Devices and methods using a pathological frequency in electrical stimulation for pain management

• US 9,833,622 B2
• Filed: 09/22/2015
• Issued: 12/05/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2014
• 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., Carcieri, Stephen, Bokil, Hemant
• Primary Examiner(s): MAHMOOD, NADIA AHMAD
• Application Number:
  US14/861,605
• Publication Number:
  US 20160082256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 607 2, 607 45, 607 46
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/377 using evoked responses
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/383 Somatosensory stimuli, e.g. electric stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36135 using physiological parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36139 with automatic adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36171 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36178 Burst or pulse train parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36185 Selection of the electrode configuration

Abstract

An electrical stimulation system includes an implantable control module configured and arranged for implantation in a body of a patient. The implantable control module includes a processor that generates and delivers electrical stimulation pulses or pulse bursts at a pathological frequency or with a temporal separation between pulses or pulse bursts individually selected based on a pre-determined distribution function based on a pre-selected pathological frequency.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions for delivering an electrical stimulation signal, the processor-executable instructions when installed onto a device enable the device to perform actions, comprising:

generating an electrical stimulation signal at a pathological frequency in a range of 4 to 8 Hz, wherein the electrical stimulation signal comprises a series of bursts at the pathological frequency, wherein each burst comprises a plurality of pulses within the burst and at a frequency in a range from 1 kHz to 5 kHz; and

delivering the electrical stimulation signal to one or more selected electrodes of an attached lead.

2. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 1, wherein the actions further comprise sensing a biosignal.

3. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 2, wherein the actions further comprise repeating the generating, delivering, and sensing actions based on an analysis of the biosignal.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions for delivering an electrical stimulation signal, the processor-executable instructions when installed onto a device enable the device to perform actions, comprising:

generating electrical stimulation pulses or pulse bursts with a non-uniform temporal separation between pulses or pulse bursts individually selected based on a pre-determined distribution function based on a pre-selected pathological frequency, wherein the pre-determined distribution function indicates a relative likelihood that a given one of the pulses or pulse bursts will begin at a given time; and

delivering the electrical stimulation pulses or pulse bursts to one or more selected electrodes of an attached lead.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the pre-determined distribution function is a periodic repeating distribution function.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the pre-determined distribution function is a sine distribution.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the pre-determined distribution function is a normal distribution.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the pre-determined distribution function is a distribution function that resets with each pulse or burst of pulses.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 7, wherein the actions further comprise sensing a biosignal.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the actions further comprise repeating the generating, delivering, and sensing actions based on an analysis of the biosignal.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having processor-executable instructions for delivering an electrical stimulation signal, the processor-executable instructions when installed onto a device enable the device to perform actions, comprising:

generating an electrical stimulation signal, wherein the electrical stimulation signal comprises i) a continuous stimulation signal at a pathological frequency in a range of 4 to 8 Hz and ii) a brief burst of pulses during every period or half period of the continuous stimulation signal, wherein each brief burst of pulses comprises a plurality of pukes at a pulse frequency in a range from 500 Hz to 5 kHz; and

delivering the electrical stimulation signal to one or more selected electrodes of an attached lead.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the actions further comprise sensing a biosignal.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the actions further comprise repeating the generating, delivering, and sensing actions based on an analysis of the biosignal.