System and method for providing a waveform for stimulating biological tissue

• US 20070078498A1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Published: 04/05/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IntElect Medical, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation), Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• Original Assignee: The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Intelect Medical Incorporated
• Inventors: Rezai, Ali, Carlton, Keith, Fell, Roger, Leyh, Scott, Wilder, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,715,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/025 Digital circuitry features of electrotherapy devices, e.g. memory, clocks, processors
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36146 specified by the stimulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37229 Shape or location of the implanted or external antenna
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer

Abstract

An implantable programmable stimulator system includes memory that stores at least one waveform. A playback system provides an output waveform based on retrieving the at least one waveform from the memory. An output system is configured to drive at least one output channel based on the output waveform, the output system selecting the at least one output channel from a plurality of output channels in response to a selection signal.

Claims

1. An implantable programmable stimulator system comprising:

memory that stores at least one waveform; and

a playback system that provides an output waveform based on retrieving the at least one waveform from the memory; and

an output system that is configured to drive at least one output channel based on the output waveform, the output system selecting the at least one output channel from a plurality of output channels in response to a selection signal.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the output system further comprises a switch network connected between the playback system and the plurality of channels, the switch network configured to complete an electrically conductive path from an output of the playback system and the at least one output channel in response~to the selection signal.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an amplifier system that is coupled to amplify the output waveform to provide a corresponding amplified output waveform to the at least one output channel.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the amplifier system comprises at least one amplifier coupled between the playback system and the output system.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the amplifier system comprises a number of amplifiers that is less than a number of the plurality of output channels, such that the output system is configured to distribute a corresponding amplified output waveform from at least one of the amplifiers to at least two of the plurality of output channels.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the amplifier system comprises at least one amplifier coupled between the output system and the plurality of output channels.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the amplifier system comprises a plurality of amplifiers, each amplifier being coupled to drive a respective one of the plurality of output channels.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the playback system further comprises a plurality of waveform controllers, each of the plurality of waveform controllers comprising a respective output system that is configured to distribute at least one selected output waveform to at least two of the plurality of amplifiers.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of waveform controllers, each of the plurality of waveform controllers comprising a playback system and memory that stores at least one waveform, each of the plurality of waveform controllers being programmed to provide at least one selected output waveform to at least one of the plurality of output channels.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a system control that is connected to communicate with each of the plurality of waveform controllers, the system control being operative to provide data to program at least one of the plurality of waveform controllers.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a communication system that is configured to communicate data relative to the system control, the system control employing at least some of the data received by the communication system to program the at least one waveform in the memory of the at least one of the plurality of waveform controllers.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a housing that encapsulates the memory, the playback system and the output system, each of the plurality of output channels being electrically accessible via the housing.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising a communication system that is configured to communicate data relative to the implantable programmable stimulator system for programming the memory.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the communication system comprises a wireless communications system that employs security measures to mitigate unauthorized access to the memory.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the memory stores the at least one waveform as a digital representation of a biological waveform recorded from tissue a biological subject.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the output system is configured to scale the output waveform electronically.

17. The system of claim 1, wherein the playback system is programmed to scale at least one waveform parameter of the output waveform.

18. An integrated implantable system for delivering electrical stimulation, comprising:

means for retrieving a recorded waveform from memory;

means for playing back the retrieved waveform as an output waveform; and

means for selectively distributing the output waveform to at least one of a plurality of channels.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for amplifying the output waveform, such that an amplified output waveform is provided to the at least one of the plurality of channels to deliver the electrical stimulation.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for scaling the output waveform by adjusting at least one parameter of the output waveform.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the means for retrieving is programmed to retrieve at least one of the recorded waveform from a plurality of recorded waveforms based on preprogrammed instructions.

22. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for housing the means for retrieving, the means for playing back, and the means for selectively distributing; and

means for providing electrical access to the plurality of channels.

23. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for controlling the means for retrieving and for controlling the means for playing back.

24. The system of claim 18, further comprising means for communicating data wirelessly relative to the integrated implantable system.

25. A method of operating an implantable system to deliver electrical stimulation, the method comprising:

playing back an output waveform based on at least one recorded waveform that is stored in associated memory; and

selectively distributing an output signal, corresponding to the output waveform, to at least one of a plurality of output channels for delivering the electrical stimulation.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising amplifying the output waveform to provide a corresponding amplified output signal that is provided to the at least one of the plurality of output channels.

27. The method of claim 26, further comprising:

playing back a plurality of output waveforms based on corresponding recorded waveforms stored in the memory; and

overlaying at least two selected waveforms to provide a composite waveform that is amplified and provided to the at least one of the plurality of output channels.

28. The method of claim 25, further comprising programming the memory with the at least one waveform and with instructions to control the playing back of the at least one waveform.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the at least one waveform that is stored in the memory comprises at least one of a pre-recorded biological waveform and a synthesized waveform.

30. The method of claim 28, wherein the memory is programmed based on data received wirelessly from an external programmer while the memory resides within the implantable system that is implanted within a patient.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising employing security measures to mitigate unauthorized programming of the memory.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein a plurality of different output waveforms are played back and distributed as corresponding output signals to at least a portion of the plurality of output channels.