Short duration pre-pulsing to reduce stimulation-evoked side-effetcs

• US 9,375,575 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2014
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Moffitt, Michael A., Peterson, David K. L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Erica
• Application Number:
  US14/304,753
• Publication Number:
  US 20140296942A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0553 Paddle shaped electrodes, e.g. for laminotomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36128 Control systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36164 Sub-threshold or non-excitatory signals non-excitatory signals to the heart A61N1/3628
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36167 Timing, e.g. stimulation onset

Abstract

A method and neurostimulation system of providing therapy to a patient is provided. At least one electrode is placed in contact with tissue of a patient. A sub-threshold, hyperpolarizing, conditioning pre-pulse (e.g., an anodic pulse) is conveyed from the electrode(s) to render a first region of the tissue (e.g., dorsal root fibers) less excitable to stimulation, and a depolarizing stimulation pulse (e.g., a cathodic pulse) is conveyed from the electrode(s) to stimulate a second different region of the tissue (e.g., dorsal column fibers). The conditioning pre-pulse has a relatively short duration (e.g., less than 200 μs).

Claims

1. A neurostimulation system, comprising:

a plurality of electrical contacts;

analog output circuitry capable of outputting electrical pulses to neural tissue using the plurality of electrical contacts in accordance with a pulse pattern; and

control circuitry capable of defining the pulse pattern, such that the electrical pulses comprise;

a sub-threshold, hyperpolarizing pre-pulse outputted to a first one of the electrical contacts,

a depolarizing stimulation pulse outputted to a second different one of the electrical contacts, and

a sub-threshold, hyperpolarizing post-pulse outputted to the first one of the electrical contacts,

wherein the pre-pulse has a duration less than 200 μ

s and is equal to or shorter than the stimulation pulse, wherein the pre-pulse and the stimulation pulse are separated by less than 100 μ

s.

2. The neurostimulation system of claim 1, wherein the hyperpolarizing pre-pulse is anodic, and the stimulation pulse is cathodic.

3. The neurostimulation system of claim 1, wherein the hyperpolarizing pre-pulse has a duration equal to or less than 150 μ

s.

4. The neurostimulation system of claim 1, wherein the hyperpolarizing pre-pulse has a duration equal to or less than 75 μ

s.

5. The neurostimulation system of claim 1, wherein the stimulation pulse has a duration less than 200 μ

s.

6. The neurostimulation system of claim 1, wherein the hyper-polarizing post-pulse overlaps the stimulation pulse in time.

7. The neurostimulation system of claim 6, further comprising one or more stimulation leads carrying a plurality of electrodes in electrical communication with the plurality of electrical contacts.

8. The neurostimulation system of claim 7, wherein the one or more stimulation leads comprises one or more spinal cord stimulation leads.

9. The neurostimulation system of claim 1, further comprising memory capable of storing a set of stimulation parameters, wherein the control circuitry is capable of defining the pattern in accordance with the stimulation parameter set.

10. The neurostimulation system of claim 1, further comprising a case, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts, analog output circuitry, and control circuitry are contained in the case to form an implantable neurostimulator.

11. The neurostimulation system of claim 1, wherein the duration between the hyperpolarizing pre-pulse and the stimulation pulse is zero.

12. The neurostimulation system of claim 1, wherein the duration between the hyperpolarizing pre-pulse and the stimulation pulse is less than 30 μ

s.

13. A neurostimulation system, comprising:

a plurality of electrical contacts including a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact;

analog output circuitry configured to output depolarizing or hyperpolarizing electrical pulses to neural tissue using the first and second electrical contacts; and

control circuitry configured control the analog output circuitry to output;

a sub-threshold, hyperpolarizing pre-pulse having a duration less than 200 μ

s to the first electrical contact,

a depolarizing stimulation pulse having a duration less than 200 μ

s to the second electrical contact, the duration of the depolarizing stimulation pulse being equal to or longer than the hyper-polarizing pre-pulse, and the hyper-polarizing pre-pulse and the depolarizing stimulation pulse being separated by less than 100 μ

s; and

a sub-threshold, hyperpolarizing post-pulse to the first electrical contact.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the sub-threshold hyperpolarizing pre-pulse is anodic, and the depolarizing stimulation pulse is cathodic.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the control circuitry is configured control the analog output circuitry to output a depolarizing, cathodic pre-pulse to the first electrical contact before outputting the hyperpolarizing, anodic pre-pulse to the first electrical contact, the depolarizing cathodic pre-pulse having a longer duration than the hyperpolarizing pre-pulse.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the sub-threshold hyperpolarizing pre-pulse is anodic, the depolarizing stimulation pulse is cathodic, and the hyperpolarizing post-pulse is anodic.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the control circuitry is configured control the analog output circuitry to output a depolarizing, cathodic pre-pulse to the first electrical contact before outputting the hyperpolarizing, anodic pre-pulse to the first electrical contact, the depolarizing cathodic pre-pulse having a longer duration than the hyperpolarizing pre-pulse.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the duration between the sub-threshold hyper-polarizing pre-pulse and the stimulation pulse is less than 30 μ

s.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein hyperpolarizing pre-pulse has a duration equal to or less than 75 μ

s.