Interleaved IMD Electrode Programs for High-Frequency Stimulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices struggle to deliver high-frequency electrical stimulation effectively to target tissue areas while minimizing energy exposure to surrounding tissues, often resulting in inadequate treatment and potential side effects such as paresthesia.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an implantable medical device (IMD) that uses time-interleaved lower-frequency electrical stimulation programs across unique electrode combinations to generate a combined high-frequency electrical stimulation, allowing for precise control over stimulation frequencies and intensities to specific tissue areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-frequency electrical stimulation is delivered to target tissue, then treatment efficacy is improved, but energy exposure to surrounding tissues increases causing side effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the stimulation delivery into multiple independent interleaved programs, each operating at lower frequency with unique electrode combinations. This segmentation allows the target tissue to receive cumulative high-frequency stimulation while surrounding tissues are exposed to lower frequencies, reducing side effects while maintaining treatment efficacy.
Solution Approach 2:
Different tissue regions receive different stimulation frequencies through the use of unique electrode combinations for each interleaved program. The target tissue receives the combined high-frequency effect, while surrounding tissues are selectively exposed to lower frequencies, creating localized quality differences in energy exposure.
2Reliability
If multiple electrode combinations are used for interleaved stimulation, then high-frequency stimulation to target tissue is achieved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single implantable stimulator device performs multiple functions by delivering several independent interleaved stimulation programs through different electrode combinations. The device is designed to handle program generation, parameter management, and coordinated delivery of multiple stimulation trains, making it universally capable of complex high-frequency stimulation delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs periodic interleaved stimulation trains where multiple lower-frequency programs are delivered in a coordinated time sequence. This periodic structure simplifies the control mechanism by using repeating patterns of electrode activation, making the complex multi-electrode operation more manageable through rhythmic, predictable cycles.
Data Source
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AI summary
The techniques of the disclosure describe example medical devices, systems, and methods for interleaving a plurality of low-frequency electrical stimulation pulse trains delivered by a plurality of sets of electrodes of an implantable medical device (IMD) to effectively deliver a combined high-frequency electrical pulse train to a target tissue area. In one example, each set of the plurality of sets of electrodes has a unique anode and cathode. In another example, a clinician adjusts the size or shape of the target tissue area receiving the combined high-frequency electrical pulse train by selecting different combinations of the plurality of sets of electrodes.