METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR VISUALIZING A MIGRATION HISTORY OF PAIN MAPS AND STIMULATION MAPS

• US 20140344733A1
• Filed: 05/16/2014
• Published: 11/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cirtec Medical Corp.
• Original Assignee: Greatbatch Limited (Greatbatch Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kaula, Norbert, Iyassu, Yohannes
• Granted Patent: US 9,931,511 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/765
• 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: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

A method of visualizing a sensation experienced by a patient is disclosed. A graphical user interface is provided. The graphical user interface is configured to receive an input from a user and display a visual output to the user. A virtual control mechanism is displayed on the graphical user interface. One or more engagements of the virtual control mechanism are detected through the graphical user interface. In response to the engagement of the virtual control mechanism, a sensation map history is displayed on the graphical user interface. The sensation map history graphically depicts a migration of a sensation map over time on a virtual human body model.

Claims

1. An electronic device for visualizing a sensation experienced by a patient, the electronic device comprising:

a graphical user interface configured to receive an input from a user and display a visual output to the user;

a memory storage component configured to store programming code; and

a computer processor configured to execute the programming code to perform the following tasks;

displaying a virtual control mechanism on the graphical user interface;

detecting, through the graphical user interface, one or more engagements of the virtual control mechanism; and

displaying, in response to the engagement of the virtual control mechanism, a sensation map history on the graphical user interface, wherein the sensation map history graphically depicts a migration of a sensation map over time on a virtual human body model.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the sensation map comprises one of:

a pain map and a stimulation map.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the virtual control mechanism comprises a slider bar and a marker configured to be moved along the slide bar;

a length of the slider bar corresponds to a predefined period of time;

the detecting of the one or more engagements of the virtual control mechanism comprises detecting a movement of the marker along the slider bar; and

the displaying of the sensation map history comprises automatically updating the sensation map history in response to the detected movement of the marker along the slider bar.

4. The electronic device of claim 3, wherein the updating of the sensation map history is performed such that the sensation map history is updated to correspond with the detected movement of the marker along the slider bar in real time.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the displaying of the sensation map history comprises playing an animation sequence of a plurality of sensation maps, wherein the playing of the animation sequence comprises displaying the plurality of sensation maps in a chronological order or in a reverse chronological order; and

the sensation maps each graphically depicts a sensation experienced by the patient at a different point in time.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, wherein:

the virtual control mechanism comprises a virtual button;

the detecting of the one or more engagements of the virtual control mechanism comprises detecting a press of the virtual button; and

the playing of the animation sequence comprises automatically playing, in response to the detected press of the virtual button, the animation sequence in its entirety in an absence of further user input.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the tasks further comprise:

before the displaying the virtual control mechanism, storing a plurality of sensation maps in a memory, wherein the sensation maps each graphically depicts a sensation experienced by the patient at a different point in time; and

the displaying of the sensation map history comprises retrieving at least a subset of the plurality of sensation maps from the memory.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein:

the storing of the sensation maps comprises storing respective date information to be associated with each of the sensation maps; and

the displaying of the sensation map history comprises displaying the respective date information associated with each of the sensation maps.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the tasks further comprise:

sending the sensation map history to a remote server for a comparative analysis, wherein the sending the sensation map history comprises removing private information of the patient associated with the sensation map history.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the electronic device comprises a clinician programmer having the graphical user interface that includes a touchscreen; and

the detecting of the one or more engagements is performed via the touchscreen.

11. A medical system, comprising:

one or more medical devices configurable to deliver a medical therapy to a patient; and

an electronic device that includes;

a graphical user interface configured to receive an input from a user and display a visual output to the user;

a memory storage component configured to store computer instructions; and

a processor component configured to execute the computer instructions to perform the following tasks;

displaying a virtual control mechanism on the graphical user interface;

detecting, through the graphical user interface, one or more engagements of the virtual control mechanism; and

displaying, in response to the engagement of the virtual control mechanism, a sensation map history on the graphical user interface, wherein the sensation map history graphically depicts a migration of a sensation map over time on a virtual human body model.

12. The medical system of claim 11, further comprising a remote server communicatively coupled to the electronic device, wherein the server is configured to store a plurality of sensation maps therein, and wherein the sensation maps each graphically depicts a sensation experienced by the patient at a different point in time.

13. The medical system of claim 12, wherein the displaying of the sensation map history comprises retrieving at least a subset of the plurality of sensation maps from the remote server, and wherein the remote server is configured to perform a comparative analysis based on the sensation map histories stored therein.

14. The medical system of claim 12, wherein:

the remote server is configured to store respective date information along with each of the sensation maps; and

the displaying of the sensation map history comprises displaying the respective date information associated with each of the sensation maps.

15. The medical system of claim 11, wherein the sensation map comprises one of:

a pain map and a stimulation map.

16. The medical system of claim 11, wherein:

the virtual control mechanism comprises a slider bar and a marker configured to be moved along the slide bar;

a length of the slider bar corresponds to a predefined period of time;

the detecting of the one or more engagements of the virtual control mechanism comprises detecting a movement of the marker along the slider bar; and

the displaying of the sensation map history comprises automatically updating the sensation map history in response to the detected movement of the marker along the slider bar.

17. The medical system of claim 16, wherein the updating of the sensation map history is performed such that the sensation map history is updated to correspond with the detected movement of the marker along the slider bar in real time.

18. The medical system of claim 11, wherein:

the displaying of the sensation map history comprises playing an animation sequence of a plurality of sensation maps, and wherein the playing of the animation sequence comprises displaying the plurality of sensation maps in a chronological order or in a reverse chronological order; and

the sensation maps each graphically depicts a sensation experienced by the patient at a different point in time.

19. The medical system of claim 18, wherein:

the virtual control mechanism comprises a virtual button;

the detecting of the one or more engagements of the virtual control mechanism comprises detecting a press of the virtual button; and

the playing of the animation sequence comprises automatically playing, in response to the detected press of the virtual button, the animation sequence in its entirety in an absence of further user input.

20. The medical system of claim 11, wherein:

wherein the electronic device comprises a clinician programmer having the graphical user interface that includes a touchscreen; and

the detecting of the one or more engagements is performed via the touchscreen.

21. A method of visualizing a sensation experienced by a patient, the method comprising:

providing a graphical user interface configured to receive an input from a user and display a visual output to the user;

displaying a virtual control mechanism on the graphical user interface;

detecting, through the graphical user interface, one or more engagements of the virtual control mechanism; and

displaying, in response to the engagement of the virtual control mechanism, a sensation map history on the graphical user interface, wherein the sensation map history graphically depicts a migration of a sensation map over time on a virtual human body model.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the displaying of the sensation map history comprises displaying at least one of:

a pain map and a stimulation map.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the displaying of the virtual control mechanism comprises displaying a slider bar and a marker configured to be moved along the slide bar, wherein a length of the slider bar corresponds to a predefined period of time;

the detecting of the one or more engagements of the virtual control mechanism comprises detecting a movement of the marker along the slider bar; and

the displaying of the sensation map history comprises automatically updating the sensation map history in response to the detected movement of the marker along the slider bar.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the updating of the sensation map history is performed such that the sensation map history is updated to correspond with the detected movement of the marker along the slider bar in real time.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the displaying of the sensation map history comprises playing an animation sequence of a plurality of sensation maps, wherein the playing of the animation sequence comprises displaying the plurality of sensation maps in a chronological order or in a reverse chronological order, the sensation maps each graphically depicts a sensation experienced by the patient at a different point in time.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein:

the virtual control mechanism comprises a virtual button;

the detecting of the one or more engagements of the virtual control mechanism comprises detecting a press of the virtual button; and

the playing of the animation sequence comprises automatically playing, in response to the detected press of the virtual button, the animation sequence in its entirety in an absence of further user input.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

before the displaying the virtual control mechanism, storing a plurality of sensation maps in a memory, wherein the sensation maps each graphically depicts a sensation experienced by the patient at a different point in time; and

sending the sensation map history to a remote server for a comparative analysis, wherein the sending the sensation map history comprises removing private information of the patient associated with the sensation map history;

wherein the displaying of the sensation map history comprises retrieving at least a subset of the plurality of sensation maps from the memory.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein:

the storing of the sensation maps comprises storing respective date information to be associated with each of the sensation maps; and

the displaying of the sensation map history comprises displaying the respective date information associated with each of the sensation maps.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the providing of the graphical user interface, the displaying of the virtual control mechanism, the detecting of the one or more engagements of the virtual control mechanism, and the displaying of the sensation map are each performed by a clinician programmer having the graphical user interface that includes a touchscreen, and wherein the detecting of the one or more engagements is performed via the touchscreen.