CONFIGURING ELECTRICAL STIMULATION TO TREAT A PATIENT

• US 20130060301A1
• Filed: 09/07/2011
• Published: 03/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cirtec Medical Corp.
• Original Assignee: Nuvectra Corporation
• Inventors: Polefko, Richard J., Wilder, Steven E., Leyh, Scott G.
• Granted Patent: US 9,358,390 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36132 using patient feedback
• 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 stimulation system, such as a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system, having a programmer with a user interface. The programmer determines a position of an implanted medical lead with respect to a patient'"'"'s spinal column. The programmer overlays the medical lead, an initial stimulation field, and an initial target stimulation area within the initial stimulation field on an image of the spinal column. A user enters, via the user interface, graphical manipulations of displayed boundaries of the initial stimulation field and the initial target stimulation area. The graphical manipulations of the stimulation field and the target stimulation field are independent of each other and they may move and/or alter the shape of the boundaries. The programmer then determines stimulation parameters to drive the implanted medical lead to generate the displayed stimulation field and target stimulation field as manipulated by the user.

Claims

1. A method of configuring electrical stimulation to treat a patient with a stimulation system, the stimulation system including an electrical stimulation generator, an implanted medical lead implanted in the patient and coupled to the electrical stimulation generator, and a programmer with a display screen, the method comprising:

displaying an image of a tissue on the display screen of the programmer;

determining a position of

the implanted medical lead with respect to the tissue,

an initial stimulation field, and

an initial target stimulation area within the initial stimulation field;

displaying the medical lead, the initial stimulation field, and the initial target stimulation area on the image of the tissue, wherein the initial stimulation field has an initial boundary depicted on the display screen and the initial target stimulation area has an initial target boundary depicted on the display screen;

receiving, by the programmer, graphical manipulations of the initial boundary and the initial target boundary to define an altered stimulation field and an altered target stimulation area, wherein the graphical manipulations at least one of move and alter the shape of the initial boundary and the initial target boundary;

determining stimulation parameters to drive the implanted medical lead to generate the altered stimulation field and the altered target stimulation area; and

driving, with the electrical stimulation generator, the implanted medical lead according to the determined stimulation parameters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising

receiving, by the programmer, manual adjustments to the stimulation parameters to create modified stimulation parameters;

and

driving, with the electrical stimulation generator, the implanted medical lead according to the modified stimulation parameters.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before receiving the graphical manipulations,

determining initial stimulation parameters to drive the implanted medical lead to generate the initial stimulation field and the initial target stimulation area;

and

driving, with the electrical stimulation generator, the implanted medical lead according to the initial stimulation parameters.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the graphical manipulations are received while the electrical stimulation generator is generating electrical stimulation via the implanted medical lead.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the graphical manipulations of the initial boundary and the initial target boundary are independent of each other.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising

displaying the medical lead, the altered stimulation field, and the altered target stimulation area on the image of the tissue, wherein the altered stimulation field has an altered boundary depicted on the display screen and the altered target stimulation area has an altered target boundary depicted on the display screen;

receiving, by the programmer, further graphical manipulations of the altered target boundary to define a further altered target stimulation area, wherein the further graphical manipulations at least one of move and alter the shape of the altered target boundary;

determining further stimulation parameters to drive the implanted medical lead to generate the altered stimulation field and the further altered target stimulation area; and

driving, with the electrical stimulation generator, the implanted medical lead according to the determined further stimulation parameters.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, transmitting, to a memory device implanted in the patient, position data indicating the determined position of the implanted medical lead with respect to the tissue.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the tissue includes a spinal column.

9. A stimulation system for providing electrical stimulation to treat a patient, the stimulation system comprising:

an electrical stimulation generator;

an implanted medical lead coupled to the electrical stimulation generator; and

a programmer including

a communication unit that communicates with the electrical stimulation generator to program electrical stimulation,

a display screen that displays an image of a spinal column and a position of the at least one medical lead relative to the spinal column, and

a user interface,

wherein the programmer

determines a position of

the implanted medical lead with respect to the spinal column,

an initial stimulation field, and

an initial target stimulation area within the initial stimulation field;

displays the medical lead, the initial stimulation field, and the initial target stimulation area on the image of the spinal column, wherein the initial stimulation field has an initial boundary depicted on the display screen and the initial target stimulation area has an initial target boundary depicted on the display screen;

receives, via the user interface, graphical manipulations of the initial boundary and the initial target boundary to define an altered stimulation field and an altered target stimulation area, wherein the graphical manipulations at least one of move and alter the shape of the initial boundary and the initial target boundary;

determines stimulation parameters to drive the implanted medical lead to generate the altered stimulation field and the altered target stimulation area; and

programs the electrical stimulation generator to generate electrical stimulation with the implanted medical lead according to the determined stimulation parameters.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the programmer further

receives manual adjustments to the stimulation parameters to create modified stimulation parameters;

and

programs the electrical stimulation generator to generate electrical stimulation with the implanted medical lead according to the modified stimulation parameters.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the programmer, before receiving the graphical manipulations,

determines initial stimulation parameters to drive the implanted medical lead to generate the initial stimulation field and the initial target stimulation area;

and

programs the electrical stimulation generator to generate electrical stimulation with the implanted medical lead according to the initial stimulation parameters.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the graphical manipulations are received while the electrical stimulation generator is generating electrical stimulation via the implanted medical lead.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the graphical manipulations of the initial target boundary and the initial boundary are independent of each other.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the programmer further

displays the medical lead, the altered stimulation field, and the altered target stimulation area on the image of the spinal column, wherein the altered stimulation field has an altered boundary depicted on the display screen and the altered target stimulation area has an altered target boundary depicted on the display screen;

receives further graphical manipulations of the altered target boundary to define a further altered target stimulation area, wherein the further graphical manipulations at least one of move and alter the shape of the altered target boundary;

determines further stimulation parameters to drive the implanted medical lead to generate the altered stimulation field and the further altered target stimulation area; and

programs the electrical stimulation generator to generate electrical stimulation with the implanted medical lead according to the determined further stimulation parameters.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the programmer further transmits, to a memory device implanted in the patient, position data indicating the determined position of the implanted medical lead with respect to the spinal column.

16. A computer readable medium including a set of program instructions that, when executed by a processor of a programmer, cause the programmer to:

display an image of a spinal column of a patient on a display screen of the programmer;

determine a position of

an implanted medical lead with respect to the spinal column,

an initial stimulation field, and

an initial target stimulation area within the initial stimulation field;

display, on the display screen, the medical lead, the initial stimulation field, and the initial target stimulation area on the image of the spinal column, wherein the initial stimulation field has an initial boundary depicted on the display screen and the initial target stimulation area has an initial target boundary depicted on the display screen;

receive graphical manipulations of the initial boundary and the initial target boundary to define an altered stimulation field and an altered target stimulation area, wherein the graphical manipulations at least one of move and alter the shape of the initial boundary and the initial target boundary;

determine stimulation parameters to drive the implanted medical lead to generate the altered stimulation field and the altered target stimulation area; and

program an electrical stimulation generator to generate electrical stimulation with the implanted medical lead according to the determined stimulation parameters.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor, further cause the programmer to:

receive manual adjustments to the stimulation parameters to create modified stimulation parameters; and

program an electrical stimulation generator to generate electrical stimulation with the implanted medical lead according to the modified stimulation parameters.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor, further cause the programmer to, before receiving graphical manipulations,

determine initial stimulation parameters to drive the implanted medical lead to generate the initial stimulation field and the initial target stimulation area;

and

program an electrical stimulation generator to generate electrical stimulation with the implanted medical lead according to the initial stimulation parameters.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein the graphical manipulations are received while the electrical stimulation generator is generating electrical stimulation via the implanted medical lead.

20. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the graphical manipulations of the initial target boundary and the initial boundary are independent of each other.

21. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor, further cause the programmer to transmit, to a memory device implanted in the patient, position data indicating the determined position of the implanted medical lead with respect to the spinal column.