patient-external housing, or in a network server system.

Abstract: Assessing decongestive therapy delivered to a heart failure patient involves use of an implantable sensor configured to sense a physiologic parameter indicative of the patient's diuresis status and a processor coupled to the implantable sensor. The sensor may comprise a thoracic fluid sensor, a heart sounds sensor, a cardiac chamber or arterial pressure sensor, a respiration sensor, or a blood chemistry sensor, for example. The processor is configured to determine if a target level of patient diuresis has been achieved based on a relationship between the sensed physiologic parameter and a threshold developed for the patient, and to produce an output in response to determining that the target level of patient diuresis has been achieved. The processor may be disposed in an implantable housing, in a patient-external housing, or in a network server system.

Abstract: Assessing decongestive therapy delivered to a heart failure patient involves use of an implantable sensor configured to sense a physiologic parameter indicative of the patient's diuresis status and a processor coupled to the implantable sensor. The sensor may comprise a thoracic fluid sensor, a heart sounds sensor, a cardiac chamber or arterial pressure sensor, a respiration sensor, or a blood chemistry sensor, for example. The processor is configured to determine if a target level of patient diuresis has been achieved based on a relationship between the sensed physiologic parameter and a threshold developed for the patient, and to produce an output in response to determining that the target level of patient diuresis has been achieved. The processor may be disposed in an implantable housing, in a patient-external housing, or in a network server system.

Abstract: Assessing decongestive therapy delivered to a heart failure patient involves use of an implantable sensor configured to sense a physiologic parameter indicative of the patient's diuresis status and a processor coupled to the implantable sensor. The sensor may comprise a thoracic fluid sensor, a heart sounds sensor, a cardiac chamber or arterial pressure sensor, a respiration sensor, or a blood chemistry sensor, for example. The processor is configured to determine if a target level of patient diuresis has been achieved based on a relationship between the sensed physiologic parameter and a threshold developed for the patient, and to produce an output in response to determining that the target level of patient diuresis has been achieved. The processor may be disposed in an implantable housing, in a patient-external housing, or in a network server system.

Abstract: Systems and methods involve use of a medical device comprising sensing circuitry. One or more respiratory parameters are detected using the device. Patient baseline weight is provided, and an output signal indicative of a patient's congestive heart failure status is generated based on a change in the one or more respiratory parameters and a change in the patient's measured weight or predicted weight relative to the patient baseline weight. The respiratory parameters may include one or more of respiration rate, relative tidal volume, an index indicative of rapid shallow breathing by the patient, an index derived by computing a respiration rate and a tidal volume for each patient breath, and an index indicative of dyspnea, for example.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide for assessing a patient's hemodynamic response to a drug therapy. A patient's hemodynamic response to a drug therapy is monitored using sensor data acquired using one or more sensors. The patient's hemodynamic response to the drug therapy is quantified, such as by quantifying a patient's sensitivity or refractoriness to the drug therapy. The quantified data may be used to optimize a patient's drug therapy, among other uses.

Abstract: Systems and methods involve use of a medical device comprising sensing circuitry. One or more respiratory parameters are detected using the device. Patient baseline weight is provided, and an output signal indicative of a patient's congestive heart failure status is generated based on a change in the one or more respiratory parameters and a change in the patient's measured weight or predicted weight relative to the patient baseline weight. The respiratory parameters may include one or more of respiration rate, relative tidal volume, an index indicative of rapid shallow breathing by the patient, an index derived by computing a respiration rate and a tidal volume for each patient breath, and an index indicative of dyspnea, for example.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide for assessing the heart failure status of a patient and, more particularly, to generating a trend parameter based on a distribution of the patient's respiration rate. Systems and methods provide for detecting, using an implantable device or a patient-external device, patient respiration and computing a respiration rate based on the detected patient respiration. A distribution of the respiration rate is calculated, and a trend parameter based on the respiration rate distribution is generated. The trend parameter is indicative of a patient's heart failure status. An output signal indicative of the patient's heart failure status may be generated based on the trend parameter.

Abstract: Systems and methods involve use of a medical device comprising sensing circuitry. One or more respiratory parameters are detected using the device. Patient baseline weight is provided, and an output signal indicative of a patient's congestive heart failure status is generated based on a change in the one or more respiratory parameters and a change in the patient's measured weight or predicted weight relative to the patient baseline weight. The respiratory parameters may include one or more of respiration rate, relative tidal volume, an index indicative of rapid shallow breathing by the patient, an index derived by computing a respiration rate and a tidal volume for each patient breath, and an index indicative of dyspnea, for example.

Abstract: Systems and methods provide for assessing the heart failure status of a patient and, more particularly, to generating a trend parameter based on a distribution of the patient's respiration rate. Systems and methods provide for detecting, using an implantable device or a patient-external device, patient respiration and computing a respiration rate based on the detected patient respiration. A distribution of the respiration rate is calculated, and a trend parameter based on the respiration rate distribution is generated. The trend parameter is indicative of a patient's heart failure status. An output signal indicative of the patient's heart failure status may be generated based on the trend parameter.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring a patient's blood glucose level. The apparatus includes an implantable medical device having a controller and an implantable heart sounds sensor configured to transmit signals to the controller of the implantable medical device. The controller is configured to determine if a patient is hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic based on the signals from the heart sounds sensor. A method is also disclosed that includes sensing the patient's heart sounds, determining the amplitude of the S2 heart sound, determining the length of the interval from the S1 heart sound to the S2max heart sound, determining the length of the interval from the S1 heart sound to the S2end heart sound, and determining the patient's blood glucose status based on the patient's heart sounds.

Abstract: An apparatus for monitoring a patient's blood glucose level. The apparatus includes an implantable medical device having a controller and an implantable heart sounds sensor configured to transmit signals to the controller of the implantable medical device. The controller is configured to determine if a patient is hypoglycemic or hyperglycemic based on the signals from the heart sounds sensor. A method is also disclosed that includes sensing the patient's heart sounds, determining the amplitude of the S2 heart sound, determining the length of the interval from the S1 heart sound to the S2max heart sound, determining the length of the interval from the S1 heart sound to the S2end heart sound, and determining the patient's blood glucose status based on the patient's heart sounds.

Abstract: Assessing decongestive therapy delivered to a heart failure patient involves use of an implantable sensor configured to sense a physiologic parameter indicative of the patient's diuresis status and a processor coupled to the implantable sensor. The sensor may comprise a thoracic fluid sensor, a heart sounds sensor, a cardiac chamber or arterial pressure sensor, a respiration sensor, or a blood chemistry sensor, for example. The processor is configured to determine if a target level of patient diuresis has been achieved based on a relationship between the sensed physiologic parameter and a threshold developed for the patient, and to produce an output in response to determining that the target level of patient diuresis has been achieved. The processor may be disposed in an implantable housing, in a patient-external housing, or in a network server system.