System and method for closed-loop neural stimulation

• US 20060106429A1
• Filed: 11/18/2004
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Cardiac Pacemakers Incorporated (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Moffitt, Julia, Kramer, Andrew P., Libbus, Imad
• Granted Patent: US 8,396,560 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/44
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36117 for treating hypertension
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36171 Frequency

Abstract

Various aspects of the present subject matter provide a device. In various embodiments, the device comprises a port adapted to connect a lead, a pulse generator connected to the port and adapted to provide a neural stimulation signal to the lead, and a signal processing module connected to the port and adapted to receive and process a nerve traffic signal from the lead into a signal indicative of the nerve traffic. The device includes a controller connected to the pulse generator and the signal processing module. The controller is adapted to implement a stimulation protocol to provide the neural stimulation signal with desired neural stimulation parameters based on the signal indicative of the nerve traffic. Other aspects are provided herein.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a port adapted to connect a lead;

a pulse generator connected to the port and adapted to provide a neural stimulation signal to the lead;

a signal processing module connected to the port and adapted to receive and process a nerve traffic signal from the lead into a signal indicative of the nerve traffic; and

a controller connected to the pulse generator and the signal processing module, the controller being adapted to implement a stimulation protocol to provide the neural stimulation signal with desired neural stimulation parameters based on the signal indicative of the nerve traffic.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal indicative of the nerve traffic includes a signal indicative of a nerve traffic pattern.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal indicative of the nerve traffic includes a signal indicative of nerve traffic intensity.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal indicative of the nerve traffic includes a signal indicative of a nerve traffic pattern and nerve traffic intensity.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein signal processing module is adapted to implement a noise reduction algorithm to identify features of the nerve traffic signal.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the noise reduction algorithm includes a wavelet transformation.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the noise reduction algorithm identifies a pattern and an intensity of the nerve traffic signal.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the signal processing module includes an amplifier and a filter adapted to process and monitor nerve traffic.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the amplifier includes an amplifier with a gain of approximately 1,000 to approximately 99,000.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the filter includes a bandpass filter to pass frequencies in a range from approximately 30 Hz to approximately 3,000 Hz.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to implement the neural stimulation protocol to adjust a duration for the neural stimulation signal.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to implement the neural stimulation protocol to adjust a frequency for the neural stimulation signal.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to implement the neural stimulation protocol to adjust an amplitude for the neural stimulation signal.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to implement the neural stimulation protocol to adjust two or more parameters of the neural stimulation signal, the two or more parameters being selected from a parameter group consisting of a duration of the neural stimulation signal, a frequency of the neural stimulation signal, and an amplitude of the neural stimulation signal.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to sense the nerve traffic signal at a first site, and then apply the neural stimulation signal at the first site.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the controller is adapted to sense the nerve traffic signal at a first site on a neural pathway and apply the neural stimulation signal at a second site on the neural pathway.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the controller is adapted to simultaneously sense the nerve traffic signal and apply the neural stimulation signal.

18. A device, comprising:

at least a first port adapted to connect a first lead and a second port adapted to connect a second lead;

a pulse generator connected to at least the first port and adapted to provide a first neural stimulation signal on the first lead;

a signal processing module connected to at least the second port and adapted to receive and process a nerve traffic signal from the second lead into a first signal indicative of nerve traffic at an electrode of the second lead; and

a controller connected to the pulse generator and the signal processing module, the controller being adapted to implement a stimulation protocol to provide the first neural stimulation signal with desired neural stimulation parameters based on the first signal indicative of the nerve traffic.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein:

the pulse generator is further connected to the second port and adapted to provide a second neural stimulation on the second lead;

the signal processing module is further connected to the first port and adapted to receive and process a nerve traffic signal from the first lead into a second signal indicative of the nerve traffic at an electrode of the second lead; and

the stimulation protocol to be implemented by the controller is adapted to provide the second neural stimulation signal with desired neural stimulation parameters based on the second signal indicative of the nerve traffic.

20. The device of claim 19, wherein the signal indicative of the nerve traffic includes a signal indicative of a nerve traffic pattern.

21. The device of claim 19, wherein the first and second signals include a signal indicative of nerve traffic intensity.

22. The device of claim 19, wherein the first and second signals include a signal indicative of a nerve traffic pattern and nerve traffic intensity.

23. The device of claim 18, wherein signal processing module is adapted to implement a noise reduction algorithm to identify features of the nerve traffic signal.

24. The device of claim 23, wherein the noise reduction algorithm includes a wavelet transformation.

25. The device of claim 23, wherein the signal processing module includes an amplifier with a gain of approximately 1,000 to approximately 99,000, and a bandpass filter to pass signals in a range from approximately 30 Hz to approximately 3,000 Hz.

26. The device of claim 18, wherein the nerve traffic includes nerve traffic at an afferent nerve site, and the controller is adapted to provide the first neural stimulation signal with desired parameters for an efferent nerve site based on the first signal indicative of the nerve traffic at the afferent nerve site.

27. The device of claim 18, wherein the nerve traffic includes nerve traffic on a first neural pathway, and the controller is adapted to provide the first neural stimulation signal with desired parameters for a second neural pathway based on the first signal indicative of the nerve traffic at the first neural pathway.

28. A system, comprising:

means for sensing a nerve traffic signal;

means for identifying at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal; and

means for applying neural stimulation based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the means for identifying at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes means for implementing a noise reduction algorithm to identify the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the noise reduction algorithm includes a wavelet transformation.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the means for applying neural stimulation based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes means for adjusting a duration for the neural stimulation based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the means for applying neural stimulation based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes means for adjusting a frequency for the neural stimulation signal based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal.

33. The system of claim 28, wherein the means for applying neural stimulation based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes means for adjusting an amplitude for the neural stimulation signal based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal.

34. A method, comprising:

sensing a nerve traffic signal;

identifying at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal; and

applying neural stimulation based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein identifying at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes implementing a noise reduction algorithm to identify the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein implementing a noise reduction algorithm to identify the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes implementing a noise reduction algorithm to identify a nerve traffic pattern.

37. The method of claim 35, wherein implementing a noise reduction algorithm to identify the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes implementing a noise reduction algorithm to identify a nerve traffic intensity.

38. The method of claim 35, wherein the noise reduction algorithm includes a wavelet transformation.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein applying neural stimulation based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes adjusting a duration for the neural stimulation based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal.

40. The method of claim 34, wherein applying neural stimulation based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes adjusting a frequency for the neural stimulation signal based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal.

41. The method of claim 34, wherein applying neural stimulation based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes adjusting an amplitude for the neural stimulation signal based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal.

42. The method of claim 34, wherein sensing a nerve traffic signal includes sensing a nerve traffic signal using a first lead, and applying neural stimulation based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes applying neural stimulation using the first lead.

43. The method of claim 34, wherein sensing a nerve traffic signal includes sensing a nerve traffic signal using a first lead, and applying neural stimulation based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes applying neural stimulation using a second lead.

44. The method of claim 34, wherein:

sensing a nerve traffic signal includes sensing a first nerve traffic signal using a first lead and sensing a second nerve traffic signal using a second lead;

identifying at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes identifying at least one feature of the first nerve traffic signal and identifying at least one feature of the second nerve traffic signal; and

applying neural stimulation based on the at least one feature of the nerve traffic signal includes applying a first neural stimulation on the first lead based on the at least one feature of the second nerve traffic signal, and applying a second neural stimulation on the second lead based on the at least one feature of the first nerve traffic signal.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the at least one feature includes a nerve traffic pattern.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the at least one feature includes a nerve traffic intensity.

47. The method of claim 34, wherein sensing a nerve traffic signal includes amplifying the nerve traffic signal to provide a gain within a range of approximately 1,000 to 99,000.

48. The method of claim 34, wherein sensing a nerve traffic signal includes filtering the nerve traffic signal to pass frequencies in a range from approximately 30 Hz to approximately 3,000 Hz.

49. The method of claim 34, wherein:

sensing a nerve traffic signal includes sensing a nerve traffic signal at a site; and

applying neural stimulation includes applying neural stimulation at the site.

50. The method of claim 34, wherein:

sensing a nerve traffic signal includes sensing a nerve traffic signal at a first site on a neural pathway; and

applying neural stimulation includes applying neural stimulation at a second site on the neural pathway.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein sensing a nerve traffic signal occurs simultaneously with applying neural stimulation.

52. The method of claim 34, wherein:

sensing a nerve traffic signal includes sensing a nerve traffic signal at an afferent nerve site; and

applying neural stimulation includes applying neural stimulation at an efferent nerve site.

53. The method of claim 34, wherein:

sensing a nerve traffic signal includes sensing a nerve traffic signal on a first neural pathway; and

applying neural stimulation includes applying neural stimulation on a second neural pathway.