# US 2013/0158630 A1 · Computationally efficient technique for determining electrode current distribution from a virtual multipole

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2013/0158630 A1
- Document ID: US20130158630A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/717,298
- Filed: 2012-12-17
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-19
- Assignees: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
- Inventors: Dongchul Lee
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130158630A1

## CPC

- A61N 1/3616: {Voltage density or current density}
- A61N 1/3605: {Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system}
- A61N 1/36185: {Selection of the electrode configuration}
- A61N 1/37264: {Changing the program; Upgrading firmware}
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)

## Abstract

A system and method of providing therapy to a patient using a plurality of electrodes implanted within the patient. A virtual multipole configuration is defined relative to the plurality of electrodes. The distance between each of a group of the electrodes and a virtual pole of the virtual multipole configuration is determined. A stimulation amplitude distribution is determined for the electrode group based on the determined distances, thereby emulating the virtual multipole configuration. Electrical energy is conveyed from the electrode group in accordance with the computed stimulation amplitude distribution.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system for an electrical neurostimulator coupled to a plurality of electrodes, comprising:
a processor configured for defining a virtual multipole configuration relative to the plurality of electrodes, determining a distance between each of a group of the electrodes and a virtual pole of the virtual multipole configuration, and determining a stimulation amplitude distribution for the electrode group based on the determined distances, thereby emulating the virtual multipole configuration; and
a controller configured for instructing the electrical neurostimulator to convey electrical energy to the electrode group in accordance with the computed stimulation amplitude distribution.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual pole is one of a virtual cathode and a virtual anode.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual multipole configuration is one of a virtual bipole configuration and a virtual tripole configuration.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for limiting the number of electrodes in the electrode group to a maximum number.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The system of claim 4, wherein the processor is further configured for varying the maximum number of the electrodes in the electrode group in response to a user input.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured for comparing a function of a distance between each of the plurality of electrodes and the virtual pole to a threshold value, and excluding the each electrode from the electrode group based on the comparison.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the function of the distance is a proportional function.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the function of the distance is one of a higher order power function and an exponential function.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured for determining the stimulation amplitude distribution for the electrode group by computing weights as decreasing functions of the distances, and computing stimulation amplitude values respectively for the electrode group as a function of the computed weights.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein each of the weights is computed as an inverse proportional function of the respective distance.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein each of the weights is computed as one of an inverse higher order power function of the respective distance and an inverse exponential function of the respective distance.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the stimulation amplitude values are fractionalized current values, and the processor is configured for computing a fractionalized current value for each electrode of the electrode group as the quotient of the weight for the each electrode divided by the sum of the weights for the electrode group.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface configured for generating directional control signals, wherein the processor is further configured for modifying the virtual multipole configuration relative to the plurality of electrodes in response to the directional control signals, and repeating the distance determination and stimulation amplitude distribution steps for the modified virtual multipole configuration, and the controller is further configured for repeating the electrical energy conveyance step for the modified virtual multipole configuration.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising telemetry circuitry, wherein the controller is further configured for transmitting stimulation parameter sets defining the computed stimulation amplitude distribution to the neurostimulation device via the telemetry circuitry.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, further comprising a housing containing the processor and controller.

### Claim 16

A method of providing therapy to a patient using a plurality of electrodes implanted within the patient, comprising:
defining a virtual multipole configuration relative to the plurality of electrodes;
determining a distance between each of a group of the electrodes and a virtual pole of the virtual multipole configuration;
determining a stimulation amplitude distribution for the electrode group based on the determined distances, thereby emulating the virtual multipole configuration; and
conveying electrical energy from the electrode group in accordance with the computed stimulation amplitude distribution.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the virtual pole is one of a virtual cathode and a virtual anode.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the virtual multipole configuration is one of a virtual bipole configuration and a virtual tripole configuration.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising limiting the number of electrodes in the electrode group to a maximum number.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The method of claim 19, further comprising varying the maximum number of the electrodes in the electrode group in response to a user input.

### Claim 21 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising comparing a function of a distance between each of the plurality of electrodes and the virtual pole to a threshold value, and excluding the each electrode from the electrode group based on the comparison.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the function of the distance is a proportional function.

### Claim 23 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21, wherein the function of the distance is one of a higher order power function and an exponential function.

### Claim 24 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein determining the stimulation amplitude distribution for the electrode group comprises computing weights as decreasing functions of the distances, and computing stimulation amplitude values respectively for the electrode group as a function of the computed weights.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein each of the weights is computed as an inverse proportional function of the respective distance.

### Claim 26 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein each of the weights is computed as one of an inverse higher order power function of the respective distance and an inverse exponential function of the respective distance.

### Claim 27 (depends on 24)

The method of claim 24, wherein the stimulation amplitude values are fractionalized current values, and the fractionalized current value for each electrode of the electrode group is computed as the quotient of the weight for the each electrode divided by the sum of the weights for the electrode group.

### Claim 28 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, further comprising:
generating directional control signals;
modifying the virtual multipole configuration relative to the plurality of electrodes in response to the directional control signals; and
repeating the distance determination, stimulation amplitude distribution, and electrical energy conveyance steps for the modified virtual multipole configuration.