Optical communication of neurostimulation-system information

• US 20070010858A1
• Filed: 06/02/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Forsberg, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,246 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes

Abstract

A neurostimulation lead includes fiber optic cable. A human-implantable neurostimulator and neurostimulation lead each include an opto-electric transducer. The opto-electric transducers can be an optical transmitter, an optical receiver, or an optical transducer, that converts: electrical energy to optical energy; optical energy to electrical energy; or both electrical energy to optical energy and optical energy to electrical energy. Neurostimulation-lead electrodes can be activated, and/or lead-status information can be transmitted, over the fiber optic cable, between the neurostimulator and the neurostimulation lead. A neurostimulation-lead power converter may be coupled to a pulse generator of the neurostimulator such that the power converter derives and stores power for the lead from stimulation pulses received from the stimulation-pulse generator.

Claims

1. A method of controlling activation of at least one electrode of a neurostimulation lead, the method comprising:

supplying power to the neurostimulation lead;

providing neurostimulation pulses to the neurostimulation lead over at least two conductors; and

transmitting optically-coded information that specifies, at least in part, one or more electrodes of the neurostimulation lead to which the neurostimulation pulses are directed.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein supplying power to the neurostimulation lead further comprises providing power to the neurostimulation lead via the neurostimulation pulses provided over the at least two conductors.

3. A method of communicating information from a neurostimulation lead to a neurostimulator, the method comprising:

converting power from at least two conductors connected to a power supply associated with the neurostimulator;

obtaining lead-status information at the neurostimulation lead; and

optically transmitting the lead-status information from the neurostimulation lead to the neurostimulator.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein converting power from a power supply of the neurostimulator further comprises deriving power from neurostimulation pulses provided over the at least two conductors.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the lead-status information is selected from the group consisting of:

electrode impedance, temperature, electrode electrical activity, and pH.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the lead-status information comprises information from at least one sensor.

7. A method of communicating information between a neurostimulation lead and a pulse generator, the method comprising:

supplying power from the neurostimulator to the neurostimulation lead;

providing neurostimulation pulses from the neurostimulator to the neurostimulation lead over at least two conductors;

transmitting optically-coded information that specifies, at least in part, one or more electrodes of the neurostimulation lead to which the neurostimulation pulses are directed;

obtaining lead-status information at the neurostimulation lead;

optically transmitting the lead-status information from the neurostimulation lead to the neurostimulator; and

receiving the optically transmitted lead-status information at the neurostimulator.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein supplying power to the neurostimulation lead further comprises providing power to the neurostimulation lead via the neurostimulation pulses provided over the at least two conductors.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the lead-status information includes information from at least one sensor.