Automatic lead identification using electric field fingerprinting

• US 10,052,475 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2017
• Issued: 08/21/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Peterson, David K. L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Morales, Jon Eric C
• Application Number:
  US15/674,769
• Publication Number:
  US 20170340875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 375 Days
• Field of Search: 607 59
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/025 Digital circuitry features of electrotherapy devices, e.g. memory, clocks, processors
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0553 Paddle shaped electrodes, e.g. for laminotomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36185 Selection of the electrode configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37241 providing test stimulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture

Abstract

A method, programmer for a neurostimulator, and neurostimulation kit are provided. The kit comprises a neurostimulator, and a plurality of elongated lead bodies configured for being coupled to the neurostimulator, each having a plurality of proximal contacts and a plurality of distal electrodes respectively electrically coupled to the proximal contacts, wherein an in-line connectivity between the electrodes and proximal contacts carried by the different lead bodies differs from each other. Electrical energy is conveyed between the electrodes of the selected lead body and the tissue, an electrical fingerprint is measured at the proximal contacts of the selected lead body in response to the conveyed electrical energy, and the selected lead body is identified based on the measured electrical fingerprint. These steps can be performed by the programmer.

Claims

1. A programmer for a stimulator configured to determine an electrical fingerprint of each lead body of one or more lead bodies each including proximal contacts configured to be connected to the stimulator and distal electrodes electrically coupled to the proximal contacts, the electrical fingerprint of each lead body corresponding to electrical field potentials each determined for one of the proximal contacts of each lead body, the programmer comprising:

telemetry circuitry configured to receive the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body from the stimulator;

a memory configured to store reference electrical fingerprints corresponding to different lead bodies; and

a processor configured to automatically identify each lead body by comparing the determined electrical fingerprint to each of the stored reference electrical fingerprints.

2. The programmer of claim 1, wherein the telemetry circuity is configured to receive the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body from an external trial stimulator being the stimulator.

3. The programmer of claim 1, wherein the telemetry circuity is configured to receive the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body from an implantable pulse generator being the stimulator.

4. The programmer of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to generate stimulation parameters for use by the implantable pulse generator based on the identified each lead body.

5. The programmer of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to automatically identify each lead body by performing a comparison function that computationally compares data points in the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body to data points in each of the stored reference electrical fingerprints.

6. The programmer of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to perform a correlation coefficient function by generating correlation coefficients for a relationship between the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body and each reference electrical fingerprint of the stored reference electrical fingerprints and matching between the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body and one of the stored reference electrical fingerprints based on the generated correlation coefficients.

7. The programmer of claim 6, wherein the processor is configured to perform a Pearson correlation coefficients function.

8. The programmer of claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to perform a sum of squared differences function by generating differences between the data points in the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body and the data points in each of the stored reference electrical fingerprints, computing sums of squared differences using the generated differences corresponding to each of the stored reference electrical fingerprints, and matching between the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body and one of the stored reference electrical fingerprints based on a minimum value of the computed sum of squared differences.

9. A method for operating a stimulator configured to determine an electrical fingerprint of each lead body of one or more lead bodies each including proximal contacts configured to be connected to the stimulator and distal electrodes electrically coupled to the proximal contacts, the electrical fingerprint of each lead body including electrical field potentials each determined for one of the proximal contacts of each lead body, the method comprising:

receiving the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body from the stimulator; and

identifying each lead body automatically using a processor, including;

comparing the received electrical fingerprint of each lead body to each of stored reference electrical fingerprints; and

identifying each lead body using an outcome of the comparison.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising programming the stimulator based on the identified each lead body.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein programming the stimulator comprises programming an implantable pulse generator.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

conveying electrical energy from the stimulator using one or more electrodes of the distal electrodes of each lead body; and

measuring the electrical fingerprint of each lead body using the stimulator in response to the conveyed electrical energy.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more lead bodies comprise two lead bodies of a surgical paddle lead.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more lead bodies comprise a lead body of a surgical paddle lead and a lead body of a percutaneous lead.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more lead bodies comprise lead bodies of two percutaneous leads.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more lead bodies comprise a plurality of different lead bodies, and an in-line connectivity between the distal electrodes and the proximal contacts of a lead body of the plurality of different lead bodies is different from an in-line connectivity between the distal electrodes and the proximal contacts of another lead body of the plurality of different lead bodies.

17. The method of claim 9, wherein identifying each lead body automatically using the processor comprises performing a comparison function that computationally compares data points in the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body to data points in each of the stored reference electrical fingerprints.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein identifying each lead body automatically using the processor comprises performing a correlation coefficient function, including:

generating correlation coefficients for a relationship between the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body and each reference electrical fingerprint of the stored reference electrical fingerprints; and

matching between the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body and one of the stored reference electrical fingerprints based on the generated correlation coefficients.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein performing the correlation coefficient function comprises performing a Pearson correlation coefficients function.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein identifying each lead body automatically using the processor comprises performing a sum of squared differences function, including:

generating differences between the data points in the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body and the data points in each of the stored reference electrical fingerprints;

computing sums of squared differences using the generated differences corresponding to each of the stored reference electrical fingerprints; and

matching between the determined electrical fingerprint of each lead body and one of the stored reference electrical fingerprints based on a minimum value of the computed sum of squared differences.