Presentation of Electrostimulation and Clinical Response Data Predicting and Summarising Stimulator Programming Across Many Settings

This patent describes a system that helps a clinician program an implantable neurostimulator by combining measured clinical responses to a first set of stimulation settings with predicted responses for a second, larger set that the patient is never actually exposed to. The output is a structured monopolar review report that summarises characteristic stimulation amplitudes per electrode configuration.

The Problem

Implantable neurostimulators used for spinal cord stimulation, deep brain stimulation and related therapies have very large parameter spaces. The clinician can vary the electrode configuration, the amplitude, pulse width and frequency, and each combination produces a different clinical effect on the patient. In a normal programming session, the clinician steps through some of these combinations, records the patient’s response and tries to extrapolate to the rest. The process is time consuming, fatiguing for the patient and depends heavily on the clinician’s mental model of the system. Better tools that present a comprehensive view of the parameter space and the patient’s expected response across it would meaningfully improve outcomes.

What This Invention Does

The patent describes a system that includes the implantable stimulator and a programming device whose controller identifies two sets of base stimulation settings, each defined by an electrode configuration and parameter values drawn from a search space. For the first set the controller detects clinical effects in response to delivered stimulation and evaluates a clinical response indicator. For the second set it predicts clinical effects and estimates a clinical response indicator without delivering stimulation. Based on these indicators across both sets, it determines characteristic stimulation amplitudes for one or more electrode configurations and generates a formatted monopolar review report containing those amplitudes for display.

The disclosure covers both the device-level architecture and the methods executed by the controller.

Key Features

• Two-set evaluation strategy. Real stimulation is delivered for a first set, while a larger second set is evaluated by prediction, dramatically expanding the parameter space considered without expanding the patient’s burden.
• Clinical response indicator. A common indicator is used across both measured and predicted settings, supporting direct comparison and ranking.
• Characteristic amplitude derivation. The system determines a characteristic stimulation amplitude for each relevant electrode configuration rather than only for a single setting.
• Formatted monopolar review report. The output is a structured report aligned with established neuromodulation programming workflows, simplifying clinical adoption.
• Search-space configurability. Both the configuration and parameter axes of the search space are configurable, supporting different stimulator product families and indications.

Who Is Behind It

The applicant is Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation, the neuromodulation business unit of Boston Scientific, one of the leading global medical device companies in spinal cord and deep brain stimulation. The named inventors are Rachel Mae Fischell and Lisa Denise Moore. The Australian application is a divisional of AU 2022380934, the national phase of PCT/US2022/048962. The Australian patent attorney of record is listed on the title page.

Why It Matters

Australia has an active and growing neuromodulation market across chronic pain, movement disorders and emerging indications. Programming workflow is one of the most important practical differences between competing stimulator platforms in this space, and a patent over the architecture that fuses measured responses with predicted responses gives Boston Scientific a defensible position against competitors offering simpler trial-and-error programming. Continuing the divisional family in Australia keeps that claim coverage active in the local market.

Related Concepts

• Neuromodulation – the broader therapeutic field this device contributes to.
• Spinal cord stimulator – one of the main clinical applications for systems of this kind.
• Deep brain stimulation – another major application area for programmable neurostimulators.
• Closed-loop control – the architectural pattern that ties measured response back into device programming.
• Implantable medical device) – the regulatory category the stimulator belongs to.

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AU 2026201886 was published in the Australian Official Journal of Patents on 2 April 2026 and is open for public inspection. Patent applications represent inventions that are sought to be protected and do not necessarily reflect commercially available products.