System and Method for Characterizing Patient Respiration

Abstract

Patient respiration may be characterized using a marked respiration waveform involving a respiration waveform annotated with symbols, markers or other indicators representing one or more respiration characteristics. A respiration waveform may be acquired by sensing a physiological parameter modulated by respiration. A marked respiration waveform may be generated based on the acquired respiration waveform and one or more detected respiration waveform characteristics and/or respiration-related conditions. One or more components used to generate the marked respiratory waveform may be fully or partially implantable.

1 . A method for characterizing respiration of a patient, comprising:
 acquiring a respiration waveform;   detecting one or more characteristics associated with the respiration, wherein detecting the one or more characteristics associated with the respiration includes: a) detecting one or more characteristics associated with disordered breathing; and b) determining a type of the disordered breathing;   detecting a triggering event; and   generating a marked respiration waveform in response to the triggering event using the respiration waveform and one or more symbols indicating the one or more characteristics associated with the respiration, the one or more symbols including: a) a first symbol indicating a first respiration characteristic selected from the one or more characteristics associated with the disordered breathing and, b) a second symbol indicating a second respiration characteristic different from the first respiration characteristic, the first and second symbols being aligned relative to the respiration waveform to indicate times of occurrence of the first and second respiration characteristics respectively, and wherein the first symbol is selected based on the determination of the type of disordered breathing;   wherein at least one of acquiring, detecting, and generating is performed at least in part implantably.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein all of acquiring, detecting, and generating are performed at least in part implantably. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein acquiring the respiration waveform comprises sensing one or more of transthoracic impedance and airflow. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the triggering event comprises a disordered breathing event. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the one or more characteristics associated with the disordered breathing comprises detecting a duration of the disordered breathing. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the type of the disordered breathing comprises any combination of central and obstructive disordered breathing. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the type of the disordered breathing comprises one or more of sleep disordered breathing and periodic breathing. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the type of the disordered breathing comprises any combination of apnea and hypopnea. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the type of the disordered breathing comprises Cheyne-Stokes respiration. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the one or more characteristics associated with the respiration comprises determining any combination of respiration rate, respiration volume, and minute ventilation. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein detecting the one or more characteristics associated with the respiration comprises determining one or more morphological features of the respiration waveform. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the one or more morphological features of the respiration waveform comprises determining one or both of an inspiration duration and an expiration duration. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein determining the one or more morphological features of the respiration waveform comprises determining one or both of an expiration slope and an inspiration slope. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising acquiring one or more additional waveforms, wherein generating the marked respiration waveform comprises generating the marked respiration waveform using the one or more additional waveforms. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein generating the marked respiration waveform using the one or more additional waveforms comprises time aligning the respiration waveform and the one or more additional waveforms. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein acquiring the one or more additional waveforms comprises acquiring a cardiac waveform. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting information about at least one of the respiration waveform, the one or more characteristics associated with the respiration, and the marked respiration waveform. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying the marked respiration waveform. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing information about at least one of the respiration waveform, the one or more characteristics associated with the respiration, and the marked respiration waveform.