Neuromodulation using stochastically-modulated stimulation parameters

• US 9,827,422 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2016
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/2015
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhu, Changfang
• Primary Examiner(s): MAHMOOD, NADIA AHMAD
• Application Number:
  US15/146,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20160346546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 607 2, 607 45, 607 46
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36189 using modulation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means

Abstract

An example of a system may include an electrode arrangement and a neuromodulation device configured to use electrodes in the electrode arrangement to generate a neuromodulation field. The neuromodulation device may include a neuromodulation generator, a neuromodulation control circuit and a storage. The storage may include a stochastically-modulated neuromodulation parameter set and the stochastically-modulated neuromodulation parameter set may include at least one stochastically-modulated parameter. The controller may be configured to control the neuromodulation generator using the stochastically-modulation parameter set to generate the neuromodulation field.

Claims

1. A system for use with an electrode arrangement, comprising:

a neuromodulation device configured to use electrodes in the electrode arrangement to generate a neuromodulation field, the neuromodulation device including a neuromodulation generator, a neuromodulation control circuit and a storage, the storage including a stochastically-modulated neuromodulation parameter set, the stochastically-modulated neuromodulation parameter set including at least one stochastically-modulated parameter, wherein the controller configured to control the neuromodulation generator using the stochastically-modulation parameter set to generate the neuromodulation field; and

a stochastic modulator programmed with at least one modulation model for use to stochastically modulate at least one parameter to provide the at least one stochastically-modulated parameter, wherein the stochastic modulator is configured to;

implement stochastic process rules to determine permissible subsequent samples in a sequence of random or pseudo-random samples from the at least one modulation model; and

use the sequence of random or pseudo-random samples with the permissible subsequent samples to stochastically modulate the at least one parameter.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the neuromodulation device includes the stochastic modulator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the system includes a programming device, wherein the programming device includes the stochastic modulator and is configured to program the stochastically-modulated neuromodulation parameter set into the neuromodulation device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the stochastic modulator is programmed with at least one of a probabilistic distribution model, or a stochastic process model, or a real-time/semi-real-time computational model.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the stochastic modulator is programmed with another modulation model, and is configured to use the other modulation model to stochastically modulate another parameter.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the stochastic modulator includes a timer or counter configured to control when the stochastic modulator advances from one sample to another sample.

7. The system of claim 1, further including a user interface configured for use to program the stochastic modulator.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to select a modulation model to be used by the stochastic modulator.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to select a parameter to be stochastically-modulated using the stochastic modulator.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to select at least one model parameter for a stochastic modulation model, the at least one model parameter to at least partially define or constrain the stochastic modulation model.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one stochastically-modulated parameter includes a temporal modulation parameter.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one stochastically-modulated parameter includes a spatial parameter.

17. The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to select sampling rules to create the random or pseudo-random samples of the stochastic modulation model.

18. The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to select rules to control when the stochastic modulator advances from one sample to another sample.

19. The system of claim 7, wherein the user interface is configured to allow a user to select the stochastic process rules.

13. A method for delivering neuromodulation, comprising:

stochastically modulating at least one neuromodulation parameter using at least one modulation model to provide a stochastically-modulated neuromodulation parameter set, wherein the stochastically modulating includes;

implementing stochastic process rules to determine permissible subsequent samples in a sequence of random or pseudo-random samples from the at least one modulation model; and

using the sequence of random or pseudo-random samples with the permissible subsequent samples to stochastically modulate the at least one neuromodulation parameter; and

generating a neuromodulation field using the stochastically-modulated neuromodulation parameter set.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the modulation model includes a probabilistic distribution model, or a stochastic process model, or a real-time/semi-real-time computational model.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising using another modulation model to stochastically-modulate at least one other parameter.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein stochastically modulating at least one neuromodulation parameter includes stochastically modulating at least one temporal parameter or stochastically modulating at least one spatial parameter.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium including instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

stochastically modulate at least one neuromodulation parameter using at least one modulation model to provide a stochastically-modulated neuromodulation parameter set, including;

implement stochastic process rules to determine permissible subsequent samples in a sequence of random or pseudo-random samples from the at least one modulation model; and

use the sequence of random or pseudo-random samples with the permissible subsequent samples to stochastically modulate the at least one neuromodulation parameter; and

generate a neuromodulation field using the stochastically-modulated neuromodulation parameter set.