High frequency stimulation for treating sensory and/or motor deficits in patients with spinal cord injuries and/or peripheral polyneuropathy, and associated systems and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12226634-B2
Application number	US-202117330310-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 25, 2021
Priority date	Jan 19, 2017
Publication date	Feb 18, 2025
Grant date	Feb 18, 2025

Abstract

High frequency stimulation for treating sensory and/or motor deficits in patients with spinal cord injuries and/or peripheral polyneuropathy, and associated systems and methods. A representative method includes addressing the patient's somatosensory dysfunction and/or motor dysfunction, resulting from neuropathy and/or spinal cord injury, by directing an electrical therapy signal to the patient's spinal cord region, the therapy signal having a frequency in a frequency range from 1.5 kHz to 100 KHz.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of treating a patient having sensation loss, via spinal cord stimulation, comprising:
in response to the patient having sensation loss, programming a signal generator to deliver a non-paresthesia producing electrical signal having a frequency in a frequency range of 5 kHz to 16 kHz to the patient's spinal cord via at least one implanted signal delivery element,
wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal at least partially restores the sensation that was lost, and wherein the sensation was lost in association with diabetic neuropathy.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the signal generator is implantable, the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's thoracic vertebral region between T8 and T12, and the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has (a) a pulse width in a pulse width range of 10 microseconds to 333 microseconds, and (b) an amplitude in an amplitude range of 0.5 milliamps to 10 milliamps.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has a frequency of 10 KHz.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has a pulse width in a pulse width range of 10 microseconds to 333 microseconds.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has a pulse width in a pulse width range of 25 microseconds to 35 microseconds.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has an amplitude in an amplitude range of 0.5 milliamps to 10 milliamps.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's thoracic vertebral region.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's thoracic vertebral region between T8 and T12, inclusive.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's epidural space.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensation loss is in the patient's foot or leg, and wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal at least partially restores the sensation that was lost in the patient's foot or leg.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal at least partially alleviates extremity pain associated with the diabetic neuropathy in addition to restoring the sensation.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the sensation lost in association with the diabetic neuropathy includes sensation loss caused by diabetes.

13. A method of treating a patient having a loss of sensation, via spinal cord stimulation, comprising:
in response to patient having sensation loss associated with diabetic neuropathy, programming a signal generator to deliver, via at least one implanted signal delivery element, a non-paresthesia producing electrical signal having a frequency in a frequency range of 5 kHz to 15 kHz to the patient's spinal cord to at least partially restore the sensation that was lost in association with diabetic neuropathy.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the signal generator is implantable, the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's thoracic vertebral region between T8 and T12, and the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has (a) a pulse width in a pulse width range of 10 microseconds to 333 microseconds, and (b) an amplitude in an amplitude range of 0.5 milliamps to 10 milliamps.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has a frequency of 10 KHz.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has (a) a pulse width in a pulse width range of 10 microseconds to 333 microseconds, and (b) an amplitude in an amplitude range of 0.5 milliamps to 10 milliamps.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal has (a) a pulse width in a pulse width range of 25 microseconds to 35 microseconds, and (b) an amplitude in an amplitude range of 0.5 milliamps to 10 milliamps.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one implanted signal delivery element is positioned in the patient's thoracic vertebral region between T8 and T12, inclusive.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal at least partially eliminates sensations of tingling, pins-and-needles, and/or electric shock associated with the diabetic neuropathy.

20. The method of claim 13 wherein the sensation loss is in the patient's foot or leg, and wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal at least partially restores the sensation that was lost in the patient's foot or leg.

21. The method of claim 13 wherein the non-paresthesia producing electrical signal at least partially alleviates extremity pain associated with the diabetic neuropathy in addition to restoring the sensation.

22. The method of claim 13 wherein the sensation lost in association with the diabetic neuropathy includes sensation loss caused by diabetes.

23. A method of treating a patient having sensation loss, via spinal cord stimulation, comprising:
in response to the patient having sensation loss associated with diabetic neuropathy, directing an electrical signal having a frequency in a frequency range of 5 kHz jo 15 khz to the patient's spinal cord region via an implanted signal delivery element,
wherein the electrical signal at least partially restores the sensation that was lost in association with diabetic neuropathy without causing paresthesia in the patient.

24. The method of claim 23 wherein the electrical signal has (a) a pulse width in a pulse width range of 10 microseconds to 333 microseconds, and (b) an amplitude in an amplitude range of 0.5 milliamps to 10 milliamps.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the electrical signal at least partially alleviates sensations of tingling, pins-and-needles, and/or electric shock associated with the diabetic neuropathy in addition to restoring the sensation.

Assignees

• Nevro Corp

Inventors

• Subbaroyan Jeyakumar
• Bradley Kerry
• Lee Dongchul

Classifications

• A61N1/36175

  Pulse width or duty cycle · CPC title

• A61N1/36171

  Frequency · CPC title

• A61N1/36157

  Current (A61N1/3616 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A61N1/0551

  Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes · CPC title

• A61N1/36139

  with automatic adjustment · CPC title