Neuromodulation therapy with a multiple stimulation engine system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12364865-B2
Application number	US-202016790443-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 13, 2020
Priority date	Feb 13, 2020
Publication date	Jul 22, 2025
Grant date	Jul 22, 2025

Abstract

An implantable medical device (IMD) includes multiple stimulation engines (SEs) for independently stimulating respective electrode sets of a lead system. A voltage multiplier (VM) is configured to generate an adjustable target voltage at an output node. Each stimulation engine includes first switching circuitry to switchably connect an anodic node of the SE to the VM output node and second switching circuitry to switchably connect a cathodic node of the SE to a current sink circuit. Discharge switching circuitry may be disposed between the anodic and cathodic nodes of each SE. A selector and associated digital control logic block are operative to generate control signals for independently controlling respective SEs such that each SE may be activated to stimulate or discharge a corresponding select set of electrodes independently from or in concert with remaining SEs.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A stimulation therapy method using an implantable medical device (IMD), the IMD including a power supply and a lead system of one or more leads configured to be positioned proximate to a tissue of a patient, wherein the one or more leads includes a plurality of electrodes, the method comprising:
providing a voltage multiplier (VM) configured to generate a range of target voltages at an output node based on a voltage supplied by the power supply;
providing a plurality of stimulation engines (SE) individually configured to support an anodic node and a cathodic node, wherein, for at least one SE:
the anodic node is switchably connectable by first switching circuitry to a VM connection node driven by the output node, the first switching circuitry configured to:
in an active state of the at least one SE, connect the anodic node to the VM connection node to receive the voltage supplied by the power supply; and
in an inactive state of the at least one SE, disconnect the anodic node from the VM connection node;

the cathodic node is switchably connectable by second switching circuitry to a current sink circuit operative to drive the cathodic node; and
a discharge switching circuitry is disposed between the anodic node and the cathodic node;

selectively coupling one or more sets of electrodes of the lead system to a corresponding number of SEs at respective anodic and cathodic nodes;
providing, for the at least one SE, a current source circuit, wherein the first switching circuitry is arranged to switch the anodic node of the SE between a direct connection to the VM connection node and another connection to the VM connection node via the current source circuit; and
generating a plurality of control signals for independently controlling at least some of the SEs such that the at least some of the SEs are activated to stimulate or discharge a corresponding set of electrodes independently from or in concert with remaining SEs for applying a stimulation therapy to the tissue according to a stimulation set, wherein channel contention between sets of electrodes of the lead system is avoided.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising generating, for a respective SE, a first control signal for controlling the first switching circuitry, a second control signal for controlling the second switching circuitry and a third control signal for controlling the discharge switching circuitry of the respective SE.

3. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the first and second control signals are asserted for a select SE, in a stimulation mode, to enable the first switching circuitry and the second switching circuitry of the select SE for reconnecting the VM connection node to the anodic node and the current sink circuit to the cathodic node to facilitate stimulation of a corresponding select set of the electrodes and the third control signal is de-asserted to disable the discharge switching circuitry of the select SE.

4. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the first and second control signals are de-asserted for a select SE, in a discharge mode, to disable the first switching circuitry and the second switching circuitry of the select SE for disconnecting the VM connection node from the anodic node and the current sink circuit from the cathodic node, and the third control signal is asserted to enable the discharge switching circuitry of the select SE for facilitating passive discharge of a corresponding select set of the electrodes.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising generating, for a respective SE, a first pair of control signals for controlling the first switching circuitry, a second pair of control signals for controlling the second switching circuitry, the second pair of control signals having complementary logic levels with respect to the first pair of control signals, and a third control signal for controlling the discharge switching circuitry of the respective SE.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first pair of control signals and the second pair of control signals are asserted with first logic levels, for a select SE in a stimulation mode, to enable the first and second switching circuitry of the select SE for connecting the VM connection node to the anodic node and the current sink circuit to the cathodic node to facilitate stimulation of a corresponding select set of the electrodes and the third control signal is de-asserted to disable the discharge switching circuitry of the select SE.

7. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the first pair of control signals and the second pair of control signals are de-asserted with second logic levels, for a select SE in a discharge mode, to disable connections of the select SE to the anodic node and the cathodic node, and the third control signal is asserted to enable the discharge switching circuitry of the select SE for facilitating passive discharge of a corresponding select set of the electrodes.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the stimulation therapy comprises a select set of properties including at least one of a stimulation frequency, a stimulation pulse width, a stimulation pulse amplitude, a discharge method, or phase information.

9. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the stimulation therapy comprises a therapy selected from at least one of a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy, a neuromuscular stimulation therapy, a dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation therapy, a deep brain stimulation (DBS) therapy, a cochlear stimulation therapy, a cardiac pacemaker therapy, a cardioverter-defibrillator therapy, a cardiac rhythm management (CRM) therapy, an electrophysiology (EP) mapping and radio frequency (RF) ablation therapy, an electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), a repetitive transcranial (rTMS) magnetic stimulation therapy, or a vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) therapy.

10. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the sets of electrodes are configured for stimulation by independent SEs to provide therapy to different areas of the tissue.

11. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein an electrode set is commonly stimulated by two or more SEs to provide nested stimulation therapy to at least a portion of the tissue.

12. A stimulation therapy method using an implantable medical device (IMD), the IMD including a power supply and a lead system of a plurality of electrodes configured to be positioned proximate to a tissue of a patient, the method comprising:
generating a range of target voltages at an output node of a voltage multiplier (VM);
providing a plurality of stimulation engines (SE) individually configured to support an anodic node and a cathodic node, wherein, for an SE of the plurality of SEs:
the anodic node is switchably connectable, via a first switching circuitry, to a VM connection node driven by the output node;
the cathodic node is switchably connectable to a current sink circuit operative to drive the cathodic node; and
a discharge switching circuitry is disposed between the anodic node and the cathodic node;

selectively coupling one or more sets of electrodes of the lead system to a corresponding number of SEs at respective anodic nodes and cathodic nodes;
providing, for at least one SE of the plurality of SEs, a current source circuit, wherein the first switching circuitry is arranged to switch the anodic node of the at least one SE between a direct connection to the VM connection node and another connection to the VM connection node via the current source circuit; and
generating a plurality of control signals for independently controlling at least some of the SEs such that the at least some of the SEs are activated to

Assignees

• Advanced Neuromodulation Systems Inc

Inventors

• Deshazo Daran
• Boor Steven
• Rade Gavin L

Classifications

• A61B5/304

  Switching circuits · CPC title

• A61N1/36003

  of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance · CPC title

• A61N1/36171

  Frequency · CPC title

• A61N1/36175

  Pulse width or duty cycle · CPC title

• A61N1/025

  Digital circuitry features of electrotherapy devices, e.g. memory, clocks, processors · CPC title