Conditional electrical stimulation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9561366-B2
Application number	US-201113237216-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 20, 2011
Priority date	Mar 27, 2009
Publication date	Feb 7, 2017
Grant date	Feb 7, 2017

Abstract

In general, the disclosure describes techniques for providing conditional electrical stimulation to a patient for pelvic health. An implantable medical device (IMD) may adjust the delivery cycle of the electrical stimulation applied to a patient in response to receiving a delivery cycle parameter associated with one or more of the following: a time in a time schedule, a control device output from a control device, and physiological information from a physiological information sensing device. As an example, the IMD may monitor a status of one or more inputs of the IMD and adjust the delivery cycle of the electrical stimulation applied to the patient based on the status of the input(s).

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device comprising:
means for applying, with a first delivery cycle, a first plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains from an electrical stimulation device to a patient, wherein each electrical stimulation pulse train of the plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains comprises a series of pulses, wherein the first delivery cycle of the first plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains is a first ratio of a first time duration during which the electrical stimulation pulse train of the first plurality of stimulation pulse trains is delivered to a second time duration between successive electrical stimulation pulse trains of the first plurality of stimulation pulse trains; and
means for receiving an indication of a voiding or defecation event, wherein the indication comprises at least one of a user input or physiological information from a physiological information sensing device;
means for applying, with a second delivery cycle and in response to the indication of the voiding or defecation event, a second plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains from the electrical stimulation device to the patient, wherein each electrical stimulation pulse train of the second plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains comprises a series of pulses, wherein the second delivery cycle of the second plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains is a second ratio of a first time duration during which the electrical stimulation pulse train of the second plurality of stimulation pulse trains is delivered to a second time duration between successive electrical stimulation pulse trains of the second plurality of stimulation pulse trains and is less than the first delivery cycle; and
means for automatically increasing, gradually over at least three electrical stimulation pulse trains, a delivery cycle of the electrical stimulation pulse trains from the second delivery cycle to a third delivery cycle, wherein each electrical stimulation pulse train of the at least three electrical stimulation pulse trains comprises a plurality of pulses, and wherein the third delivery cycle is a third ratio of a first time duration during which the electrical stimulation pulse train of the at least three stimulation pulse trains is delivered to a second time duration between successive electrical stimulation pulse trains of the at least three pulse trains and is greater than the second delivery cycle.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical stimulation pulse trains are applied to at least one of a sacral nerve, a pudendal nerve, or a dorsal genital nerve to alleviate a pelvic floor disorder of the patient.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein a pulse duty cycle is substantially unchanged between a first electrical stimulation pulse train of the at least three electrical stimulation pulse strains and a last electrical stimulation pulse train of the at least three electrical stimulation pulse trains.

4. A method comprising:
applying, with a first delivery cycle, a first plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains from an electrical stimulation device to a patient, wherein each electrical stimulation pulse train of the plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains comprises a series of pulses, wherein the first delivery cycle of the first plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains is a first ratio of a first time duration during which the electrical stimulation pulse train of the first plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains is delivered to a second time duration between successive electrical stimulation pulse trains of the first plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains;
receiving an indication of a voiding or defecation event, wherein the indication comprises at least one of a user input or physiological information from a physiological information sensing device;
applying, with a second delivery cycle and in response to the indication of the voiding or defecation event, a second plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains from the electrical stimulation device to the patient, wherein each electrical stimulation pulse train of the second plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains comprises a series of pulses, wherein the second delivery cycle of the second plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains is a second ratio of a first time duration during which the electrical stimulation pulse train of the second plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains is delivered to a second time duration between successive electrical stimulation pulse trains of the second plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains and is less than the first delivery cycle; and
automatically increasing, gradually over at least three electrical stimulation pulse trains, a delivery cycle of the electrical stimulation pulse trains from the second delivery cycle to a third delivery cycle, wherein each electrical stimulation pulse train of the at least three electrical stimulation pulse trains comprises a plurality of pulses, and wherein the third delivery cycle of the electrical stimulation pulse train is a third ratio of a first time duration during which the electrical stimulation pulse train of the at least three electrical stimulation pulse trains is delivered to a second time duration between successive electrical stimulation pulse trains at least three electrical stimulation pulse trains and is greater than the second delivery cycle.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the electrical stimulation pulse trains are applied to at least one of a sacral nerve, a pudendal nerve, or a dorsal genital nerve of the patient to alleviate a pelvic floor disorder of the patient.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein a pulse duty cycle is substantially unchanged between a first electrical stimulation pulse train of the at least three electrical stimulation pulse strains and a last electrical stimulation pulse train of the at least three electrical stimulation pulse trains.

7. A system comprising:
a therapy delivery circuit configured to apply a plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains from an electrical stimulation device to a patient, wherein each electrical stimulation pulse train of the plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains comprises a series of pulses; and
a processor configured to:
cause the therapy delivery circuit to apply, with a first delivery cycle, a first plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains to the patient, wherein the first delivery cycle of the first plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains is a first ratio of a first time duration during which the electrical stimulation pulse train of the first plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains is delivered to a second time duration between successive electrical stimulation pulse trains of the first plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains;
receive an indication of a voiding or defecation event, wherein the indication comprises at least one of a user input or physiological information from a physiological information sensing device;
cause the therapy delivery circuit to apply, with a second delivery cycle and in response to the indication of the voiding or defecation event, a second plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains to the patient, wherein the second delivery cycle of the second plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains is a second ratio of a first time duration during which the electrical stimulation pulse train of the second plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains is delivered to a second time duration between successive electrical stimulation pulse trains of the second plurality of electrical stimulation pulse trains and is less than the first delivery cycle; and
automatically increase, gradually over at least thr

Assignees

• Wei Xuan K
• Bonde Eric H
• Medtronic Inc

Inventors

• Wei Xuan K
• Bonde Eric H

Classifications

• A61N1/36175

  Pulse width or duty cycle · CPC title

• A61N1/36007 Primary

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

• A61N1/36139

  with automatic adjustment · CPC title

• A61N1/36107

  Sexual dysfunction (stimulating genital organs A61N1/36007) · CPC title

• A61N1/36178

  Burst or pulse train parameters · CPC title