Management of multiple stimulation program groups

• US 20070213790A1
• Filed: 03/09/2006
• Published: 09/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Goetz, Steven, Bauhahn, Ruth, Nolan, Joseph, Malekkhosravi, Shahram
• Granted Patent: US 9,067,076 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36132 using patient feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means

Abstract

The disclosure describes a method and system that allows a user to manage multiple groups of stimulation programs that provide stimulation therapy. A physician may prepare a plurality of programs, arranged in groups that each focus on one area, that the patient may evaluate in an effort to determine if any programs provide efficacious therapy. Since the patient may be evaluating many groups by using a patient programmer, managing the groups may be difficult. The patient programmer may enable the patient to hide ineffective groups to minimize the number of groups available for therapy. In addition, the programmer may allow the patient to mark each group or program as effective or ineffective, to more easily manage groups and programs during stimulation therapy. In addition, the patient may unhide a group or program if the patient desires to reevaluate a formerly hidden option.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

presenting a list of electrical stimulation program groups for selection by a user to deliver electrical stimulation therapy via an electrical stimulator; and

presenting to the user a distinction between program groups that have been previously evaluated by the user and program groups that have not been previously evaluated by the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting a distinction includes hiding, from a displayed list of program groups, program groups that have been previously evaluated and found to be ineffective.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising hiding one of the program groups in response to user input requesting that the program group be hidden.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising deleting the hidden program groups in response to user input requesting that the hidden program groups be deleted.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising unhiding one of the program groups in response to user input requesting that the program group be unhidden.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising unhiding all of the hidden program groups in response to a user input requesting that the program groups be reset.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising preventing a user from selecting one of the hidden program groups for delivery of stimulation therapy.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising permitting a user to select unhidden program groups for delivery of stimulation therapy.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein presenting a distinction includes hiding, from a display list of program groups, program groups that have been previously evaluated and found to be ineffective, and presenting program groups that have not been previously evaluated and program groups that have been previously evaluated and found to be effective.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input indicating a degree of efficacy of one or more of the evaluated program groups, and presenting an indication of the degree of efficacy to the user via a display.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising navigating to a next program group that has not been previously evaluated by the user and activating the next program group after receiving the user input indicating the degree of efficacy.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving user input naming a program group, and presenting the name of the program group to the user via a display.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein one of the program groups is considered evaluated if it was used to deliver electrical stimulation therapy.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the stimulation therapy via an implantable stimulator.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting an indication to the user that one or more unevaluated program groups are available for evaluation.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the program groups includes one or more programs, and each of the programs specifies one or more parameters for delivery of electrical stimulation therapy.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the parameters include electrode combination, electrode polarity, stimulation current amplitude, stimulation voltage amplitude, stimulation pulse width and stimulation pulse rate.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising marking one or more of the program groups with a subjective ranking specified by user input.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering the stimulation therapy via an implantable stimulator, presenting the distinction via an external programmer that communicates with the implantable stimulator, and storing an indication of which program groups are unevaluated, which program groups are effective, and which program groups are ineffective in memory associated with the implantable stimulator at the direction of the external programmer.

20. A programmer for use with an electrical stimulator, the programmer comprising:

a user interface that presents information to a user of the electrical stimulator; and

a processor that controls the user interface to present a list of electrical stimulation program groups for selection by a user to deliver electrical stimulation therapy via an electrical stimulator, and presents to the user a distinction between program groups that have been previously evaluated by the user and program groups that have not been previously evaluated by the user.

21. The programmer of claim 20, wherein the user interface includes a display, and wherein the presentation of the distinction includes hiding, from a list of program groups presented by the display, program groups that have been previously evaluated and found to be ineffective.

22. The programmer of claim 21, wherein the user interface receives user input, and the processor controls the display to hide one of the program groups in response to user input requesting that the program group be hidden.

23. The programmer of claim 21, wherein the user interface receives user input, and the processor controls the display to unhide one of the program groups in response to user input requesting that the program group be unhidden.

24. The programmer of claim 21, wherein the user interface receives user input, and the processor prevents a user from selecting one of the hidden program groups for delivery of stimulation therapy.

25. The programmer of claim 24, wherein the processor automatically selects the next group that has not been previously evaluated by the user and delivers electrical stimulation therapy according to the next group.

26. The programmer of claim 21, wherein the user interface receives user input, and the processor permits a user to select unhidden program groups for delivery of stimulation therapy.

27. The programmer of claim 21, wherein presentation of a distinction includes hiding, from a display list of program groups, program groups that have been previously evaluated and found to be ineffective, and presenting program groups that have not been previously evaluated and program groups that have been previously evaluated and found to be effective.

28. The programmer of claim 20, wherein the user interface receives user input indicating a degree of efficacy of one or more of the evaluated program groups, and the processor controls the display to present an indication of the degree of efficacy to the user via a display.

29. The programmer of claim 20, wherein one of the program groups is considered evaluated if it was used to deliver electrical stimulation therapy.

30. The programmer of claim 20, wherein the programmer controls the electrical stimulator to deliver the stimulation therapy to a patient.

31. The programmer of claim 20, wherein the programmer controls the user interface to present an indication to the user that one or more unevaluated program groups are available for evaluation.

32. The programmer of claim 20, wherein each of the program groups includes one or more programs, and each of the programs specifies one or more parameters for delivery of electrical stimulation therapy, the parameters including electrode combination, electrode polarity, stimulation amplitude, stimulation pulse width and stimulation pulse rate.

33. The programmer of claim 20, wherein the user interface receives user input specifying a subjective ranking of one or more of the program groups, the processor controlling the user interface to present an indication of the subjective ranking.

34. The programmer of claim 20, further comprising a telemetry interface that communicates with the stimulator, wherein the controller communicates with the stimulator to store and retrieve an indication of which program groups are unevaluated, which program groups are effective, and which program groups are ineffective in memory associated with the stimulator.

35. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions to cause a processor to:

present a list of electrical stimulation program groups for selection by a user to deliver electrical stimulation therapy via an electrical stimulator; and

present to the user a distinction between program groups that have been previously evaluated by the user and program groups that have not been previously evaluated by the user.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the processor to present a distinction by hiding, from a displayed list of program groups, program groups that have been previously evaluated and found to be ineffective.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 36, wherein the instructions cause the processor to hide one of the program groups in response to user input requesting that the program group be hidden, and unhide one of the program groups in response to user input requesting that the program group be unhidden.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the instructions cause the processor to prevent a user from selecting one of the hidden program groups for delivery of stimulation therapy, and permit a user to select unhidden program groups for delivery of stimulation therapy.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the instructions cause the processor to hide, from a display list of program groups, program groups that have been previously evaluated and found to be ineffective, and present program groups that have not been previously evaluated and program groups that have been previously evaluated and found to be effective.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein each of the program groups includes one or more programs, and each of the programs specifies one or more parameters for delivery of electrical stimulation therapy, wherein the parameters include electrode combination, electrode polarity, stimulation amplitude, stimulation pulse width and stimulation pulse rate.

41. A system comprising:

an implantable electrical stimulator that delivers electrical stimulation therapy to a patient; and

an external programmer including a user interface that presents information to a user of the electrical stimulator, and a processor that controls the user interface to present a list of electrical stimulation program groups for selection by a user to deliver electrical stimulation therapy via an electrical stimulator, and presents to the user a distinction between program groups that have been previously evaluated by the user and program groups that have not been previously evaluated by the user.

42. The programmer of claim 41, wherein the user interface includes a display, and wherein the presentation of the distinction includes hiding, from a list of program groups presented by the display, program groups that have been previously evaluated and found to be ineffective.