Brain stimulation models, systems, devices, and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9235685-B2
Application number	US-28747108-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 9, 2008
Priority date	Jul 7, 2004
Publication date	Jan 12, 2016
Grant date	Jan 12, 2016

Abstract

This document discusses, among other things, brain stimulation models, systems, devices, and methods, such as for deep brain stimulation (DBS) or other electrical stimulation. In an example, a target volume of activation (VOA) can be received, a test VOA can be simulated, and at least one of a target electrode location or parameter can be provide using a relationship between the target VOA and the test VOA.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a computer processor, a target volume of activation and a target volume to avoid activating;
for each of a plurality of test electrode locations or test electrode parameters of a stimulation leadwire:
ascertaining, by the processor, a respective distribution of electrical values of an electric field estimated to be produced in an anatomical region by the stimulation leadwire using the test electrode location or test electrode parameter;
based on the ascertained distribution of electrical values, determining, by the processor, an estimate of a volume of activation (VOA) of tissue in the anatomical region, in which volume an electrical characteristic of the tissue, which is dependent on the distribution of electrical values of the electric field, is predicted to reach a threshold level that causes the tissue to be activated, wherein, in the determining step, the processor estimates that tissue in at least a portion of the anatomical region in which some of the ascertained distribution of electrical values is located would not be activated by the electric field with the ascertained distribution of electrical values distribution; and
comparing, by the processor, the respective VOA to both the target volume of activation and the target volume to avoid activating;

selecting a target electrode location or a target electrode parameter using the comparisons between the respective VOAs and both the target volume of activation and the target volume to avoid activating; and
displaying, by the processor and on a display screen, the respective VOA to which the selected target electrode location or target electrode parameter corresponds; and
communicating the selected target electrode location or target electrode parameter to an implanted controller circuit to initiate production of electrical stimulation of patient tissue using an implanted leadwire coupled to the controller circuit at the selected target electrode location or using the selected target electrode parameter.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting includes selecting the target electrode location.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the selecting includes selecting the target electrode parameter.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the target electrode parameter includes at least one of a stimulation amplitude, a stimulation pulsewidth, a stimulation frequency, an electrode contact, an electrode polarity, or an electrode pulse polarity.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target volume of activation is received by user input.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target volume of activation is received in a form of a user selection of an anatomical structure.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target volume of activation includes neural tissue having a stimulatory effect when activated.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target volume of activation includes neural tissue having an inhibitory effect when activated.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target volume of activation represents an area targeted to be stimulated for a patient having a subthalamic nucleus which has a volume, and wherein the area corresponds to the volume of the subthalamic nucleus or a portion of the subthalamic nucleus in the patient.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the patient is suffering from Parkinson's disease and the target volume of activation represents a volume of tissue targeted for treatment of the Parkinson's disease.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using the comparison between the respective VOAs and the target volume of activation, by the processor, to calculate a respective score for each of the respective VOAs, wherein the target electrode location or the target electrode parameter is selected based on the scores.

12. A system comprising:
a processor; and
a non-transitory computer-readable medium on which are stored instructions that are executable by the processor, the instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
receive a target volume of activation and a target volume to avoid activating;
for each of a plurality of test electrode locations or test electrode parameters of a stimulation leadwire:
ascertain a respective distribution of electrical values of an electric field estimated to be produced in an anatomical region by the stimulation leadwire using the test electrode location or test electrode parameter;
based on the ascertained distribution of electrical values, determine, by the processor an estimate of a volume of activation (VOA) of tissue in the anatomical region, in which volume an electrical characteristic of the tissue, which is dependent on the distribution of electrical values of the electric field, is predicted to reach a threshold level that causes the tissue to be activated, wherein, in the determination, the processor estimates that tissue in at least a portion of the anatomical region in which some of the ascertained distribution of electrical values is located would not be activated by the electric field with the ascertained distribution of electrical values; and
compare the respective VOA to both the target volume of activation and the target volume to avoid activating;

select a target electrode location or a target electrode parameter using the comparison between the respective VOAs and both the target volume of activation and the target volume to avoid activating;
display on a display screen the respective VOA to which the selected target electrode location or target electrode parameter corresponds; and
communicate the selected target electrode location or target electrode parameter to an implanted controller circuit to initiate production of electrical stimulation of patient tissue using an implanted leadwire coupled to the controller circuit at the selected target electrode location or using the selected target electrode parameter.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to select the target electrode location using the comparison between the target volume of activation and the target volume to avoid activating and the respective VOAs.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to select the target electrode parameter using the comparison between the target volume of activation and the target volume to avoid activating and the respective VOAs.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the target electrode parameter includes at least one of a stimulation amplitude, a stimulation pulsewidth, a stimulation frequency, an electrode contact, an electrode polarity, or an electrode pulse polarity.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the target volume of activation is received by user input.

17. The system of claim 12 , wherein the target volume of activation is received as an anatomical structure selected by a user.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to calculate a respective score for each of the respective VOAs using the comparison between the respective VOA and the target volume of activation, and is configured to select the target electrode location or the target electrode parameter based on the scores.

19. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, by a computer processor, a target volume of activation (target VOA) and a target volume to avoid activating;
for each of a plurality of test electrode locations or test electrode parameters of a stimulation leadwire:
ascertaining, by the processor, a respective distribution of elect

Assignees

• Mcintyre Cameron C
• Butson Christopher R
• Hall John D
• Henderson Jaimie M
• Cleveland Clinic Foundation

Inventors

• Mcintyre Cameron C
• Butson Christopher R
• Hall John D
• Henderson Jaimie M

Classifications

• A61N1/36082 Primary

  Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease · CPC title

• G16H20/30

  relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising · CPC title

• G16H30/20

  for handling medical images, e.g. DICOM, HL7 or PACS · CPC title

• A61B2090/364

  Correlation of different images or relation of image positions in respect to the body · CPC title

• A61B90/37

  Surgical systems with images on a monitor during operation · CPC title