Programming and Virtual Reality Representation of Stimulation Parameter Groups

• US 20190096530A1
• Filed: 11/20/2018
• Published: 03/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cirtec Medical Corp.
• Original Assignee: Nuvectra Corporation
• Inventors: Kaula, Norbert, Iyassu, Yohannes
• Granted Patent: US 10,347,381 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/50 for simulation or modelling of medical disorders
• CPC Class Codes: G16Z 99/00 Subject matter not provided for in other main groups of this subclass

Abstract

The present disclosure involves a medical system that includes one or more implantable medical devices configured to deliver a medical therapy to a patient. The medical system also includes a portable electronic device on which a touch-sensitive user interface is implemented. The user interface is configured to provide a visual representation of the medical therapy through a hierarchy. The hierarchy includes a lower level representation of the medical therapy that corresponds to a stimulation program that includes a plurality of configurable stimulation parameters. The hierarchy includes a middle level representation of the medical therapy that corresponds to a stimulation program-set that includes a plurality of different stimulation programs. The hierarchy includes an upper level representation of the medical therapy that corresponds to a scrollable collection of stimulation program-sets that are represented by a plurality of digital cards, respectively.

Claims

1. (canceled)

2. A method of visualizing medical therapy associated with an implantable medical device, the method comprising:

providing a first level user interface for a stimulation program that can be executed on the implantable medical device to provide electrical stimulation for a patient as a part of the medical therapy, wherein the first level user interface is configured to display, and allow an adjustment of, a plurality of stimulation parameters of the stimulation program;

providing a second level user interface for a stimulation program-set that is a collection of different stimulation programs, wherein the second level user interface is configured to display a plurality of visual abstractions that each correspond to a respective one of the stimulation programs, and wherein each visual abstraction of the stimulation program displays at least one of the stimulation parameters associated with the respective stimulation program; and

providing a third level user interface for a stimulation program-set list that is a collection of different stimulation program-sets, wherein the third level user interface is configured to display a scrollable virtual carousel made up of a plurality of visual abstractions that each correspond to a respective one of the stimulation program-sets, and wherein each visual abstraction of the stimulation program-set displays at least one of;

a patient-defined stimulation map and a patient-defined pain map.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

displaying the first level user interface, second level user interface, and third level user interface one at a time on a touchscreen device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first level user interface is further configured to display a virtual representation of the implantable medical device and its target anatomical environment.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the second level user interface is further configured to display a stimulation parameter that is common to all of the stimulation programs within the stimulation program-set.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the third level user interface is further configured to display, on each visual abstraction of the stimulation program-set, a stimulation parameter that is common to all of the stimulation programs within the stimulation program-set.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating the patient-defined stimulation map or the patient-defined pain map in response to patient input, wherein boundaries of the stimulation map and the pain map are customizable.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting a target stimulation program-set for execution;

executing each of the stimulation programs in the stimulation program-set; and

repeating the executing.

9. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

denying an access of the first level user interface by the patient.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the first level user interface, the second level user interface, and the third level user interface are each implemented on a portable electronic device that is one of:

a clinician programmer, a patient programmer, and a computer tablet.

11. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

navigating between the first level user interface, the second level user interface, and the third level user interface in response to a user engagement of one or more virtual mechanisms displayed as a part of the first level user interface, the second level user interface, and the third level user interface.

12. A method of visualizing medical therapy associated with an implantable medical device, the method comprising:

displaying, via a first screen of a graphical user interface, a visual representation of a stimulation program that can be executed on the implantable medical device to provide electrical stimulation for a patient as a part of the medical therapy, wherein the visual representation of the stimulation program includes one or more stimulation parameters;

displaying, via a second screen of the graphical user interface, a visual representation of a stimulation program-set that is a collection of different stimulation programs; and

displaying, via a third screen of the graphical user interface, a visual representation of a stimulation program-set list that is a collection of different stimulation program-sets.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

navigating between the first screen and the second screen in response to a user engagement of a first virtual mechanism displayed in the first screen or the second screen; and

navigating between the second screen and the third screen in response to a user engagement of a second virtual mechanism displayed in the second screen or the third screen;

wherein the user includes a healthcare professional but does not include a patient.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the displaying the visual representation of the stimulation program comprises displaying a plurality of user-adjustable values of a plurality of stimulation parameters via the first screen.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first screen further includes a virtual representation of the implantable medical device and a target anatomical environment of the implantable medical device in a human body model.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the displaying the visual representation of the stimulation program-set comprises displaying a plurality of first visual elements that each correspond to a different one of the stimulation programs via the second screen, and wherein the first visual elements each contain a summary of values of the stimulation parameters used for the corresponding stimulation program.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the displaying the visual representation of the stimulation program-set list comprises displaying a plurality of second visual elements that each correspond to a different one of the stimulation program-sets via the third screen, and wherein the second visual elements each visually illustrate, on a human body model, a pain map or a stimulation map associated with the corresponding stimulation program-set.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second visual elements are displayed as a scrollable carousel.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

selecting a target stimulation program-set for execution; and

automatically executing, in response to the selecting and without needing additional user input, each of the stimulation programs in the stimulation program-set.

20. A method of visualizing medical therapy associated with an implantable medical device, the method comprising:

displaying, via a first screen of a graphical user interface, a visual representation of a stimulation program that can be executed on the implantable medical device to provide electrical stimulation for a patient as a part of the medical therapy, wherein the visual representation of the stimulation program includes a plurality of user-adjustable stimulation parameters;

displaying, via a second screen of the graphical user interface, a visual representation of a stimulation program-set that includes of different stimulation programs, wherein the visual representation of the stimulation program-set includes a plurality of first visual elements that each contain a summary of values of the stimulation parameters used for the corresponding stimulation program; and

displaying, via a third screen of the graphical user interface, a visual representation of a stimulation program-set list that is a collection of different stimulation program-sets, wherein the visual representation of the stimulation program-set list includes a plurality of second visual elements that each visually illustrate, on a human body model, a pain map or a stimulation map associated with the corresponding stimulation program-set.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

automatically and repeatedly executing, in response to a user selection of a target stimulation program-set, each of the stimulation programs in the stimulation program-set.