Methods and devices for treatment of non-neuropathic conditions using electrical stimulation

• US 9,168,378 B2
• Filed: 10/31/2014
• Issued: 10/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Hershey, Bradley Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): Kahelin, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAIRCHILD, MALLIKA DIPAYAN
• Application Number:
  US14/529,969
• Publication Number:
  US 20150051665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 361 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0553 Paddle shaped electrodes, e.g. for laminotomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36075 Headache or migraine
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36146 specified by the stimulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36164 Sub-threshold or non-excitatory signals non-excitatory signals to the heart A61N1/3628
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36171 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36185 Selection of the electrode configuration

Abstract

A method of treating a non-neuropathic condition includes implanting an electrical stimulation lead near a dorsolateral funiculus of a patient, the electrical stimulation lead including a plurality of stimulation electrodes; and applying electrical stimulation energy through one or more of the electrodes of the electrical stimulation lead to the dorsolateral funiculus to treat the non-neuropathic condition.

Claims

1. A method of treating a non-neuropathic condition, the method comprising:

implanting an electrical stimulation lead in an epidural space of a patient near a dorsolateral funiculus of the patient, the electrical stimulation lead comprising a plurality of stimulation electrodes, wherein the electrical stimulation lead is implanted with at least three of the stimulation electrodes disposed lateral of a midline of a spinal cord of the patient in a selected single dorsal-lateral quadrant of the epidural space and adjacent the dorsolateral funiculus of the patient; and

applying electrical stimulation energy through one or more of the at least three of the stimulation electrodes of the electrical stimulation lead to the dorsolateral funiculus to treat the non-neuropathic condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein applying electrical stimulation energy comprises applying electrical stimulation energy through the stimulation electrodes of the electrical stimulation lead to the dorsolateral funiculus to reduce pain arising from the non-neuropathic condition.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the non-neuropathic condition is an inflammatory condition.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the inflammatory condition comprises inflammation of a spinal cord of the patient.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the inflammatory condition is selected from spondyloarthritis, spondylarthropathy, or lower back pain arising from spinal cord inflammation.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the inflammatory condition comprises inflammation of a region of the patient peripheral to a spinal cord of the patient.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the inflammatory condition is selected from fibromyalgia, migraine headache, irritable bowel syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn'"'"'s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or other arthritis of one or more joints.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein implanting the electrical stimulation lead comprises implanting a plurality of electrical stimulation leads.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising increasing an activation threshold of a side-effect exhibiting neural structure relative to an activation threshold of the dorsolateral funiculus of the patient, wherein the electrical stimulation energy is applied to the dorsolateral funiculus of the patient while the activation threshold of the neural structure relative to the dorsolateral funiculus is increased, thereby treating the non-neuropathic condition without stimulating the neural structure.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein applying electrical stimulation energy comprises applying the electrical stimulation energy as a time-varying electrical energy having a frequency in a range of 2 to 30 kHz.

11. A method of treating a non-neuropathic condition, the method comprising:

applying electrical stimulation energy to a dorsolateral funiculus of a patient through one or more electrodes of an implanted electrical stimulation lead to treat the non-neuropathic condition; and

increasing an activation threshold of a side-effect exhibiting neural structure relative to an activation threshold of the dorsolateral funiculus of the patient, wherein the electrical stimulation energy is applied to the dorsolateral funiculus of the patient while the activation threshold of the neural structure relative to the dorsolateral funiculus is increased to treat the non-neuropathic condition without stimulating the neural structure.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the non-neuropathic condition is an inflammatory condition.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the inflammatory condition comprises inflammation of a spinal cord of the patient.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the inflammatory condition is selected from spondyloarthritis, spondylarthropathy, or lower back pain arising from spinal cord inflammation.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the inflammatory condition comprises inflammation of a region of the patient peripheral to a spinal cord of the patient.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the inflammatory condition is selected from fibromyalgia, migraine headache, irritable bowel syndrome, ankylosing spondylitis, Crohn'"'"'s disease, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, or other arthritis of one or more joints.

17. A method of treating an inflammatory condition, the method comprising:

implanting an electrical stimulation lead in an epidural space of the patient near a dorsolateral funiculus of a patient, the electrical stimulation lead comprising a plurality of stimulation electrodes, wherein the electrical stimulation lead is implanted with at least three of the stimulation electrodes disposed lateral of a midline of a spinal cord of the patient in a selected single dorsal-lateral quadrant of the epidural space and adjacent the dorsolateral funiculus of the patient; and

applying electrical stimulation energy to the dorsolateral funiculus of a patient using at least one of the at least three of the stimulation electrodes of the implanted electrical stimulation lead to treat the inflammatory condition.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the inflammatory condition comprises inflammation of a spinal cord of the patient.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the inflammatory condition comprises inflammation of a region of the patient peripheral to a spinal cord of the patient.