Electronic identification of external cables for external medical devices
Disclosed is an improved external cable box assembly and external trial stimulator (ETS) for use with an implantable medical device. The improved external cable box assembly has memory and logic circuitry embedded in it which allows the cable box to be identified. Associated logic circuitry in the improved ETS allows the ETS to read and write characteristics—such as electronic identifiers or cable addresses—of the external cable box assemblies and to store the values of those characteristics in its memory, associating characteristic values with each of its ports. If the external cable box assemblies become unplugged from the ETS and then are reconnected to incorrect ports on the ETS, logic in the ETS will either alert the patient to swap the port locations of the external stimulation cables, or the ETS will automatically reroute the correct therapy through each port.
1. A system, comprising:
an external assembly, comprising:
a first port configured to couple to a stimulation lead comprising at least one electrode for stimulating a patient's tissue,
a cable terminating at a connector, and
a first circuit comprising a first address of the external assembly; and
an external trial stimulator, comprising:
a plurality of second ports each having a second address and configured to receive the connector, wherein the connector is configured to be attachable and detachable from the second ports by a user, and
control circuitry configured to:
initially associate the external assembly with one of the second ports by:
assigning the second address to the one of the second ports, and
programming the first address of the external assembly to match the second address of the one of the second ports,
read the first address and compare it to the second address of a second port to which the connector is attached, and
perform an action when the first address does not match the second address of the second port to which the connector is attached.
2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the action comprises generating an alert to the user.
3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the alert is visual or audible.
4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first circuit comprises a fuse or antifuse indicating the first address.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first circuit comprises a memory storing the first address.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the external assembly comprises a box, wherein the box comprises the first port and the first circuit.
7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the cable extends from the box and terminates at the connector.
8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the external trial stimulator further comprises an electrical stimulation program associated with each second port, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide the electrical stimulation program to the second port to which the connector is attached when the first address matches the second address of the second port to which the connector is attached.
9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the cable comprises a wire for each at least one electrode, and at least one first wire.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein one of the at least one first wires is configured to provide the first address to the control circuitry.
11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the one first wire is further configured to program the first address.
12. The system of claim 10 , wherein another one of the at least one first wires is configured to provide power to the first circuit from the external trial stimulator.
13. A system, comprising:
a plurality of external assemblies, each comprising:
a first port configured to couple to a stimulation lead comprising at least one electrode for stimulating a patient's tissue,
a cable terminating at a connector, and
a first circuit comprising a first address of the external assembly; and
an external trial stimulator, comprising:
a plurality of second ports each having a second address and configured to receive the connectors, wherein the connectors are configured to be attachable and detachable from the second ports by a user, and
control circuitry configured to:
initially associate an external assembly with a corresponding one of the second ports by:
assigning the second address to the corresponding one of the second ports, and
programming the first address of the external assembly to match the second address of the corresponding one of the second ports,
read a first address of an external assembly and compare the first address to the second address of the second port to which the external assembly's connector is attached, and
perform an action when an external assembly's first address does not match the second address of the second port to which the external assembly's connector is attached.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the action comprises generating an alert to the user.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the alert is visual or audible.
16. The system of claim 13 , wherein each first circuit comprises a fuse or antifuse each indicating one of the first addresses.
17. The system of claim 13 , wherein each first circuit comprises a memory storing one of the first addresses.
18. The system of claim 13 , wherein each external assembly comprises a box, wherein each box comprises one of the first ports and one of the first circuits.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein each cable extends from one of the boxes and terminates at one of the connectors.
20. The system of claim 13 , wherein the external trial stimulator further comprises an electrical stimulation program associated with each second port, and wherein the control circuitry is further configured to provide each electrical stimulation program to its associated second port when each of the associated first and second addresses match.
21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the action comprises providing the electrical stimulation program associated with a second port to a different second port on the external trial stimulator.
22. The system of claim 20 , wherein there is a first stimulation program associated with a first of the second ports and a second stimulation program associated with a second of the second ports, wherein the action comprises providing the first stimulation program to the second of the second ports and providing the second stimulation program to the first of the second ports.
23. The system of claim 13 , wherein each cable comprises a wire for each at least one electrode of its associated stimulation lead, and at least one first wire.
24. The system of claim 23 , wherein one of the at least one first wires is configured to provide the first address to the control circuitry.
25. The system of claim 24 , wherein the one first wire is further configured to program the first address.
26. The system of claim 24 , wherein another one of the at least one first wires is configured to provide power to the first circuit from the external trial stimulator.
27. The system of claim 23 , wherein one of the at least one first wires is configured to program the first address, provide the first address to the control circuitry, and provide power to the first circuit from the external trial stimulator.
28. A system, comprising:
an external assembly, comprising:
a first port configured to couple to a stimulation lead comprising at least one electrode for stimulating a patient's tissue,
a cable terminating at a connector, and
a first circuit comprising a first address of the external assembly; and
an external trial stimulator, comprising:
a plurality of second ports each having a second address and configured to receive the connector, wherein the connector is configured to be attachable and detachable from the second ports by a user, and
control circuitry configured to:
initially associate the external assembly with one of the second ports by:
reading the first address in the external assembly, and
assigning the second address to the one of the second ports to match the first address,
read the first address and compare it to the second address of a second port to which the connector is attached, and
perform an action when the first address does not match the second address of the second port to which the connector is attached.
29. The system of claim 28 , wherein the action comprises generating an alert to the user.
30. The system of claim 28 , wherein the first circuit comprises a memory storing the first address.
31. The system of claim 28 , wherein the cable comprises a wire for each at least one electrode, and at least one first wire.
32. A system, comprising:
a plurality of external assemblies, each comprising:
a first port configured to couple to a stimulation lead comprising at least one electrode for stimulating a patient's tissue,
a cable terminating at a connector, and
a first circuit comprising a first address of the external assembly; and
an external trial stimulator, comprising:
a plurality of second ports each having a second address and configured to receive the connectors, wherein the connectors are configured to be attachable and detachable from the second ports by a user, and
control circuitry configured to:
initially associate an external assembly with a corresponding one of the second ports by:
reading the first address in the external assembly, and
assigning the second address to the corresponding one of the second ports to match the first address,
read a first address of an external assembly and compare the first address to the second address of the second port to which the external assembly's connector is attached, and
perform an action when an external assembly's first address does not match the second address of the second port to which the external assembly's connector is attached.
33. The system of claim 32 , wherein the action comprises generating an alert to the user.
34. The system of claim 32 , wherein each first circuit comprises a memory storing one of the first addresses.
35. A system, comprising:
an external assembly, comprising:
a first port configured to couple to a stimulation lead comprising at least one electrode for stimulating a patient's tissue,
a cable terminating at a connector, and
a first circuit comprising a first address of the external assembly; and
an external trial stimulator, comprising:
a plurality of second ports each having a second address and configured to receive the connector, wherein the connector is configured to be attachable and detachable from the second ports by a user, and wherein the external trial stimulator comprises an electrical stimulation program associated with each second port, and
control circuitry configured to:
read the first address and compare it to the second address of a second port to which the connector is attached, wherein the control circuitry is configured to provide the electrical stimulation program to the second port to which the connector is attached when the first and second addresses match and to provide the electrical stimulation program to a port other than the second port to which the connector is attached when the first and second addresses do not match.
36. A system, comprising:
an external assembly, comprising:
a first port configured to couple to a stimulation lead comprising at least one electrode for stimulating a patient's tissue,
a cable terminating at a connector, wherein the cable comprises a wire for each at least one electrode, and at least one first wire, and
a first circuit comprising a first address of the external assembly; and
an external trial stimulator, comprising:
a plurality of second ports each having a second address and configured to receive the connector, wherein the connector is configured to be attachable and detachable from the second ports by a user, and
control circuitry configured to:
read the first address and compare it to the second address of a second port to which the connector is attached, and
perform an action when the first address does not match the second address of the second port to which the connector is attached,
wherein one of the at least one first wires is configured to program the first address, provide the first address to the control circuitry, and provide power to the first circuit from the external trial stimulator.