Programming techniques for controlling rate of change of electrical stimulation therapy

• US 8,560,080 B2
• Filed: 06/08/2011
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Goetz, Steven M., Sahasrabudhe, Rajeev M., Davis, Jon P., Huhta, Brent A., Singal, Ashish
• Primary Examiner(s): Wieland, Robert N
• Application Number:
  US13/156,011
• Publication Number:
  US 20110307032A1
• Time in Patent Office: 860 Days
• Field of Search: 607/59, 607/72, 607/46, 607/45, 607/30, 607/116, 600/407, 600/372
• US Class Current: 607/59
• 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: A61N 1/37264 Changing the program; Upgrading firmware
• 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

Abstract

Techniques are described, for medical devices that deliver electrical stimulation therapy, for controlling a transition from an initial stimulation location or initial stimulation shape to a user-specified target stimulation location or target stimulation shape in order to limit the rate of change of stimulation. One example method includes receiving, via a programmer for an electrical stimulator, user input indicating a target stimulation zone, and controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from an initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone via one or more intermediate stimulation zones.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, via a programmer for an electrical stimulator, user input indicating a target stimulation zone; and

controlling, by a processor, the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from an initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone via one or more intermediate stimulation zones defined, based on the target stimulation zone, before controlling the electrical stimulator to transition the electrical stimulation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically generating one or more intermediate stimulation zones based on the initial stimulation zone and the target stimulation zone.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising graphically displaying the transition from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more intermediate stimulation zones are generated based on a predetermined rate of change in stimulation amplitude.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying, via the programmer, a transition control input comprising one or more indicators, each of the one or more indicators corresponding to a respective one of the one or more intermediate stimulation zones.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the one or more indicators are either linearly or non-linearly related to one another.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein a number of the one or more indicators on the transition control input is based on the user input indicating the target stimulation zone.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising receiving, via the transition control input, user input that initiates the transition.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving, via the transition control input, user input that initiates the transition comprises receiving user input via an initiate input.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the transition control input comprises a slider bar input.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising graphically dragging a slider on the slider bar from a first indicator of the one or more indicators to a second indicator of the one or more indicators, wherein controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from an initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone via one or more intermediate stimulation zones comprises controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone based on the dragging of the slider from the first indicator to the second indicator via any intermediate indicators.

12. The method of claim 5, wherein the transition control input comprises an increment input and a decrement input, the method further comprising:

receiving user input via the increment input or the decrement input, wherein the increment input controls the electrical stimulator to transition the initial stimulation zone stepwise toward the target stimulation zone through one of the one or more intermediate stimulation zones, and wherein the decrement input controls the electrical stimulator to transition the initial stimulation zone stepwise away from the target stimulation zone through one of the one or more intermediate stimulation zones.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more intermediate zones are defined by a respective set of stimulation parameters that are different than a respective set of stimulation parameters that define either the initial stimulation zone or the target stimulation zone.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the set of stimulation parameters that define a stimulation zone comprises a plurality of electrode contributions to the stimulation zone, wherein at least two of the plurality of electrode contributions are not equal to one another, the method further comprising:

receiving, via the programmer for the electrical stimulator, user input that balances the at least two electrode contributions such that the at least two electrode contributions are equal to one another.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving, via a programmer for an electrical stimulator, user input indicating a target stimulation zone comprises receiving, via the programmer for the electrical stimulator, user input that graphically defines the target stimulation zone.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving, via the programmer for the electrical stimulator, user input that graphically defines the target stimulation zone comprises receiving, via the programmer for the electrical stimulator, user input that graphically manipulates at least one of a shape and a location of the initial stimulation zone in order to define the target stimulation zone.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising delivering electrical stimulation to a patient during the transitioning.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, via the programmer for the electrical stimulator, user input defining the initial stimulation zone.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, via the programmer for the electrical stimulator, user input controlling the transition between each of the intermediate stimulation zones and the target stimulation zone.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the initial stimulation zone, target stimulation zone, and one or more intermediate stimulation zones are defined by electrodes of the same polarity.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone comprises controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation longitudinally along a lead from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone via the one or more intermediate stimulation zones.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone comprises controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation transversely across two or more leads from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone.

23. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving user input selecting a type of transition from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone, wherein controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from an initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone comprises controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation according to the selected type of transition.

24. A system comprising:

a user interface configured to receive user input indicating a target stimulation zone; and

a processor configured to control an electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from an initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone via one or more intermediate stimulation zones defined, based on the target stimulation zone, before controlling the electrical stimulator to transition the electrical stimulation.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to automatically generate the one or more intermediate stimulation zones based on the initial stimulation zone and the target stimulation zone.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the user interface is configured to graphically display the transition from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone.

27. The system of claim 24, wherein the one or more intermediate stimulation zones are generated based on a predetermined rate of change in stimulation amplitude.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the user interface is configured to display a transition control input comprising one or more indicators, each of the one or more indicators corresponding to a respective one of the one or more intermediate stimulation zones.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein the user interface is configured to receive user input relative to one or more indicators that are either linearly or non-linearly related to one another.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the number of indicators on the transition control input is based on the user input indicating the target stimulation zone.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the transition control input comprises a slider bar input.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein:

the user interface is configured to, in response to a user input, graphically drag a slider on the slider bar from a first indicator of the one or more indicators to a second indicator of the one or more indicators; and

the processor is configured to control the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone based on the dragging of the slider from the first indicator to the second indicator via any intermediate indicators.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the transition control input comprises an increment input and a decrement input;

the user interface is configured to receive user input via the increment input or the decrement input;

based on the increment input, the processor controls the electrical stimulator to transition the initial stimulation zone stepwise toward the target stimulation zone through one of the one or more intermediate stimulation zones; and

based on the decrement input, the processor controls the electrical stimulator to transition the initial stimulation zone stepwise away from the target stimulation zone through one of the one or more intermediate stimulation zones.

34. The system of claim 24, wherein each of the one or more intermediate zones are defined by a respective set of stimulation parameters that are different than a respective set of stimulation parameters that define either the initial stimulation zone or the target stimulation zone.

35. The system of claim 24, wherein the user interface is configured to receive user input that graphically defines the target stimulation zone.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the user interface is configured to receive user input that graphically manipulates at least one of a shape and a location of the initial stimulation zone, and wherein the processor defines the target stimulation zone based on at least one of the manipulated shape and the manipulated location.

37. The system of claim 24, further comprising an electrical stimulator configured to deliver electrical stimulation to a patient during the transition from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone via the one or more intermediate stimulation zones.

38. The method of claim 24, wherein each of the initial stimulation zone, target stimulation zone, and one or more intermediate stimulation zones are defined by electrodes of the same polarity.

39. The system of claim 24, further comprising a programmer that comprises the user interface and the processor.

40. The system of claim 24, further comprising the electrical stimulator that comprises the processor.

41. The system of claim 24, further comprising a programmer and the electrical stimulator, wherein each of the programmer and the electrical stimulator contribute to automatic generation of one or more intermediate stimulation zones based on the initial stimulation zone and the target stimulation zone.

42. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to control the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation longitudinally along a lead from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone via the one or more intermediate stimulation zones.

43. The system of claim 24, wherein the processor is configured to control the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation transversely across two or more leads from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone.

44. The system of claim 24, wherein:

the user interface is configured to receive user input selecting a type of transition from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone; and

the processor is configured to control the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation according to the selected type of transition.

45. A system comprising:

means for receiving user input indicating a target stimulation zone; and

means for controlling an electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from an initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone via one or more intermediate stimulation zones defined, based on the target stimulation zone, before controlling the electrical stimulator to transition the electrical stimulation.

46. The system of claim 45, further comprising means for automatically generating one or more intermediate stimulation zones based on the initial stimulation zone and the target stimulation zone.

47. The system of claim 45, wherein the means for controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone comprises means for controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation longitudinally along a lead from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone via the one or more intermediate stimulation zones.

48. The system of claim 45, wherein the means for controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone comprises means for controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation transversely across two or more leads from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone.

49. The system of claim 45, further comprising means for receiving user input selecting a type of transition from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone, wherein the means for controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from an initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone comprises means for controlling the electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation according to the selected type of transition.

50. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause at least one processor to:

receive user input indicating a target stimulation zone; and

control an electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation from an initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone via one or more intermediate stimulation zones defined, based on the target stimulation zone, before controlling the electrical stimulator to transition the electrical stimulation.

51. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 50, further comprising instructions that cause the at least one processor to automatically generate the one or more intermediate stimulation zones based on the initial stimulation zone and the target stimulation zone.

52. A system comprising:

a user interface configured to receive user input indicating a target stimulation zone; and

a processor configured to control an electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation longitudinally along a lead from an initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone via one or more intermediate stimulation zones defined based on the target stimulation zone.

53. The system of claim 52, wherein the one or more intermediate stimulation zones are generated based on a predetermined rate of change.

54. A system comprising:

a user interface configured to receive user input indicating a target stimulation zone; and

a processor configured to control an electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation transversely across two or more leads from an initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone via one or more intermediate stimulation zones defined based on the target stimulation zone.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein the one or more intermediate stimulation zones are generated based on a predetermined rate of change.

56. A system comprising:

a user interface configured to;

receive user input indicating a target stimulation zone; and

receive user input selecting a type of transition from an initial stimulation

zone to the target stimulation zone; and

a processor configured to control an electrical stimulator to transition electrical stimulation according to the selected type of transition and from the initial stimulation zone to the target stimulation zone via one or more intermediate stimulation zones defined based on the target stimulation zone.