Programming and virtual reality representation of stimulation parameter Groups

• US 9,471,753 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cirtec Medical Corp.
• Original Assignee: Nuvectra Corporation
• Inventors: Kaula, Norbert, Iyassu, Yohannes
• Primary Examiner(s): Koharski, Christopher D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dinga, Roland
• Application Number:
  US13/601,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20140067005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,509 Days
• Field of Search: 607/46, 607/117, 345/173, 715/750, 715/810
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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. An electronic device configured to provide a visualization of stimulation programming for an implantable medical device, the electronic device comprising:

a touchscreen configured to receive input from a user and display an output to the user;

a memory storage component configured to store programming code; and

a computer processor configured to execute the programming code to establish a graphical user interface via the touchscreen, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to visualize a plurality of stimulation parameters parameters via the touchscreen and through a hierarchy of stimulation programs, stimulation program-sets, and a stimulation program-set list, wherein;

the stimulation program-set list includes virtual representations of a plurality of the stimulation program-sets, wherein the virtual representation of each stimulation program-set contains respective stimulation information associated with the stimulation program-set;

each stimulation program-set includes virtual representations of a plurality of the stimulation programs, wherein the virtual representation of each stimulation program contains respective ones of the plurality of stimulation parameters associated with the stimulation program; and

each stimulation program includes a programming screen that displays a virtual representation of the implantable medical device and a plurality of virtual control mechanisms operable to configure the stimulation parameters of the stimulation program.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the stimulation programs belong to a first level of the hierarchy;

the stimulation program-sets belong to a second level of the hierarchy that is above the first level;

the stimulation program-set list belongs to a third level of the hierarchy that is above the second level; and

the graphical user interface is configured to display each of the first, second, and third levels of hierarchy independently of the other levels of the hierarchy.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the stimulation program-set list includes a scrollable virtual carousel having a plurality of items, wherein each item corresponds to the virtual representation of a respective stimulation program-set.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the stimulation information associated with the stimulation program-set includes one or more stimulation parameters from the plurality of stimulation parameters, the one or more parameters being common to all the stimulation programs within the stimulation program-set.

5. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the one or more stimulation parameters common to all the stimulation programs within the stimulation program-set includes stimulation frequency.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the stimulation information associated with the stimulation program-set includes at least one of:

a stimulation map and a pain map.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the stimulation map and the pain map are customizable.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein boundaries and intensities of the stimulation map and the pain map are customized in response to user input via the touchscreen.

9. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the stimulation parameters associated with the stimulation program include at least one of:

a stimulation amplitude and a stimulation interval.

10. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the user includes at least one of;

a physician and a patient; and

the graphical user interface is configured such that the stimulation program is accessible to the physician but not to the patient.

11. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is one of:

a clinician programmer, a patient programmer, and a computer tablet, and wherein the electronic device is portable and is configured to communicate with external devices according to one or more wireless communications protocols.

12. An electronic device configured to provide a visualization of stimulation programming for an implantable medical device, the electronic device comprising:

a touchscreen configured to receive input from a user and display an output to the user;

a memory storage component configured to store programming code; and

a computer processor configured to execute the programming code to establish a graphical user interface via the touchscreen, wherein the graphical user interface is configured to provide a visual representation of a medical therapy through a hierarchy that includes;

a lower level representation of the medical therapy that corresponds to a stimulation program, wherein the stimulation program can run on the implantable medical devices to cause the implantable medical device to stimulate a body tissue of the patient as part of the medical therapy, and wherein the stimulation program includes a plurality of configurable stimulation parameters;

a middle level representation of the medical therapy that is at least one hierarchical level above the lower level representation of the medical therapy, wherein the middle level representation of the medical therapy corresponds to a stimulation program-set that includes a plurality of different stimulation programs; and

an upper level representation of the medical therapy that is at least one hierarchical level above the middle level representation of the medical therapy, wherein the upper level representation of the medical therapy corresponds to a scrollable collection of stimulation program-sets, wherein the stimulation program-sets are represented by a plurality of digital cards, respectively.

13. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the user interface is configured to display one of the lower, middle, and upper levels of representation of the medical therapy at a time.

14. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the user interface in the lower level representation of the medical therapy includes a stimulation program window, the stimulation program window containing a plurality of programming boxes through which the stimulation parameters of the stimulation program are configured.

15. The electronic device of claim 14, wherein the user interface in the lower level representation of the medical therapy includes a visual representation of at least a portion of the implantable medical device and its anatomical surroundings.

16. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the user interface in the middle level representation of the medical therapy includes a stimulation program-set window, the stimulation program-set window containing a plurality of programming boxes that each represent a different stimulation program.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein:

each programming box displays one or more the stimulation parameters local to the each respective stimulation program; and

the stimulation program-set window displays one or more the stimulation parameters global to all the stimulation programs within the stimulation program-set.

18. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the user interface in the upper level representation of the medical therapy displays the digital cards in a spinnable digital carousel.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein each digital card displays one or more of the stimulation parameters.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein each digital card displays a user-defined stimulation map associated with the respective stimulation program-set.

21. The electronic device of claim 20, wherein each digital card displays a user-defined pain map associated with the respective stimulation program-set.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the stimulation map and the pain map have boundaries and intensities that are drawn by in response to patient input via the touch-sensitive user interface.

23. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the lower level representation of the medical therapy is accessible by a healthcare professional but is not accessible by the patient.

24. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein:

the implantable medical device includes pulse generators and leads; and

the electronic device is one of;

a clinician programmer, a patient programmer, and a computer tablet, and wherein the electronic device is portable and is configured to communicate with external devices according to a wireless communications protocol.

25. An electronic device configured to provide a visualization of stimulation programming for an implantable medical device, the electronic device comprising:

a touchscreen configured to receive input from a user and display an output to the user;

a memory storage component configured to store programming code; and

a computer processor configured to execute the programming code to perform operations comprising;

providing, via the touchscreen, 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 a 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, via the touchscreen, 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, via the touchscreen, 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.

26. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise:

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

27. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the first level user interface is further configured to display a virtual representation of the implantable medical device and its target anatomical environment.

28. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the second level user interface is further configured to display a stimulation parameter from the plurality of stimulation parameters, the one or more parameters being common to all of the stimulation programs within the stimulation program-set.

29. The electronic device of claim 25, 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.

30. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise:

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.

31. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise:

selecting a target stimulation program-set for execution;

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

repeating the executing.

32. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the operations further comprise:

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

33. The electronic device of claim 25, wherein the electronic device is a clinician programmer, a patient programmer, and a computer tablet.

34. An electronic device configured to provide a visualization of stimulation programming for an implantable medical device, the electronic device comprising:

a touchscreen configured to receive input from a user and display an output to the user;

a memory storage component configured to store programming code; and

a computer processor configured to execute the programming code to perform operation comprising;

configuring a stimulation program in a first programming screen, the stimulation program including a plurality of stimulation parameters that are associated with a stimulation device capable of delivering stimulation therapy to a patient;

configuring a stimulation program-set in a second programming screen, the stimulation program-set including virtual representations of a plurality of the stimulation programs; and

configuring a stimulation program-set list in a third programming screen, the stimulation program-set list including virtual representations of a plurality of the stimulation program-sets;

wherein the first, second, and third programming screens are different from one another.

35. The electronic device of claim 34, wherein the first, second, and third programming screens are displayed in a mutually exclusive manner.

36. The electronic device of claim 34, wherein the first programming screen includes a virtual representation of the stimulation device and its target anatomical surroundings.

37. The electronic device of claim 34, wherein the second programming screen includes visual abstractions of the stimulation programs in the stimulation program-set.

38. The electronic device of claim 34, wherein the third programming screen includes visual abstractions of the stimulation program-sets in the stimulation program-set list.

39. The electronic device of claim 38, wherein the visual abstractions of the stimulation program-sets are organized into a scrollable virtual carousel.

40. The electronic device of claim 38, wherein the visual abstractions of the stimulation program-sets each include a patient-defined stimulation map.

41. The electronic device of claim 34, wherein:

the configuring the stimulation program comprises setting numerical values for one or more of the plurality of stimulation parameters;

the configuring the stimulation program-set comprises setting numerical values for one or more first stimulation parameters that are either associated with a particular stimulation program or common to all the stimulation programs in the stimulation program-set; and

the configuring the stimulation program-set list comprises setting numerical values for one or more second stimulation parameters common to all the stimulation programs within a particular stimulation program-set.