Peripheral Nerve Field Stimulation Programming via Vector Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices for delivering peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) lack the ability to programmatically control the stimulation field characteristics, such as direction, breadth, focus, and depth, which are crucial for effectively targeting pain regions in patients.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows users, like clinicians or patients, to program PNFS by specifying stimulation field characteristics through a user interface, determining electrode configurations based on stimulation field vectors, and adjusting therapy parameters to deliver tailored stimulation to specific pain regions, using a combination of electrodes and computing devices to customize the therapy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If PNFS is delivered without programmable control, then the device is simpler to manufacture and operate, but the ability to precisely target pain regions and customize therapy is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The programming interface is segmented into multiple independent modules: vector input module for direction control, breadth input module for field width adjustment, focus input module for targeting precision, and depth input module for penetration control. Each module handles a specific aspect of stimulation field configuration, making the complex programming task manageable and systematic.
Solution Approach 2:
A computing device serves as an intermediary between the user and the PNFS delivery system. The computing device receives user inputs through its interface, processes these inputs to determine appropriate electrode configurations and stimulation parameters, then communicates the processed control signals to the PNFS device. This intermediary layer simplifies the user interface while achieving precise control.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple electrode configurations are available for programming, then the adaptability to different pain regions and therapeutic effects is improved, but the device complexity and programming difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows users to configure different electrode configurations with distinct local characteristics suited for specific pain regions and therapeutic goals. Each electrode configuration can be independently programmed with specific vector directions, breadths, focuses, and depths, enabling tailored stimulation for different anatomical locations and pain types without requiring separate devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The electrode configuration is made dynamic and adjustable rather than fixed. Users can modify vector inputs, breadth inputs, focus inputs, and depth inputs to adapt the stimulation field in real-time based on patient response and therapeutic needs. This dynamic programming capability allows the same device to serve multiple pain regions and therapeutic purposes.
3Reliability
If stimulation field characteristics can be precisely controlled, then the therapeutic effectiveness is improved, but the energy consumption and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system controls therapeutic effectiveness by adjusting key parameters of the stimulation field: vector direction, breadth, focus, and depth. By programmatically modifying these parameters, the system can optimize energy delivery to precisely target pain regions, avoiding waste of energy on non-targeted areas. The computing device calculates optimal parameter combinations to achieve reliable pain relief while managing energy consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables precise delivery of PNFS, improving pain management by allowing for customized stimulation patterns that can activate muscle tissue, reduce pain, or produce paresthesia, based on user-defined therapeutic effects and anatomical targeting, enhancing the effectiveness of pain relief.
Implementation Method 1
PNFS is delivered by a medical device to a region of a body of a patient in which the patient experiences pain via electrodes implanted in the region. In PNFS, a medical device may deliver stimulation pulses or continuous stimulation waveforms to one or more tissue areas via electrodes
Data Source
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AI summary
A therapy program for peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) may be selected based on user input indicating a desired therapeutic effect for a user- specified region in which a patient feels pain. In other examples, PNFS may be programmed based on input from a user selecting at least one region from among a plurality of regions in which the patient experiences pain. In addition, the PNFS may be programmed based on user input defining an aspect of PNFS for the selected region, such as a relative intensity of PNFS delivered to at least two selected regions, a balance of PNFS between at least two regions, a desired shift in PNFS from a first region to a second region, or an extent to which a first stimulation field within a first region overlaps with a second stimulation field in a second region.