Clinician programmer system and method for steering volumes of activation

1. A method of a stimulation parameter selection machine, the method comprising:

recording a definition of anatomical atlas structures in association with a patient anatomical space;

displaying, by a processor of the machine, in a display, and in relation to a displayed representation of the defined anatomical atlas structures, a first volume of activation (VOA) corresponding to a first stimulation parameter set;

in response to user input obtained via a user interface, displaying, in relation to the displayed representation of the defined anatomical atlas structures, a second VOA corresponding to the user input, wherein the user input is a user-selection of a point within the display; and

in response to the user-selection:

identifying based on the recorded definition, and automatically setting as a target stimulation region, by the processor, a first anatomical atlas structure of the defined anatomical atlas structures within the representation of which the user-selected point is located;

based on the identifying, calculating, by the processor, a second stimulation parameter set to activate the first anatomical atlas structure, the second VOA being based on the second stimulation parameter set; and

displaying, in the display, the second VOA and identifying, in the display, a side effect region that overlaps with the second VOA using a different color, shade, or hatching pattern than the first anatomical atlas structure that indicates to a user that stimulation of the side effect region can produce a side effect.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first and second stimulation parameter sets include stimulation amplitude settings of electrodes of a leadwire used for producing the first and second VOAs.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target stimulation region for which the second stimulation parameter set is calculated covers a region greater than the user-selected point.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising identifying, in the display, a second anatomical atlas structure that overlaps with the second VOA using a different color, shade, or hatching pattern than the first anatomical atlas structure.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising identifying, in the display, whether the second anatomical atlas structure is a benefit region or a side effect region when stimulated.

6. A method of a stimulation parameter selection machine, the method comprising:

recording a definition of anatomical atlas structures in association with a patient anatomical space;

displaying, by a processor of the machine, via a display, and in relation to a displayed representation of the defined anatomical atlas structures, a volume of activation (VOA) corresponding to a first stimulation parameter set;

in response to user input, shifting, by the processor and in the display, the VOA with respect to the displayed representation of the defined anatomical atlas structures, wherein the user input is a user-selection of a point within the display, and in response to the user-selection, the processor:

identifies based on the recorded definition, and automatically sets as a target stimulation region, a first anatomical atlas structure of the defined anatomical atlas structures within the representation of which the user-selected point is located; and

based on the identification, calculates a second stimulation parameter set to activate the first anatomical atlas structure, the shifted VOA being based on the second stimulation parameter set;

displays, in the display, the shifted VOA and identifies, in the display, a side effect region that overlaps with the shifted VOA using a different color, shade, or hatching pattern than the first anatomical atlas structure that indicates to a user that stimulation of the side effect region can produce a side effect; and

at least one of (a) outputting the second stimulation parameter set, and (b) setting, by the processor, a stimulation device with the second stimulation parameter set, the stimulation device configured for performing a stimulation (1) using a leadwire and (2) in accordance with the second stimulation parameter set.

7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

displaying, by the processor, in the display device, in relation to a displayed model of a leadwire including model electrodes, and prior to receipt of the user input, a current field corresponding to the first stimulation parameter set; and

in response to the user input, shifting, by the processor and in the display device, the current field with respect to the displayed model to a location corresponding to the second stimulation parameter set.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the processor identifies, in the display, a second anatomical atlas structure that overlaps with the second VOA using a different color, shade, or hatching pattern than the first anatomical atlas structure.

9. The method of claim 4 , further comprising identifying, in the display, whether the second anatomical atlas structure is a benefit region or a side effect region when stimulated.

10. A method of a stimulation parameter selection machine, the method comprising:

recording a definition of anatomical atlas structures in association with a patient anatomical space;

displaying, by a processor of the machine, in a display, and in relation to a displayed representation of the defined anatomical atlas structures, a first volume of activation (VOA) corresponding to a first stimulation parameter set;

in response to user-selection of a point within the display:

identifying, by the processor and based on the recorded definition, a first anatomical atlas structure of the defined anatomical atlas structures within the representation of which the user-selected point is located;

automatically setting, by processor, the first anatomical atlas structure as a target stimulation region to calculate, by the processor, a second stimulation parameter set that provides a second VOA for activation of the identified defined anatomical atlas structure; and

displaying, by the processor and in relation to the displayed representation of the defined anatomical structures, in the display, the second VOA and identifying, in the display, a side effect region that overlaps with the second VOA using a different color, shade, or hatching pattern than the first anatomical atlas structure that indicates to a user that stimulation of the side effect region can produce a side effect.

11. The method of claim 4 , further comprising identifying, in the display, a second anatomical atlas structure that overlaps with the second VOA using a different color, shade, or hatching pattern than the first anatomical atlas structure.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising identifying, in the display, whether the second anatomical atlas structure is a benefit region or a side effect region when stimulated.

13. A method of a stimulation parameter selection machine, the method comprising:

recording a definition of anatomical atlas structures in association with a patient anatomical space;

displaying, by a processor of the machine, via a display, and in relation to a displayed representation of the defined anatomical atlas structures, a volume corresponding to a first stimulation parameter set;

in response to user-input to shift the volume within the display;

identifying, by the processor and based on the recorded definition, a first anatomical atlas structure of the defined anatomical atlas structures towards which the volume was instructed to be shifted by the user-input;

automatically setting, by the processor, the identified defined anatomical atlas structure as a target stimulation region to calculate, by the processor, a second stimulation parameter set that provides a second VOA for activation of the first anatomical atlas structure;

displaying, in the display, the second VOA and identifying, in the display, a side effect region that overlaps with the second VOA using a different color, shade, or hatching pattern than the first anatomical atlas structure that indicates to a user that stimulation of the side effect region can produce a side effect; and

at least one of (a) outputting, by the processor, the second stimulation parameter set, and (b) setting, by the processor, a stimulation device with the second stimulation parameter set, the stimulation device configured for performing a stimulation (1) using a leadwire and (2) in accordance with the second stimulation parameter set.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising identifying, in the display, a second anatomical atlas structure that overlaps with the second VOA using a different color, shade, or hatching pattern than the first anatomical atlas structure.

15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising identifying, in the display, whether the second anatomical atlas structure is a benefit region or a side effect region when stimulated.