VOA generation system and method using a fiber specific analysis

• US 9,526,902 B2
• Filed: 01/25/2016
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Blum, David Arthur, Moffitt, Michael A., Steinke, G. Karl, Carlton, Keith, Kokones, Scott, Sparks, Troy
• Primary Examiner(s): DIETRICH, JOSEPH M
• Application Number:
  US15/005,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20160136441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 337 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36185 Selection of the electrode configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37241 providing test stimulations
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders

Abstract

A system and method for generating an estimated volume of activation (VOA) corresponding to settings applied to a stimulation leadwire includes a processor performing the following: determining, for each of a plurality of neural elements, one or more respective parameters characterizing an electrical distribution along the neural element, looking up the one or more parameters for each of the neural elements in a look-up table (LUT), obtaining threshold values for each of the neural elements recorded in the LUT in association with the looked-up parameters, comparing, for each of the neural elements, a value of the leadwire settings to each of the respective threshold value, estimating based on the comparisons which of the neural elements would be activated by the settings, and generating a structure corresponding to a region including the neural elements estimated to be activated.

Claims

1. A computer system for generating an estimated volume of activation (VOA), the system comprising:

a computer processor configured to;

for each of a plurality of neural elements that are in a vicinity of a leadwire;

determine a respective threshold activation value; and

determine whether a user-input stimulation value to be applied to the leadwire meets the respective threshold activation value of the respective neural element; and

generate a surface structure corresponding to those of the neural elements whose respective threshold activation values have been determined to be met by the user-input stimulation value;

wherein, for each of the plurality of neural elements, the determination of the respective threshold activation value includes;

determining at least one of a peak voltage level along the respective neural element or a peak second difference voltage values along the respective neural element; and

obtaining the respective threshold activation value based on the respective determined at least one of the peak voltage level or the peak second difference voltage value.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the determined at least one of the peak voltage level or the peak second difference voltage value includes both the peak voltage level along the respective neural element and the peak second difference voltage value along the respective neural element.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the determining of the respective activation threshold value includes looking up a combination of the determined peak voltage level and the determined peak second difference voltage value in a look-up table that pairs a respective threshold value with each of a plurality of combinations of (a) a respective voltage level and (b) a respective second difference value.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the determined at least one of the peak voltage level or the peak second difference voltage value includes the peak voltage level along the respective neural element, wherein the determining of the respective threshold activation value includes looking up the respective determined peak voltage level in a look-up table that pairs a respective threshold activation value with a respective peak voltage level.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the determined at least one of the peak voltage level or the peak second difference voltage value includes the peak second difference voltage value along the respective neural element, wherein the determining of the respective threshold activation value includes looking up the respective determined peak second difference voltage value in a look-up table that pairs a respective threshold activation value with a respective peak second difference voltage value.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the leadwire is arranged to provide an anodic stimulation.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-input stimulation value includes one of a current amplitude and a voltage amplitude.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the user-input stimulation value includes a respective distinct stimulation value for each of a plurality of contacts of the leadwire.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the respective distinct stimulation values include current values.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the leadwire is configured to provide a deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the leadwire is configured to provide a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the leadwire is configured to provide an Occipital NS therapy.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the leadwire is configured to provide a Trigemenal NS therapy.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the leadwire is configured to provide a peripheral field stimulation therapy.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the leadwire is configured to provide a sacral root stimulation therapy.

16. A computer implemented method for generating an estimated volume of activation (VOA), the method comprising:

for each of a plurality of neural elements that are in a vicinity of a leadwire;

determining, by a computer processor, a respective threshold activation value; and

determining, by the computer processor, whether a user-input stimulation value to be applied to the leadwire meets the respective threshold activation value of the respective neural element; and

generating, by the computer processor, a surface structure corresponding to those of the neural elements whose respective threshold activation values have been determined to be met by the user-input stimulation value;

wherein, for each of the plurality of neural elements, the determination of the respective threshold activation value includes;

determining, by the computer processor, at least one of a peak voltage level along the respective neural element or a peak second difference voltage values along the respective neural element; and

obtaining, by the computer processor, the respective threshold activation value based on the respective determined at least one of the peak voltage level or the peak second difference voltage value.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the determined at least one of the peak voltage level or the peak second difference voltage value includes both the peak voltage level along the respective neural element and the peak second difference voltage value along the respective neural element.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining of the respective threshold activation value includes looking up a combination of the determined peak voltage level and the determined peak second difference voltage value in a look-up table that pairs a respective threshold activation value with each of a plurality of combinations of (a) a respective peak voltage level and (b) a respective peak second difference value.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein the determined at least one of the peak voltage level or the peak second difference voltage value includes the peak voltage level along the respective neural element, wherein the determining of the respective threshold activation value includes looking up the respective determined peak voltage level in a look-up table that pairs a respective threshold activation value with a respective peak voltage level.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein the determined at least one of the peak voltage level or the peak second difference voltage value includes the peak second difference voltage value along the respective neural element, wherein the determining of the respective threshold activation value includes looking up the respective determined peak second difference voltage value in a look-up table that pairs a respective threshold activation value with a respective peak second difference voltage value.