Stimulation electrode selection

• US 9,042,989 B2
• Filed: 01/22/2014
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• 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): Stice, Paula J
• Application Number:
  US14/161,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20140135869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 489 Days
• Field of Search: 600544-545, 607/45
• 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:

receiving, by a processor of a therapy system, a plurality of bioelectrical signals, wherein each of the bioelectrical signals is sensed within a patient by a sensing module with a respective sense electrode combination of a plurality of sense electrode combinations, each of the sense electrode combinations being associated with at least one stimulation electrode combination of a plurality of stimulation electrode combinations;

comparing, by the processor, a characteristic of each bioelectrical signal of the plurality of bioelectrical signals to stored information, the stored information indicating an expected efficacy of electrical stimulation delivered by a medical device with the at least one stimulation electrode combination associated with the sense electrode combination with which the bioelectrical signal was sensed, wherein the stored information is based on at least one of bioelectrical signals sensed within other patients or bioelectrical signals previously sensed within the patient;

selecting, by the processor, at least one of the stimulation electrode combinations based on the comparison; and

storing the at least one of the stimulation electrode combinations in a memory of a device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting, by the processor, at least one of the sense electrode combinations based on the comparison, wherein selecting the at least one stimulation electrode combination comprises selecting the at least one stimulation electrode combination associated with the selected at least one sense electrode combination.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the characteristic of each bioelectrical signal to stored information comprises comparing at least one frequency domain characteristic of each bioelectrical signal to at least one stored signal characteristic.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, for each of the sense electrode combinations, generating, by the processor, an indicator based on the bioelectrical signal sensed with the respective sense electrode combination, wherein the indicator indicates a possibility that electrical stimulation delivered by the medical device with the stimulation electrode combination associated with the respective sense electrode combination will provide efficacious therapy to the patient.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising selecting, by the processor, at least one of the sense electrode combinations based on the comparison and the indicators associated with the sense electrode combinations, wherein selecting the at least one stimulation electrode combination comprises selecting the at least one stimulation electrode combination associated with the selected at least one sense electrode combination.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the medical device to deliver electrical stimulation to the patient with the at least one selected stimulation electrode combination.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sense electrode combinations includes at least one of a partial ring electrode or a segmented electrode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the sense electrode combinations includes a ring electrode.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting, via a display, the selected at least one of the stimulation electrode combinations.

10. A system comprising:

a processor configured to receive a plurality of bioelectrical signals, wherein each of the bioelectrical signals is sensed within a patient by a sensing module with a respective sense electrode combination of a plurality of sense electrode combinations; and

a memory that stores information indicating an expected efficacy of electrical stimulation delivered by a medical device with each stimulation electrode combination of a plurality of stimulation electrode combinations, wherein the stored information is based on at least one of bioelectrical signals sensed within other patients or bioelectrical signals previously sensed within the patient, each of the sense electrode combinations being associated with at least one stimulation electrode combination of the plurality,

wherein the processor is further configured to compare a characteristic of each bioelectrical signal of the plurality of bioelectrical signals to the stored information, and select at least one of the stimulation electrode combinations based on the comparison.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to select at least one of the sense electrode combinations based on the comparison, and select the at least one stimulation electrode combination associated with the selected at least one sense electrode combination.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to compare the characteristic of each bioelectrical signal to stored information by at least comparing at least one frequency domain characteristic of each bioelectrical signal to at least one stored signal characteristic.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising the sensing module, wherein the sensing module is configured to sense the plurality of bioelectrical signals.

14. The system of claim 10, further comprising a stimulation generator, wherein the processor is configured to control the stimulation generator to deliver electrical stimulation to the patient with the selected at least one stimulation electrode combination.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to, for each of the sense electrode combinations, generate an indicator based on the bioelectrical signal sensed with the respective sense electrode combination, and wherein the indicator indicates a possibility that electrical stimulation delivered by the medical device with the stimulation electrode combination associated with the respective sense electrode combination will provide efficacious therapy to the patient.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to select at least one of the sense electrode combinations based on the comparison and the indicators associated with the sense electrode combinations, and select the at least one stimulation electrode combination associated with the selected at least one sense electrode combination.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the sense electrode combinations includes at least one of a partial ring electrode or a segmented electrode.

18. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the sense electrode combinations includes a ring electrode.

19. The system of claim 10, further comprising a display, wherein the processor is further configured to present, via the display, the selected at least one of the stimulation electrode combinations.

20. A system comprising:

means for receiving a plurality of bioelectrical signals, wherein each of the bioelectrical signals is sensed within a patient by a sensing module with a respective sense electrode combination of a plurality of sense electrode combinations, each of the sense electrode combinations being associated with at least one stimulation electrode combination of a plurality of stimulation electrode combinations;

means for comparing a characteristic of each bioelectrical signal of the plurality of bioelectrical signals to stored information, the stored information indicating an expected efficacy of electrical stimulation delivered by a medical device with the stimulation electrode combination associated with the sense electrode combination with which the bioelectrical signal was sensed, wherein the stored information is based on at least one of bioelectrical signals sensed within other patients or bioelectrical signals previously sensed within the patient; and

means for selecting at least one of the stimulation electrode combinations based on the comparison.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the means for selecting selects at least one of the sense electrode combinations based on the comparison, and selects the at least one stimulation electrode combination associated with the selected at least one sense electrode combination.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for generating an indicator based on the bioelectrical signal sensed with the respective sense electrode combination, wherein the indicator indicates a possibility that electrical stimulation delivered by the medical device with the stimulation electrode combination associated with the respective sense electrode combination will provide efficacious therapy to the patient, wherein the means for selecting selects the at least one of the sense electrode combinations based on the comparison and the indicators associated with the sense electrode combinations.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive a plurality of bioelectrical signals, wherein each of the bioelectrical signals is sensed within a patient by a sensing module with a respective sense electrode combination of a plurality of sense electrode combinations, each of the sense electrode combinations being associated with at least one stimulation electrode combination of a plurality of stimulation electrode combinations;

compare a characteristic of each bioelectrical signal of the plurality of bioelectrical signals to stored information, the stored information indicating an expected efficacy of electrical stimulation delivered by a medical device with the stimulation electrode combination associated with the sense electrode combination with which the bioelectrical signal was sensed, wherein the stored information is based on at least one of bioelectrical signals sensed within other patients or bioelectrical signals previously sensed within the patient; and

select at least one of the stimulation electrode combinations based on the comparison.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to select at least one of the sense electrode combinations based on the comparison, and select the at least one stimulation electrode combination associated with the selected at least one sense electrode combination.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 24, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate an indicator based on the bioelectrical signal sensed with the respective sense electrode combination, wherein the indicator indicates a possibility that electrical stimulation delivered by the medical device with the stimulation electrode combination associated with the respective sense electrode combination will provide efficacious therapy to the patient, wherein the instructions cause the processor to select the at least one of the sense electrode combinations based on the comparison and the indicators associated with the sense electrode combinations.