Translation between cathodic and anodic neuromodulation parameter settings

A system for adjusting neuromodulation parameters used by a neuromodulator operably connected to a plurality of electrodes to modulate a neural target, comprising:

• a translation trigger detector configured to determine that a translation trigger has occurred;
• first parameter setting storage configured to store first parameter settings for use by the neuromodulator to modulate the neural target;
• a neuromodulation parameter translator operably connected to the translation trigger detector to:
• automatically translate the first parameter settings into a second parameter settings in response to determining the translation trigger has occurred;
• and
• replace the first parameter settings with the second parameter settings, or store the second parameter settings in a second parameter setting storage,
• wherein the automatically translating the first parameter settings into the second parameter settings includes either automatically translating from cathodic parameter settings to anodic parameter settings, or automatically translating from anodic parameter settings to cathodic parameter settings,
• wherein the neuromodulator is configured to use cathodic parameter settings for the neuromodulation parameters to deliver cathodic modulation to the neural target, and is configured to use anodic parameter settings for the neuromodulation parameters to deliver anodic modulation to the neural target,
• wherein the first parameter settings for the neuromodulation parameters include at least a polarity, an amplitude, and a fractionalization, and the neuromodulation parameter translator is configured to automatically translate the first parameter settings into the second parameter settings by changing the polarity for each active electrode in the plurality of electrodes, and
• wherein the neuromodulation parameter translator is configured to:
• construct a first table characterizing spatial points for fractionalization values in the first parameter settings, wherein the first parameter settings provide a first stimulation field model;
• determine a volume of a stimulation field model at the amplitude in the first parameter settings;
• construct a second table characterizing the spatial points for the second parameter settings to provide a second stimulation field model;
• determine an amplitude that provides the second stimulation field model with a volume that equals or approximately equals the first stimulation field model;
• and
• use the determined amplitude in the second parameter settings.

A system for adjusting neuromodulation parameters used by a neuromodulator operably connected to a plurality of electrodes to modulate a neural target, comprising:

• a translation trigger detector configured to determine that a translation trigger has occurred;
• first parameter setting storage configured to store first parameter settings for use by the neuromodulator to modulate the neural target;
• a neuromodulation parameter translator operably connected to the translation trigger detector to:
• automatically translate the first parameter settings into a second parameter settings in response to determining the translation trigger has occurred;
• and
• replace the first parameter settings with the second parameter settings, or store the second parameter settings in a second parameter setting storage,
• wherein the automatically translating the first parameter settings into the second parameter settings includes either automatically translating from cathodic parameter settings to anodic parameter settings, or automatically translating from anodic parameter settings to cathodic parameter settings, and
• wherein the neuromodulator is configured to use cathodic parameter settings for the neuromodulation parameters to deliver cathodic modulation to the neural target, and is configured to use anodic parameter settings for the neuromodulation parameters to deliver anodic modulation to the neural target,
• wherein the system further comprises a user interface configured to receive at least one target region to be targeted using a neuromodulation field and zero or more avoidance regions to be avoided using the neuromodulation field, and a controller is configured to determine fractionalization values for the second parameter settings to modulate the at least one target region and avoid the zero or more avoidance regions, and the user interface is further configured to receive a polarity input indicating whether to provide anodic neuromodulation, cathodic neuromodulation or balanced or approximately balanced neuromodulation, and a controller is configured to control a polarity of neuromodulation provided by the neuromodulator according to the received polarity input,
• wherein the neuromodulation parameter translator is configured to automatically translate the first parameter settings into the second parameter settings by changing the polarity of the neuromodulation, changing the fractionalization and changing an amplitude, and
• wherein the neuromodulation parameter translator is configured to automatically translate the first parameter settings into the second parameter settings by:
• constructing a first Ith table for first fractionalization values in the first parameter settings to characterize spatial points, wherein the first parameter settings have an amplitude, a pulse width and a frequency;
• determining initial second fractionalization values for the second parameter settings based on the first fractionalization values, wherein elements of the initial second fractionalization values have an opposite polarity with respect to elements of the first fractionalization values, and constructing a second table using the initial second fractionalization values;
• determining a scaling factor for the initial fractionalization values in the second table to provide a scaled second table, wherein the scaling factor produces a minimum sum of the squares difference between the first table and the scaled second table;
• and
• optimizing the initial second fractionalization values into second fractionalization values in the second table that has a least sum of the squared difference between the first table and the scaled second table.