Systems and methods for selecting stimulation parameters based on stimulation target region, effects, or side effects

Abstract

A system or method for identifying sets of stimulation parameters can include receiving at least one image of a region of a patient; registering the at least one image with an anatomical or physiological atlas that identifies different anatomical or physiological structures; identifying a desired stimulation region using the at least one image; comparing the desired stimulation region with each of a plurality of predetermined estimated stimulation regions, where each of the estimated stimulation regions is a calculated estimate of a stimulation volume for a corresponding set of electrical stimulation parameters; selecting one of the predetermined estimated stimulation regions based on the comparing; and providing the corresponding set of electrical stimulation parameters for the selected one of the predetermined estimated stimulation regions to a user or an electrical stimulation device. Other systems or methods use functional maps or subregions of a region of synchronous neural activity to identify stimulation parameters.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
         1 . A system for identifying a set of stimulation parameters, the system comprising:
 a computer processor configured and arranged to perform the following actions:
 identifying a desired stimulation region; 
 comparing the desired stimulation region with each of a plurality of predetermined estimated stimulation regions, wherein each of the estimated stimulation regions is a calculated estimate of a stimulation volume for a corresponding set of electrical stimulation parameters using an electrical stimulation lead; 
   selecting one of the predetermined estimated stimulation regions based on the comparing; and   providing the corresponding set of electrical stimulation parameters for the selected one of the predetermined estimated stimulation regions to a user or an electrical stimulation device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the actions further comprise:
 receiving at least one image of an anatomical or physiological region of a patient; and   registering the at least one image with an anatomical or physiological atlas that identifies a plurality of different anatomical or physiological structures;   wherein identifying a desired stimulation region comprises identifying a desired stimulation region using the at least one image.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein receiving at least one image comprises receiving an image with the electrical stimulation lead implanted within the anatomical or physiological region. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein receiving at least one image comprises receiving a first image of an anatomical or physiological region and a second image of the anatomical or physiological region with the electrical stimulation lead implanted within the anatomical or physiological region. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising the electrical stimulation device which comprises the electrical stimulation lead and an implantable pulse generator, wherein providing the corresponding set of electrical stimulation parameters comprises providing the corresponding set of electrical stimulation parameters to the implantable pulse generator. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein selecting one of the predetermined estimated stimulation regions comprises selecting the one of the predetermined estimated stimulation regions based on at least one selection criterion supplied by the user. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein selecting one of the predetermined estimated stimulation regions comprises selecting the one of the predetermined estimated stimulation regions based on at least one threshold criterion supplied by the user. 
     
     
         8 . A system for identifying a set of stimulation parameters, the system comprising:
 a computer processor configured and arranged to perform the following acts:
 providing at least one functional map identifying anatomical or physiological volumes that, when stimulated, produce at least one stimulation effect or stimulation side effect in at least one patient along with an estimate of a likelihood that the anatomical or physiological volume will produce the at least one stimulation effect or stimulation side effect; 
 identifying at least one desired stimulation effect or undesired stimulation side effect; 
 using the at least one functional map, identifying a desired stimulation region that produces the at least one desired stimulation effect at a predetermined threshold likelihood or avoid the undesired stimulation side effect at a predetermined threshold likelihood; 
 comparing the desired stimulation region with each of a plurality of estimated stimulation regions, wherein each of the estimated stimulation regions is a calculated estimate of a stimulation volume for a corresponding set of electrical stimulation parameters using an electrical stimulation lead; 
 selecting one of the estimated stimulation regions based on the comparing; and 
 providing the corresponding set of electrical stimulation parameters for the selected one of the estimated stimulation regions to a user or an electrical stimulation device. 
   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein identifying the desired stimulation region comprises selecting the desired stimulation region to produce the at least one desired stimulation effect and to avoid any stimulation side effects above a threshold likelihood. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein identifying the desired stimulation region comprises selecting the desired stimulation region to produce the at least one desired stimulation effect and to avoid at least one identified stimulation side effect above a threshold likelihood. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein providing at least one functional map comprises providing at least one functional map with scores associated with the anatomical or physiological volumes, each score being associated with at least one of the stimulation effects or stimulation side effects. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising the electrical stimulation device which comprises the electrical stimulation lead. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the system further comprises an implantable pulse generator, wherein providing the corresponding set of electrical stimulation parameters comprises providing the corresponding set of electrical stimulation parameters to the implantable pulse generator. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein selecting one of the estimated stimulation regions comprises selecting the one of the estimated stimulation regions based on at least one selection criterion supplied by the user. 
     
     
         15 . A system for identifying a set of stimulation parameters, the system comprising:
 a computer processor configured and arranged to perform the following acts:
 identifying a region of synchronous neural activity; 
 dividing the region into a plurality of subregions; 
 comparing the plurality of subregions with each of a plurality of estimated stimulation regions, wherein each of the estimated stimulation regions is a calculated estimate of a stimulation volume for a corresponding set of electrical stimulation parameters using an electrical stimulation lead; 
 selecting, for each of the subregions, one of the estimated stimulation regions based on the comparisons such that each of the selected estimated stimulation regions overlaps with any of the other selected estimated stimulation regions by no more than a predetermined threshold; and 
 providing the corresponding set of electrical stimulation parameters for each of the selected estimated stimulation regions to a user or an electrical stimulation device. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein identifying a region comprises receiving the region from a user. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein dividing the region comprises dividing the regions into the plurality of subregions, wherein each subregion overlaps by no more than a predetermined threshold percentage with any other of the plurality of subregions. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein each of the selected estimated stimulation regions overlaps with any of the other selected estimated stimulation regions by no more than a predetermined threshold percentage. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein each of the selected estimated stimulation regions does not overlap with any of the other selected estimated stimulation regions. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 15 , further comprising the electrical stimulation device which comprises the electrical stimulation lead.