WAVEFORMS FOR ELECTRICAL STIMULATION THERAPY

• US 20110071589A1
• Filed: 09/21/2010
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Soykan, Orhan, Starkebaum, Warren L., Schu, Carl A., Firestone, Elizabeth D., Maude-Griffin, Roland C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,937,344 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36085 Eating disorders or obesity
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36171 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36175 Pulse width or duty cycle

Abstract

In some examples, the disclosure relates to a systems, devices, and techniques for delivering electrical stimulation therapy to a patient. In one example, the disclosure relates to a method including delivering a series of pulses with alternating pulse polarities to a gastrointestinal tract of a patient. The series of pulses includes at least a first pulse of a first polarity, a second pulse of a second polarity, and a third pulse of the first polarity, where the first, second and third pulses are delivered in direct succession and in that order. The first and second pulses are separated by a first time delay and the second and third pulses are separated by a second time delay. In some examples, each of the first and second time delays depend on the frequency that the series of pulses are delivered.

Claims

1. A method comprising delivering a series of pulses with alternating pulse polarities to a gastrointestinal (GI) tract of a patient, wherein the series of pulses includes at least a first pulse of a first polarity, a second pulse of a second polarity, and a third pulse of the first polarity, wherein the first, second and third pulses are delivered in direct succession, in that order, and wherein the first and second pulses are separated by a first time delay and the second and third pulses are separated by a second time delay.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the series of pulses has a pulse width between approximately 0.05 milliseconds and approximately 1000 milliseconds.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of pulses are delivered at a pulse frequency between approximately 0.05 Hz and approximately 40 Hz.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the series of pulses has an amplitude greater than zero but less than or equal to approximately 25 volts.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of pulses are delivered with a controlled current, and each of the series of pulses has an amplitude greater than zero but less than or equal to approximately 25 milliamps.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second time delay are approximately the same amount of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein first, second, and third pulses have approximately the same charge amount.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering the series of pulses with alternating pulse polarities to the gastrointestinal tract of the patient comprises delivering the series of pulses to a stomach of the patient.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the series of pulses are configured to increase the distention of a stomach of a patient.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying the patient as obese, wherein the electrical stimulation is delivered to the patient based at least in part on the identification.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and third pulses have a pulse amplitude and pulse width different from that of the second pulse.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first time delay and second time delay depend on the frequency that the series of pulses are delivered and the pulse widths of the first and second pulses.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting an amplitude of one or more of the pulses of the series of pulses to maintain charge balance.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a pulse width of one or more of the pulses of the series of pulses to maintain charge balance.

15. A medical device system comprising:

a stimulation generator configured to generate and deliver a series of pulses having alternating pulse polarities to a patient; and

a processor configured to control the series of pulses generated and delivered by the stimulation generator,

wherein the series of pulses includes at least a first pulse of a first polarity, a second pulse of a second polarity, and a third pulse of the first polarity, wherein the first, second and third pulses are delivered in direct succession, in that order, and wherein the first and second pulses are separated by a first time delay and the second and third pulses are separated by a second time delay,

wherein the device is configured to deliver the series of pulses to a gastrointestinal (GI) tract of a patient.

16. The medical device system of claim 15, further comprising at least one elongated lead including at least one electrode, the at least one lead configured to be attached to a wall of the GI tract of the patient, wherein the at least one electrode delivers the series of pulses to the GI tract of the patient when the at least one lead is anchored to the wall of the GI tract of the patient.

17. The medical device system of claim 15, wherein the processor controls each of the series of pulses to have a pulse width between approximately 0.05 milliseconds and approximately 1000 milliseconds.

18. The medical device system of claim 15, wherein the processor controls the series of pulses to be delivered at a pulse frequency between approximately 0.05 Hz and approximately 40 Hz.

19. The medical device system of claim 15, wherein the processor controls each of the series of pulses to have an amplitude greater than zero but less than or equal to approximately 25 volts.

20. The medical device system of claim 15, wherein the processor controls each of the series of pulses to have an amplitude greater than zero but less than or equal to approximately 25 milliamps.

21. The medical device system of claim 15, wherein the processor controls the series of pulses such that the first and second time delays are approximately the same amount of time.

22. The medical device system of claim 15, wherein the processor controls the first, second, and third pulses to have approximately the same charge amount.

23. The medical device system of claim 15, wherein delivering the series of pulses with alternating pulse polarities to the gastrointestinal tract of the patient comprises delivering the series of pulses to a stomach of the patient.

24. The medical device system of claim 21, wherein the processor controls the series of pulses to increase the distention of a stomach of a patient.

25. The medical device system of claim 15, wherein the processor is configured to identify the patient as obese, wherein the processor controls the delivery of the series of pulses to the patient based at least in part on the identification.

26. The medical device system of claim 15, wherein the processor controls the first and third pulses to have a pulse amplitude and pulse width different from that of the second pulse.

27. The medical device system of claim 15, wherein the processor controls the series of pulses such that the first time delay and second time delay depend on the frequency that the series of pulses are delivered and the pulse width of the first and second pulse.

28. The medical device system of claim 15, wherein the stimulation generator comprises an implantable stimulation generator.

29. The medical device system of claim 15, further comprising one or more implantable leads configured to deliver the series of pulses to the GI tract of the patient.

30. A computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions to cause a programmable processor to control a stimulation generator to deliver a series of pulses with alternating pulse polarities to a gastrointestinal (GI) tract of a patient, wherein the series of pulses includes at least a first pulse of a first polarity, a second pulse of a second polarity, and a third pulse of the first polarity, wherein the first, second and third pulses are delivered in direct succession, in that order, and wherein the first and second pulses are separated by a first time delay and the second and third pulses are separated by a second time delay.