Stimulation electrode selection

• US 8,670,830 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Carlson, David L., Jensen, Randy M., Denison, Timothy J., Wu, Jianping, Molnar, Gabriela C., Stanslaski, Scott R., Marks, William J. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stice, Paula J
• Application Number:
  US13/827,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20130197605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: 600544-545, 607/45, 607/48
• US Class Current: 607/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36067 Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36185 Selection of the electrode configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means

Abstract

Bioelectrical signals may be sensed within a brain of a patient with a plurality of sense electrode combinations. A stimulation electrode combination for delivering stimulation to the patient to manage a patient condition may be selected based on the frequency band characteristics of the sensed signals. In some examples, a stimulation electrode combination associated with the sense electrode combination that sensed a bioelectrical brain signal having a relatively highest relative beta band power level may be selected to deliver stimulation therapy to the patient. Other frequency bands characteristics may also be used to select the stimulation electrode combination.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

controlling a stimulation module to deliver stimulation to a brain of a patient with a first stimulation electrode combination;

receiving a first bioelectrical signal sensed by a sensing module in the brain of the patient with a first sense electrode combination that is associated with the first stimulation electrode combination;

determining a first frequency domain characteristic of the first bioelectrical signal;

receiving a second bioelectrical signal sensed by the sensing module in the brain of the patient with a second sense electrode combination that is associated with a second stimulation electrode combination;

determining a second frequency domain characteristic of the second bioelectrical signal;

comparing the first and second frequency domain characteristics; and

controlling the stimulation module to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the second stimulation electrode combination based on the comparison.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first frequency domain characteristic comprises a first power level in a frequency band of interest and the second frequency domain characteristic comprises a second power level in the frequency band of interest.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the frequency band of interest comprises a beta band that comprises a frequency in a range of about 10 Hertz to about 35 Hertz.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first frequency domain characteristic comprises the first power level in the frequency band of interest relative to a first overall power of the first bioelectrical signal and the second frequency domain characteristic comprises the second power level in the frequency band of interest relative to a second overall power of the second bioelectrical signal.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein comparing the first and second frequency domain characteristics comprises determining whether the first power level is greater than or equal to the second power level, and wherein controlling the stimulation module to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the second stimulation electrode combination based on the comparison comprises controlling the stimulation module to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the second stimulation electrode combination in response to determining the first power level is not greater than or equal to the second power level.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising controlling the stimulation module to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the first stimulation electrode combination in response to determining the first power level is greater than or equal to the second power level.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a frequency band of interest, wherein determining the first and second frequency domain characteristics comprises determining the first and second frequency domain characteristics in the frequency band of interest.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein determining the frequency band of interest comprises:

controlling the sensing module to sense a third bioelectrical signal in the brain of the patient during a first time period in which the patient is not receiving therapy to manage a patient condition;

controlling the sensing module to sense a fourth bioelectrical signal in the brain of the patient during a second time period in which the patient is receiving the therapy to manage the patient condition;

generating a spectrogram of the third and fourth bioelectrical signals; and

determining which frequency bands exhibited a change in power levels between the first and second time periods;

selecting at least one of the frequency bands that exhibited a change in power levels between the first and second time periods as the frequency band of interest.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first electrical parameter value indicative of a first impedance of a first electrical path including electrodes of the first sense electrode combination; and

determining a second electrical parameter value indicative of a second impedance of a second electrical path including electrodes of the second sense electrode combination,

wherein controlling the stimulation module to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the second stimulation electrode combination comprises controlling the stimulation module to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the second stimulation electrode combination based on the comparison and the first and second electrical parameter values.

10. A system comprising:

a stimulation generator configured to deliver electrical stimulation to a brain of a patient with a first stimulation electrode combination;

a sensing module configured to sense a first bioelectrical signal in the brain of the patient with a first sense electrode combination that is associated with the first stimulation electrode combination and sense a second bioelectrical signal in the brain of the patient with a second sense electrode combination that is associated with a second stimulation electrode combination; and

a processor configured to determine a first frequency domain characteristic of the first bioelectrical signal and a second frequency domain characteristic of the second bioelectrical signal, compare the first and second frequency domain characteristics, and control the stimulation generator to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the second stimulation electrode combination based on the comparison.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the first frequency domain characteristic comprises a first power level in a frequency band of interest and the second frequency domain characteristic comprises a second power level in the frequency band of interest.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the frequency band of interest comprises a beta band that comprises a frequency in a range of about 10 Hertz to about 35 Hertz.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first frequency domain characteristic comprises the first power level in the frequency band of interest relative to a first overall power of the first bioelectrical signal and the second frequency domain characteristic comprises the second power level in the frequency band of interest relative to a second overall power of the second bioelectrical signal.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to compare the first and second frequency domain characteristics by at least determining whether the first power level is greater than or equal to the second power level, and wherein the processor is configured to control the stimulation generator to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the second stimulation electrode combination in response to determining the first power level is not greater than or equal to the second power level.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured control the stimulation generator to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the first stimulation electrode combination in response to determining the first power level is greater than or equal to the second power level.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine a frequency band of interest, the first and second frequency domain characteristic comprise power levels of the first and second bioelectrical signals, respectively, in the frequency band of interest.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the sensing module is configured to sense a third bioelectrical signal in the brain of the patient during a first time period in which the patient is not receiving therapy to manage a patient condition and sense a fourth bioelectrical signal in the brain of the patient during a second time period in which the patient is receiving the therapy to manage the patient condition, wherein the processor is configured to determine the frequency band of interest by at least generating a spectrogram of the third and fourth bioelectrical signals, determining which frequency bands exhibited a change in power levels between the first and second time periods, and selecting at least one of the frequency bands that exhibited a change in power levels between the first and second time periods as the frequency band of interest.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to determine a first electrical parameter value indicative of a first impedance of a first electrical path including electrodes of the first sense electrode combination and determine a second electrical parameter value indicative of a second impedance of a second electrical path including electrodes of the second sense electrode combination, and wherein the processor is configured to control the stimulation generator to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the second stimulation electrode combination based on the comparison and the first and second electrical parameter values.

19. A system comprising:

means for controlling a stimulation generator to deliver stimulation to a brain of a patient with a first stimulation electrode combination;

means for sensing a first bioelectrical signal in the brain of the patient with a first sense electrode combination that is associated with the first stimulation electrode combination;

means for determining a first frequency domain characteristic of the first bioelectrical signal;

means for sensing a second bioelectrical signal in the brain of the patient with a second sense electrode combination that is associated with a second stimulation electrode combination;

means for determining a second frequency domain characteristic of the second bioelectrical signal;

means for comparing the first and second frequency domain characteristics; and

means for controlling the stimulation generator to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the second stimulation electrode combination based on the comparison.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first frequency domain characteristic comprises a first power level in a frequency band of interest and the second frequency domain characteristic comprises a second power level in the frequency band of interest, and wherein the means for comparing the first and second frequency domain characteristics comprises means for determining whether the first power level is greater than or equal to the second power level, and wherein the means for controlling the stimulation module to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the second stimulation electrode combination based on the comparison comprises means for controlling the stimulation module to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the second stimulation electrode combination in response to determining the first power level is not greater than or equal to the second power level.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising means for controlling the stimulation module to deliver stimulation to the brain of the patient with the first stimulation electrode combination in response to determining the first power level is greater than or equal to the second power level.