Implantable Stimulator Therapy Program Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current medical devices for electrical stimulation therapy lack the ability to manage multiple therapy programs simultaneously and independently, leading to inflexible and inefficient treatment protocols for patients with multiple symptoms or pain areas.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for organizing and selecting multiple electrical stimulation therapy programs by therapy targets, allowing each program slot to have independent selection and management, with graphical views for electrode placement and therapy targets, enabling simultaneous or time-interleaved delivery of therapy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple therapy programs are managed simultaneously in a single integrated manner, then device complexity is reduced, but treatment flexibility and independence of individual programs deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the therapy program management into independent slots, where each slot can be individually configured and controlled. This segmentation allows multiple therapy programs to be managed simultaneously without interfering with each other, as each slot operates as an independent unit with its own parameters and settings.
2Productivity
If therapy programs are delivered simultaneously to multiple targets, then treatment efficiency is improved, but control precision and independence of each program deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the program control into independent slots, the system can deliver multiple therapy programs simultaneously to different targets while maintaining precise control over each individual program. Each slot's independence ensures that parameter adjustments in one slot do not affect other slots, preserving control precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically manages multiple therapy programs through independent slot control, allowing real-time adjustment of each program's parameters without affecting others. This dynamic control enables simultaneous delivery to multiple targets while maintaining the ability to precisely control each program individually based on patient response and treatment requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure describes techniques for programming stimulation therapy programs according to therapy targets (e.g., symptoms or areas of pain) in a patient to which they are applied. Several programs can be programmed for each therapy target, stored on an implantable medical device, and retrieved later by a programmer to modify, edit, delete, create, and/or select a therapy program for each of the therapy targets. Each therapy target is independent from the other therapy targets, and a user can select or change a program under one therapy target without affecting programs under the other therapy targets. During programming, a user can specify parameters for each program applicable to only that program, and can specify parameters for each therapy target applicable to every program associated with that therapy target. The organization of programs into slots and the selection of a program in each slot may be manual or automated.