System and method for delivering modulated sub-threshold therapy to a patient
First Claim
1. A neuromodulation system for delivering a therapy to a patient, comprising:
- modulation output circuitry and a plurality of electrical terminals, the plurality of electrical terminals configured to be respectively coupled to a plurality of electrodes, the modulation output circuitry being operably connected to the plurality of electrical terminals to deliver electrical energy to specified groups of electrodes for delivering the therapy to the patient, the modulation output circuitry configured to deliver electrical energy in accordance with sub-threshold programs, wherein each of the sub-threshold programs includes a set of modulation parameters for delivering the electrical energy below a patient-perception threshold, and the sub-threshold programs provide electrode fractionalization values that vary from one another; and
control circuitry configured to automatically control the modulation output circuitry to cycle through the sub-threshold programs that provide electrode fractionalization values that vary from one another over a period of time to continually maintain the delivered electrical energy below the patient-perception threshold over the period of time, the patient-perception threshold being a boundary below which the patient does not sense delivery of the electrical energy.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A neuromodulation system and method of providing therapy to a patient. Electrical energy is delivered to the patient in accordance with a modulation parameter, thereby providing therapy to the patient, and the modulation parameter of the delivered electrical energy is varied over a period of time, such that the delivered electrical energy is continually maintained at a sub-threshold level throughout the period of time. The sub-threshold level may be referred to as a patient-perception threshold, which may be referred to as a boundary below which a patient does not sense delivery of the electrical energy. For example, in a spinal cord modulation system, the patient-perception threshold may be a boundary below which a patient does not experience paresthesia.
60 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A neuromodulation system for delivering a therapy to a patient, comprising:
-
modulation output circuitry and a plurality of electrical terminals, the plurality of electrical terminals configured to be respectively coupled to a plurality of electrodes, the modulation output circuitry being operably connected to the plurality of electrical terminals to deliver electrical energy to specified groups of electrodes for delivering the therapy to the patient, the modulation output circuitry configured to deliver electrical energy in accordance with sub-threshold programs, wherein each of the sub-threshold programs includes a set of modulation parameters for delivering the electrical energy below a patient-perception threshold, and the sub-threshold programs provide electrode fractionalization values that vary from one another; and control circuitry configured to automatically control the modulation output circuitry to cycle through the sub-threshold programs that provide electrode fractionalization values that vary from one another over a period of time to continually maintain the delivered electrical energy below the patient-perception threshold over the period of time, the patient-perception threshold being a boundary below which the patient does not sense delivery of the electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
-
-
22. An implantable neuromodulation device for delivering a therapy to a patient, comprising:
-
implantable modulation output circuitry and a plurality of electrical terminals, the plurality of electrical terminals configured to be respectively coupled to a plurality of electrodes, the modulation output circuitry being operably connected to the plurality of electrical terminals to deliver electrical energy to specified groups of electrodes for delivering the therapy to the patient, the modulation output circuitry configured to deliver the electrical energy in accordance with sub-threshold programs, wherein each of the sub-threshold programs includes a set of modulation parameters for delivering the electrical energy below a patient-perception threshold, and the sub-threshold programs provide electrode fractionalization values that vary from one another; and implantable control circuitry configured to automatically control the implantable modulation output circuitry to cycle through the sub-threshold programs that provide electrode fractionalization values that vary from one another over a period of time to continually maintain the delivered electrical energy below a patient-perception threshold over the period of time, the patient-perception threshold being a boundary below which a patient does not sense delivery of the electrical energy. - View Dependent Claims (23)
-
-
24. A non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions, which when executed by a neuromodulation system having modulation output circuitry, a plurality of electrical terminals configured to be respectively coupled to a plurality of electrodes, and control circuitry, cause the neuromodulation system to:
-
deliver electrical energy from the modulation output circuitry to specified groups of electrodes for delivering a therapy to a patient in accordance with sub-threshold programs, wherein each of the sub-threshold programs includes a set of modulation parameters for delivering the electrical energy below a patient-perception threshold, and the sub-threshold programs provide electrode fractionalization values that vary from one another; and control the modulation output circuitry, using the control circuitry, to automatically cycle through the sub-threshold programs that provide electrode fractionalization values that vary from one another over a period of time to continually maintain the delivered electrical energy below a patient-perception threshold over the period of time, the patient-perception threshold being a boundary below which a patient does not sense delivery of the electrical energy.
-
Specification