Granted Patent B2

US 9,427,584 · App. 14/537,293 · Granted Aug 30, 2016

Abstract

Claims (49)

1. A method of generating different stimulation waveforms as a part of sacral nerve stimulation therapy, comprising:

providing a first clock via a first signal produced by a first crystal clock or via a first phase-locked-loop that is configured to convert a crystal clock signal into a first clock signal;

providing a second clock via a second signal produced by a second crystal clock different from the first crystal clock or via a second phase-locked-loop that is configured to convert the crystal clock signal into a second clock signal, wherein the first clock and the second clock are separate but are provided within a same device housing;

generating a first stimulation waveform as a first part of the sacral nerve stimulation therapy, the first stimulation waveform having a first stimulation waveform characteristic, wherein the first stimulation waveform is generated using the first clock;

delivering, at least in part via a first channel, the first stimulation waveform to a first body part of a patient;

generating a second stimulation waveform as a second part of the sacral nerve stimulation therapy, the second stimulation waveform having a second stimulation waveform characteristic different from the first stimulation waveform characteristic, wherein the second stimulation waveform is generated using the second clock; and

delivering, at least in part via a second channel that is separate and independent from the first channel, the second stimulation waveform to a second body part of the patient, wherein the first body part and second body part correspond to different organs or different types of nerves.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first stimulation waveform and the second stimulation waveform have different frequencies, pulse widths, or amplitudes.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the delivering of the first stimulation waveform comprises delivering the first stimulation waveform to a sacral nerve of the patient; and

the delivering of the second stimulation waveform comprises delivering the second stimulation waveform to a pudendal nerve of the patient.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first stimulation waveform and the second stimulation waveform includes a superimposition of two or more distinct waveforms.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the generating of the first and second stimulation waveforms are performed via a pulse generator, the pulse generator having an N number of output channels including the first and second channels;

the delivering of the first and second stimulation waveforms are further performed via a mesh electrode array that is electrically coupled to the output channels of the pulse generator; and

the mesh electrode array contains a M number of electrodes, M being greater than N.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:

routing the first channel to a first electrode on the mesh electrode array at a first point in time; and

routing the first channel to a second electrode on the mesh electrode array at a second point in time, wherein the first and second electrodes are different, and wherein the first and second points in time are different.

7. A medical system, comprising:

an electronic programmer configured to generate programming instructions; and

a pulse generator configured to generate, in response to the programming instructions, electrical pulses to be delivered to a patient as a part of a sacral nerve stimulation therapy;

wherein:

the pulse generator includes: a microcontroller, a first channel, a second channel separate and independent from the first channel, a first clock, and a second clock different from the first clock, wherein the first clock and the second clock are within a same device housing;

the first clock comprises: a first crystal clock configured to output a first clock signal, or a first phase-locked-loop that is configured to convert a crystal clock signal into a first clock signal;

the second clock comprises: a second crystal clock configured to output a second clock signal different from the first clock signal, or a second phase-locked-loop that is configured to convert the crystal clock signal into a second clock signal different from the first clock signal;

the microcontroller is configured to generate, using the first clock, a first stimulation waveform as the electrical pulse to be outputted by the first channel as a first part of the sacral nerve stimulation therapy, the first stimulation waveform having a first stimulation waveform characteristic; and

the microcontroller is configured to generate, using the second clock, a second stimulation waveform as the electrical pulse to be outputted by the second channel as a second part of the sacral nerve stimulation therapy, the second stimulation waveform having a second stimulation waveform characteristic different from the first stimulation waveform characteristic.

8. The medical system of claim 7 , further comprising:

a first electrode adapted to be positioned proximate to, and configured to deliver the first stimulation waveform to, a first body part of the patient; and

a second electrode adapted to be positioned proximate to, and configured to deliver the second stimulation waveform to, a second body part of the patient that is different from the first body part.

9. The medical system of claim 8 , wherein:

the first electrode is adapted to be positioned proximate to a sacral nerve of the patient; and

the second electrode is adapted to be positioned proximate to a pudendal nerve of the patient.

10. The medical system of claim 8 , wherein:

the pulse generator includes an N number of output channels including the first channel and the second channel;

the first electrode and the second electrode are elements of a mesh electrode array electrically coupled to the output channels of the pulse generator; and

the mesh electrode array contains a M number of electrodes, M being greater than N.

11. The medical system of claim 7 , wherein the first stimulation waveform and the second stimulation waveform have different frequencies, pulse widths, or amplitudes.

12. The medical system of claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first stimulation waveform and the second stimulation waveform includes a superimposition of two or more distinct waveforms.

13. A pulse generator configured to generate electrical pulses in response to programming instructions received from an electronic programmer, the pulse generator comprising:

a device housing;

a first clock and a second clock different from the first clock, the first clock and the second clock being within the device housing, wherein the first clock comprises: a first crystal clock configured to output a first clock signal, or a first phase-locked-loop that is configured to convert a crystal clock signal into a first clock signal, and wherein the second clock comprises: a second crystal clock configured to output a second clock signal different from the first clock signal, or a second phase-locked-loop that is configured to convert the crystal clock signal into a second clock signal different from the first clock signal;

a microcontroller coupled to the first clock and the second clock, the microcontroller being configured to generate a first stimulation waveform as a first part of a sacral nerve stimulation therapy and a second stimulation waveform as a second part of the sacral nerve stimulation therapy, the first stimulation waveform having a first frequency, the second stimulation waveform having a second frequency, wherein the microcontroller generates the first stimulation waveform using the first clock, and wherein the microcontroller generates the second stimulation waveform using the second clock;

a first channel configured to output the first stimulation waveform to a first electrode; and

a second channel configured to output the second stimulation waveform to a second electrode, wherein the first channel and the second channel are separate and independent of each other.

14. The pulse generator of claim 13 , wherein:

the first stimulation waveform is configured to stimulate a sacral nerve of a patient; and

the second stimulation waveform is configured to stimulate a pudendal nerve of the patient.

Assignments (9)