Neuromodulation system and method for providing multiple modulation patterns in a single channel

Abstract

A neuromodulation system and method includes delivering first electrical modulation energy to a patient through a timing channel at a relatively high energy level (e.g., at a frequency in the range of 2 KHz-50 KHz) during a first time period in accordance with a stored modulation energy delivery schedule, delivering second electrical modulation energy to the patient through the same timing channel at a relatively low energy level (e.g., at a frequency in the range of 2 Hz to 1500 Hz) during a second time period in accordance with the stored modulation energy delivery schedule.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A system for delivering a spinal cord modulation (SCM) therapy to treat a chronic pain condition, the system comprising:
 a plurality of electrical terminals configured for being coupled to a respective plurality of electrodes;   modulation output circuitry configured to modulate spinal cord tissue to treat the chronic pain condition including delivery of a first electrical energy waveform to a first set of electrodes and delivery of a second electrical energy waveform to a second set of the electrodes, the first and second sets of electrodes being different from each other, delivery of the first electrical energy waveform consuming more energy than delivery of the second electrical energy waveform, and both the first and second electrical energy waveforms being therapeutically-effective to treat the chronic pain condition;   memory configured for storing a modulation energy delivery schedule to define scheduled times for delivering the first electrical energy waveform to treat the chronic pain condition and other scheduled times for delivering the second electrical energy waveform to treat the chronic pain condition; and   control circuitry configured to control the modulation output circuitry according to the modulation energy delivery schedule to deliver the first electrical energy waveform at the scheduled times and the second electrical energy waveform at the other scheduled times.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first electrical energy waveform comprises a first electrical pulse train, and the second electrical energy waveform comprises a second electrical pulse train different from the first pulse train. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first electrical energy waveform has a first frequency, and the second electrical energy waveform has a second frequency less than the first pulse frequency. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the first frequency is in the range of 2 KHz-50 KHz, and the second frequency is in the range of 2 Hz-1500 Hz. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first electrical energy waveform has a first amplitude, and the second electrical energy waveform has a second amplitude less than the first amplitude. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the first electrical energy waveform has a first pulse duration, and the second electrical energy waveform has a second pulse duration less than the first pulse duration. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the SCM therapy includes multiple patterns of electrical energy waveforms configured to auto-initiate at desired time instances without user intervention; and   the multiple patterns include the first electrical energy waveform and the second electrical energy waveform.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first electrical energy waveform and the second electrical energy waveform includes pulses having a pulse shape other than a rectangular pulse shape. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein at least one of the first electrical energy waveform and the second electrical energy waveform includes more than one non-rectangular pulse shape. 
     
     
         11 . A method for delivering a spinal cord modulation (SCM) therapy to treat a chronic pain condition, comprising:
 modulating spinal cord tissue according to a modulation energy delivery schedule stored in a memory to treat the chronic pain condition, including delivering a first electrical energy waveform at scheduled times to a first set of electrodes and delivering a second electrical energy waveform at other scheduled times to a second set of the electrodes, wherein the first and second sets of electrodes are different from each other, the first electrical energy waveform consumes more energy than the second electrical energy waveform, and both the first and second electrical energy waveforms are therapeutically-effective to treat the chronic pain condition;   wherein the modulation energy delivery schedule stored in the memory defines the scheduled times for delivering the first electrical energy waveform to treat the chronic pain condition and the other scheduled times for delivering the second electrical energy waveform to treat the chronic pain condition.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first electrical energy waveform comprises a first electrical pulse train, and the second electrical energy waveform comprises a second electrical pulse train different from the first pulse train. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first electrical energy waveform has a first frequency, and the second electrical energy waveform has a second frequency less than the first pulse frequency. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first frequency is in the range of 2 KHz-50 KHz, and the second frequency is in the range of 2 Hz-1500 Hz. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first electrical energy waveform has a first amplitude, and the second electrical energy waveform has a second amplitude less than the first amplitude. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the first electrical energy waveform has a first pulse duration, and the second electrical energy waveform has a second pulse duration less than the first pulse duration. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the SCM therapy includes multiple patterns of electrical energy waveforms configured to auto-initiate at desired time instances without user intervention; and   the multiple patterns include the first electrical energy waveform and the second electrical energy waveform.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first electrical energy waveform and the second electrical energy waveform includes pulses having a pulse shape other than a rectangular pulse shape. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein at least one of the first electrical energy waveform and the second electrical energy waveform includes more than one non-rectangular pulse shape. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transient machine readable medium containing program instructions for causing a machine to:
 modulate spinal cord tissue according to a modulation energy delivery schedule stored in a memory to treat the chronic pain condition, including deliver a first electrical energy waveform at scheduled times to a first set of electrodes and deliver a second electrical energy waveform at other scheduled times to a second set of the electrodes, wherein the first and second sets of electrodes are different from each other, the first electrical energy waveform consumes more energy than the second electrical energy waveform, and both the first and second electrical energy waveforms are therapeutically-effective to treat the chronic pain condition;   wherein the modulation energy delivery schedule stored in the memory defines the scheduled times for delivering the first electrical energy waveform to treat the chronic pain condition and the other scheduled times for delivering the second electrical energy waveform to treat the chronic pain condition.   
     
     
         21 . The non-transient machine readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the first electrical energy waveform and the second electrical energy waveform includes more than one non-rectangular pulse shape.