Systems, methods, and devices for evaluating lead placement based on patient physiological responses

A medical system, comprising:

• a pulse generator configured to generate electrical stimulation pulses as a part of an electrical stimulation therapy for a patient;
• an implantable lead configured to deliver the electrical stimulation pulses to the patient;
• and
• a portable electronic programmer that is telecommunicatively coupled to the pulse generator through a communications link, wherein the portable electronic programmer is configured to perform the following steps:
• programming the pulse generator to generate electrical stimulation to target a sacral nerve or a pudendal nerve of the patient, the electrical stimulation being delivered at least in part via the implantable lead, the electrical stimulation being applied by ramping up a stimulation parameter over time;
• detecting, based on input received from a user interface, that the patient has exhibited an anal sphincter contraction response, a bellows response, and a toes response as a result of the electrical stimulation;
• measuring a first value of the stimulation parameter associated with the anal sphincter contraction response, a second value of the stimulation parameter associated with the bellows response, and a third value of the stimulation parameter associated with the toes response;
• and
• evaluating a placement of the lead inside the patient based on at least one of:
• a chronological sequence in which the anal contraction response, the bellows response, and the toes response occurred, a comparison of the first value with a predefined threshold, or respective deviations of the second value or the third value from the first value.

A medical system, comprising:

• a pulse generator;
• an implantable lead;
• a user interface;
• a on-transitory memory;
• and
• one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the medical system to perform operations comprising:
• programming the pulse generator to generate electrical stimulation to target a sacral nerve or a pudendal nerve of a patient, the electrical stimulation being delivered via the lead, the electrical stimulation being applied by ramping up a stimulation parameter over time;
• detecting, via input received from the user interface, that the patient has exhibited an anal sphincter contraction response, a bellows response, and a toes response as a result of the electrical stimulation;
• measuring a first value of the stimulation parameter associated with the anal sphincter contraction response, a second value of the stimulation parameter associated with the bellows response, and a third value of the stimulation parameter associated with the toes response;
• and
• evaluating a placement of the lead inside the patient based on at least one of:
• a chronological sequence in which the anal sphincter contraction response, the bellows response, and the toes response occurred, a comparison of the first value with a predefined threshold, or respective deviations of the second value or the third value from the first value.