Systems and methods for systematically testing a plurality of therapy programs in patient therapy devices

• US 10,569,087 B1
• Filed: 08/03/2017
• Issued: 02/25/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nevro Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nevro Corporation
• Inventors: Thacker, James R., Parker, Jon
• Primary Examiner(s): Levicky, William J
• Application Number:
  US15/668,664
• Time in Patent Office: 936 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36062 Spinal stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36132 using patient feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36146 specified by the stimulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37241 providing test stimulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware

Abstract

Methods for systematically testing a plurality of therapy programs in a spinal cord modulation system, and associated systems are disclosed. A representative method comprises loading a plurality of therapy programs into a signal generator, wherein individual therapy programs include parameters specifying electrode configuration, signal amplitude, and/or signal frequency. The programs are automatically activated for an automatically instructed period of time. The method includes automatically changing from one therapy program to another after the instructed period of time. The patient is queried for patient input corresponding to the therapy programs. The patient input is received via a remote. The patient input is correlated with a corresponding time of day and recorded in the signal generator. Thereafter, the patient input is retrieved from the signal generator.

Claims

1. A spinal cord stimulation system, comprising:

a signal generator having multiple therapy programs, wherein the signal generator is operable to measure an onset delay period between initiation of a therapy signal and onset of pain relief and automatically activate individual therapy programs, each for longer than the onset delay period;

a patient remote operable to communicate with the signal generator and query the patient for patient input corresponding to individual therapy programs; and

at least one memory unit operable to record the patient input.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one memory unit is housed in the signal generator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein measuring the onset delay period includes:

querying the patient at regular intervals after initiation of the therapy signal;

receiving an indication of pain relief; and

recording the onset delay between the initiation of the therapy signal and the receiving an indication of pain relief.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the signal generator is operable to automatically turn off one therapy program and automatically initiate a second therapy program after a residual delay period in which no therapy program is active.

5. A method for testing multiple paresthesia-free therapy programs in a spinal cord modulation system signal generator, the method comprising:

measuring an onset delay period corresponding to a delay between initiating one of the multiple paresthesia-free therapy programs and onset of pain relief; and

automatically activating at least some of the multiple paresthesia-free therapy programs in the spinal cord modulation system signal generator, wherein individual paresthesia-free therapy programs are activated for at least as long as the onset delay period.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein measuring the onset delay period includes:

querying a patient at regular intervals after initiating a first of the multiple paresthesia-free therapy programs;

receiving an indication of pain relief; and

recording the onset delay between the initiation of the first of the multiple paresthesia-free therapy programs and the receiving an indication of pain relief.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein individual paresthesia-free therapy programs include parameters specifying electrode configuration, signal amplitude, and signal frequency.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising querying a patient for patient input corresponding to at least one of the multiple paresthesia-free therapy programs.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the patient input includes a dwell input indicating the patient wishes to dwell on a currently active paresthesia-free therapy program.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising subsequent to automatically activating at least one of the multiple paresthesia-free therapy programs in the spinal cord modulation system signal generator for at least as long as the onset delay period, querying a patient for patient input corresponding to at least one of the multiple paresthesia-free therapy programs.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the patient input includes an abort input indicating the patient wishes to abort the testing.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the patient input includes a skip input indicating the patient wishes to skip a currently active paresthesia-free therapy program.

13. A method for testing multiple therapy programs in a patient therapy system signal generator, the method comprising:

measuring an onset delay period corresponding to a delay between initiation of a therapy signal and onset of pain relief for a patient;

automatically activating at least some of the multiple therapy programs, wherein individual therapy programs are activated without human intervention, for longer than the onset delay period; and

receiving patient input corresponding to at least one of the multiple therapy programs.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein measuring the onset delay period includes:

querying the patient at regular intervals after initiation of the therapy signal;

receiving an indication of pain relief; and

recording the onset delay between the initiation of the therapy signal and the receiving an indication of pain relief.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising automatically turning off one therapy program and automatically initiating a second therapy program after a residual delay period.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising querying a patient for the patient input.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the patient input is correlated with a corresponding program.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the patient input is correlated with a corresponding time of day.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the patient input includes a level of efficacy of the therapy program.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the level of efficacy corresponds to a level of pain relief.