Mapping method and system, method and system for evaluating the efficacy of medullary stimulation

1. A method for mapping and treating painful zones, comprising:

displaying, using an electronic mapping system, a first silhouette representing the rear face of a body, on a first screen of the electronic mapping system;

drawing, using the electronic mapping system, at least one painful zone on said first displayed silhouette, indicating a location of a pain felt by a patient;

determining, using the electronic mapping system, a first number of pixels on the first screen, corresponding to said painful zone;

measuring a reference distance between two morphological reference points on the patient, said reference distance being selected to be invariant depending on a corpulence of the patient;

wherein said reference distance is a distance between the iliac crests of the patient;

converting, using the electronic mapping system, said first number of pixels into a painful cutaneous surface, said reference distance being used as a parameter in said conversion,

selecting at least one electrode based on the painful cutaneous surface obtained by said conversation; and emitting electric pulses with the selected at least one electrode in said painful zone,

wherein said converting includes

calculating, using the electronic mapping system, a vertical coefficient equal to an actual size of the patient divided by a number of pixels representing the size of the silhouette;

calculating, using the electronic mapping system, a horizontal coefficient equal to said reference distance divided by a number of pixels representing the distance between the iliac crests on the silhouette.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

correcting, using the electronic mapping system, the converted painful cutaneous surface with the aid of a correction coefficient.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, using the electronic mapping system, a ratio of painful cutaneous surface comprised in a region of the first silhouette.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein drawing the at least one painful zone comprises:

drawing, using the electronic mapping system, in a first manner a neuropathic pain; and

drawing, using the electronic mapping system, in a second manner a mechanical pain.

5. A method for evaluating the efficacy of medullary stimulation, comprising:

performing a method for mapping and treating painful zones according to claim 1 , said performing providing a reference distance between two morphological reference points on the patient;

displaying, using the electronic mapping system, a second silhouette representing the rear face of a body, on a second screen of the electronic mapping system;

drawing, using the electronic mapping system, at least one paraesthesia zone on said second displayed silhouette, indicating the location of a paraesthesia felt by the patient in response to medullary stimulation;

determining, using the electronic mapping system, a second number of pixels on the second screen, corresponding to said paraesthesia zone;

converting, using the electronic mapping system, said second number of pixels into a paraesthesic cutaneous surface, the reference distance being used as a parameter in said conversion, and

comparing, using the electronic mapping system, the paraesthesic cutaneous surface with a painful cutaneous surface determined by said performing.

6. The method for evaluating the efficacy of medullary stimulation according to claim 5 , wherein the comparing comprises:

calculating, using the electronic mapping system, a percentage coverage of the painful cutaneous surface by the paraesthesic cutaneous surface.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the painful cutaneous surface is determined by multiplying said vertical coefficient, said horizontal coefficient and said determined first number of pixels.

8. A mapping system configured to map painful zones, the mapping system comprising:

means for displaying a silhouette representing the rear face of a body, on a screen;

means for drawing at least one painful zone on said silhouette to indicate a location of a pain felt by a patient;

means for determining a number of pixels on the screen, corresponding to said zone, and

means for converting said number of pixels on the screen into a painful cutaneous surface, by means of a reference distance being used as a parameter in said conversion, said reference distance being selected to be invariant depending on a corpulence of the patient;

wherein said reference distance is a distance between the iliac crests of the patient;

wherein the means for converting is configured to

calculate a vertical coefficient equal to an actual size of the patient divided by a number of pixels representing the size of the silhouette;

calculate a horizontal coefficient equal to a distance between said reference distance divided by a number of pixels representing the distance between the iliac crests on the silhouette; and

multiply said vertical coefficient, said horizontal coefficient and said determined number of pixels on the screen.

9. The mapping system according to claim 8 , further comprising:

means for correcting the converted cutaneous surface by means of a correction coefficient.

10. The mapping system according to claim 8 , further comprising:

means for determining a ratio of said cutaneous surface comprised in a region of the silhouette.

11. The mapping system according to claim 8 , further comprising:

means for comparing the cutaneous surface with a second cutaneous surface determined beforehand.

12. A system for evaluating the efficacy of medullary stimulation, comprising:

the mapping system according to claim 8 ;

medullary stimulation means; and

means for comparing a painful cutaneous surface with a paraesthesic cutaneous surface, said paraesthesia being felt in response to medullary stimulation by the medullary stimulation means.

13. The system for evaluating the efficacy of medullary stimulation according to claim 12 , further comprising:

means for calculating a percentage coverage of the painful cutaneous surface by the paraesthesic cutaneous surface.