A planning and/or control system for a neuromodulation system

Abstract

A planning and/or control system for a system for providing neuromodulation, especially neurostimulation, at least comprising: a graphical presentation module configured and arranged for providing graphical information about an electrode array comprising multiple electrodes and/or an implantation side for the electrode array comprising at least one target area, a selection module configured and arranged for determining a stimulation zone and/or a stimulation direction on the electrode array comprising at least one electrode and/or for individually selecting at least one electrode and/or for selecting at least one target area, a calculation module configured and arranged for determining a contribution of currents provided by electrodes of the stimulation zone and/or stimulation direction on the electrode array and/or the at least one electrode selected and/or to the at least one target area selected.

1 . A planning and/or control system for a system for providing neuromodulation, comprising:
 a graphical presentation module configured and arranged for providing graphical information about an electrode array comprising multiple electrodes and/or an implantation side for the electrode array comprising at least one target area,   a selection module configured and arranged for determining a stimulation zone and/or a stimulation direction on the electrode array comprising at least one electrode and/or for individually selecting at least one electrode and/or for selecting at least one target area,   a calculation module configured and arranged for determining a contribution of currents provided by electrodes of the stimulation zone and/or stimulation direction on the electrode array and/or the at least one electrode selected and/or to the at least one target area selected.   
     
     
         2 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the graphical presentation module is configured and arranged for providing graphical information about the electrode array comprising actual physical electrodes and/or virtual electrodes. 
     
     
         3 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the calculation module is configured and arranged for determining an equal contribution of currents provided by the electrodes of the stimulation zone (Z) and/or stimulation direction and/or the one or more electrodes individually selected and/or to the at least one target area selected. 
     
     
         4 . The system according to  claim 2 , wherein the calculation module is configured and arranged for determining a weighted contribution of provided by the electrodes of the stimulation zone and/or stimulation direction and/or the one or more electrodes individually selected and/or to the at least one target area selected. 
     
     
         5 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the calculation module is configured and arranged for determining the weighted contribution of currents provided by the electrodes of the stimulation zone and/or stimulation direction by calculating a Euclidean distance from an electrode to the stimulation zone and/or stimulation direction and/or to at least one point of the stimulation zone and/or stimulation direction. 
     
     
         6 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the calculation module is configured and arranged for determining the weighted contribution of currents provided by the electrodes of the stimulation zone and/or the stimulation direction and/or at least one electrode individually selected based on a generated field of neighbor electrodes. 
     
     
         7 . The system according to  claim 4 , wherein the calculation module is configured and arranged for determining the weighted contribution of currents provided by the electrodes of the stimulation zone and/or the stimulation direction and/or the at least one electrode individually selected and/or to the at least one target area selected by a numerical method. 
     
     
         8 . The system according to one of  claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises at least one of a display, a controller, a programmer, a communication module, a telemetry module, a stimulation device, an electrode, a sensor and/or a sensor network. 
     
     
         9 . The system according to  claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises at least one computer-assisted module configured and arranged for at least partially automatically determining a stimulation zone and/or a stimulation direction on the electrode array comprising at least one electrode and/or for at least partially automatically selecting at least one electrode. 
     
     
         10 . The system according to  claim 7 , wherein the calculation module is be configured and arranged to feature an algorithm to determine the weighted contribution of currents to a benefit of power efficiency. 
     
     
         11 . A method for planning neuromodulation comprising the steps of:
 providing graphical information about an electrode array comprising multiple electrodes and/or an implantation side for the electrode array comprising at least one target area,
 determining a stimulation zone and/or a stimulation direction on the electrode array comprising at least one electrode and/or individually selecting at least one electrode and/or selecting at least one target area, 
   determining a contribution of currents provided by electrodes of the stimulation zone and/or the stimulation direction on the electrode array and/or the at least one electrode selected and/or to at least one selected target area.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 11 , wherein the graphical information about the electrode array comprises actual physical electrodes and/or virtual electrodes. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises a step of determining an equal contribution of currents provided by the electrodes of the stimulation zone and/or the stimulation direction and/or at least one electrode individually selected and/or to the at least one target area selected. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the method further comprises a step of determining a weighted contribution of currents provided by the electrodes of the stimulation zone and/or the stimulation direction and/or at least one electrode individually selected and/or to the at least one target area selected. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises the step of determining the weighted contribution of currents provided by the electrodes of the stimulation zone and/or the stimulation direction by calculating a Euclidean distance from an electrode to the stimulation zone and/or the stimulation direction and/or to at least one point of the stimulation zone and/or at least one stimulation direction. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises the step of determining the weighted contribution of currents provided by the electrodes of the stimulation zone and/or the stimulation direction and/or the at least one electrode individually selected based on a generated field of neighbor electrodes. 
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises the step of determining the weighted contribution of currents provided by the electrodes of the stimulation zone and/or the stimulation direction and/or at least one electrode individually selected and/or to the at least one target area selected by a numerical method. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises the step of least partially automatically determining a stimulation zone and/or a stimulation direction on the electrode array comprising at least one electrode and/or for at least partially automatically selecting at least one electrode. 
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 18 , wherein the method further comprises the step of featuring an algorithm to determine the weighted contribution of currents to the benefit of power efficiency.