High duty cycle electrical stimulation therapy

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018369593-A1
Application number	US-201616062959-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 15, 2016
Priority date	Dec 18, 2015
Publication date	Dec 27, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

In some examples, a medical device is configured to deliver high dose electrical stimulation therapy to a patient by at least generating and delivering an electrical stimulation signal having a relatively high duty cycle, and a stimulation intensity less than a perception or paresthesia threshold intensity level for the patient. The pulses may each have a relatively low amplitude, but due at least in part to a relatively high number of pulses per unit of time, the electrical stimulation signal may be high enough to elicit a therapeutic response from the patient. In some examples, the plurality of pulses may have a duty cycle in a range of about 5% to about 50%. Following the generation and delivery of the plurality of pulses, one or more recharge pulses for the plurality of pulses may be delivered.

First claim

1 . A system comprising:
stimulation generation circuitry configured to generate and deliver electrical stimulation therapy to a patient; and processing circuitry configured to control the stimulation generation circuitry to:
generate a plurality of electrical stimulation pulses having a duty cycle in a range of about 5% to about 50%, wherein the plurality of electrical stimulation pulses have a stimulation intensity less than at least one of a perception threshold or a paresthesia threshold of a patient;
deliver a first electrical stimulation pulse of the plurality of electrical stimulation pulses to the patient;
subsequent to delivering the first electrical stimulation pulse, deliver a second electrical stimulation pulse of the plurality of electrical stimulation pulses to the patient; and
subsequent to delivering the first pulse and the second pulse, deliver one or more recharge pulses for at least the first electrical stimulation pulse and the second electrical stimulation pulse.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical stimulation pulse comprises a first pulse width different from a second pulse width of the second electrical stimulation pulse.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the stimulation generation circuitry is configured to deliver the first electrical stimulation pulse by delivering the first electrical stimulation pulse from a first electrode of a plurality of electrodes, and wherein the stimulation generation circuitry is configured to deliver the second electrical stimulation pulse by delivering the second electrical stimulation pulse from a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes, wherein the first electrode is different than the second electrode.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the stimulation generation circuitry deliver the first electrical stimulation pulse by being further configured to control the stimulation generation circuitry to deliver both the first electrical stimulation pulse from an electrode of the plurality of electrodes and the second electrical stimulation pulse from the electrode of the plurality of electrodes.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the stimulation generation circuitry to deliver a third electrical stimulation pulse of the plurality of electrical stimulation pulses from a second electrode of the plurality of electrodes subsequent to delivering the second electrical stimulation pulse and prior to delivering the one or more recharge pulses.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to control the stimulation generation circuitry to withhold the delivery of the one or more recharge pulses for an amount of time following the delivery of the second electrical stimulation pulse.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the stimulation generation circuitry to deliver the one or more recharge pulses by being further configured to control the stimulation generation circuitry to simultaneously deliver both a first recharge pulse of the one or more recharge pulses for the first electrical stimulation pulse and a second recharge pulse of the one or more recharge pulses for the second electrical stimulation pulse.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the stimulation generation circuitry to deliver the one or more recharge pulses by being further configured to control the stimulation generation circuitry to:
deliver a first recharge pulse of the one or more recharge pulses for the first electrical stimulation pulse; and subsequent to delivering the first recharge pulse, deliver a second recharge pulse of the one or more recharge pulses for the second electrical stimulation pulse.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the stimulation generation circuitry to deliver the one or more recharge pulses by being further configured to control the stimulation generation circuitry to:
deliver a first recharge pulse of the one or more recharge pulses for the second electrical stimulation pulse; and subsequent to delivering the first recharge pulse, deliver a second recharge pulse of the one or more recharge pulses for the first electrical stimulation pulse.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processing circuitry is configured to control the stimulation generation circuitry to deliver the one or more recharge pulses by being further configured to control the stimulation generation circuitry to deliver a recharge pulse of the one or more recharge pulses for both the first electrical stimulation pulse and the second electrical stimulation pulse.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the stimulation generation circuitry is configured to generate the plurality of electrical stimulation pulses according to a first stimulation program and second stimulation program saved on a memory, and wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to generate the first electrical stimulation pulse according to the first stimulation program and generate the second electrical stimulation pulse according to the second stimulation program.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more recharge pulses comprises ore or more passive recharge pulses.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more recharge pulses comprises one or more active recharge pulses having predetermined pulse amplitudes and pulse widths.

14 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising an implantable medical device comprising the stimulation generation circuitry and the processing circuitry.

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first electrical stimulation pulse and the second electrical stimulation pulse comprise a first polarity, and wherein the one or more recharge pulses comprise a second polarity opposite the first polarity.

16 . A method comprising:
generating, by a medical device, a plurality of electrical stimulation pulses having a duty cycle in a range of about 5% to about 50%, wherein the plurality of electrical stimulation pulses have a stimulation intensity less than at least one of a perception threshold or a paresthesia threshold of a patient; delivering, by the medical device, a first electrical stimulation pulse of the plurality of electrical stimulation pulses to the patient; subsequent to delivering the first electrical stimulation pulse, delivering, by the medical device, a second electrical stimulation pulse of the plurality of electrical stimulation pulses to the patient; and subsequent to delivering the first pulse and the second pulse, delivering, by the medical device, one or more recharge pulses for at least the first electrical stimulation pulse and the second electrical stimulation pulse.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein delivering the first electrical stimulation pulse comprises delivering the first electrical stimulation pulse from an electrode of a lead coupled to the medical device, and wherein delivering the second electrical stimulation pulse comprises delivering the second electrical stimulation pulse from the electrode of the lead, and wherein the method further comprises:
subsequent to delivering the second electrical stimulation pulse and prior to delivering the one or more recharge pulses, delivering, by the medical device, a third electrical stimulation pulse of the plurality of electrical stimulation pulses to the patient from a second electrode coupled to the medical device.

Assignees

• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Johanek Lisa M

Classifications

• A61N1/36062

  Spinal stimulation · CPC title

• A61N1/36171

  Frequency · CPC title

• A61N1/36067

  Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease (stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003) · CPC title

• A61N1/36071 Primary

  Pain · CPC title

• A61N1/36007

  of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control · CPC title