Patents by Inventor Tianhe Zhang

Tianhe Zhang has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11195609
    Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for delivering electrostimulation to specific tissue of a patient. An example of a system can receive a three-dimensional voxelized model representing a plurality of regions each specified as a target region or an avoidance region. The system includes control circuitry to determine a metric value using the voxelized model. The metric value indicates a clinical effect of electrostimulation on the plurality of regions according to a stimulation current and a current fractionalization. The control circuitry can determine a desired stimulation current that results in a first metric value satisfying a clinical effect condition. The system can generate a stimulation configuration including the desired stimulation current and the current fractionalization corresponding to the first metric value, and deliver tissue stimulation according to the stimulation configuration.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2021
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
    Inventors: Richard Mustakos, Tianhe Zhang, G. Karl Steinke, Stephen Carcieri
  • Patent number: 11135438
    Abstract: A system for planning or conducting stimulation includes a display; and a processor that executes instructions configured for: displaying, on the display, a representation of a stimulation effect; obtaining and displaying, on the display, a path for migration of the stimulation effect; receiving a duration or rate for migration of the stimulation effect; and determining a selection of one of more electrodes or optical stimulators for one or more stimulation leads of a stimulation system to produce the stimulation effect and conduct the migration of the stimulation effect along the path according to the duration or rate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
    Inventors: Bradley Lawrence Hershey, Tianhe Zhang, Natalie A. Brill, Rosana Esteller, Jianwen Gu
  • Publication number: 20210252287
    Abstract: Methods and systems for providing closed loop control of stimulation provided by an implantable stimulator device are disclosed herein. The disclosed methods and systems use a neural feature prediction model to predict a neural feature, which is used as a feedback control variable for adjusting stimulation. The predicted neural feature is determined based on one or more stimulation artifact features. The disclosed methods and systems can be used to provide closed loop feedback in situations, such as sub-perception therapy, when neural features cannot be readily directly measured.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 29, 2020
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Rosana Esteller, Tianhe Zhang, Qi An, Gezheng Wen
  • Publication number: 20210252290
    Abstract: A system for delivering electrical pulse stimulation to a subject includes a remote control device configured to at least intermittently transmit temporal pulse pattern programming and a stimulation device comprising a control interface, at least one electrode in electrical communication with the control interface, and an input device in at least intermittent communication with the remote control device to receive the temporal pulse pattern programming. The stimulation device is configured to deliver electrical pulse stimulation to a subject via the at least one electrode according to the temporal pulse pattern programming.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Publication date: August 19, 2021
    Inventors: Warren M. Grill, Tianhe Zhang
  • Publication number: 20210236829
    Abstract: A sensing electrode selection algorithm is disclosed for use with an implantable pulse generator having an electrode array. The algorithm automatically selects optimal sensing electrodes in the array to be used with a pre-determined stimulation therapy appropriate for the patient. The algorithm preferably senses stimulation artifacts using different sensing electrodes, and more specifically different sensing electrode pairs as is appropriate when differential sensing is used. The algorithm further preferably senses these stimulation artifacts with the patient placed in two or more postures. The algorithm processes the stimulation artifact features measured at the different sensing electrodes and at the different postures to automatically determine one or more sensing electrode pairs that best distinguishes the two or more postures given the prescribed stimulation therapy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2020
    Publication date: August 5, 2021
    Inventors: Tianhe Zhang, Rosana Esteller, Thomas W. Stouffer
  • Publication number: 20210196949
    Abstract: A system and method for extracting a cardiac signal from a spinal signal include measuring a spinal signal at one or more electrodes that are connected to a neurostimulator and implanted within a patient's spinal canal and processing the spinal signal to extract the cardiac signal, which includes features that are representative of the patient's cardiac activity. Processing the spinal signal to extract the cardiac signal can include filtering the spinal signal, or use of model reduction schemes such as independent component analysis. The extracted cardiac signal can include a number of features that correspond to an electrocardiogram and can be used to determine the patient's heart rate and/or to detect a cardiac anomaly. Cardiac features that are determined from the cardiac signal can additionally be used to adjust parameters of the stimulation that is provided by the neurostimulator.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2021
    Publication date: July 1, 2021
    Inventors: Rosana Esteller, Deepa Mahajan, Bhaskar Sen, Tianhe Zhang
  • Publication number: 20210162222
    Abstract: Techniques are described for providing a therapeutic pseudo-constant DC current in an implantable stimulator using pulses whose positive and negative phases are not charge balanced. Such charge imbalanced pulses act to charge any capacitance in the current path between selected electrode nodes, such as the DC-blocking capacitors and/or any inherent capacitance such as those present at the electrode/tissue interface. These charged capacitances act during quiet periods between the pulses to induce a pseudo-constant DC current. Beneficially, these DC currents can be small enough to stay within charge density limits and hence not corrode the electrode or cause tissue damage, and further can be controlled to stay within such limits or for other reasons. Graphical user interface (GUI) aspects for generating the charge imbalanced pulses and for determining and/or controlling the pseudo-constant DC current are also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2021
    Publication date: June 3, 2021
    Inventors: Tianhe Zhang, G. Karl Steinke, Matthew L. McDonald
  • Patent number: 11013922
    Abstract: A system for delivering electrical pulse stimulation to a subject includes a remote control device configured to at least intermittently transmit temporal pulse pattern programming and a stimulation device comprising a control interface, at least one electrode in electrical communication with the control interface, and an input device in at least intermittent communication with the remote control device to receive the temporal pulse pattern programming. The stimulation device is configured to deliver electrical pulse stimulation to a subject via the at least one electrode according to the temporal pulse pattern programming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: Duke University
    Inventors: Warren M. Grill, Tianhe Zhang
  • Publication number: 20210113844
    Abstract: An example of a system for delivering neurostimulation may include a programming control circuit and a stimulation control circuit. The programming control circuit may be configured to generate stimulation parameters controlling delivery of the neurostimulation according to a stimulation configuration. The stimulation control circuit may be configured to specify the stimulation configuration, and may include volume definition circuitry and stimulation configuration circuitry. The volume definition circuitry may be configured to determine one or more test volumes, determine a clinical effect resulting from the one or more test volumes each being activated by the neurostimulation, and determine a target volume using the determined clinical effect. The stimulation configuration circuitry may be configured to generate the specified stimulation configuration for activating the target volume.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2020
    Publication date: April 22, 2021
    Inventors: Tianhe Zhang, Michael A. Moffitt, Richard Mustakos, Stephen Carcieri
  • Patent number: 10974042
    Abstract: A system and method for extracting a cardiac signal from a spinal signal include measuring a spinal signal at one or more electrodes that are connected to a neurostimulator and implanted within a patient's spinal canal and processing the spinal signal to extract the cardiac signal, which includes features that are representative of the patient's cardiac activity. Processing the spinal signal to extract the cardiac signal can include filtering the spinal signal using one or more filters. Model reduction schemes such as independent component analysis can additionally or alternatively be employed to extract the cardiac signal. The extracted cardiac signal can include a number of features that correspond to an electrocardiogram and can be used to determine the patient's heart rate and/or to detect a cardiac anomaly. The determined cardiac features can additionally be used to adjust parameters of the stimulation that is provided by the neurostimulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
    Inventors: Rosana Esteller, Deepa Mahajan, Bhaskar Sen, Tianhe Zhang
  • Patent number: 10926097
    Abstract: Techniques are described for providing a therapeutic pseudo-constant DC current in an implantable stimulator using pulses whose positive and negative phases are not charge balanced. Such charge imbalanced pulses act to charge any capacitance in the current path between selected electrode nodes, such as the DC-blocking capacitors and/or any inherent capacitance such as those present at the electrode/tissue interface. These charged capacitances act during quiet periods between the pulses to induce a pseudo-constant DC current. Beneficially, these DC currents can be small enough to stay within charge density limits and hence not corrode the electrode or cause tissue damage, and further can be controlled to stay within such limits or for other reasons. Graphical user interface (GUI) aspects for generating the charge imbalanced pulses and for determining and/or controlling the pseudo-constant DC current are also provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2021
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromoduiation Corporation
    Inventors: Tianhe Zhang, G. Karl Steinke, Matthew L. McDonald
  • Publication number: 20210046322
    Abstract: An example of a neurostimulation system may include a storage device for storing data representing physiological signals and a user interface including a user input, a display screen, and a presentation control circuit. The user input may be configured to receive a selection of signal(s) from the physiological signals and a selection of viewing mode from viewing modes including a metric mode and/or a presence mode. The metric mode allows for visualization of a signal property indicated by a parameter measured from the selected signal(s). The presence mode allows for viewing presence of a feature in the selected signal(s). The presentation control circuit may be configured to allow for the selection of the signal(s) and the viewing mode, to determine a segment of each of the selected signal(s) for presentation according to the selected viewing mode, and to present the determined segment on the display screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 11, 2020
    Publication date: February 18, 2021
    Inventors: Tianhe Zhang, Rosana Esteller
  • Publication number: 20210038898
    Abstract: An example of a system to program a neuromodulator to deliver neuromodulation to a neural target using a plurality of electrodes may comprise a programming control circuit configured to determine target energy allocations for the plurality of electrodes based on at least one target pole to provide a target sub-perception modulation field, and normalize the target sub-perception modulation field, including determine a time domain scaling factor to account for at least one property of a neural target or of a neuromodulation waveform, and apply the time domain scaling factor to the target energy allocations.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 27, 2020
    Publication date: February 11, 2021
    Inventors: Tianhe Zhang, Changfang Zhu, Que T. Doan
  • Patent number: 10905887
    Abstract: An example of a system for delivering neurostimulation may include a programming control circuit and a stimulation control circuit. The programming control circuit may be configured to generate stimulation parameters controlling delivery of the neurostimulation according to a stimulation configuration. The stimulation control circuit may be configured to specify the stimulation configuration, and may include volume definition circuitry and stimulation configuration circuitry. The volume definition circuitry may be configured to determine one or more test volumes, determine a clinical effect resulting from the one or more test volumes each being activated by the neurostimulation, and determine a target volume using the determined clinical effect. The stimulation configuration circuitry may be configured to generate the specified stimulation configuration for activating the target volume.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: February 2, 2021
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
    Inventors: Tianhe Zhang, Michael A. Moffitt, Richard Mustakos, Stephen Carcieri
  • Publication number: 20210016090
    Abstract: A neuromodulation targeting system includes a GUI that facilitates selection of one or more neuromodulation target regions. The GUI provides an interactive display representing anatomy of a patient with user-selectable portions corresponding to a plurality of predefined anatomical regions associated with distinct localized clinical effects of neuromodulation. The system further includes a targeting selector engine that is responsive to user selection of a first portion of the interactive display by configuring delivery of neuromodulation therapy to a first target region to produce a first localized clinical effect in the patient at a location corresponding to the first portion of the display, upon administration of the neuromodulation therapy to the patient.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 7, 2020
    Publication date: January 21, 2021
    Inventors: Tianhe Zhang, Bradley Lawrence Hershey, Michael A. Moffitt
  • Patent number: 10874859
    Abstract: An example of a system to program a neuromodulator to deliver neuromodulation to a neural target using a plurality of electrodes may comprise a programming control circuit configured to determine target energy allocations for the plurality of electrodes based on at least one target pole to provide a target sub-perception modulation field, and normalize the target sub-perception modulation field, including determine a time domain scaling factor to account for at least one property of a neural target or of a neuromodulation waveform, and apply the time domain scaling factor to the target energy allocations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
    Inventors: Tianhe Zhang, Changfang Zhu, Que T. Doan
  • Patent number: 10857354
    Abstract: An example of a system to program a neuromodulator to deliver neuromodulation to a neural target using a plurality of electrodes may comprise a programming control circuit configured to determine target energy allocations for the plurality of electrodes based on at least one target pole to provide a target sub-perception modulation field, calibrate a plurality of electrode groups in the plurality of electrodes where each of the plurality of electrode groups is in an electrode configuration and includes an electrode set of at least one electrode from the plurality of electrodes, including for each of the plurality of electrode groups receive a feedback metric to delivery of modulation energy to the neural target, and normalize the target sub-perception modulation field, including determine a space domain scaling factor using the feedback metric to account for actual electrode-tissue coupling, and apply the space domain scaling factor to the target energy allocations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2020
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
    Inventors: Tianhe Zhang, Changfang Zhu, Que T. Doan
  • Publication number: 20200376272
    Abstract: Systems and methods for optimizing neuromodulation field design for pain therapy are discussed. An exemplary neuromodulation system includes an electrostimulator to stimulate target tissue to induce paresthesia, a data receiver to receive pain data including pain sites experiencing pain, and to receive patient feedback on the induced paresthesia including paresthesia sites experiencing paresthesia. The neuromodulation system includes a processor circuit configured to generate a spatial correspondence indication between the pain sites and the paresthesia sites over one or more dermatomes, determine an anodic weight and a cathodic weight for each of multiple electrode locations using the spatial correspondence indication, and generate a stimulation field definition for neuromodulation pain therapy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Publication date: December 3, 2020
    Inventors: Jessica Block, Tianhe Zhang, Natalie A. Brill
  • Patent number: 10850101
    Abstract: A neuromodulation targeting system includes a GUI that facilitates selection of one or more neuromodulation target regions. The GUI provides an interactive display representing anatomy of a patient with user-selectable portions corresponding to a plurality of predefined anatomical regions associated with distinct localized clinical effects of neuromodulation. The system further includes a targeting selector engine that is responsive to user selection of a first portion of the interactive display by configuring delivery of neuromodulation therapy to a first target region to produce a first localized clinical effect in the patient at a location corresponding to the first portion of the display, upon administration of the neuromodulation therapy to the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2020
    Assignee: Boston Scientific Neuromodulation Corporation
    Inventors: Tianhe Zhang, Bradley Lawrence Hershey, Michael A. Moffitt
  • Patent number: 10814140
    Abstract: An optical stimulation system includes a lead, a control module, and a control interface. The lead includes light emitters for emitting light having wavelengths that activate light-sensitive neurons. The light-sensitive neurons generate either an excitatory response or an inhibitory response when activated depending on the wavelength of the emitted light. The control module directs the emission of light from the light emitters using a set of stimulation parameters. The control interface includes user-selectable controls to adjust the stimulation parameters. The user-selectable controls include a graphical representation of a light emitter for each light emitter. Each graphical representation includes one or more user-selectable emitter controls to indicate whether a corresponding light emitter emits light and, if so, whether the emitted light generates an excitatory response or an inhibitory response from activated light-sensitive neurons.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 27, 2020
    Assignee: BOSTON SCIENTIFIC NEUROMODULATION CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tianhe Zhang, Rosana Esteller