Methods for neurostimulator pulse overlap control
AssigneeUniversity of Louisville Research Foundation, Inc.
InventorsSusan J. Harkema, Yangsheng Chen, Claudia Angeli, Douglas J. Jackson, Manikandan Ravi, John Naber, Robert S. Keynton, Thomas Roussel, Saliya Kirigeeganage
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Patients with spinal cord injuries have benefited from neurostimulation therapy comprising delivery of electrical stimulation to enable or excite neurological responses using an implantable neurostimulator having an electrode array. Dangerous levels of charge are avoided while providing multiple, simultaneous stimulation waveforms by inducing a short in an electrode when a monitored value reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold.
Claims17
A method for controlling neurostimulation charge, comprising:
- providing, using an electrode array including a plurality of electrodes, at least two simultaneous neurostimulation waveforms, wherein each waveform includes a plurality of pulses;
- determining, for the electrode array, at least one of a charge, a charge density, a residual charge, a voltage and a k value on at least one of the plurality of electrodes;
- determining at least one time slot between pulses in the plurality of pulses, wherein the at least one time slot does not overlap the pulses;
- and
- inducing a short in the at least one electrode during the time slot when the charge, charge density, residual charge, voltage or k value reaches or exceeds a predetermined threshold.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.