System and method for delivering sensory feedback to the cortex via electrical stimulation

A method for stimulating a user, comprising:

• delivering a first electrical stimulus via electrodes connecting an implant to a brain, a spinal cord, or peripheral nerves of the user, wherein the electrical stimulus conveys somatosensory information to the user, wherein the user is aware of the somatosensory information being conveyed, and wherein the somatosensory information evokes a limb perception of a functioning limb, and wherein the limb perception is sensed by the user being aware of the somatosensory information being conveyed and capable of interpreting the somatosensory information being conveyed;
• and
• based on delivering the first electrical stimulus, evoking neural signals in the brain, spinal cord, or peripheral nerves of the user,
• detecting user's response to the first electrical stimulus;
• and
• based on detecting user's response, determining a second electrical stimulus, wherein a second intensity of the second electrical stimulus differs from a first intensity of the first electrical stimulus, and wherein the first electrical stimulus and the second electrical stimulus are perceivable to the user having the implant;
• wherein each of the first electrical stimulus and the second electrical stimulus encodes the neural signals via a combination of a pulse-width and an amplitude, wherein both the pulse-width and the amplitude are concurrently varied to produce a variable charge-per-pulse (CPP) at the implant electrodes.

A method for delivering electrical stimulus through an implant having implantable electrodes coupled to a brain, or a spinal cord, or peripheral nerves of a user, comprising:

• delivering a first electrical stimulus to the user via the implantable electrodes, wherein the electrical stimulus conveys somatosensory information to the user, wherein the user is aware of the somatosensory information being conveyed, and wherein the somatosensory information evokes a limb perception of a functioning limb, and wherein the limb perception is sensed by the user being aware of the somatosensory information being conveyed and capable of interpreting the somatosensory information being conveyed, wherein the first electrical stimulus is encoded as a combination of a pulse-width and an amplitude, wherein both the pulse-width and the amplitude of the first electrical stimulus are concurrently varied to produce a variable charge-per-pulse (CPP) at the implant electrodes;
• based on delivering the first electrical stimulus, evoking neural signals in the brain, the spinal cord, or the peripheral nerves of the user;
• detecting user's response to the first electrical stimulus;
• and
• based on detecting patient's response, determining a second electrical stimulus that is different than the first electrical stimulus, wherein both the pulse-width and the amplitude of the second electrical stimulus are concurrently varied, wherein a second intensity of the second electrical stimulus differs from a first intensity of the first electrical stimulus, and wherein the first electrical stimulus and the second electrical stimulus are perceivable to the user having the implant.