SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ESTIMATING LEAD CONFIGURATION FROM NEIGHBORING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ELECTRODES

• US 20120016447A1
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Published: 01/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhu, Changfang, Peterson, David K.L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,165 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/62
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0553 Paddle shaped electrodes, e.g. for laminotomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36185 Selection of the electrode configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means

Abstract

A method and neurostimulation control system for programming electrodes disposed adjacent tissue of a patient. A fixed spatial grid of electrode positions is generated. One of the electrodes is designated as a reference electrode to be currently examined, and assigned to one of the electrode grid positions. One or more previously unassigned ones of the electrodes neighboring the reference electrode are assigned respectively to one or more of the electrode grid positions immediately surrounding the electrode grid position to which the reference electrode is assigned. The electrodes are programmed based on the assignment of the electrodes to the electrode grid positions.

Claims

15. A method of programming electrodes disposed adjacent tissue of a patient, comprising:

(a) generating a fixed spatial grid of electrode positions;

(b) designating one of the electrodes as a reference electrode to be currently examined;

(c) assigning the reference electrode to one of the electrode grid positions;

(d) assigning one or more previously unassigned ones of the electrodes neighboring the reference electrode respectively to one or more of the electrode grid positions immediately surrounding the electrode grid position to which the reference electrode is assigned; and

(e) programming the electrodes based on the assignment of the electrodes to the electrode grid positions.

1. A neurostimulation control system for use with a plurality of electrodes, comprising:

a user interface configured for receiving an input from a user;

at least one processor configured for, in response to the input from the user, (a) generating a fixed spatial grid of electrode positions, (b) designating one of the electrodes as a reference electrode to be currently examined, (c) assigning the reference electrode to one of the electrode grid positions, and (d) assigning one or more previously unassigned ones of the electrodes neighboring the reference electrode respectively to one or more of the electrode grid positions immediately surrounding the electrode grid position to which the reference electrode is assigned; and

a controller configured for programming the electrodes based on the assignment of the electrodes to the electrode grid positions.

2. The neurostimulation control system of claim 1, wherein the electrode grid positions are spatially arranged in columns respectively representing linear arrays of electrodes, and the at least one processor is further configured for assigning different numbers respectively to the electrodes.

3. The neurostimulation control system of claim 2, wherein the at least one processor is configured for assigning the one or more neighboring electrodes to the electrode grid positions in accordance with a set of rules comprising determining at least one in-line electrode of the one or more neighboring electrodes having a number sequential to the number of the reference electrode, and assigning the at least one in-line electrode to an electrode grid position within the same column having the electrode grid position to which the reference electrode is assigned.

4. The neurostimulation control system of claim 3, wherein the set of rules further comprises determining at least one off-line electrode of the one or more neighboring electrodes having a number non-sequential to the number of the reference electrode, and assigning the at least one off-line electrode to an electrode grid position within a column different from the column having the electrode grid position to which the reference electrode is assigned.

5. The neurostimulation control system of claim 4, wherein the set of rules further comprises determining if the at least one off-line electrode has a number sequential to the number of a neighboring electrode previously assigned to the electrode grid, and assigning the at least one off-line electrode to an electrode grid position within the same column having the electrode grid position to which the previously assigned neighboring electrode is assigned.

6. The neurostimulation control system of claim 1, wherein only six electrode grid positions immediately surround the electrode grid position with which the reference electrode is assigned.

7. The neurostimulation control system of claim 1, wherein the electrode grid positions are uniformly spaced from each other.

8. The neurostimulation control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for (f) designating one of the previously assigned neighboring electrodes as the reference electrode to be currently examined, and (g) again assigning one or more previously unassigned ones of the electrodes neighboring the reference electrode respectively to one or more of the electrode grid positions immediately surrounding the electrode grid position to which the reference electrode is assigned.

9. The neurostimulation control system of claim 8, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for repeating steps (f) and (g) until all the electrodes have been assigned to the electrode grid.

10. The neurostimulation control system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for determining, for each electrode, neighboring ones of the remaining electrodes, wherein, for the each electrode designated as the reference electrode to be currently examined, the one or more previously unassigned electrodes assigned to the one or more of the electrode grid positions immediately surrounding the electrode grid position to which the reference electrode is assigned are selected from the determined ones of the remaining electrodes that neighbor the each electrode.

11. The neurostimulation control system of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured for iteratively merging each electrode into a single electrode subset in an order dictated by merging the electrode closest in proximity to the single electrode for each iteration, wherein the electrodes are designated as the reference electrode in the order in which they are merged into the single electrode subset.

12. The neurostimulation control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured for programming the electrodes by selecting at least one of the electrodes as a cathode and selecting at least another of the electrodes as an anode based on the assignment of the electrodes to the electrode grid.

13. The neurostimulation control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured for programming the electrodes by selecting a plurality of groups of the electrodes to create a respective plurality of stimulation regions based on the assignment of the electrodes to the electrode grid.

14. The neurostimulation control system of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor and the controller are contained within an external control device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the electrode grid positions are spatially arranged in columns respectively representing linear arrays of electrodes, and different numbers are respectively assigned to the electrodes.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the one or more neighboring electrodes are assigned to the electrode grid positions in accordance with a set of rules comprising determining at least one in-line electrode of the one or more neighboring electrodes having a number sequential to the number of the reference electrode, and assigning the at least one in-line electrode to an electrode grid position within the same column having the electrode grid position to which the reference electrode is assigned.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the set of rules further comprises determining if the at least one off-line electrode has a number sequential to the number of a neighboring electrode previously assigned to the electrode grid, and assigning the at least one off-line electrode to an electrode grid position within the same column having the electrode grid position to which the previously assigned neighboring electrode is assigned.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein only six electrode grid positions immediately surround the electrode grid position with which the reference electrode is assigned.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the electrode grid positions are uniformly spaced from each other.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

(f) designating one of the previously assigned neighboring electrodes as the reference electrode to be currently examined; and

(g) again assigning one or more previously unassigned ones of the electrodes neighboring the reference electrode respectively to one or more of the electrode grid positions immediately surrounding the electrode grid position to which the reference electrode is assigned.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising repeating steps (f) and (g) until all the electrodes have been assigned to the electrode grid.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising determining, for each electrode, neighboring ones of the remaining electrodes, wherein, for the each electrode designated as the reference electrode to be currently examined, the one or more previously unassigned electrodes assigned to the one or more of the electrode grid positions immediately surrounding the electrode grid position to which the reference electrode is assigned are selected from the determined ones of the remaining electrodes that neighbor the each electrode.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising iteratively merging each electrode into a single electrode subset in an order dictated by merging the electrode closest in proximity to the single electrode for each iteration, wherein the electrodes are designated as the reference electrode in the order in which they are merged into the single electrode subset.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein programming the electrodes comprises selecting at least one of the electrodes as a cathode and selecting at least another of the electrodes as an anode based on the assignment of the electrodes to the electrode grid.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein programming the electrodes comprises selecting a plurality of groups of the electrodes to create a respective plurality of stimulation regions based on the assignment of the electrodes to the electrode grid.

17-1. The method of claim 16, wherein the set of rules further comprises determining at least one off-line electrode of the one or more neighboring electrodes having a number non-sequential to the number of the reference electrode, and assigning the at least one off-line electrode to an electrode grid position within a column different from the column having the electrode grid position to which the reference electrode is assigned.