Neural stimulation system to prevent simultaneous energy discharges

• US 20060241699A1
• Filed: 04/20/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Stahmann, Jeffrey E., Kramer, Andrew P., Libbus, Imad, Linder, William J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,881,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36114 Cardiac control, e.g. by vagal stimulation stimulating the heart A61N1/362

Abstract

Various aspects of the present subject matter relate to a system. Various embodiments of the system comprise at least one port to connect to at least one lead with at least one electrode, at least one stimulator circuit and at least one controller. The at least one stimulator circuit is connected to the at least one port and is adapted to deliver neural stimulation to a neural stimulation target using the at least one electrode. The at least one controller is adapted to determine when another energy discharge other than the neural stimulation to the neural stimulation target is occurring and to prevent delivery of the neural stimulation simultaneously with the other energy discharge. Other aspects and embodiments are provided herein.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

at least one port to connect to at least one lead with at least one electrode;

at least one stimulator circuit connected to the at least one port and adapted to deliver neural stimulation to a neural stimulation target using the at least one electrode; and

at least one controller to determine when another energy discharge other than the neural stimulation to the neural stimulation target is occurring and to prevent delivery of the neural stimulation simultaneously with the other energy discharge.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is adapted to stagger delivery the neural stimulation.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is adapted to deliver the neural stimulation in predetermined time slots in a time division multiplexing scheme.

4. The system of claim 1, including:

a first device and a second device adapted to communicate with the first device;

the at least one port includes a first port in the first device to connect to a first lead with at least one electrode and a second port in the second device to connect to a second lead with at least one electrode;

the at least one stimulator circuit includes a first stimulator circuit in the first device to deliver the neural stimulation using the first lead and a second stimulator circuit in the second device to deliver the other energy discharge using the second lead; and

the at least one controller includes a first controller in the first device to control delivery of the neural stimulation and a second controller in the second device to control delivery of the energy discharge.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a device includes the at least one port, the at least one stimulator circuit to deliver the neural stimulation, and the at least one controller to control delivery of the neural stimulation;

the at least one controller includes a controller adapted to control delivery of both the neural stimulation and the other energy discharge.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a device includes the at least one port, the at least one stimulator circuit to deliver the neural stimulation, and the at least one controller to control delivery of the neural stimulation;

the at least one controller includes a first controller to control delivery of the neural stimulation, and a second controller to control delivery of the other energy discharge; and

the second controller is adapted to interrupt delivery of the neural stimulation when the other energy discharge is occurring.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a device includes the at least one port, the at least one stimulator circuit to deliver the neural stimulation, and the at least one controller to control delivery of the neural stimulation;

the at least one controller includes a first controller to control delivery of the neural stimulation, and a second controller to control delivery of the other energy discharge; and

the first controller is adapted to prevent delivery of the neural stimulation when the other energy discharge is occurring.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the other energy discharge includes an energy discharge from a cardiac rhythm management (CRM) therapy.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the energy discharge from the CRM therapy includes a pacing pulse.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the controller is adapted to interrupt neural stimulation bursts to provide windows without neural stimulation within which the pacing pulse is applied.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the energy discharge from the CRM therapy includes a defibrillation shock.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the energy discharge from the CRM therapy includes a recharge pulse to depolarize an interface between tissue and the electrode.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy discharge includes energy discharged to measure an impedance.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the energy discharged to measure the impedance includes energy discharged to provide a minute ventilation pulse.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the energy discharge includes energy discharged by neural stimulation applied to a different neural stimulation target.

16. A system, comprising:

means for delivering neural stimulation to a neural stimulation target and for providing another energy discharge;

means for determining when the other energy discharge is occurring; and

means for preventing delivery of the neural stimulation to the neural stimulation target when the other energy discharge is occurring.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for preventing delivery of the neural stimulation to the neural stimulation target when the other energy discharge is occurring includes means for staggering delivery of the neural stimulation and the other energy discharge.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for preventing delivery of the neural stimulation to the neural stimulation target when the other energy discharge is occurring includes means for delivering neural stimulation in a first predetermined time slot and providing the other energy discharge during a second predetermined time slot in a time division multiplexing scheme.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for determining when another energy discharge is occurring includes means for receiving an interrupt to disable neural stimulation delivery in preparation for the other energy discharge.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the other energy discharge includes a pacing pulse from a cardiac rhythm management therapy.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein the other energy discharge includes a defibrillation shock.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the other energy discharge includes a recharge pulse to depolarize an interface between tissue and the electrode.

23. The system of claim 16, wherein the other energy discharge includes energy discharged to measure impedance.

24. The system of claim 16, wherein the other energy discharge includes another neural stimulation to another neural stimulation target.

25. A method, comprising:

delivering neural stimulation to a neural stimulation target;

providing another energy discharge;

determining when the other energy discharge is occurring; and

preventing delivery of the neural stimulation to the neural stimulation target when the other energy discharge is occurring.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein preventing delivery of the neural stimulation to the neural stimulation target when the other energy discharge is occurring includes staggering delivery of the neural stimulation and the other energy discharge.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein preventing delivery of the neural stimulation to the neural stimulation target when the other energy discharge is occurring includes delivering neural stimulation in a first predetermined time slot and providing the other energy discharge during a second predetermined time slot in a time division multiplexing scheme.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein determining when the other energy discharge is occurring includes receiving an interrupt to disable neural stimulation delivery in preparation for the other energy discharge.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein the other energy discharge includes a pacing pulse from a cardiac rhythm management therapy.

30. The method of claim 25, wherein the other energy discharge includes a defibrillation shock.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein the other energy discharge includes a recharge pulse to depolarize an interface between tissue and the electrode.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein the other energy discharge includes energy discharged to measure impedance.

33. The method of claim 25, wherein the other energy discharge includes another neural stimulation to another neural stimulation target.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein delivering neural stimulation to a neural stimulation target includes delivering neural stimulation to a baroreceptor.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein delivering neural stimulation to a baroreceptor includes intravascularly placing an expandable lead in a vessel proximate to a baroreceptor.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein intravascularly placing an expandable lead in a vessel proximate to a baroreceptor includes intravascularly placing the expandable lead in a pulmonary artery.

37. The method of claim 25, wherein delivering neural stimulation to a neural stimulation target includes stimulating a cardiac fat pad.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein stimulating a cardiac fat pad includes using an intravascularly-fed lead to transvascularly stimulate the cardiac fat pad.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein stimulating a cardiac fat pad includes using an epicardial lead to place an electrode in or proximate to the cardiac fat pad for use in stimulating the cardiac fat pad.

40. The method of claim 25, wherein delivering neural stimulation to a neural stimulation target includes stimulating a nerve trunk.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein the nerve trunk includes an aortic nerve, a carotid nerve or a vagus nerve.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein stimulating the nerve trunk includes using a nerve cuff to stimulate the nerve trunk.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein stimulating the nerve trunk includes using an intravascularly-fed lead to transvascularly stimulate the nerve trunk.