Spinal cord stimulation leads with centrally-concentrated contacts, and associated systems and methods

A spinal cord stimulation system, comprising:

• an implantable signal generator having first and second lead connection ports and being programmed with instructions that, when executed, deliver a non-paresthesia-producing therapy signal having a frequency in a frequency range from 1.5 kHz to 100 kHz;
• a lead body having a proximal portion and a distal portion, the proximal portion being bifurcated to include a first connection portion and a second connection portion;
• sixteen signal delivery contacts carried by the distal portion of the lead body, with each signal delivery contact having a contact width of three millimeters, and wherein, of the sixteen signal delivery contacts,
• the three distal-most signal delivery contacts are spaced apart from each other by three millimeters;
• the three proximal-most signal delivery contacts are spaced apart from each other by three millimeters;
• and
• the ten intermediate signal delivery contacts are spaced apart from each other by one millimeter;
• sixteen connection contacts carried by the proximal portion of the lead body, with:
• a first set of eight connection contacts carried by the first connection portion;
• a second set of eight connection contacts carried by the second connection portion;
• and
• sixteen conductors carried by the lead body, with individual conductors connected between an individual connection contact and an individual signal delivery contact.

A spinal cord stimulator, comprising:

• a lead system having a proximal portion and a distal portion;
• a plurality of signal delivery contacts carried by the distal portion of the lead system, with:
• multiple distal-most signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by first distance;
• multiple proximal-most signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by a second distance;
• and
• multiple intermediate signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by a third distance less than the first distance and less than the second distance;
• a plurality of connection contacts carried by the proximal portion of the lead system;
• and
• a plurality of conductors carried by the lead system, with individual conductors connected between an individual connection contact and an individual signal delivery contact.

A method for configuring a patient treatment system, comprising:

• programming an implantable signal generator to direct a non-paresthesia-producing therapy signal to a patient's spinal cord region at a vertebral level aligned with the patient's T9-T10 disc, wherein
• the therapy signal has a frequency in a frequency range from 1.5 kHz to 100 kHz, and
• the therapy signal is directed to at least two contacts of a lead system coupled to the implanted signal generator, the lead system having sixteen signal delivery contacts carried by the distal portion of the lead body, with each signal delivery contact having a width of three millimeters, and wherein, of the sixteen signal delivery contacts,
• the three distal-most signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by three millimeters;
• the three proximal-most signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by three millimeters;
• and
• the ten intermediate signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by one millimeter.

A method for treating a patient, comprising:

• programming an implantable signal generator to direct a non-paresthesia-producing therapy signal to a patient's spinal cord region, wherein:
• the therapy signal has a frequency in a frequency range from 1.5 kHz to 100 kHz, and
• the therapy signal is directed to at least two contacts of a lead system coupled to the implanted signal generator, the lead system having multiple signal delivery contacts carried by the distal portion of the lead system, wherein
• multiple distal-most signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by first distance,
• multiple proximal-most signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by a second distance, and
• multiple intermediate signal delivery contacts being spaced apart from each other by a third distance less than the first distance and less than the second distance.