Methods and systems for automatically determining a neural response threshold current level

• US 20060276722A1
• Filed: 06/01/2005
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Bionics AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Bionics LLC (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Litvak, Leonid M., Overstreet, Edward H., Emadi, Gulam
• Granted Patent: US 7,343,200 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/554
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7217 of noise originating from a therapeutic or surgical apparatus, e.g. from a pacemaker

Abstract

Methods of automatically determining a neural response threshold current level include identifying one or more neural response signals at one or more corresponding stimulation current levels, identifying one or more non-response signals at one or more corresponding stimulation current levels, and analyzing a trend between the neural response signals and the non-response signals. Systems for automatically determining a neural response threshold current level include one or more devices configured to identify one or more neural response signals at one or more corresponding stimulation current levels, identify one or more non-response signals at one or more corresponding stimulation current levels; and analyze a trend between the neural response signals and the non-response signals.

Claims

1. A method of automatically determining a neural response threshold current level, said method comprising:

identifying one or more neural response signals at one or more corresponding stimulation current levels;

identifying one or more non-response signals at one or more corresponding stimulation current levels; and

analyzing a trend between said neural response signals and said non-response signals to determine said neural response threshold current level.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said neural response threshold current level is substantially equal to a current level located in between a highest current level out of said stimulation current levels corresponding to said non-response signals and a lowest current level out of said stimulation current levels corresponding to said neural response signals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying said neural response signals comprises identifying at least four or more neural response signals as including a neural response signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of identifying said non-response signals comprises identifying at least two or more neural recording signals as non-response signals.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising computing a strength-of response metric to identify said neural response signals and said non-response signals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a highest stimulation current level out of said stimulation current levels corresponding to said neural response signals is less than or substantially equal to a maximum allowable current level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of analyzing said trend between said neural response signals and said non-response signals comprises generating and analyzing a growth curve corresponding to amplitudes of said neural response signals and said non-response signals.

8. A system for automatically determining a neural response threshold current level, said system comprising one or more devices configured to:

identify one or more neural response signals at one or more corresponding stimulation current levels;

identify one or more non-response signals at one or more corresponding stimulation current levels; and

analyze a trend between said neural response signals and said non-response signals to determine said neural response threshold current level.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said neural response threshold current level is substantially equal to a current level located in between a highest current level out of said stimulation current levels corresponding to said non-response signals and a lowest current level out of said stimulation current levels corresponding to said neural response signals.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more devices are further configured to identify at least four or more neural response signals as including a neural response signal.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more devices are further configured to identify at least two or more neural recording signals as non-response signals.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more devices are further configured to compute a strength-of response metric to identify said neural response signals and said non-response signals.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein a highest stimulation current level out of said stimulation current levels corresponding to said neural response signals is less than or substantially equal to a maximum allowable current level.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more devices are further configured to generate and analyze a growth curve corresponding to amplitudes of said neural response signals and said non-response signals to determine said neural response threshold current.

15. The system of claim 8, wherein said one or more devices comprises at least one or more of a computer, digital signal processor, and software application.

16. A system for automatically determining a neural response threshold current level, said system comprising:

means for identifying one or more neural response signals at one or more corresponding stimulation current levels;

means for identifying one or more non-response signals at one or more corresponding stimulation current levels; and

means for analyzing a trend between said neural response signals and said non-response signals to determine said neural response threshold current level.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said neural response threshold current level is substantially equal to a current level located in between a highest current level out of said stimulation current levels corresponding to said non-response signals and a lowest current level out of said stimulation current levels corresponding to said neural response signals.

18. The system of claim 16, further comprising means for computing a strength-of response metric to identify said neural response signals and said non-response signals.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein a highest stimulation current level out of said stimulation current levels corresponding to said neural response signals is less than or substantially equal to a maximum allowable current level.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein said means for analyzing said trend between said neural response signals and said non-response signals comprises means for generating and analyzing a growth curve corresponding to amplitudes of said neural response signals and said non-response signals.