USER INTERFACE FOR OPTIMIZING ENERGY MANAGEMENT IN A NEUROSTIMULATION SYSTEM

• US 20110106213A1
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Anderson, Joel A., Perz, Leroy L., Goetz, Steven M., Davis, Jon P., Davenport, Lynn A., Torgerson, Nathan A., Singal, Ashish, Sahasrabudhe, Rajeev M., Gokaldas, Shyam, Straka, Scott E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,204,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/59
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

In one aspect, a programmer for an implantable medical device comprises a user interface that receives user input corresponding to one or more selected stimulation therapy parameters for delivering stimulation therapy to a patient with the implantable medical device and presents an energy consumption estimate of a power source based on the selected stimulation therapy parameters; and a processor that determines one or more programming options that, if selected, would alter the selected stimulation therapy parameters and reduce the energy consumption estimate. The user interface presents at least one of the programming options to reduce the energy consumption estimate to the user with an indication that user selection of one or more of the presented programming options would alter the selected stimulation therapy parameters to reduce energy consumption of the implantable medical device.

Claims

1. A programmer for an implantable medical device comprising:

a user interface that receives user input corresponding to one or more selected stimulation therapy parameters for delivering stimulation therapy to a patient with the implantable medical device and presents an energy consumption estimate of a power source based on the selected stimulation therapy parameters; and

a processor that determines one or more programming options that, if selected, would alter the selected stimulation therapy parameters and reduce the energy consumption estimate,

wherein the user interface presents at least one of the programming options to reduce the energy consumption estimate to the user with an indication that user selection of one or more of the presented programming options would alter the selected stimulation therapy parameters to reduce energy consumption of the implantable medical device.

2. The programmer of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the one or more programming options that, if selected, would alter the selected stimulation therapy parameters and reduce the energy consumption estimate in part by evaluating the proportional effect on the energy consumption estimate contributed by each program of a plurality of programs in a program group.

3. The programmer of claim 2, wherein the presented programming options include an option to alter selected therapy parameters for the program that of the program group that contributes the greatest proportion of the energy consumption estimate.

4. The programmer of claim 1, wherein the user interface presents a representation of the proportional effect on the energy consumption estimate contributed by each program of a plurality of programs in a program group.

5. The programmer of claim 1, wherein the user interface presents at least one of the programming options when the energy consumption estimate increases above a certain level.

6. The programmer of claim 1, wherein the user interface presents at least one of the programming options when an estimated time between recharges drops below a certain level.

7. The programmer of claim 1, wherein the user interface presents at least one of the programming options using a slideable indicator.

8. The programmer of claim 1, wherein the user interface presents at least one of the programming options using a pop-up.

9. The programmer of claim 1, wherein the user interface presents the indication that user selection of one or more of the presented programming options would alter the selected stimulation therapy parameters to reduce energy consumption of the implantable medical device using a color coded selection mechanism.

10. The programmer of claim 1, wherein the processor determines the energy consumption estimate.

11. The programmer of claim 10, wherein the processor estimates the future drain on the power source using a record of manual patient therapy parameter adjustments to determine the energy consumption estimate.

12. The programmer of claim 10, wherein the processor estimates the future drain on the power source using a record of patient postures and therapy parameters associated with the patient postures to determine the energy consumption estimate.

13. The programmer of claim 1, wherein the one or more programming options are selected from a group consisting of:

reducing stimulation current amplitude;

reducing stimulation voltage amplitude;

reducing stimulation pulse rate;

reducing stimulation duty cycle;

altering stimulation pulse width;

altering a number of activated leads or electrodes;

altering an electrode combination;

altering electrode polarity;

altering a number of active programs in a program group; and

altering a program selected for a slot of a program group.

14. The programmer of claim 1, further comprising a telemetry module that facilitates bi-directional communication between the programmer and the implantable medical device,

wherein the programmer receives the energy consumption estimate from the implantable medical device via the telemetry module.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, with a user interface of a programmer for an implantable medical device, user input corresponding to one or more selected stimulation therapy parameters for delivering stimulation therapy to a patient with the implantable medical device;

presenting, with the user interface, an energy consumption estimate of a power source based on the selected stimulation therapy parameters;

determining, with a processor of the programmer, one or more programming options that, if selected, would alter the selected stimulation therapy parameters and reduce the energy consumption estimate; and

presenting, with the user interface, at least one of the programming options to reduce the energy consumption estimate to the user with an indication that user selection of one or more of the presented programming options would alter the selected stimulation therapy parameters to reduce energy consumption of the implantable medical device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining, with the processor, the one or more programming options that, if selected, would alter the selected stimulation therapy parameters and reduce the energy consumption estimate in part by evaluating the proportional effect on the energy consumption estimate contributed by each program of a plurality of programs in a program group.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the presented programming options include an option to alter selected therapy parameters for the program that of the program group that contributes the greatest proportion of the energy consumption estimate.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising presenting, with the user interface, at least one of the programming options when the energy consumption estimate increases above a certain level.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising presenting, with the user interface, at least one of the programming options when an estimated time between recharges drops below a certain level.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining, with the processor, the energy consumption estimate.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising estimating, with the processor, the future drain on the power source using a record of manual patient therapy adjustments to determine the energy consumption estimate.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising estimating, with the processor, the future drain on the power source using a record of patient postures and therapy parameters associated with the patient postures to determine the energy consumption estimate.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the one or more programming options are selected from a group consisting of:

reducing stimulation current amplitude;

reducing stimulation voltage amplitude;

reducing stimulation pulse rate;

reducing stimulation duty cycle;

altering stimulation pulse width;

altering a number of activated leads or electrodes;

altering an electrode combination;

altering electrode polarity;

altering a number of active programs in a program group; and

altering a program selected for a slot of a program group.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising receiving, with a telemetry module of the programmer, the energy consumption estimate from the implantable medical device.

25. A system comprising:

means for delivering a stimulation therapy to a patient;

means for receiving user input corresponding to one or more selected stimulation therapy parameters for delivering the stimulation therapy to the patient;

means for determining one or more programming options that, if selected, would alter the selected stimulation therapy parameters and reduce an energy consumption estimate for the stimulation therapy; and

means for presenting at least one of the programming options to reduce the energy consumption estimate to the user with an indication that user selection of one or more of the presented programming options would alter the selected stimulation therapy parameters to reduce the energy consumption estimate.

26. A computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, upon execution, cause a processor to:

determine an energy consumption estimate for selected stimulation therapy parameters for delivering medical therapy to a patient with an implantable medical device;

determine one or more programming options that, if selected, would alter selected stimulation therapy parameters and reduce the energy consumption estimate,

present, via a user interface, at least one of the programming options to reduce the energy consumption estimate to a user with an indication that user selection of one or more of the presented programming options would alter the selected stimulation therapy parameters to reduce energy consumption of the implantable medical device.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises instructions that, upon execution, cause the processor to estimate a future drain on a power source using a record of manual patient therapy parameter adjustments to determine the energy consumption estimate.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the computer-readable medium comprises instructions that, upon execution, cause the processor to estimate a future drain on a power source using a record of patient postures and therapy parameters associated with the patient postures to determine the energy consumption estimate.

29. The computer-readable medium of claim 26, wherein the one or more programming options are selected from a group consisting of:

reducing stimulation current amplitude;

reducing stimulation voltage amplitude;

reducing stimulation pulse rate;

reducing stimulation duty cycle;

altering stimulation pulse width;

altering a number of activated leads or electrodes;

altering an electrode combination;

altering electrode polarity;

altering a number of active programs in a program group; and

altering a program selected for a slot of a program group.