Claims
- 1. A method of tracking patient functional status including the methods of:a.) measuring activity counts with an implantable activity sensor; b.) determining a number of activity counts sensed during a first time period of a first predetermined length, and if the number of sensed activity counts is greater than a predetermined value, recording the time period as an activity period; c.) repeating for a predetermined number of subsequent time periods of the first predetermined length; and d.) titrating patient medication levels based on a patient's activity level as indicated by the number of time periods of the first predetermined length that are designated as activity periods.
- 2. The method of claim 1, including the method of displaying the activity periods on a user display.
- 3. The method of claim 2, and further including the method of further displaying a value indicative of an average activity level occurring during the first time period and all of the predetermined number of subsequent time periods.
- 4. The method of claim 1, including the method of determining the total amount of time represented by the time periods of the first predetermined length that are designated as activity periods.
- 5. The method of claim 1, and including the method of activating a patient alarm based on the number of time periods of the first predetermined length that are designated as activity periods.
- 6. The method of claim 1, and further including the step of repeating steps a.) through c.) a predetermined number of times prior to performing step d.).
- 7. The method of claim 6, and further including the step of determining if the number of time periods of the first predetermined length that are designated as activity periods during a second predetermined period of time is indicative of a pre-defined trend, and if so, performing step d.) based on the pre-defined trend.
- 8. The method of claim 1, and further including the method of transferring displayed data to a remote user display for viewing.
Parent Case Info
This application is a division of, and claims priority to, application Ser. No. 09/078,221 filed May 13, 1998, and now U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,513.
US Referenced Citations (13)
Foreign Referenced Citations (4)
Number |
Date |
Country |
0 472 411 A1 |
Aug 1991 |
EP |
0 535 508 A1 |
Sep 1991 |
EP |
WO 9405371 |
Mar 1994 |
WO |
WO 9724027 |
Jul 1997 |
WO |
Non-Patent Literature Citations (7)
Entry |
Relation of Daily Activity Levels in Patients with Chronic Heart Failure to Long-Term Prognosis (The American Journal of Cardiology) vol. 79 May 15, 1997 By John T. Walsh et al. |
A Specific Activity Questuinnaire to Measure the Functional Capacity of Cardiac Patients (The American Journal of Cardiology) vol. 77 Jun. 1, 1996 By: Sarah L. Rankin et al (pp-1220-1223). |
Reduced Customary Activity in Chronic Heart Failure: Assessment with a new shoe-mounted pedometer (Internal Journal of Cardiology) 43 (19994) pp-39-42. |
The Basis for Activity Controlled Rate Variable Cardiac Pacemakers: An Analysis of Mechanical Forces on the Human Body Induced by Exercise and Environment PACE vol. 12 10/89 (pp-1667-1680) Echard Alt et al. |
Limitations of Rate Response of an Activity-Sensing Rate-Responsive Pacemaker to Different Forms of Activy (PACE, vol. 11 Feb. 1988 (pp-141-150) Chu-Pak Lau et al. |
Activity Controlled Cardiac Pacemaker During Stairwalking (PACE vol. 19) (pp 1036-1041) Markus Matula et al. |
Use of Limb Movement Sensors as Indicators of the Level of Everyday PhysicalActivity in Chronic Congestive Heart Failure (The American Journal of Cardiology Col 69 Jun. 15, 1992 (pp1581-1586). |