Techniques for placing implantable electrodes to treat sleep apnea, and associated devices, systems, and methods are disclosed herein. A representative method includes percutaneously implanting one or more signal delivery devices, each at or near a respective target signal delivery location in a patient. Each signal delivery device can include one or more electrodes, and individual ones of the electrodes can be positioned to produce a net positive protrusive motor response of the patient’s tongue. The representative method further includes providing power to one or more of the electrodes from a wearable power source to cause the electrode(s) to deliver an electrical signal to the respective target signal delivery location(s) to produce the net positive protrusive motor response.

A system for restoring muscle function to the lumbar spine to treat low back pain is provided. The system may include one or more electrode leads coupled to an implantable pulse generator (IPG) and a tunneler system for subcutaneously implanting a proximal portion of the lead(s). The system may also include a handheld activator configured to transfer a stimulation command to the IPG, and an external programmer configured to transfer programming data to the IPG. The stimulation command directs the programmable controller to stimulate the tissue in accordance with the programming data. The system may include a software-based programming system run on a computer such that the treating physician may program and adjust stimulation parameters.

Disclosed is a method of computing a probability distribution of the suitability of measurement electrode configurations for a neuromodulation device. The method comprises: computing the probability distribution of suitability of measurement electrode configurations from: a predetermined stimulus program vector of the neuromodulation device; and prior patient data. Also disclosed is an automated method of setting a measurement electrode configuration for a neuromodulation device configured to deliver a neural stimulus to a neural pathway of a patient. The method comprises: obtaining an initial measurement electrode configuration for a predetermined stimulus program vector from a prior probability distribution of suitability of measurement electrode configurations; delivering a plurality of neural stimuli of different stimulus intensities to the neural pathway according to the stimulus program vector; measuring intensities of neural responses evoked by the neural stimuli using a current measurement electrode configuration; computing one or more quality measures of the evoked neural responses using the measured neural response intensities and the respective stimulus intensities; refining the probability distribution of suitability of measurement electrode configurations using the one or more quality measures; and obtaining a new measurement electrode configuration for the predetermined stimulus program vector using the refined probability distribution of suitability of measurement electrode configurations.

An implantable stimulator device is disclosed for executing a stimulation program comprising a plurality of sub-programs, wherein the sub-programs are configured to be automatically sequentially executed by stimulation circuitry in the device. Control circuitry periodically stores log data to indicate where each sub-program is in its execution. If the device experiences an interruption that prevents the stimulation circuitry from executing the stimulation program, and upon receiving an indication that the stimulation circuitry can continue execution of the stimulation program, the control circuitry is configured to query the log data to determine a sub-program during which the interruption occurred, and using the log data, cause the stimulation circuitry to continue execution of the stimulation circuitry either at the beginning of the sub-program, or at a point during the sub-program when the interruption occurred.

In one embodiment, an implantable pulse generator (IPG) for providing a neurostimulation therapy, comprises: pulse generation circuitry and pulse delivery circuitry for controlling generation and delivery of electrical pulses to a patient using one or more electrodes of a stimulation lead; measurement circuitry for determining characteristics of one or more electrodes selected for delivery of electrical pulses; and a processor for controlling the IPG according to executable code; wherein the IPG is adapted to calculate values for an impedance model of the one or more selected electrodes using the determined plurality of voltage measurements and to adjust current levels for the exponentially decreasing current pattern based on the calculated values for the impedance mode.

An illustrative method of treating cardiovascular disease in a patient may include 1) generating, by an implantable stimulator, stimulation sessions, wherein the implantable stimulator comprises a central electrode of a first polarity centrally located on a first surface of a housing of the implantable stimulator and an annular electrode of a second polarity and that is spaced apart from the central electrode; and 2) applying, by the implantable stimulator, the stimulation sessions by way of the central electrode and the annular electrode to a location, within the patient, that is associated with the cardiovascular disease.

A method of controlling a neural stimulus, the neural stimulus being defined by at least one stimulus intensity parameter. The method comprises, generating a stimulus intensity parameter to control a stimulator that generates a stimulus current for application to a tissue, measuring a response of the tissue, evoked by the stimulus current, determining a response parameter indicative of the measured response, in response to the response parameter being less than a first threshold, setting the stimulus intensity parameter to a desired stimulus intensity level; and in response to the response parameter being greater than a second threshold, adjust the stimulus intensity parameter according to a feedback variable derived from the measured response.

An implantable device is configured to control application of a neural stimulus as defined by a stimulus parameter; measure via the measurement circuitry a characteristic of a neural compound action potential response evoked by the stimulus; and compute, using the stimulus parameter and the measured characteristic of the evoked neural compound action potential response, a characteristic of an evoked response that would be obtained from the neural stimulus if the patient were in a reference posture. A posture of the patient can be estimated from the computed characteristic and/or the computed characteristic can be used as a feedback variable of a feedback loop. Multidimensional histograms of datasets comprising at least one of the stimulus parameter and a feedback variable can be stored.

An apparatus external to a patient and communicatively coupled to an implant within the patient is disclosed. The apparatus identifies a tentative stimulation parameter adjustment constraint and an absolute stimulation parameter adjustment constraint for a stimulation parameter associated with the implant. The apparatus also determines an impedance of an electrode implanted within the patient and coupled with the implant. Based on the impedance of the electrode, the apparatus automatically adjusts the stimulation parameter within a range between a present value and a first value defined by the tentative stimulation parameter adjustment constraint. Additionally, based on user input manually provided by the patient, the apparatus further adjusts the stimulation parameter within a range between the first value and a second value beyond the first value and defined by the absolute stimulation parameter adjustment constraint. Corresponding apparatuses, systems, and methods are also disclosed.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for nerve conduction block. The systems and methods can utilize at least one rechargeable electrode. The methods can include delivering a first direct current with a first polarity to an electrode proximate nervous tissue sufficient to at least partially block conduction in the nervous tissue.