System and method for spinal cord modulation to treat motor disorder without paresthesia

• US 9,180,297 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2014
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Rao, Prakash, Yip, Anita
• Primary Examiner(s): Manuel, George
• Application Number:
  US14/199,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20140343655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 614 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36067 Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36171 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36175 Pulse width or duty cycle

Abstract

A method for of performing a medical procedure on a patient suffering from a movement disorder. The method comprises delivering electrical current having a defined pulse rate equal to or greater than 1500 Hz and/or a defined pulse duration equal to or less than 200 μs to spinal cord tissue of the patient in a manner that modulates neuronal traffic in at least one dorsal column (DC) nerve fiber of the patient, thereby treating symptoms of the movement disorder without causing the patient to perceive paresthesia from the delivered electrical current.

Claims

1. A method for performing a medical procedure on a patient suffering from a movement disorder, comprising:

delivering electrical current to spinal cord tissue of the patient in a manner that modulates neuronal traffic in at least one dorsal column (DC) nerve fiber of the patient, thereby treating symptoms of the movement disorder without causing the patient to perceive paresthesia from the delivered electrical current.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement disorder is Parkinson'"'"'s disease.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement disorder is one of epilepsy, essential tremor, bradykinesia, akinesia, dystonia, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, Tourette'"'"'s syndrome, spasms, and Wilson'"'"'s disease.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the movement disorder affects a peripheral region of the patient, and the electrical current is delivered to the spinal cord tissue at a vertebral level that corresponds to the peripheral region.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical current is delivered to the spinal cord tissue at a vertebral level in the range of T1-T12.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical current is delivered to the spinal cord tissue at a vertebral level in the range of T9-T10.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivered electrical current is a pulsed electrical current having a defined pulse rate and a defined pulse width.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the defined pulse rate is equal to or greater than 1500 Hz.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the defined pulse rate is equal to or greater than 2500 Hz.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the defined pulse rate is in the range of 1500 Hz to 50 KHz.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the defined pulse width is equal to or less than 200 μ

s.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the defined pulse width is equal to or less than 100 μ

s.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the defined pulse width is equal to or less than 50 μ

s.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising implanting at least one electrode in the epidural space of the patient, wherein the electrical current is delivered by the at least one electrode.

15. A method for performing a medical procedure on a patient suffering from a movement disorder, comprising:

delivering pulsed electrical current having a defined pulse rate equal to or greater than 1500 Hz, or having a defined pulse duration equal to or less than 200 μ

s, or having both the defined pulse rate equal to or greater than 1500 Hz and the defined pulse duration equal to or less than 200 μ

s to spinal cord tissue of the patient in a manner that modulates neuronal traffic in at least one dorsal column (DC) nerve fiber of the patient, thereby treating symptoms of the movement disorder.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the movement disorder is Parkinson'"'"'s disease.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the movement disorder is one of epilepsy, essential tremor, bradykinesia, akinesia, dystonia, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, Guillain-Barre syndrome, Tourette'"'"'s syndrome, spasms, and Wilson'"'"'s disease.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the movement disorder affects a peripheral region of the patient, and the electrical current is delivered to the spinal cord tissue at a vertebral level that corresponds to the peripheral region.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the electrical current is delivered to the spinal cord tissue at a vertebral level in the range of T1-T12.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the electrical current is delivered to the spinal cord tissue at a vertebral level in the range of T9-T10.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the delivered electrical current has a defined pulse rate equal to or greater than 1500 Hz.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the defined pulse rate is equal to or greater than 2500 Hz.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the defined pulse rate is in the range of 1500 Hz to 50 KHz.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the delivered electrical current has a defined pulse duration equal to or less than 200 μ

s.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the defined pulse width is equal to or less than 100 μ

s.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the defined pulse width is equal to or less than 50 μ

s.

27. The method of claim 15, further comprising implanting at least one electrode in the epidural space of the patient, wherein the electrical current is delivered by the at least one electrode.