Programming systems for deep brain stimulator system

Abstract

The present technology provides a medical stimulation system having a clinical programmer configured to operate on a computational and memory device having a wireless communication device. The technology also provides a neurostimulator configured to wirelessly communicate with the clinical programmer. The neurostimulator also includes a pulse generator operatively coupled with an electrode by a lead. The pulse generator is configured to transmit an electrical signal comprising a repeating succession of non-regular pulse trains. Each pulse train includes a plurality of pulses having non-regular, non-random, differing inter-pulse intervals therebetween. The pulse trains repeat in succession to treat a neurological condition. Further, the pulse trains are initiated by instructions communicated by the clinical programmer.

Having thus described the invention, we claim: 
     
         1 . A medical stimulation system comprising:
 a clinical programmer operational on a computational and memory device having a wireless communication device; and   a neurostimulator configured to wirelessly communicate with the clinical programmer, the neurostimulator including a pulse generator operatively coupled with an electrode by a lead;   the pulse generator configured to transmit first and second electrical signals, the first electrical signal comprising a first repeating succession of pulse trains, the second electrical signal comprising a second repeating succession of pulse trains different from the first repeating succession of pulse trains, wherein either of the first or second repeating succession of pulse trains are initiated by instructions communicated by the clinical programmer.   
     
     
         2 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the first electrical signal comprises non-regular pulse trains. 
     
     
         3 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the second electrical signal comprises second non-regular pulse trains. 
     
     
         4 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the first repeating succession of non-regular pulse trains includes a plurality of pulses having non-regular, non-random, differing inter-pulse intervals therebetween. 
     
     
         5 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the second repeating succession of non-regular pulse trains includes a plurality of pulses having non-regular, non-random, differing inter-pulse intervals therebetween. 
     
     
         6 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the neurological condition is one of Parkinson's Disease, Essential Tremor, Movement Disorders, Dystonia, Epilepsy, Pain, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Depression, and Tourette's Syndrome. 
     
     
         7 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the computational and memory device is selected from a tablet computer, a laptop, a smartphone, or another electronic device. 
     
     
         8 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication device of the computational and memory device is selected from a 403 MHz radio transceiver, a 2.4 GHz personal area wireless network, and an ultra-low power ultra high frequency (UHF) wireless radio. 
     
     
         9 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the neurostimulator comprises a unique identifying characteristic. 
     
     
         10 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the clinical programmer wirelessly communicates with the neurostimulator by its unique identifying characteristic. 
     
     
         11 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the wireless communication is secured through the use of encryption, message authentication, message security, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         12 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the clinical programmer is managed by an interactive user interface operated on the computational and memory device. 
     
     
         13 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 12 , wherein the user interface comprises:
 an interactive progress line displaying a progression of tasks for the neurostimulator;   an interactive status bar displaying information related to the current task, the interactive status bar comprising:
 optionally an advance button; 
 optionally a pulse stimulation button; 
 optionally an amplitude button; 
 optionally an advanced programming screen task button; and 
 optionally a save button; 
 an advanced programming screen button; 
 a stimulation on-off button; and 
 a screen lock button. 
   
     
     
         14 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 13 , wherein the progress line displays tasks including: Patient Information, Electrode Mapping, Optimize Amplitude, Optimize Stimulation Factor, Program & Save, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 14 , wherein the progress line identifies the tasks as complete or incomplete. 
     
     
         16 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 15 , wherein the progress line allows a user to select at least one task, in any desired order. 
     
     
         17 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one task may be an optimized stimulation factor, which allows the user to associate one or more pattern of stimulation with at least one patient selectable attribute. 
     
     
         18 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 12 , wherein the clinical programmer allows a user to adjust pulse duration values, stimulus amplitude values of the pulses, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 18 , wherein markers are set to indicate stimulation factors, stimulation frequencies, pulse duration values, stimulus amplitude values, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         20 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 19 , wherein the markers are set to indicate stimulation factor or stimulus amplitude values. 
     
     
         21 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , further comprising a patient controller operatively connected to the neurostimulator via the wireless communication device, the patient controller allows a user to execute a program without use of the clinical programmer. 
     
     
         22 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 21 , wherein the program is automated by the clinical programmer. 
     
     
         23 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 22 , wherein the patient controller is separate from the computational and memory device. 
     
     
         24 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the pulse train repeats indefinitely. 
     
     
         25 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein the pulse train repeats until another pulse train sequence is selected on the clinical programmer or patient controller. 
     
     
         26 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein a waveform shape of at least one of the pulses is different from a second pulse waveform shape of another of the pulses of the non-regular pulse train. 
     
     
         27 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein an amplitude of at least one of the pulses is different from a second pulse amplitude of another of the pulses of the non-regular pulse train. 
     
     
         28 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein each pulse of the plurality of pulses comprises a waveform that is either of monophasic, biphasic, or multiphasic. 
     
     
         29 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the pulses comprises a monophasic waveform. 
     
     
         30 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the pulses comprises a biphasic waveform. 
     
     
         31 . The medical stimulation system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the pulses comprises a multiphasic waveform.