REVERSING RECRUITMENT ORDER BY ANODE INTENSIFICATION

• US 20100331926A1
• Filed: 06/22/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Bradley, Kerry, Peterson, David K.L., Lee, Dongchul
• Application Number:
  US12/821,005
• Publication Number:
  US 20100331926A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/72
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36185 Selection of the electrode configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37241 providing test stimulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37512 Pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37514 Brain implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

A method of providing therapy to a patient using a plurality of electrodes is provided. The electrodes are located adjacent a target neural tissue region having a first nerve fiber of a relatively small diameter and a second nerve fiber of a relatively large diameter. The method comprises sourcing electrical current from a local anode into the target neural tissue region. The method further comprises therapeutically sinking a first portion of the electrical current from the target neural tissue region into a local cathode. The method further comprises sinking a second portion of the electrical current into a cathode remote from the target neural tissue region. The ratio of the sourced electrical current over the first sunk electrical current portion has a value that allows the first nerve fiber to be recruited by the electrical current while preventing the second nerve fiber from being recruited by the electrical current.

Claims

1. A method of providing therapy to a patient using a plurality of electrodes located adjacent a target neural tissue region having a first nerve fiber of a relatively small diameter and a second nerve fiber of a relatively large diameter, comprising:

sourcing electrical current from two local anodes of the electrodes into the target neural tissue region;

therapeutically sinking a first portion of the electrical current from the target neural tissue region into at least one local cathode of the electrodes, the two local anodes flanking the at least one local cathode, wherein the first nerve fiber is located a first distance from a geometric center of the at least one local cathode, and the second nerve fiber is located a second distance from the geometric center of the at least one local cathode, and wherein the second distance is equal to or less than the first distance; and

sinking a second portion of the electrical current into at least one cathode remote from the target neural tissue region;

wherein a ratio of the sourced electrical current over the first sunk electrical current portion has a value that allows the first nerve fiber to be recruited by the electrical current while preventing the second nerve fiber from being recruited by the electrical current.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions of the electrical current are simultaneously distributed between the at least one local cathode and the least one remote cathode.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second portions of the electrical current are temporally distributed between the at least one local cathode and the at least one remote cathode.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical current comprises a plurality of electrical pulses.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the target neural tissue region comprises spinal cord tissue.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the electrodes are arranged rostro-caudally along the spinal cord tissue.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio is at least 1.5

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio is at least 1.8.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio is at least 2.4.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one remote electrode is disposed on a case of an implantable pulse generator.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one remote electrode is located adjacent another target neural tissue region, and the second portion of the electrical current is therapeutically sunk from the other target neural tissue region into the at least one remote cathode.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first distance is equal to the second distance.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein first nerve fiber is deeper in the neural tissue region than the second nerve fiber.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein recruitment of the second nerve fiber would produce an adverse side effect in the patient.