Detection of congestion from monitoring patient response to a recumbent position

Abstract

Systems and methods obtain information that allows detection of whether a patient suffers from congestion by monitoring a response of the patient to a recumbent position of the patient's body. The patient may be monitored to determine a respiration pattern for a non-recumbent position such as standing and a respiration pattern for a recumbent position such as lying down. The two patterns may be compared, either by a processing device or a physician, to determine a difference in the two respiration patterns. Furthermore, the congestion may be inferred from detecting an amount of time that the patient spends in a recumbent position or from detecting the recumbent angle that the patient obtains, either of which is presumed to indicate whether a recumbent position presents discomfort to the patient due to the presence of congestion.

1 . A system comprising:
 a reclination sensor configured to produce a reclination signal indicative of a reclination of a patient;   reclination circuitry configured to produce reclination data from the reclination signal;   a processing device configured to communicate with at least the reclination circuitry to determine, from at least the reclination data, an amount of respiratory distress, and to determine, from the amount of respiratory distress, whether the patient is suffering from congestion.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing device is configured to determine a recumbent angle of the patient from the reclination data, the processing device being configured to compare the recumbent angle with a recumbent angle threshold to determine the amount of respiratory distress. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the processing device is configured to limit the reclination data to a period when the patient is expected to be resting. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the processing device is configured to limit the reclination data to a period when the patient is known to be resting. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising a clock configured to produce a timing signal, wherein the processor is configured to:
 determine, from the reclination data and the timing signal, an amount of recumbent time for which the patient is in a recumbent position; and   compare the amount of recumbent time to a threshold value to determine the amount of respiratory distress.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the threshold value includes a time threshold related to a congestive condition. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , comprising:
 a respiration sensor that produces a respiration signal indicative of respiration patterns of the patient; and   respiration circuitry that produces respiration pattern data from the respiration signal, wherein the processing device is configured to:
 determine, from the reclination data and the respiration pattern data, recumbent respiration pattern data and non-recumbent respiration pattern data; 
 compare the recumbent respiration pattern data and non-recumbent respiration pattern data; and 
 determine, using a result of the comparison, the amount of respiratory distress. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the respiration sensor is configured to produce a respiration signal in response to a change in trans-thoracic impedance. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the reclination sensor includes a tilt switch. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the reclination sensor includes an accelerometer. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 sensing reclination of a patient;   determining an amount of respiratory distress using at least the sensed reclination; and   determining, from the amount of respiratory distress, whether the patient is suffering from congestion.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising:
 determining a recumbent angle of the patient from the sensed reclination; and   comparing the recumbent angle with a recumbent angle threshold to determine the amount of respiratory distress.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising:
 determining, from the sensed reclination, an amount of recumbent time for which the patient is in a recumbent position; and   comparing the amount of recumbent time to a threshold value to determine the amount of respiratory distress.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , comprising:
 sensing respiration of the patient;   determining, from the sensed reclination and the sensed respiration, recumbent respiration data and non-recumbent respiration data;   comparing the recumbent respiration data and non-recumbent respiration data; and   determining, using a result of the comparison, the amount of respiratory distress.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein sensing respiration of the patient includes sensing trans-thoracic impedance. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein sensing reclination of the patient includes internally sensing reclination. 
     
     
         17 . A system comprising:
 means for sensing reclination of a patient;   means for determining an amount of respiratory distress using at least the sensed reclination; and   means for determining, from the amount of respiratory distress, whether the patient is suffering from congestion.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , comprising:
 means for determining a recumbent angle of the patient from the sensed reclination; and   means for comparing the recumbent angle with a recumbent angle threshold to determine the amount of respiratory distress.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , comprising:
 means for determining, from the sensed reclination, an amount of recumbent time for which the patient is in a recumbent position; and   means for comparing the amount of recumbent time to a threshold value to determine the amount of respiratory distress.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 17 , comprising:
 means for sensing respiration of the patient;   means for determining, from the sensed reclination and the sensed respiration, recumbent respiration data and non-recumbent respiration data;   means for comparing the recumbent respiration data and non-recumbent respiration data; and   means for determining, using a result of the comparison, the amount of respiratory distress.