OCCIPITAL NERVE STIMULATION

• US 20090112282A1
• Filed: 07/31/2008
• Published: 04/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Witt, William, Kast, John E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,008,782 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0553 Paddle shaped electrodes, e.g. for laminotomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0558 Anchoring or fixation means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/375 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3758 Packaging of the components within the casing

Abstract

An implantable medical device comprises one or more electrical stimulation generators, and a housing that contains the one or more electrical stimulation generators. The implantable medical device also includes a first medical lead no greater than about 6 inches in length, and a second medical lead no greater than about 6 inches in length. The housing includes a first connector block that electrically connects the first medical lead to at least one of the one or more electrical stimulation generators, and a second connector block that electrically connects the second medical lead to at least one of the one or more electrical stimulation generators. The implantable medical device may be part of an electrical stimulation system implanted beneath the skin and inferior to the inion of a patient to deliver stimulation therapy to at least one of an occipital nerve and a branch of the occipital nerve.

Claims

1. An implantable medical device comprising:

one or more electrical stimulation generators;

a housing that contains the one or more electrical stimulation generators;

a first medical lead no greater than about 6 inches in length; and

a second medical lead no greater than about 6 inches in length,

wherein the housing includes a first connector block that electrically connects the first medical lead to at least one of the one or more electrical stimulation generators, and a second connector block that electrically connects the second medical lead to at least one of the one or more electrical stimulation generators.

2. The device of claim 1,

wherein the housing has a width and a length that are each greater than a thickness of the housing, and

wherein the connector blocks are located at least a third of the length of the housing apart from one another.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein a major surface of the housing is curved to accommodate implantation inferior to the external occipital protuberance.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing has a volume between about 0.5 cubic centimeters (cc) and 5 cc.

5. The device of claim 1,

wherein the housing has a width and a length that are each greater than a thickness of the housing, and

wherein an aspect ratio of a length of the housing to a width of the housing is between about 1.5:

1 and 2;

1.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the connector blocks are located on at least one surface of the housing defined by the thickness.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the connector blocks are oriented in about the same direction.

8. The device of claim 6, the connector blocks are oriented in about opposite directions.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the connector blocks are separated by between about 0.5 inches and about 1.3 inches.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the medical leads include a paddle lead.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the electrical stimulation device is configured to deliver electrical stimulation to at least one of an occipital nerve and a branch of the occipital nerve to alleviate occipital neuralgia.

12. An electrical stimulation system comprising:

an electrical stimulator comprising;

a housing having a width and a length that are each greater than a thickness of the housing,

one or more stimulation generators within the housing, and

at least two connector blocks, wherein each connector block accepts a medical lead; and

at least two medical leads extending from the housing and electrically coupled to the stimulation generator via the connector blocks, wherein two of the medical leads connect to the housing at separate locations, wherein the separate locations are separated by at least a third of the length of the housing, wherein each of the at least two medical leads are no greater than about 6 inches in length.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein a major surface of the housing is curved to accommodate implantation inferior to the external occipital protuberance.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the housing has a volume equal to or greater than 1.5 cc and less than or equal to 2.5 cc.

15. The system of claim 12,

wherein the housing has a width and a length that are each greater than a thickness of the housing, and

wherein an aspect ratio of a length of the housing to a width of the housing is between 1.5:

1 and 2;

1.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein two of the medical leads connect to the housing on opposing surfaces of the housing.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the electrical stimulation device is configured to deliver electrical stimulation to at least one of a trigeminal nerve, a greater occipital nerve, a lesser occipital nerve, a third occipital nerve, and a suboccipital nerve.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the at least two medical leads are permanently coupled to the housing and the stimulation generator.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the electrical stimulation device is configured to treat at least one of head pain, neck pain, neck tension, facial pain, facial tension, and pain or tension caused by occipital neuralgia.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the medical leads include a paddle lead.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the medical leads include an axial lead.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the separate locations are separated by between about 0.5 inches and about 1.3 inches.

23. A method for implanting an electrical stimulation system in a patient comprising:

making an incision in the skin of a patient inferior to the inion of the patient;

tunneling lateral paths under the skin laterally both to the right and to the left of the incision, wherein the paths are sized to accept medical leads of the electrical stimulation system;

forming an inferior pocket under the skin inferior to the inion, wherein the pocket is sized to accept a housing of an electrical stimulator of the electrical stimulation system;

inserting the medical leads of the electrical stimulation system into the lateral paths;

inserting the housing into the inferior pocket; and

closing the incision.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the electrical stimulator includes:

at least two connectors blocks within the housing each configured to accept one of the medical leads; and

one or more stimulation generators within the housing, wherein the stimulation generators are electrically coupled to the connectors blocks to deliver stimulation therapy to the medical leads.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising delivering stimulation therapy with the implanted electrical stimulation system to treat at least one of head pain, neck pain, neck tension, facial pain, facial tension, and pain or tension caused by occipital neuralgia.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the medical leads include at least one of a paddle lead and an axial lead.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the medical leads each have a length of less than 6 inches.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the electrical stimulator includes a battery within a housing and an inductive coil within the housing, wherein the method further comprises charging the battery via the inductive coil.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising connecting the medical leads to the electrical stimulator.