Automated means to control responses to repetitive electrical stimulation and improve therapeutic efficacy

A medical device system, comprising:

• at least one electrical pulse generator;
• at least one electrode configured to deliver an electrical signal to a neural structure;
• at least one sensor configured to sense an evoked response of a delivered electrical signal via an evoked response unit;
• and
• a medical device, comprising:
• a comparison module configured to compare a test evoked response elicited by a first delivered electrical signal to an evoked response elicited by a prior delivered electrical signal known to be therapeutically efficacious;
• an electrical evoked response analysis unit configured to determine whether said test evoked response is sufficiently similar to the therapeutically efficacious evoked response;
• an adjustment module configured to adjust at least one parameter selected from an inter-pulse interval, a current magnitude, a pulse width, a pulse shape, a pulse polarity, or a pulse charge balancing of said electrical signal, in response to said test evoked response being insufficiently similar to the therapeutically efficacious evoked response;
• a therapy response analysis unit configured to determine a level of efficacy of said test evoked response;
• and
• a memory configured to store at least one said parameter of said adjusted electrical signal.

A non-transitory computer readable program storage unit encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform a method for optimizing the therapeutic efficacy of evoked responses elicited by pulsed electrical signals delivered to a neural structure, comprising:

• a) applying an electrical signal defined by a plurality of electrical signal parameters to a target neural structure;
• b) sensing an evoked response to said electrical signal;
• c) comparing said evoked response to said electrical signal with an efficacious evoked response elicited by a prior electrical signal, wherein said prior electrical signal is known to be therapeutically efficacious;
• d) determining, based on said comparing, whether the evoked response is similar to the efficacious evoked response;
• e) adjusting at least one parameter of said plurality of electrical signal parameters, wherein said at least one parameter is selected from an inter-pulse interval, a current magnitude, a pulse width, a pulse shape, a pulse polarity, and a pulse charge balancing, in response to a determination that said test evoked response is not similar to the efficacious evoked response;
• f) repeating a)-e) until said determining results in a determination that said evoked response is similar to the efficacious evoked response;
• and
• g) saving to memory said electrical signal parameters in response to a determination that said evoked response is similar to the efficacious evoked response.

A non-transitory computer readable program storage unit encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform a method for treating an epileptic seizure, comprising:

• applying a first, open-loop electrical signal comprising a series of tetanizing pulse bursts to a target neural structure, wherein each of said tetanizing bursts is separated from adjacent tetanizing bursts by an interburst period;
• receiving a time series of body data of the patient;
• detecting an epileptic seizure using a seizure detection algorithm, wherein said detecting is based at least on part on said body data;
• and
• in response to said detecting, applying a second electrical signal to said target neural structure, wherein said second electrical signal is selected from
• a single electrical pulse applied following a first waiting period ranging from 0.5 sec to 10 minutes from an immediately preceding tetanizing pulse burst;
• and
• a tetanizing pulse burst followed by a second waiting period ranging from 100 msec to 10 sec, and a single electrical pulse applied at the end of said second waiting period.

A non-transitory computer readable program storage unit encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform a method for treating an epileptic seizure, comprising:

• receiving a time series of body data of the patient;
• detecting an epileptic seizure using a seizure detection algorithm, wherein said detecting is based at least on part on said body data;
• applying a first electrical pulse to a target neural structure of said patient, wherein said first electrical pulse elicits a first evoked response;
• applying a second electrical pulse to said target neural structure, following a first waiting period ranging from 1 msec to 1 minute after applying said first electrical pulse, wherein said second electrical pulse elicits a second evoked response having a higher amplitude than said first evoked response.