USER INTERFACE FOR SEGMENTED NEUROSTIMULATION LEADS

• US 20120046715A1
• Filed: 08/17/2011
• Published: 02/23/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Moffitt, Michael A., Kothandaraman, Sridhar, Makous, James C.
• Granted Patent: US 9,411,935 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/59
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36067 Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36182 Direction of the electrical field, e.g. with sleeve around stimulating electrode
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

An external control device for use with a neurostimulation system having a plurality of electrodes capable of conveying an electrical stimulation field into tissue in which the electrodes are implanted is provided. The external control device comprises a user interface having one or more control elements, a processor configured for generating stimulation parameters designed to modify the electrical stimulation field relative to one or more neurostimulation lead carrying the electrodes. The external control device further comprises output circuitry configured for transmitting the stimulation parameters to the neurostimulation system.

Claims

1. An external control device for use with a neurostimulation system having a plurality of electrodes capable of conveying an electrical stimulation field into tissue in which the electrodes are implanted, comprising:

a user interface including a mode selection control element and an electrical stimulation field modification control element;

a processor configured for selectively placing the electrical stimulation field modification control element between an electrical stimulation field displacement mode and an electrical stimulation field shaping mode when the mode selection control element is actuated, and for generating a first set of stimulation parameters designed to displace a locus of the electrical stimulation field when the electrical stimulation field modification control element is actuated in the electrical stimulation field displacement mode, and for generating a second set of stimulation parameters designed to shape the electrical stimulation field about its locus when the electrical stimulation field modification control element is actuated in the electrical stimulation field shaping mode; and

output circuitry configured for transmitting the first and second sets of stimulation parameters to the neurostimulation system.

2. The external control device of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are arranged axially along one or more neurostimulation leads, and the first set of stimulation parameters is designed to displace the electrical stimulation field along the one or more neurostimulation leads, and the second set of stimulation parameters is designed to expand or contract the electrical stimulation field along the one or more neurostimulation leads.

3. The external control device of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are arranged circumferentially around one or more neurostimulation leads, and the first set of stimulation parameters is designed to displace the electrical stimulation field about the one or more neurostimulation leads, and the second set of stimulation parameters is designed to expand or contract the electrical stimulation field about the one or more neurostimulation leads.

4. The external control device of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a display screen and the first and second control elements are icons located on the display screen.

5. The external control device of claim 1, wherein the output circuitry comprises telemetry circuitry.

6. The external control device of claim 1, further comprising a housing containing the user interface, processor, and output circuitry.

7. An external control device for use with a neurostimulation system having one or more neurostimulation leads carrying a plurality of electrodes capable of conveying an electrical stimulation field into tissue in which the electrodes are implanted, comprising:

a user interface including a circumferential modification control element configured for being actuated;

a processor configured for generating a set of stimulation parameters designed to circumferentially displace a locus of the electrical stimulation field about the one or more neurostimulation leads when the circumferential modification control element is actuated; and

output circuitry configured for transmitting the set of stimulation parameters to the neurostimulation system.

8. The external control device of claim 7, wherein the circumferential modification control element is a rotational control element configured for being actuated by rotating the rotational control element about a point.

9. The external control device of claim 8, wherein the rotational control element is a mechanical dial.

10. The external control device of claim 7, wherein the user interface includes a display screen and the control element is an icon located on the display screen.

11. The external control device of claim 7, wherein the user interface includes a marker associated with the circumferential modification control element, wherein the marker indicates the circumferential position of the locus of the electrical stimulation field.

12. The external control device of claim 8, wherein the user interface includes radial modification control element, the processor is configured for generating another set of stimulation parameters designed to radially displace the locus of the electrical stimulation field when the radial modification control element is actuated, and the output circuitry is configured for transmitting the other set of stimulation parameters to the neurostimulation system.

13. The external control device of claim 12, wherein the radial modification control element is located on the rotational control element, the radial modification control element configured for being radially displaced toward and away from the point of the rotational control element.

14. The external control device of claim 7, wherein the one or more neurostimulation leads is a single neurostimulation lead around which the plurality of electrodes are circumferentially arranged, and the set of stimulation parameters is designed to circumferentially displace the locus of the electrical stimulation field around the axis of the single neurostimulation lead.

15. The external control device of claim 7, wherein the output circuitry comprises telemetry circuitry.

16. The external control device of claim 7, further comprising a housing containing the user interface, processor, and output circuitry.

17. An external control device for use with a neurostimulation system having one or more neurostimulation leads carrying a plurality of electrodes capable of conveying an electrical stimulation field into tissue in which the electrodes are implanted, comprising:

a user interface including a circumferential modification control element configured for being continually actuated;

a processor configured for generating sets of stimulation parameters designed to circumferentially displace a locus of the electrical stimulation field about the one or more neurostimulation leads in a first rotational direction at respective different angular positions as the circumferential modification control element is continually actuated; and

output circuitry configured for transmitting the sets of stimulation parameters to the neurostimulation system.

18. The external control device of claim 17, wherein the circumferential modification control element is configured for being continuously actuated, and the sets of stimulation parameters are designed to circumferentially displace the electrical stimulation field about the one or more neurostimulation leads in the first rotational direction at the different angular positions as the circumferential modification control element is continuously actuated.

19. The external control device of claim 17, wherein the circumferential modification control element is configured for being repeatedly actuated, and the sets of stimulation parameters are designed to circumferentially displace the electrical stimulation field about the one or more neurostimulation leads in the first rotational direction at the different angular positions as the circumferential modification control element is repeatedly actuated.

20. The external control device of claim 17, wherein the user interface further includes another circumferential modification control element configured for being continually actuated, the processor is configured for generating other sets of stimulation parameters designed to circumferentially displace the locus of the electrical stimulation field about the one or more neurostimulation leads in a second rotational direction opposite to the first rotational direction at respective different angular positions as the other circumferential modification control element is continually actuated, and the output circuitry configured for transmitting the other sets of stimulation parameters to the neurostimulation system.

21. The external control device of claim 20, wherein the user interface includes a display screen and the circumferential modification control element is an icon located on the display screen.

22. The external control device of claim 17, wherein the user interface includes a radial modification control element, the processor is configured for generating another set of stimulation parameters designed to radially displace the locus of the electrical stimulation field when the circumferential modification control element is actuated, and the output circuitry is configured for transmitting the other set of stimulation parameters to the neurostimulation system.

23. The external control device of claim 17, wherein the user interface includes a radial modification control element, the processor is configured for generating another set of stimulation parameters designed to radially expand or contract the electrical stimulation field when the radial modification control element is actuated, and the output circuitry is configured for transmitting the other set of stimulation parameters to the neurostimulation system.

24. The external control device of claim 17, wherein the one or more neurostimulation leads is a single neurostimulation lead around which the plurality of electrodes are circumferentially arranged, and the sets of stimulation parameters is designed to circumferentially displace the locus of the electrical stimulation field around the axis of the single neurostimulation lead.

25. The external control device of claim 17, wherein the output circuitry comprises telemetry circuitry.

26. The external control device of claim 17, further comprising a housing containing the user interface, processor, and output circuitry.

27. An external control device for use with a neurostimulation system having a neurostimulation lead and a plurality of electrodes circumferentially disposed around the neurostimulation lead capable of conveying an electrical stimulation field into tissue in which the electrodes are implanted, comprising:

a user interface including a display screen configured for displaying three-dimensional graphical renderings and a plurality of iconic control elements graphically linked to the three-dimensional renderings of the electrodes;

a processor configured for generating stimulation parameters designed to modify the electrical stimulation field when one of the iconic control elements is actuated; and

output circuitry configured for transmitting the stimulation parameters to the neurostimulation system.

28. The external control device of claim 27, wherein the display screen is a touchscreen.

29. The external control device of claim 27, wherein the stimulation parameters define an amplitude of electrical current flowing through the electrode corresponding to the graphical rendering of the electrode to which the actuated iconic control element is graphically linked.

30. The external control device of claim 27, wherein the processor is configured for estimating a volume of tissue activation based on the generated stimulation parameters, wherein the display screen is configured for displaying an anatomical structure and the volume of tissue activation separately from the three-dimensional graphical renderings of the electrodes, the user interface includes a lead displacement control element configured for being actuated, and the processor is configured for synchronously displacing both the three-dimensional graphical rendering of the electrodes and the volume of tissue activation relative to the anatomical structure in response to the actuation of the lead displacement control element.

31. The external control device of claim 30, wherein the display screen is configured for displaying a three-dimensional graphical rendering of the neurostimulation lead with the volume of tissue activation and anatomical structure, and the processor is configured for synchronously displacing the three-dimensional graphical rendering of the electrodes and the volume of tissue activation and graphical rendering of the neurostimulation lead relative to the anatomical structure in response to the actuation of the lead displacement control element.

32. The external control device of claim 30, wherein the processor is configured for axially displacing the graphical electrodes and the volume of tissue activation in response to the actuation of the lead displacement control element.

33. The external control device of claim 30, wherein the processor is configured for circumferentially displacing the graphical electrodes and the volume of tissue activation in response to the actuation of the lead displacement control element.

34. The external control device of claim 30, wherein the anatomical structure is displayed in one of an axial view, a coronal view, and a sagittal view.

35. The external control device of claim 30, wherein the user interface includes another control element configured for being actuated, and the processor is configured for selecting one of the axial view, coronal view, and sagittal view in response to the actuation of the other control element.

36. The external control device of claim 27, wherein the output circuitry comprises telemetry circuitry.

37. The external control device of claim 27, further comprising a housing containing the user interface, processor, and output circuitry.