IP Library Granted Patent US 11,471,682
Granted Patent B2
US 11,471,682 · App. 15/931,471 · Granted Oct 18, 2022

Method and system for providing multi-channel and/or neurostimulation

Inventors: Mathieu Scheltienne (Eindhoven, NL); Jeroen Tol (Eindhoven, NL); Edoardo Paoles (Eindhoven, NL); Jurriaan Bakker (Eindhoven, NL)
Assignee: ONWARD MEDICAL N.V.
A61N1/36071A61N1/323A61N1/36062A61N1/37247
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,471,682
App. No.
15/931,471
Granted
Oct 18, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems for neurostimulation are provided. In one example, a neurostimulation system may include a stimulation module, the stimulation module providing a first stimulation block and a second stimulation block. The neurostimulation system may further include a stimulation interference estimation module for providing an interference model for estimating a spatial interference between the first stimulation block and the second stimulation block. In some examples, the stimulation interference estimation module may reconfigure one or more of the first and the second stimulation blocks to reduce temporal overlap of the stimulation blocks.

Claims (57)

1. A neurostimulation system comprising:

at least one stimulation module for providing stimulation blocks, the stimulation blocks including:

at least a first stimulation block, the first stimulation block comprising a first electrode configuration, a first amplitude, and a first pulse train, and

at least a second stimulation block, the second stimulation block comprising a second electrode configuration, a second amplitude, and a second pulse train; and

at least one stimulation interference estimation module including a controller configured with instructions in non-transitory memory that when executed cause the controller to:

construct a graphical representation of interference relationships between the stimulation blocks, the graphical representation including:

nodes representing the stimulation blocks, a first node representing the first stimulation block and a second node representing the second stimulation block; and

edges connecting the nodes, a first edge connecting the first node to the second node indicating interference between the first stimulation block and the second stimulation block;

identify a first spatial section including the first node and the second node using the graphical representation; and

in response to the identification of the first spatial section, reduce interference between stimulation blocks corresponding to the nodes in the first spatial section by reconfiguring at least one of the first stimulation block or the second stimulation block.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein constructing the graphical representation comprises:

analyzing a spatial relationship between the first stimulation block and the second stimulation block.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein constructing the graphical representation comprises:

creating the first edge in response to the analysis of the spatial relationship and an identification of a temporal overlap of pulse trains between the first stimulation block and the second stimulation block.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein constructing the graphical representation comprises:

creating the first edge in response to the analysis of the spatial relationship and an identification of a temporal overlap of pulse trains between the first stimulation block and the second stimulation block that exceeds a predetermined degree of freedom.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein analyzing the spatial relationship comprises:

calculating a spatial interference model of the first stimulation block and the second stimulation block.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the spatial interference model is either a generic model or a patient-specific model.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein reconfiguring the at least one of the first stimulation block or the second stimulation block includes reconfiguring:

at least one of the first or second pulse train,

at least one of the first or the second electrode configuration, or

at least one of the first amplitude or the second amplitude.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein:

reconfiguring the at least one of the first stimulation block or the second stimulation block includes reconfiguring the at least one of the first amplitude or the second amplitude; and

reconfiguring the at least one of the first amplitude or the second amplitude includes, for each one of at least one of the first stimulation block or the second stimulation block, determining:

a difference between a maximum value of an activating function and a threshold to determine an amount of injected current needed to reach the threshold and trigger an action potential at a targeted fiber, and

wherein the activating function is based on a transfer function between a current stimulation of the one of the at least one of the first stimulation block or the second stimulation block and a second derivative of a potential field along the targeted fiber.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein identifying the first spatial section comprises identifying a cycle of the first node formed by a path of edges and nodes through which the first node is reachable.

10. A method for providing neurostimulation comprising:

obtaining a description of stimulation blocks, the stimulation blocks including:

a first stimulation block, the first stimulation block comprising a first electrode configuration, a first amplitude, and a first pulse train, and

a second stimulation block, the second stimulation block comprising a second electrode configuration, a second amplitude, and a second pulse train;

constructing a graphical representation of interference relationships between the stimulation blocks, the graphical representation including:

nodes representing the stimulation blocks, a first node representing the first stimulation block and a second node representing the second stimulation block; and

edges connecting the nodes, a first edge connecting the first node to the second node indicating interference between the first stimulation block and the second stimulation block;

identifying a first spatial section including the first node and the second node using the graphical representation; and

in response to the identification of the first spatial section, reducing interference between stimulation blocks corresponding to the nodes in the first spatial section by reconfiguring at least one of the first stimulation block or the second stimulation block.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein constructing the graphical representation comprises:

analyzing a spatial relationship between the first stimulation block and the second stimulation block.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein constructing the graphical representation comprises:

creating the first edge in response to the analysis of the spatial relationship and an identification of a temporal overlap of pulse trains between the first stimulation block and the second stimulation block.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein constructing the graphical representation comprises:

creating the first edge in response to the analysis of the spatial relationship and an identification of a temporal overlap of pulse trains between the first stimulation block and the second stimulation block that exceeds a predetermined degree of freedom.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein analyzing the spatial relationship comprises:

calculating a spatial interference model of the first stimulation block and the second stimulation block.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the spatial interference model is either a generic model or a patient-specific model.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the spatial interference model is based on an R-matrix model, and the R-matrix model is based on a transfer function between a current injected at each electrode associated with the first and the second stimulation block and a corresponding voltage induced at a surface of each electrode.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the R-matrix model estimates interference based on a voltage variation induced on an electrode greater than a threshold variation.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the spatial interference model is based on distance rules, and the distance rules are based on a first separation of the first and the second stimulation block with respect to a first reference axis and a second separation of the first and the second stimulation block with respect to a second reference axis, the first separation less than a first distance threshold and the second separation less than a second distance threshold.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the spatial interference model is based on a number of action potentials triggered at targeted neuron fibers.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the spatial interference model is based on an activating function for each of the first and the second stimulation block, the activating function based on a transfer function between each current stimulation and a second derivative of a potential field along a targeted fiber.

21. The method of claim 10 , wherein reconfiguring the at least one of the first stimulation block or the second stimulation block includes reconfiguring:

at least one of the first or second pulse train,

at least one of the first or the second electrode configuration, or

at least one of the first amplitude and the second amplitude.

22. The method of claim 10 , wherein identifying the first spatial section comprises identifying a cycle of the first node formed by a path of edges and nodes through which the first node is reachable.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Aug 14, 2024
From: ONWARD MEDICAL N.V.
To: RUNWAY GROWTH FINANCE CORP., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 068287/0393 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Mar 21, 2022
From: ONWARD MEDICAL B.V.
To: ONWARD MEDICAL N.V.
Reel/Frame 059455/0467 →
MERGER AND CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 11, 2021
From: GTX MEDICAL B.V.; ONWARD MEDICAL B.V.
To: ONWARD MEDICAL B.V.
Reel/Frame 056282/0119 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 13, 2020
From: SCHELTIENNE, MATHIEU; TOL, JEROEN; PAOLES, EDOARDO; BAKKER, JURRIAAN
To: GTX MEDICAL B.V.
Reel/Frame 052655/0835 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 19174017 · May 13, 2019 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20200360693A1 · Nov 19, 2020