Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation

Kenneth Hermann

Goran Nils Marnfeldt

Emanuel Feldman

G Karl Steinke

Chirag Shah

Adam Thomas Featherstone

Mary Kotchevar

A compliance voltage management algorithm is disclosed for managing the compliance voltage, VH, that powers the DAC circuitry in a stimulator device. A user can use a user interface associated with an external programming device to define a time-varying stimulation waveform to be programmed into the stimulator device. The algorithm analyzes the prescribed waveform and determines a number of groups of pulses that will be treated similarly from a VH management standpoint. Optimal compliance voltages are determined for each group, as are the rise and fall rates at which VH is able to change at transitions between groups. These rise or fall rates in VH are then used to set when the compliance voltage should increase or decrease. For example, the algorithm will automatically set VH to start rising in advance of a transition so that it is at the proper higher value when the transition occurs.

Management of compliance voltage for a stimulator device

An architecture is disclosed for an Implantable Pulse Generator having improved compliance voltage monitoring and adjustment software and hardware. Software specifies which stimulation pulses are to be measured as relevant to monitoring and adjusting the compliance voltage. Preferably, specifying such pulses occurs by setting a compliance monitoring instruction (e.g., a bit) in the program that defines the pulse, and the compliance monitor bit instruction may be set at a memory location defining a particular pulse phase during which the compliance voltage should be monitored. When a compliance monitor instruction issues, the active electrode node voltages are monitored and compared to desired ranges to determine whether they are high or low. Compliance logic operates on these high/low signals and processes them to decide whether to issue a compliance voltage interrupt to the microcontroller, which can then command the compliance voltage generator to increase or decrease the compliance voltage.

Compliance voltage monitoring and adjustment in an implantable medical device

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Santa Clara, CA, United States of America

Kenneth Hermann