Method and apparatus for controlling percutaneous electrical signals

• US 20030074030A1
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Published: 04/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Meagan Medical, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Vertis Neuroscience, Inc. (Northstar Neuroscience, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harris, John F., Leyde, Kent, Bishay, Jon M.
• Application Number:
  US10/260,058
• Publication Number:
  US 20030074030A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/27
• 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 1/36021 for treatment of pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for controlling percutaneous electrical signals. In one embodiment, the method can include a computer-implemented method for displaying characteristics of an electrical therapy signal, which can include receiving a first value for a characteristic of an electrical therapy signal and directing transmission of a first electrical therapy signal with the first value. The method can further include directing a digital display device to display a first graph representing the first value, receiving a second value for the characteristic, directing transmission of a second electrical therapy signal with the second value, and directing the digital display device to display a second graph concurrent with a display of the first graph. The apparatus can simultaneously control signal levels directed to multiple channels, and can automatically set the signal levels to zero when a therapy session is ended or paused.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for displaying characteristics of an electrical therapy signal, comprising:

receiving a first value for a characteristic of an electrical therapy signal and directing transmission of the first electrical therapy signal with the first value of the characteristic;

directing a digital display device to display a first graph representing the first value of the characteristic;

receiving a second value for the characteristic and directing transmission of a second electrical therapy signal with the second value of the characteristic; and

directing the digital display device to display a second graph concurrent with a display of the first graph and representing the second value of the characteristic.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein receiving a first value for a characteristic of an electrical therapy signal includes receiving an electrical current value.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein directing a digital display device to display a first graph includes directing a digital display device to display a bar graph.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein directing a digital display device to display a first graph includes directing the digital display device to display a first graph having a first color, and wherein directing the digital display device to display a second graph includes directing the digital display device to display a second graph having a second color different than the first color.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein directing a digital display device to display a first graph includes directing the digital display device to display a first graph having a first intensity, and wherein directing the digital display device to display a second graph includes directing the digital display device to display a second graph having a second intensity different than the first intensity.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein directing a digital display device to display a first graph includes directing the digital display device to display a first bar graph, and wherein directing the digital display device to display a second graph includes directing the digital display device to display a second bar graph axially aligned with the first bar graph.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an indication of a malfunction associated with a circuit carrying the first electrical therapy signal.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying an indication that the electrical therapy signal is selected for adjustment.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein directing the first electrical therapy signal includes directing the first electrical therapy signal to a percutaneous probe.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising directing a digital display of a text message indicating the conclusion of a therapy session.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein receiving a first value includes receiving a first value for a portion of a therapy session, and wherein receiving a second value includes receiving a second value for a second portion of a therapy session subsequent to the first.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein receiving a first value includes receiving a first value for a therapy session and wherein receiving a second value includes receiving a second value for a second therapy session different than the first.

13. A computer-implemented method for displaying characteristics of an electrical therapy signal, comprising:

receiving a first value for a characteristic of an electrical therapy signal and directing transmission of a first electrical therapy signal with the first value of the characteristic;

directing a digital display device to display a first graph representing the first value of the characteristic, the first graph having a first color and a first intensity;

receiving a second value for the characteristic and directing transmission of a second electrical therapy signal with the second value of the characteristic; and

directing the digital display device to display a second graph superimposed on the first graph and representing the second value of the characteristic, the second graph having a second color and a second intensity, with the second color being different than the first color, or the second intensity being different than the first intensity, or both the second color being different than the first color and the second intensity being different than the first intensity.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 wherein receiving a first value for a characteristic of an electrical therapy signal includes receiving an electrical current value.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 wherein directing a digital display device to display a first graph includes directing the digital display device to display a first bar graph.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 wherein directing a digital display device to display a first graph includes directing the digital display device to display a first bar graph, and wherein directing a digital display device to display a second graph includes directing a digital display device to display a second bar graph axially aligned with the first bar graph.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising displaying an indication of a fault associated with a circuit carrying the first electrical therapy signal.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising displaying an indication that the first electrical therapy signal is selected for adjustment.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 13 wherein directing the first electrical therapy signal includes directing the first electrical therapy signal to a percutaneous probe.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising directing a digital display of a text message indicating the conclusion of a therapy session.

21. A computer-implemented method for detecting characteristics of a percutaneous electrical therapy system, comprising:

detecting how many of a plurality of electrical therapy channels of a percutaneous electrical therapy system are coupled to conductive links for percutaneous electrical probes; and

deactivating at least one electrical therapy channel that is not coupled to a conductive link for a percutaneous electrical probe.

22. The computer-implemented method of claim 21 further comprising providing an indication to a user of the at least one deactivated electrical therapy channel.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 21, further comprising deactivating an input button operatively coupled to the at least one electrical therapy channel.

24. A computer-implemented method for providing percutaneous electrical therapy, comprising:

detecting a characteristic of a signal link coupled to an electrical therapeutic signal emitter; and

based on the characteristic, selecting a characteristic of a signal transmitted on the signal link.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein detecting a characteristic of a signal link includes detecting information stored on a chip coupled to the signal link.

26. The method of claim 24 wherein selecting a characteristic of a signal includes selecting a current value of the signal.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein selecting a characteristic of a signal includes selecting a frequency with which the signal varies.

28. The method of claim 24 wherein selecting a characteristic of the signal includes selecting a duration of the signal.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein selecting a characteristic of the signal includes selecting a mode with which the signal is applied.

30. A method for providing percutaneous electrical therapy, comprising:

directing a first electrical therapy signal having a first value to a first site of a recipient;

directing a second electrical therapy signal having a second value to a second site of the recipient, the second value differing from the first value by a differential; and

changing the first and second values simultaneously while automatically maintaining the differential between the first and second values.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein changing the first and second values simultaneously includes decreasing the first and second values simultaneously.

32. The method of claim 30 wherein changing the first and second values simultaneously includes increasing the first and second values simultaneously.

33. A computer-readable medium having contents capable of performing a method for displaying characteristics of an electrical therapy signal, comprising:

receiving a first value for a characteristic of a first electrical therapy signal and directing transmission of the first electrical therapy signal with the first value of the characteristic;

directing a digital display device to display a first graph representing the first value of the characteristic;

receiving a second value for the characteristic and directing transmission of a second electrical therapy signal with the second value of the characteristic; and

directing the digital display device to display a second graph concurrent with a display of the first graph and representing the second value of the characteristic.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein receiving a first value for a characteristic of a first electrical therapy signal includes receiving an electrical current value.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein directing a digital display device to display a first graph includes directing a digital display device to display a bar graph.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein directing a digital display device to display a first graph includes directing a digital display device to display a first graph having a first color, and wherein directing a digital display device to display a second graph includes directing a digital display device to display a second graph having a second color different than the first color.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein directing a digital display device to display a first graph includes directing a digital display device to display a first graph having a first intensity, and wherein directing a digital display device to display a second graph includes directing a digital display device to display a second graph having a second intensity different than the first intensity.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein directing a digital display device to display a first graph includes directing a digital display device to display a first bar graph, and wherein directing a digital display device to display a second graph includes directing a digital display device to display a second bar graph axially aligned with the first bar graph.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising displaying an indication of a malfunction associated with a circuit carrying the first electrical therapy signal.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising displaying an indication that the electrical therapy signal is selected for adjustment.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 33 wherein directing the first electrical therapy signal includes directing the first electrical therapy signal to a percutaneous probe.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, further comprising directing a digital display of a text message indicating the conclusion of a therapy session.

43. An apparatus for controlling therapeutic electrical signals transmitted to a recipient, comprising:

a therapeutic signal emitter; and

a signal controller operatively coupled to the therapeutic signal emitter, the signal controller including a first input device coupled to a first channel to control a signal level directed to the first channel, the signal controller further including a second input device coupled to a second channel to control a signal level directed to the second channel independently of the signal level directed to the first channel, the signal controller still further including a common input device coupled to both the first and second channels to simultaneously control a single signal level directed to both the first and second channels.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the first input device includes a first pushbutton operatively coupled to a rotary knob and wherein the second input device includes a second pushbutton operatively coupled to the rotary knob.

45. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the common input device includes a pushbutton operatively coupled to a rotary knob.

46. The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising a display device operatively coupled to the therapeutic signal emitter, the display device being configured to display characteristics of a therapeutic signal emitted by the therapeutic signal emitter.

47. The apparatus of claim 43, further comprising:

a support member;

first and second percutaneous probe actuators carried by the support member and configured to actuate percutaneous probes;

a first conductive link coupled between the first percutaneous actuator and the first channel; and

a second conductive link coupled between the second percutaneous actuator and the second channel.

48. An apparatus for providing percutaneous electrical therapy, comprising:

a signal emitter coupleable to a percutaneous probe and configured to emit an electrical signal; and

a signal input device operatively coupled to the signal emitter to control a current of the electrical signal emitted by the signal emitter, the signal input device being movable between a first position and a second position, the first position corresponding to a first non-zero electrical signal current and the second position corresponding to a second non-zero electrical current;

wherein the signal emitter is changeable from a powered state to an unpowered state, and wherein the signal emitter emits no electrical signal upon being placed in the powered state until the signal input device is moved, regardless of whether the signal input device is in the first position or the second position when the signal emitter is placed in the powered state.

49. The apparatus of claim 48 wherein the signal emitter is paused when in the unpowered state.

50. The apparatus of claim 48 wherein the signal input device includes a rotary knob.

51. The apparatus of claim 48, further comprising a display device operatively coupled to the signal emitter.