System and method for processing voice feedback in conjunction with heart failure assessment

Abstract

A system and method for providing voice feedback from sampled physiometry and self-evaluation in conjunction with heart failure assessment is presented. Physiological measures including direct measures recorded by an implantable medical device and measures derived from the direct measures are stored. Voice feedback spoken as speech is recorded contemporaneous to the recordation of the physiological measures and is quantified into quality of life measures by normalizing the speech against a voice grammar and speech vocabulary. Those of the physiological measures, which relate to a same type of physiometry and to a different type of physiometry, are sampled. A status is determined through analysis of those sampled measures assembled from recordation points and those quality of life measures spoken. Trends that are indicated, which might affect cardiac performance of the patient, are identified. Each trend is compared to worsening heart failure indications to generate a notification of parameter violations.

1 . A system for processing voice feedback in conjunction with heart failure assessment, comprising: 
 a data module to assemble physiological measures, which were directly recorded as data on a substantially continuous basis by an implantable medical device for a patient or indirectly derived from the data;    a feedback module to collect voice feedback spoken by the patient contemporaneous to the recordation of the physiological measures;    a quantifier to quantify the voice feedback into quality of life measures;    a status module to determine a status for the patient through sampling and analysis of the physiological measures and the quality of life measures over a plurality of data assembly points; and    an evaluation module to evaluate the physiological measures, comprising: 
 an analysis module to identify any trends that are indicated by the patient status; and  
 a comparison module to compare each such trend to worsening heart failure indications.  
   
     
     
         2 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 an interface over which to request the voice feedback through prompts, which are each associated one of the quality of life measures; and    a parser to parse the voice feedback against a voice grammar and speech vocabulary.    
     
     
         3 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a normalizer to normalize the voice feedback into quantifiable data upon which the status can be determined in part.    
     
     
         4 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein the worsening heart failure indications are selected from the group comprising pulmonary artery pressure, left atrial pressure, dyspnea, orthopnea, pulmonary edema, peripheral edema, and fatigue.  
     
     
         5 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a measurement module to measure one or more of pulmonary artery pressure, heart rate, heart sounds, intrathoracic impedance, respiration, posture, lung fluid, activity, weight, and physiological response to activity.    
     
     
         6 . A system according to  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a reprogramming module to reprogram an implantable medical device based on evaluation of the physiological measures.    
     
     
         7 . A system according to  claim 6 , wherein the worsening heart failure indications are factored into the reprogramming.  
     
     
         8 . A system according to  claim 1 , wherein respiration rate is tracked through the implantable medical device, further comprising: 
 a notification module to generate a notification triggered by a parameter assigned to the respiration rate.    
     
     
         9 . A system according to  claim 8 , wherein the parameter comprises one or more of an upper limit parameter applied over a short term and a counter parameter applied over a long term.  
     
     
         10 . A method for processing voice feedback in conjunction with heart failure assessment, comprising: 
 assembling physiological measures, which were directly recorded as data on a substantially continuous basis by an implantable medical device for a patient or indirectly derived from the data;    collecting voice feedback spoken by the patient contemporaneous to the recordation of the physiological measures;    quantifying the voice feedback into quality of life measures;    determining a status for the patient through sampling and analysis of the physiological measures and the quality of life measures over a plurality of data assembly points; and    identifying any trends that are indicated by the patient status and comparing each such trend to worsening heart failure indications.    
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 requesting the voice feedback through prompts, which are each associated one of the quality of life measures; and    parsing the voice feedback against a voice grammar and speech vocabulary.    
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 normalizing the voice feedback into quantifiable data upon which the status can be determined in part.    
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 10 , wherein the worsening heart failure indications are selected from the group comprising pulmonary artery pressure, left atrial pressure, dyspnea, orthopnea, pulmonary edema, peripheral edema, and fatigue.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 measuring one or more of pulmonary artery pressure, heart rate, heart sounds, intrathoracic impedance, respiration, posture, lung fluid, activity, weight, and physiological response to activity.    
     
     
         15 . A method according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 reprogramming an implantable medical device based on evaluation of the physiological measures.    
     
     
         16 . A method according to  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 factoring the worsening heart failure indications into the reprogramming.    
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 tracking respiration rate through the implantable medical device; and    generating a notification triggered by a parameter assigned to the respiration rate.    
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 17 , wherein the parameter comprises one or more of an upper limit parameter applied over a short term and a counter parameter applied over a long term.  
     
     
         19 . A system for providing voice feedback from sampled physiometry and self-evaluation in conjunction with heart failure assessment, comprising: 
 a storage module to store physiological measures comprising at least one of direct measures regularly recorded on a substantially continuous basis by an implantable medical device for a patient and measures derived from the direct measures;    a voice recorder to record voice feedback spoken as ordinary speech by the patient contemporaneous to the recordation of the physiological measures;    a voice processor to quantify the voice feedback into quality of life measures by normalizing the ordinary speech against a voice grammar and speech vocabulary;    a sampling module to sample at least one of those of the physiological measures, which each relate to a same type of physiometry, and those of the physiological measures, which each relate to a different type of physiometry;    a status module to determine a status for the patient through analysis of those sampled physiological measures assembled from a plurality of recordation points and those quantified quality of life measures contemporaneously spoken to those points; and    an evaluation module to evaluate the sampled physiological measures, comprising: 
 an analysis module to identify any trends that are indicated by the patient status, which might affect cardiac performance of the patient; and  
 a comparison module to compare each such trend to worsening heart failure indications to generate a notification of parameter violations.  
   
     
     
         20 . A system according to  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 a reprogramming module to reprogram an implantable medical device based on extended evaluation of the direct measures and the derived measures.    
     
     
         21 . A system according to  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 a tracking module to track respiration rate of the patient on a regular basis through the implantable medical device; and    a notification module to generate a notification triggered by one or more of an upper limit parameter applied over a short term and a counter parameter applied over a long term.    
     
     
         22 . A method for providing voice feedback from sampled physiometry and self-evaluation in conjunction with heart failure assessment, comprising: 
 storing physiological measures comprising at least one of direct measures regularly recorded on a substantially continuous basis by an implantable medical device for a patient and measures derived from the direct measures;    recording voice feedback spoken as ordinary speech by the patient contemporaneous to the recordation of the physiological measures;    quantifying the voice feedback into quality of life measures by normalizing the ordinary speech against a voice grammar and speech vocabulary;    sampling at least one of those of the physiological measures, which each relate to a same type of physiometry, and those of the physiological measures, which each relate to a different type of physiometry;    determining a status for the patient through analysis of those sampled physiological measures assembled from a plurality of recordation points and those quantified quality of life measures contemporaneously spoken to those points; and    evaluating the sampled physiological measures, comprising: 
 identifying any trends that are indicated by the patient status, which might affect cardiac performance of the patient; and  
   comparing each such trend to worsening heart failure indications to generate a notification of parameter violations.    
     
     
         23 . A method according to  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 reprogramming an implantable medical device based on extended evaluation of the direct measures and the derived measures.    
     
     
         24 . A method according to  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 tracking respiration rate of the patient on a regular basis through the implantable medical device; and    generating a notification triggered by one or more of an upper limit parameter applied over a short term and a counter parameter applied over a long term.