Patents by Inventor Wenbo Hou

Wenbo Hou 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).

  • Publication number: 20180126169
    Abstract: System and methods are provided for determining a stimulation threshold for closed loop spinal cord stimulation (SCS). The system and methods provide a lead coupled to an implantable pulse generator (IPG). The system and methods deliver SCS pulses from the IPG to the lead electrodes in accordance with an SCS therapy, and determine an evoked compound action potential (ECAP) amplitude based on an ECAP waveform resulting from the SCS therapy. The system and methods increase the SCS therapy by increasing at least one of an amplitude, a duration, and number of the SCS pulses associated with the SCS therapy. The system and methods also include iteratively repeat the delivering, determining and increasing operations until the ECAP amplitude exhibits a downward trend divergence. The system and methods define a stimulation threshold based on the ECAP amplitude at the trend divergence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 7, 2016
    Publication date: May 10, 2018
    Inventors: Wenbo Hou, Fujian Qu, Stuart Rosenberg, Kyungmoo Ryu
  • Patent number: 9931510
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling non-paresthesia stimulation of neural tissue of a patient. The method delivers a non-paresthesia stimulation waveform, senses sensory action potential (SAP) signals from the neural tissue of interest, and analyzes the SAP signals to obtain SAP activity data for at least one of an SAP C-fiber component or an SAP A-delta fiber component. The method determines whether the SAP activity data satisfies a criteria of interest and adjusts at least one of the therapy parameters to change the non-paresthesia stimulation waveform when the SAP activity data does not satisfy the criteria of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2018
    Assignee: Paceetter, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenbo Hou, Melanie Goodman Keiser, Xiaoyi Min, Bruce A. Morley
  • Patent number: 9839782
    Abstract: The present disclosure may take the form of a method of optimizing CRT wherein candidate pacing settings are administered at a candidate lead implantation site. Such a method may comprise: determining a navigation sensor path at a measurement site for each candidate pacing setting at the candidate lead implantation site; and identifying which navigation sensor path corresponds to a most efficient cardiac tissue displacement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: PACESETTER, INC.
    Inventors: Wenbo Hou, Craig D. Markovitz, Chunlan Jiang, Stuart Rosenberg
  • Publication number: 20170312524
    Abstract: The present disclosure may take the form of a method of optimizing CRT wherein candidate pacing settings are administered at a candidate lead implantation site. Such a method may comprise: determining a navigation sensor path at a measurement site for each candidate pacing setting at the candidate lead implantation site; and identifying which navigation sensor path corresponds to a most efficient cardiac tissue displacement.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Publication date: November 2, 2017
    Inventors: Wenbo Hou, Craig D. Markovitz, Chunlan Jiang, Stuart Rosenberg
  • Publication number: 20170259074
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling non-paresthesia stimulation of neural tissue of a patient. The method delivers a non-paresthesia stimulation waveform, senses sensory action potential (SAP) signals from the neural tissue of interest, and analyzes the SAP signals to obtain SAP activity data for at least one of an SAP C-fiber component or an SAP A-delta fiber component. The method determines whether the SAP activity data satisfies a criteria of interest and adjusts at least one of the therapy parameters to change the non-paresthesia stimulation waveform when the SAP activity data does not satisfy the criteria of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2017
    Publication date: September 14, 2017
    Applicant: Pacesetter, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenbo Hou, Melanie Goodman Keiser, Xiaoyi Min, Bruce A. Morley
  • Publication number: 20170216597
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a spinal cord stimulation (SCS) system. The system includes at least one SCS lead including a lead body, at least one distal electrode located at a distal end of the lead body, the at least one distal electrode configured to apply electrical stimulation to a stimulation target of a patient, and a pain reduction assembly coupled to the lead body and configured to reduce post-operation pain at an incision site associated with implantation of the at least one SCS lead. The system further includes a pulse generator coupled to the at least one SCS lead and configured to control electrical stimulation delivered to the patient via the at least one SCS lead.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 11, 2016
    Publication date: August 3, 2017
    Inventors: Wenbo Hou, Alexander Kent, Edward Karst, Gene A. Bornzin, Riddhi Shah, Caroline Jordan, Yelena Nabutovsky
  • Patent number: 9687656
    Abstract: Provided herein are implantable systems, and methods for use therewith, for monitoring a patient's arterial blood pressure while a patient's heart is being paced. A signal (e.g., PPG or IPG signal) indicative of changes in arterial blood volume remote from the patient's heart is obtained using a sensor or electrodes that are implanted remote from the patient's heart. One or more metrics indicative of pulse arrival time (PAT) are determined, where each metric can be determined by determining a time from a paced cardiac event to one or more predetermined features of the signal indicative of changes in arterial blood volume. Based on at the metric(s) indicative of PAT, arterial blood pressure is estimated, which can include determining values indicative of systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure and/or mean arterial blood pressure, and/or changes in such values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignee: Pacesetter, Inc.
    Inventors: Brian Jeffrey Wenzel, Timothy A. Fayram, Allen J. Keel, Edward Karst, Wenbo Hou, Taraneh Ghaffari Farazi
  • Publication number: 20170119453
    Abstract: A system and method for treating an arrhythmia in a heart are provided. The system includes an electronic control unit configured to monitor movement of one or more position sensor over a period of time. The position sensors may, for example, comprise electrodes or coils configured to generate induced voltages and currents in the presence of electromagnetic fields, The positions sensors are in contact with portions of heart tissue and changes in position are representative of motion of that tissue. The electronic control unit is further configured to generate an indicator, responsive to the movements of the sensors over the period of time, of a characteristic of the heart affected by delivery of ablation energy to heart tissue. In this manner, the effectiveness and safety of cardiac tissue ablation for treatment of the arrhythmia can be assessed and a post-ablation therapy regimen determined.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2016
    Publication date: May 4, 2017
    Inventors: Kyungmoo Ryu, Thao T. Ngo, Euljoon Park, Stuart Rosenberg, Allen Keel, Wenbo Hou, Steve Koh, Kjell Noren, Michael Yang
  • Patent number: 9610448
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling non-paresthesia stimulation of nervous tissue of a patient. The method delivers a non-paresthesia stimulation waveform, senses sensory action potential (SAP) signals from the nervous tissue of interest, and analyzes the SAP signals to obtain SAP activity data for at least one of an SAP C-fiber component or an SAP A-delta fiber component. The method determines whether the SAP activity data satisfies a criteria of interest and adjusts at least one of the therapy parameters to change the non-paresthesia stimulation waveform when the SAP activity data does not satisfy the criteria of interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: Pacesetter, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenbo Hou, Melanie Goodman Keiser, Xiaoyi Min, Bruce A. Morley
  • Patent number: 9572620
    Abstract: A system and method for treating an arrhythmia in a heart are provided. The system includes an electronic control unit configured to monitor movement of one or more position sensor over a period of time. The position sensors may, for example, comprise electrodes or coils configured to generate induced voltages and currents in the presence of electromagnetic fields. The positions sensors are in contact with portions of heart tissue and changes in position are representative of motion of that tissue. The electronic control unit is further configured to generate an indicator, responsive to the movements of the sensors over the period of time, of a characteristic of the heart affected by delivery of ablation energy to heart tissue. In this manner, the effectiveness and safety of cardiac tissue ablation for treatment of the arrhythmia can be assessed and a post-ablation therapy regimen determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Inventors: Kyungmoo Ryu, Thao T. Ngo, Euljoon Park, Stuart Rosenberg, Allen Keel, Wenbo Hou, Steve Koh, Kjell Noren, Michael Yang
  • Patent number: 9572984
    Abstract: A system and method for delivering coupled burst and tonic stimulation of nervous tissue is provided. The system and method includes providing a lead with at least one stimulation electrode configured to be implanted at a target position proximate to nervous tissue of interest. The system and method further includes coupling the lead to an implantable pulse generator (IPG). The method delivers a first current pulse configured as a tonic stimulation waveform to the at least one electrode. The tonic stimulation waveform is configured to excite A-beta fibers of the nervous tissue. After a tonic-burst delay, the IPG delivers second current pulses configured as a burst stimulation waveform to at least one electrode. The burst stimulation waveform is configured to excite C-fibers of the nervous tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2017
    Assignee: Pacesetter, Inc.
    Inventors: Wenbo Hou, Xiaoyi Min, Stuart Rosenberg
  • Patent number: 9402995
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for providing both neurostimulation and defibrillation therapy. The system includes an implantable pulse generator (IPG), at least one neurostimulation electrode electrically coupled to the IPG and configured to apply neurostimulation pulses to a subject, and at least one defibrillation electrode electrically coupled to the IPG and configured to apply defibrillation pulses to the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2016
    Assignee: Pacesetter, Inc.
    Inventors: Stuart Rosenberg, Wenbo Hou, Timothy A. Fayram
  • Publication number: 20160213920
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides systems and methods for providing both neurostimulation and defibrillation therapy. The system includes an implantable pulse generator (IPG), at least one neurostimulation electrode electrically coupled to the IPG and configured to apply neurostimulation pulses to a subject, and at least one defibrillation electrode electrically coupled to the IPG and configured to apply defibrillation pulses to the subject.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 22, 2015
    Publication date: July 28, 2016
    Inventors: Stuart Rosenberg, Wenbo Hou, Timothy A. Fayram
  • Publication number: 20160206873
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides methods and systems for neurostimulation at the tract of Lissauer. A neurostimulation system includes an implantable pulse generator, and a lead assembly electrically coupled to the implantable pulse generator, the lead assembly including a plurality of sensing electrodes configured to sense pain signals at a tract of Lissauer of a subject, and a plurality of stimulating electrodes configured to apply stimulation to a dorsal column of the subject based on the sensed pain signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2015
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Wenbo Hou, Melanie Goodman Keiser
  • Patent number: 9387325
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling stimulation of nervous tissue of a patient. The method comprises delivering a stimulation waveform to at least one electrode located proximate to nervous tissue of interest, the stimulation waveform including a series of pulses configured to excite at least one of A-beta (A?) fibers, A-delta (A?) fibers or C-fibers of the nervous tissue of interest, the stimulation waveform defined by therapy parameters. The method also provides sensing an evoked compound action potential (ECAP) signal from the nervous tissue of interest. The method also analyzes a frequency content of the ECAP signal to obtain ECAP frequency data indicative of activity by at least one type of nerve fibers from a group comprising A?, A? and C fibers. The method also determines the type of nerve fibers that were activated by the stimulation waveform based on the ECAP frequency data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 12, 2016
    Assignee: PACESETTER, INC.
    Inventors: Xiaoyi Min, Melanie Goodman Keiser, Wenbo Hou, Bruce A. Morley
  • Publication number: 20160175594
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for controlling stimulation of nervous tissue of a patient. The method comprises delivering a stimulation waveform to at least one electrode located proximate to nervous tissue of interest, the stimulation waveform including a series of pulses configured to excite at least one of A-beta (A?) fibers, A-delta (A?) fibers or C-fibers of the nervous tissue of interest, the stimulation waveform defined by therapy parameters. The method also provides sensing an evoked compound action potential (ECAP) signal from the nervous tissue of interest. The method also analyzes a frequency content of the ECAP signal to obtain ECAP frequency data indicative of activity by at least one type of nerve fibers from a group comprising A?, A? and C fibers. The method also determines the type of nerve fibers that were activated by the stimulation waveform based on the ECAP frequency data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2014
    Publication date: June 23, 2016
    Inventors: Xiaoyi Min, Melanie Goodman Keiser, Wenbo Hou, Bruce A. Morley
  • Publication number: 20160158550
    Abstract: A system and method for delivering coupled burst and tonic stimulation of nervous tissue is provided. The system and method includes providing a lead with at least one stimulation electrode configured to be implanted at a target position proximate to nervous tissue of interest. The system and method further includes coupling the lead to an implantable pulse generator (IPG). The method delivers a first current pulse configured as a tonic stimulation waveform to the at least one electrode. The tonic stimulation waveform is configured to excite A-beta fibers of the nervous tissue. After a tonic-burst delay, the IPG delivers second current pulses configured as a burst stimulation waveform to at least one electrode. The burst stimulation waveform is configured to excite C-fibers of the nervous tissue.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2014
    Publication date: June 9, 2016
    Inventors: Wenbo Hou, Xiaoyi Min, Stuart Rosenberg
  • Publication number: 20160129272
    Abstract: A system and method for controlling non-paresthesia stimulation of nervous tissue of a patient. The method delivers a non-paresthesia stimulation waveform, senses sensory action potential (SAP) signals from the nervous tissue of interest, and analyzes the SAP signals to obtain SAP activity data for at least one of an SAP C-fiber component or an SAP A-delta fiber component. The method determines whether the SAP activity data satisfies a criteria of interest and adjusts at least one of the therapy parameters to change the non-paresthesia stimulation waveform when the SAP activity data does not satisfy the criteria of interest.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2014
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Wenbo Hou, Melanie Goodman Keiser, Xiaoyi Min, Bruce A. Morley
  • Patent number: 9198614
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for characterizing chamber specific function. The method and system comprise collecting cardiac signals associated with asynchronous timing between first and second chambers of the heart; collecting dynamic impedance (DI) data along a chamber-specific function (CSF) vector to form a DI data set, the DI data set collected during a collection window that is temporally aligned based on a timing feature of interest (FOI); repeating the collection operations over multiple cardiac cycles (CC) to obtain an ensemble of DI data sets; and combining the ensemble of DI data sets to form a composite DI data set that is coupled to a chamber functional mechanic of interest (FMOI) associated with the first chamber and decoupled from functional mechanics associated with the second chamber; and analyzing the composite DI data set to obtain a CSF indicator associated with the chamber FMOI of the first chamber.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 1, 2015
    Assignee: Pacesetter, Inc.
    Inventors: Kritika Gupta, Rupinder Bharmi, Bruce A. Morley, Laurence S. Sloman, Wenbo Hou, Xiaoyi Min, Riddhi Shah, Edward Karst, Gene A. Bornzin
  • Patent number: 9179846
    Abstract: A method and system are provided for characterizing cardiac function. The method and system comprise collecting cardiac signals associated with electrical or mechanical behavior of a heart over at least one cardiac cycle; identifying a timing feature of interest (FOI) from the cardiac signals; collecting dynamic impedance (DI) data over at least one cardiac cycle (CC), designated by the timing FOI, along at least one of i) a venous return (VR) vector or ii) a right ventricular function (RVF) vector; and analyzing at least one morphologic characteristic from the DI data based on at least one of i) a VR-DI correlation metric to obtain a VR indicator associated with the CC or ii) a RVF-DI correlation metric to obtain a RVF indicator associated with CC.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2015
    Assignee: PACESETTER, INC.
    Inventors: Wenbo Hou, Kritika Gupta, Bruce A. Morley, Laurence S. Sloman, Rupinder Bharmi, Xiaoyi Min, Riddhi Shah, Gene A. Bornzin, Edward Karst