AUTOMATED FITTING SYSTEM FOR DEEP BRAIN STIMULATION

• US 20090118786A1
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Published: 05/07/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics Corporation (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Moffitt, Michael Adam, Meadows, Paul Milton
• Application Number:
  US11/934,731
• Publication Number:
  US 20090118786A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1101 Detecting tremor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1127 using markers
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/389 Electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4082 Diagnosing or monitoring movement diseases, e.g. Parkinson, Huntington or Tourette
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36139 with automatic adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36185 Selection of the electrode configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer

Abstract

Methods, systems, and external programmers provide therapy to a patient having a dysfunction. In one aspect, stimulation energy is conveyed from a neurostimulator to electrodes located within a tissue region of the patient, thereby changing the status of the dysfunction. A physiological end-function of the patient indicative of the changed status of the dysfunction is measured, and stimulation parameters are programmed into the neurostimulator based on the measured physiological end-function. In another aspect, electrodes are placed adjacent to a tissue region of the patient, and stimulation energy is conveyed from the electrodes to the tissue region in accordance with the stimulation parameters, thereby changing the status of the dysfunction. A physiological end-function of the patient indicative of the changed status of the dysfunction is measured, and the stimulation parameters are adjusted based on the measured physiological end-function.

Claims

1. A method of providing therapy to a patient having a dysfunction, comprising:

conveying stimulation energy from a neurostimulator to at least one implanted electrode located within a tissue region of the patient, thereby changing the status of the dysfunction;

measuring a physiological end-function of the patient indicative of the changed status of the dysfunction; and

programming at least one stimulation parameter into the neurostimulator based on the measured physiological end-function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the dysfunction is caused by neurological disorder.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the dysfunction is a motor dysfunction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the tissue region is located in the brain.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the measured physiological end-function is at least one of a kinematic function, an electrical muscle impulse, and a speech pattern.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological end-function is non-invasively measured.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one stimulation parameter comprises at least one of a pulse amplitude, pulse width, pulse rate, and electrode combination.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising conveying stimulation energy from the neurostimulator to the tissue region of the patient in accordance with the at least one stimulation parameter, thereby improving the status of the dysfunction.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising quantifying the dysfunction based on the measured physiological end-function, wherein the at least one stimulation parameter is programmed into the neurostimulator based on the quantified dysfunction.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically determining the at least one stimulation parameter in response to the measured physiological end-function.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the automatic determination of the at least one stimulation parameter is performed heuristically.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the automatic determination of the at least one stimulation parameter is performed by correlating the measured physiological end-function to a predetermined data set.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising implanting the neurostimulator into the patient.

14. A neurostimulation system, comprising:

at least one electrical terminal;

output stimulation circuitry configured for outputting stimulation energy to the at least one electrical terminal;

control circuitry configured for controlling the stimulation energy output by the output stimulation circuitry;

monitoring circuitry configured for measuring a physiological end-function of a patient indicative of a changed status of a dysfunction of a patient; and

processing circuitry configured for programming the control circuitry with at least one stimulation parameter based on the measured physiological end-function.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the dysfunction is a motor dysfunction.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the measured physiological end-function is at least one of a kinematic function, an electrical muscle impulse, and a speech pattern.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the monitoring circuitry is configured for non-invasively measuring the physiological end-function.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the at least one stimulation parameter comprises at least one of a pulse amplitude, pulse width, pulse rate, and electrode combination.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is configured for programming the control circuitry with the at least one stimulation parameter to improve the status of the dysfunction when the output stimulation circuitry outputs the stimulation energy to the at least one electrical terminal.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the monitoring circuitry is configured for quantifying the dysfunction based on the measured physiological end-function, and the processing circuitry is configured for programming the at least one stimulation parameter into the control circuitry based on the quantified dysfunction.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the processing circuitry is configured for automatically determining the at least one stimulation parameter in response to the measured physiological end-function.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing circuitry is configured for performing the automatic determination of the at least one stimulation parameter heuristically.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the processing circuitry is configured for performing the automatic determination of the at least one stimulation parameter by correlating the measured physiological end-function to a predetermined data set.

24. The system of claim 14, further comprising telemetry circuitry configured for wirelessly conveying the at least one stimulation parameter from the processing circuitry to the control circuitry.

25. The system of claim 14, further comprising a case containing the at least one electrical terminal, output stimulation circuitry, and control circuitry to form a neurostimulator

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the neurostimulator is implantable.

27. The system of claim 14, wherein the monitoring circuitry and the processing circuitry are contained within one or more computers.

28. An external programmer for a neurostimulator, comprising:

input circuitry configured for receiving information indicative of a changed status of a dysfunction of a patient;

processing circuitry configured for automatically determining at least one programmable stimulation parameter based on the received information; and

output circuitry configured for transmitting the programmable stimulation parameter to the neurostimulator.

29. The programmer of claim 28, wherein the information is a measured physiological end-function.

30. The programmer of claim 29, wherein the measured physiological end-function is at least one of a kinematic function, an electrical muscle impulse, and a speech pattern.

31. The programmer of claim 28, wherein the information is a quantified dysfunction.

32. The programmer of claim 28, wherein the at least one programmable stimulation parameter comprises at least one of a pulse amplitude, pulse width, pulse rate, and electrode combination.

33. The programmer of claim 28, wherein the processing circuitry is configured for defining the at least one programmable stimulation parameter, such that the status of the dysfunction is improved when stimulation energy is delivered to the patient in accordance with the programmable stimulation parameter.

34. The programmer of claim 28, wherein the processing circuitry is configured for performing the automatic determination of the at least one programmable stimulation parameter heuristically.

35. The programmer of claim 28, wherein the processing circuitry is configured for performing the automatic determination of the at least one programmable stimulation parameter by correlating the received information to a predetermined data set.

36. The programmer of claim 28, wherein the output circuitry comprises telemetry circuitry.

37. The programmer of claim 28, wherein the input circuitry, processing circuitry, and output circuitry are contained in a single case.

38-71. -71. (canceled)