Patent classifications
A61N1/3615
Measuring load impedance with active stimulation pulses in an implanted pulse generator
The present disclosure provides a medical stimulation system that includes a plurality of implantable channels each operable to obtain a voltage signal from a designated area of a body tissue. The medical stimulation system includes an impedance measurement device. The impedance measurement device includes a plurality of attenuators each coupled to a respective one of the channels. The attenuators are each operable to attenuate an amplitude of the voltage signal received from its respectively-coupled channel. The impedance measurement device includes a multiplexing component that receives the amplitude-attenuated voltage signals from each of the attenuators. The multiplexing component selectively outputs two of the amplitude-attenuated voltage signals. The impedance measurement device includes a differential amplifier that receives the two amplitude-attenuated voltage signals outputted from the multiplexing component as a differential input signal. The differential amplifier generates an amplifier output signal that includes at least partially an amplified version of the differential input signal.
System and methods for therapeutic stimulation
A system and method for providing electrical stimulation to biological tissue to treat medical conditions. The system can include a lead configured to be positioned in contact with biological tissue proximate one or more occipital nerves, an implantable pulse generator configured to deliver electrical stimulation to the biological tissue via the one or more leads, and/or a power source configured to operatively connect and supply power to the implantable pulse generator. The system can further include a processor configured to communicate with the implantable pulse generator. The processor can operate the implantable pulse generator to deliver the electrical stimulation to the biological tissue via the lead. The implantable pulse generator can deliver the electrical stimulation by applying a stimulation waveform or a stimulation pattern. The stimulation waveform can include a series of stimulation pulses that can vary over time, which can reduce an effect of neural accommodation or adaptation.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION
A system and method for determining parameters of stimulation electrical signals for vagus nerve stimulation is discussed. Initial parameters of the signals are selected to provide reliable response to stimulation in physiological measurements of a subject. One or more physiological and neurological indices are determined based on a vagus nerve response model. For a selected vagus nerve activation, the electrical parameters of the signals are varied while monitoring changes in physiological parameters and values of the indices. The electrical parameters are varied until desired response in the physiological measurements and the values of the indices is observed. The electrical parameters are then stored as preferred parameters and can be used to activate the selected vagus nerve of the subject.
Scalable stimulation waveform scheduler
A medical device stores a set of stimulation profiles, wherein each stimulation profile of the set of stimulation profiles is associated with a set of values for stimulation parameters; selects from the set of stimulation profiles, one or more active stimulation profiles; produces, by a stimulation generator, multiple electrical pulses based on the one or more active stimulation profiles; and separately controls parameter values of respective individual pulses of the multiple pulses.
Method and system for tuning of movement disorder therapy devices
A system and method for tuning the parameters of a therapeutic medical device comprises a movement measurement data acquisition system capable of wireless transmission; processing comprising kinematic feature extraction, a scoring algorithm trained using scores from expert clinicians, a therapeutic device parameter setting adjustment suggestion algorithm preferably trained using the parameter setting adjustment judgments of expert clinicians; and a display and/or means of updating the parameter settings of the treatment device. The invention facilitates the treatment of movement disorders including Parkinson's disease, essential tremor and the like by optimizing deep brain stimulation (DBS) parameter settings, eliminating as much as possible motor symptoms and reducing time and costs of surgical and outpatient procedures and improving patient outcomes. In preferred embodiments, the system provides recommendations for treatment which may be semi-automatically or automatically applied to update the parameter settings of a treatment device such as a DBS implant.
Devices and methods for sensing physiological signals during stimulation therapy
Devices and methods provide for the sensing of physiological signals by providing a stimulation waveform that includes a stimulation pulse followed by an active recharge pulse to clear the charge in capacitors within the stimulation path. The active recharge pulse is followed by a period of passive recharge and then a period of no recharge. Non-neurological sources of artifacts within the sensed physiological signal may be handled by providing a brief period of passive recharge followed by a lengthy period of no recharge, which is made possible by the use of the active recharge pulse prior to the passive recharge. The period of no recharge removes any low impedance path to ground from the stimulation electrodes, which allows an amplifier of the sensing circuit to provide common mode rejection of non-neurological signals, such as cardiac signals, present at the sensing electrodes.
PATTERNED STIMULATION INTENSITY FOR NEURAL STIMULATION
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a system that can modulate the intensity of a neural stimulation signal over time. A pulse generator can be configured to generate a stimulation signal for application to neural tissue of an individual and modulate a parameter related to intensity of a pattern of pulses of the stimulation signal over time. An electrode can be coupled to the pulse generator and configured to apply the stimulation signal to the neural tissue. A population of axons in the neural tissue can be recruited with each pulse of the stimulation signal.
SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR MONITORING STIMULATION DRIFT IN AN ELECTRICAL STIMULATION SYSTEM
A method for monitoring stimulation drift includes directing electrical stimulation through electrodes of a lead, wherein a selection of one or more electrodes and a stimulation amplitude for each of the one or more selected electrodes determines a stimulation position, wherein user programming of an implantable control module initially selects a primary stimulation position; modulating, over a time period of at least one day, the stimulation position around the primary stimulation position and delivering electrical stimulation at the modulated stimulation positions; for at least a plurality of the modulated stimulation positions and the primary stimulation position, receiving or observing a measure of stimulation effect; monitoring the measures of stimulation effect; and when the monitoring indicates a stimulation drift based on at least one drift criterion, performing at least one of the following: i) altering the primary stimulation position, or ii) generating a message.
Programming Closed-Loop Neural Stimulation Therapy
Disclosed is a neuromodulation system comprising a neuromodulation device for controllably delivering a neural stimulus, and a processor. The neuromodulation device comprises: a plurality of implantable electrodes including one or more stimulus electrodes and one or more sense electrodes; a stimulus source configured to provide a neural stimulus to be delivered via the one or more stimulus electrodes to a neural pathway of a patient in order to evoke a neural response on the neural pathway; measurement circuitry configured to process a signal sensed at the one or more sense electrodes, the sensed signal including an evoked neural response; and a control unit configured to: control the stimulus source to provide the neural stimulus according to a stimulus intensity parameter; measure an intensity of the evoked neural response in the sensed signal; and implement a feedback controller which completes a feedback loop, the feedback controller using the measured intensity and one or more controller parameters to control the stimulus intensity parameter so as to maintain the measured intensity at a target value. The processor is configured to determine optimal values of the one or more controller parameters from a representative value of a characteristic of the feedback loop, the representative value having been derived from data of previously programmed patients, and/or the processor is configured to determine optimal values of the one or more controller parameters from a predetermined value of an amplification parameter of the feedback loop.
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DISCRETE MEASUREMENT OF ELECTRICAL CHARACTERISTICS
An electrical stimulation system includes at least one electrical stimulation lead, each of the at least one electrical stimulation lead including a plurality of stimulation electrodes; and a processor coupled to the lead and configured to perform actions, including: directing delivery of at least one electrical pulse through at least one of the stimulation electrodes of the at least one electrical stimulation lead to tissue of a patient; and directing discrete or intermittent measurement of an electrical characteristic of the tissue using at least one of the stimulation electrodes of the at least one electrical stimulation lead during, and after, delivery of the at least one electrical pulse to the tissue of the patient.