Display graphics for use in stimulation therapies

• US 20060241721A1
• Filed: 04/26/2005
• Published: 10/26/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: King, John D.H., Woods, Carla M., Kothandaraman, Sridhar
• Granted Patent: US 7,979,119 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

Tissue stimulation systems, such as spinal cord stimulation systems, include a pulse generator to generate pulses at various amplitude, duration, and frequency through one or more electrodes. A visual depiction of both a pulse and an electrode configuration is thus provided herein. These depictions may be used in a stimulation display interface to readily convey stimulation parameter information to a user, wherein the interface is used in a stimulation session.

Claims

1. A system for programming a tissue stimulation apparatus having at least one electrode implanted in a patient, wherein the apparatus delivers stimulation pulses having a pulse amplitude, a pulse width and a pulse rate to the patient'"'"'s tissue through the at least one electrode, the system comprising:

at least one graphical display of applied stimulation comprising;

a displayed pulse waveform, wherein a height of the pulse waveform corresponds to the pulse amplitude and a width of the pulse waveform corresponds to the pulse width.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the pulse waveform is sequentially displayed at a plurality of locations on the graphical display for a variable interval of time, wherein the interval of time corresponds to the pulse rate.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the plurality of locations are in a horizontal pattern, wherein the pulse waveform moves from left to right across the graphical display.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the pulse waveform is a biphasic pulse waveform.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein a first phase of the biphasic pulse waveform corresponds to a stimulus phase and wherein a second phase of the biphasic pulse corresponds to a recharge phase.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first and second phases are separated by an inter-phase period represented by a horizontal segment of the waveform.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the first phase has a different height than the second phase.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the first phase has a different width than the second phase.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the graphical display further comprises a display of a numerical value of one or more of the pulse amplitude, pulse width, and pulse rate.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a user interface having a plurality of the graphical displays of applied stimulation.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein each of the graphical displays corresponds to an area to be programmed.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the plurality of graphical displays is indicated on the user interface as a particular channel that is being programmed by at least one of a color, a shape, a chart, a graph, a pattern, one or more words, and one or more symbols.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the plurality of graphical displays is indicated on the user interface as a particular area that is inactive by at least one of a color, a shape, a chart, a graph, a pattern, one or more words, and one or more symbols.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein one of the plurality of graphical displays is indicated on the user interface as a particular area that is not being programmed by at least one of a color, a shape, a chart, a graph, a pattern, one or more words, and one or more symbols.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the tissue stimulation apparatus is a spinal cord stimulation system.

16. A system for programming a tissue stimulation apparatus having at least one electrode implanted in a patient, wherein the apparatus delivers stimulation pulses to the patient'"'"'s tissue through the at least one electrode, the system comprising:

a graphical display depicting at least polarity percentage for each of the active implanted electrodes, the display comprising;

a plurality of icons, wherein each icon corresponds to one of the implanted electrodes, and wherein each icon comprises a polarity sign or a null sign;

wherein the polarity sign indicates the polarity of the respective electrode, and wherein at least each icon displaying a polarity sign displays a polarity percentage sign.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the polarity percentage sign comprises at least one of a numerical value, a chart, and a graph, wherein the value represented by the number, the chart, and the graph represents a polarity percentage of the respective electrode.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the numerical value ranges between 0 and 100 or between −

100 and 100.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the polarity sign comprises at least one of a plus sign, a minus sign, a color, and a shape.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the null sign comprises at least one of a no sign, a zero sign, a color, a graph, a chart, a pattern, and a shape.

21. The system of claim 16, wherein an electrode with a high impedance state is so indicated by at least one of a color, a shape, a chart, a graph, a pattern, one or more words, and one or more symbols.

22. The system of claim 16, wherein the tissue stimulation apparatus is a spinal cord stimulation system.