Control and/or quantification of target stimulation volume overlap and interface therefor

• US 10,112,052 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2016
• Issued: 10/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Bokil, Hemant Sharad, Pierre, Mark, Carlton, Keith R., Moffitt, Michael A., Mustakos, Richard, Chen, Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): Dietrich, Joseph
• Application Number:
  US15/181,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20160287889A1
• Time in Patent Office: 869 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/08 Arrangements or circuits for monitoring, protecting, controlling or indicating for external stimulators A61N1/3603; for implantable neurostimulators A61N1/36128; for heart stimulators A61N1/37; for defibrillators A61N1/3925
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36 for stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36182 Direction of the electrical field, e.g. with sleeve around stimulating electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means

Abstract

A method and system include a processor that outputs a characterization of a correspondence between a volume of estimated tissue activation and a target and/or side effect stimulation volume, and/or that provides controls by which to modify thresholds and/or amounts according to which the volume of estimated activation is to correspond to the target volume.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method;

comprising;

determining, by a computer processor, a volume of activation (VOA) of tissue estimated to be activated by stimulation provided according to a set of stimulation parameters;

generating and outputting, by the processor, a first score for the VOA based on a) an amount by which the VOA overlaps another obtained volume and b) at least one of the following;

1) a size of an area formed by a combination of the VOA and the other obtained volume,

2) a size of a predetermined area excluding both the VOA and the other obtained volume, or

3) an amount of the VOA that does not overlap the other obtained volume; and

upon manipulation of a user-manipulable control, outputting a set of stimulation parameters corresponding to the VOA to initiate stimulation of patient tissue using a leadwire implanted in the patient tissue.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the other obtained volume is either a) a specified anatomical volume or b) a VOA of tissue estimated to be activated by stimulation provided according to a different set of stimulation parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the generating of the first score includes calculating

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first score is generated further based on a size of a predetermined area of which the area formed by the combination of the VOA and the other obtained volume forms a part.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the other obtained volume is a target stimulation volume.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating and outputting a second score for the VOA based on an amount by which the VOA overlaps an obtained side effect volume in which stimulation is to be avoided.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the second score is generated further based on a size of an area formed by a combination of the VOA and the obtained side effect volume.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first score is further based on an amount by which the VOA overlaps an obtained side effect volume in which stimulation is to be avoided.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the generating of the first score includes calculating

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first score includes a first sub-score that represents the amount by which the VOA overlaps the other obtained volume and a second sub-score that represents the amount of the VOA that does not overlap the other obtained volume, the first and second sub-scores being output.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the generating of the first sub-score includes calculating

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the outputting includes plotting the first and second sub-scores as a single coordinate on a graph, a first axis of the graph corresponding to possible values of the first sub-score and a second axis of the graph corresponding to possible values of the second sub-score.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the plotted coordinate representing the first and second sub-scores is one of a plurality of coordinates plotted in the graph, others of the plotted coordinates representing respective pairs of sub-scores calculated for other sets of stimulation parameters.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

displaying in the graph a curve formed by connecting the plotted coordinates.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

automatically selecting, by the processor and based on a characteristic of the curve, one of the sets of stimulation parameters for which coordinates have been plotted in the graph; and

outputting the selected set of stimulation parameters.

16. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

determining, by a computer processor, a volume of activation (VOA) of tissue estimated to be activated by stimulation provided according to a set of stimulation parameters;

generating and outputting, by the processor, a first score for the VOA based on a) an amount by which the VOA overlaps an obtained side effect volume and b) at least one of the following;

1) a size of an area formed by a combination of the VOA and the obtained side effect volume,

2) a size of a predetermined area excluding both the VOA and the obtained side effect volume, or

3) an amount of the VOA that does not overlap the obtained side effect volume;

wherein the obtained side effect volume includes at least one volume tagged as a region in which tissue stimulation is to be avoided; and

upon manipulation of a user-manipulable control, outputting a set of stimulation parameters corresponding to the VOA to initiate stimulation of patient tissue using a leadwire implanted in the patient tissue.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first score contributes negatively to a composite score calculated for the VOA based on the first score and a second score that characterizes a correspondence of the VOA to a target volume tagged as a region in which tissue stimulation is targeted, the second score contributing positively to the composite score.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second score for the VOA is based on an amount by which the VOA overlaps the target volume and based on at least two of the following:

1) a size of an area formed by a combination of the VOA and the target volume,

2) a size of a predetermined area excluding both the VOA and the target volume, or

3) an amount of the VOA that does not overlap the target volume.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the second score is calculated as

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the second score is calculated as