Systems and methods for identifying and treating patients with high frequency electrical signals. A representative method for identifying a patient as a candidate for pain treatment includes identifying a first sensory threshold, delivering an electrical signal to a neural population of the patient at a frequency in a frequency range of 1.5 kHz to 100 kHz and, while and/or after delivering the electrical signal to the patient, identifying a second sensory threshold of the patient. If the second sensory threshold is less than the first, the method can include identifying the patient as a candidate for receiving an electrical signal at a frequency in the foregoing range for pain treatment.

An electrical stimulation system for use with a plurality of electrodes implanted within a tissue region comprises a neurostimulator configured for delivering electrical stimulation energy to the plurality of electrodes in accordance with a set of stimulation parameters, thereby injecting a charge into the tissue region, a control device configured for receiving user input to modify the set of stimulation parameters, and controller/processor circuitry configured for, in response to the user input computing a charge injection metric value as a function of a physical electrode parameter and an electrical source parameter for a first set of the electrodes, wherein the electrode set comprises at least two electrodes, comparing the computed charge injection metric value to a safety threshold value, and performing a corrective action based on the comparison.

A pulse current generation circuit (100) for neural stimulation includes an analogue signal receiving device (101) for receiving an analogue signal; an analogue-to-digital converter (102) for converting the analogue signal into a digital control signal; a current signal controller (103) for producing, according to the digital control signal, pulse current parameters for generating bidirectional pulse current signals; and a current generator (104) for generating, according to the pulse current parameters, bidirectional pulse current signals for neural stimulation, and the current generator can generate pulse currents of different precisions according to the pulse current parameters. In addition, the present invention further relates to a charge compensation circuit, a charge compensation method, and an implantable electrical retina stimulator using the pulse current generation circuit or the charge compensation circuit.

Some computer-assisted methods include: presenting configuration options to a user of the implanted stimulator device, the configuration options comprising stimulation parameters for the implanted stimulator; receiving a user specification of the configuration options in response to the presented configuration options; receiving user feedback when the user specified configuration options are implemented at the implanted stimulator device, the user feedback comprising a quantitative index of pain resulting from implementing the user specified configuration options on the implanted stimulator device; building a user profile for the user based on the user specified configuration options and the user feedback, the user profile including the user specified configuration options as well as the corresponding quantitative index of pain; and selecting at least one configuration option based on the user profile when the configuration options are subsequently presented to the user for a later treatment.

An implantable medical device implements a special mode of operation, such as a mode of electrical stimulation therapy, during conditions where there may be an increased likelihood that a device reset will occur. The implantable medical device recovers from the device reset by copying values that specify the special mode and that are stored in a non-volatile memory to an operating memory. The special mode is implemented after the device reset has occurred by using the values copied to the operating memory. One version of the special mode is an MRI mode that allows the implantable medical device to safely operate during an MRI scan. The fields of the MRI scan may trigger a device reset, but the MRI mode values are copied from the non-volatile memory to the operating memory, and the MRI mode is implemented after the reset by using the values copied to the operating memory.

System and methods for detecting impedance changes and for adjusting electrical therapy based on impedance changes are disclosed herein. A method in accordance with a particular embodiment includes applying a therapeutic, paresthesia-less electrical signal to a patient via a patient modulation system that includes a signal delivery device in electrical communication with a target neural population of the patient. The method can include monitoring on a periodic basis an impedance of an electrical circuit that includes the signal delivery device. The method can further include detecting a change in the impedance that indicates a fault and providing an indication that the fault exists.

An implantable electrical contact arrangement is described which has at least one electrode body arrangement composed otherwise entirely of biocompatible, electrically insulating material, with at least one freely accessible electrode surface enclosed directly or indirectly by the biocompatible electrically insulating material. The invention is characterized in that the electrode body arrangement has a stack-shaped layer composite which provides at least one gold layer connected to an iridium layer via a diffusion barrier layer. The stack-shaped layer composite by being completely encapsulated by an SiC layer, with the exception of at least one surface region of the iridium layer facing to be directed away from the layer composite. The SiC layer has an SiC layer surface which is facing to be directed away from the stack-shaped layer composite and which is adjoined directly or indirectly by the biocompatible, electrically insulating material.

This disclosure relates to implantable neuro stimulation devices with a feedback loop to control an amount of energy delivered into a neural tissue based on a measured evoked neural response. Stimulation electrodes deliver stimulation energy to neural tissue and a stimulator comprises a microprocessor and program memory with program code, which causes the microprocessor to perform closed-loop control of the stimulation energy based on a feedback signal that is indicative of an evoked neural response. A charge monitor monitors the delivery of energy to the stimulation electrodes by determining an amount of charge delivered by the stimulation electrodes and connected to the stimulator to provide a status signal indicative of the charge delivered to the stimulator. The device adjusts the control of the stimulation energy in response to the status signal from the charge monitor indicating undesirable charge delivery to the stimulation electrodes.

A neurostimulation system having an external or an implantable pulse generator programmed to innervate a specific nerve or group of nerves in a patient through an electrode as a mode of treatment, having a patient remote that wirelessly communicates with the pulse generator to increase stimulation, decrease stimulation, and provide indications to a patient regarding the status of the neurostimulation system. The patient remote can allow for adjustment of stimulation power within a clinically effective range and for turning on and turning off the pulse generator. The patient remote and neurostimulation system can also store a stimulation level when the pulse generator is turned off and automatically restore the pulse generator to the stored stimulation level when the pulse generator is turned on.

Methods for treating nocturia in a person are provided. The methods include assessing and identifying a person suffering from nocturia. A neurostimulator having a processor is connected to an electrical generator. The processor receives sensed data from the person and includes a sleep stimulation protocol. A determination is made as to whether the sensed data in cooperation with the sleep stimulation protocol indicates that a trigger event has occurred which defines a nocturia condition. When a trigger event has been determined, a therapy regimen provides electrical or magnetic stimulation to the leg of the person between the ankle and knee according to the sleep stimulation protocol.