Programming techniques for peripheral nerve field stimulation

摘要

Peripheral nerve field stimulation (PNFS) delivered by medical device to a patient may be programmed by specifying one or more characteristics of a stimulation field generated by the IMD to provide the PNFS. The characteristics of the stimulation field may include, for example, a direction of stimulation within the field, a breadth of the stimulation field, a focus of stimulation within the stimulation field, a depth of the stimulation field relative to a reference point, such as the epidermis of the patient, or a nerve fiber diameter selection.

主权项

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a processor, a stimulation field vector input from a user via a user interface, wherein the stimulation field vector input indicates a direction of peripheral nerve field electrical stimulation within a stimulation field that provides peripheral nerve field electrical stimulation in a region of a body of a patient in which the patient experiences pain, and wherein the stimulation field vector input comprises a vector beginning point and a vector end point; receiving, by the processor, a stimulation breadth input from the user that indicates a breadth of the stimulation field; receiving, by the processor, a stimulation depth input from the user that indicates a depth of the stimulation field relative to a reference point of the patient; and determining, by the processor, an electrode configuration for generating the stimulation field based on the stimulation field vector input, the stimulation breadth input, and the stimulation depth input, wherein determining the electrode configuration comprises:
selecting, by the processor, a first active electrode from a three-dimensional electrode array implanted in the region of the body of the patient based on the vector beginning point,selecting, by the processor, of a second active electrode from the three-dimensional electrode array based on the vector end point, the stimulation breadth input, and the stimulation depth input, andselecting, by the processor, polarities of the first and second active electrodes.