System and method for independently operating multiple neurostimulation channels

• US 9,095,714 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Griffith, Paul James
• Primary Examiner(s): Voorhees, Catherine
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dinga, Roland
• Application Number:
  US14/082,732
• Publication Number:
  US 20140074190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607 45- 46, 607/48, 607/66, 607/72, 607/74, 607/117
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0531 Brain cortex electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• 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 1/36125 Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36182 Direction of the electrical field, e.g. with sleeve around stimulating electrode
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37241 providing test stimulations

Abstract

A multi-channel neurostimulation system comprises a plurality of electrical terminals configured for being respectively coupled to a plurality of electrodes, stimulation output circuitry including electrical source circuitry of the same polarity configured for generating a plurality of pulsed electrical waveforms in a plurality of timing channels, and control circuitry configured for instructing the stimulation output circuitry to serially couple the electrical source circuitry to different sets of the electrodes when pulses of the respective pulsed electrical waveforms do not temporally overlap each other, and for instructing the stimulation output circuitry to couple the electrical source circuitry to a union of the different electrode sets when pulses of the respective pulsed electrical waveforms temporally overlap each other.

Claims

1. A method of providing therapy to a patient implanted with a plurality of electrodes, comprising:

storing a stimulation program defining a plurality of pulsed electrical waveforms to be delivered in a plurality of timing channels;

coupling electrical source circuitry of the same polarity to different sets of the electrodes when pulses of the respective pulsed electrical waveforms do not temporally overlap each other; and

coupling the electrical source circuitry to a union of the different electrode sets when pulses of the respective pulsed electrical waveforms temporally overlap each other,

wherein the pulsed electrical waveforms are defined by a respective plurality of stimulation parameter sets, the method further comprising;

obtaining a digital representation of an electrode set from each of the stimulation parameter sets;

combining the digital representations together to create a union of the digital representations; and

coupling the electrical source circuitry to the union of the different electrode sets in accordance with the digital representation union.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the digital representations comprises a digital representation of current amplitude values for the respective electrode set, the method further comprising supplying electrical current from the electrical source circuitry to the different sets of the electrodes or the union of the different electrode sets in accordance with the current amplitude values.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical source circuitry comprises current source circuitry.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the current source circuitry comprises a plurality of current branches, the method further comprising selecting a current magnitude for each electrode in the union of the different electrode sets by assigning one or more of the current branches to the respective electrode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the pulsed electrical waveforms have different frequencies.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the patient suffers from chronic pain, and the therapy comprises treating the chronic pain.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrodes are implanted within an epidural space of the patient.