Claims
- 1. An electrical stimulator for the treatment of intractable pain syndromes, comprising:
an interferential current generator for generating an interferential alternating current output by using common sine wave generators with a base medium frequency of at least 500 Hz but no more than 20 KHz; and at least two pairs of implantable electrodes connected to said interferential current producing generator and located at predetermined locations on a subject's spinal cord wherein each pair of implantable electrodes produces a separate electrical circuit.
- 2. The stimulator of claim 1, wherein said interferential current generator comprises:
a pulse generator that generates digital signal pulses; and a digital signal processor connected to said pulse generator that processes the digital signal pulses to approximate a sine-wave-like output waveform.
- 3. The stimulator of claim 1, wherein said interferential current generator comprises:
a pulse generator that generates digital signal pulses; and a field-programmable gate array connected to said pulse generator that processes the digital signal pulses to approximate a sine-wave-like output waveform.
- 4. The stimulator of claim 1, wherein said interferential current includes a resultant beat frequency of no more than 250 Hz.
- 5. The stimulator of claim 1, wherein said interferential current includes a voltage output of 11 volts maximum for each circuit.
- 6. The stimulator of claim 1, wherein said interferential current includes a pulse width of 210 microseconds.
- 7. The stimulator of claim 1, wherein said interferential current includes a pulse width with a range of at least 10 microseconds but no more than 600 microseconds.
- 8. The stimulator of claim 1, wherein two quadripolar leads are used to produce two interferential currents.
- 9. An electrical stimulator for the treatment of intractable pain syndromes, comprising:
a pulse generator that generates digital signal pulses; a digital signal processor connected to said pulse generator that generates a sine-wave-like output waveform that is further processed into first and second circuits; and two pairs of implantable electrodes connected to said digital signal processor and positioned on a subject's spinal cord at predetermined locations to produce an interferential current output waveform from said first and second circuits.
- 10. The stimulator of claim 9, wherein said interferential current output waveform includes a base medium frequency of at least 500 Hz but no more than 20 KHz.
- 11. The stimulator of claim 9, wherein said interferential current output waveform includes a resultant beat frequency of no more than 250 Hz.
- 12. An electrical stimulator for the treatment of intractable pain syndromes, comprising:
a pulse generator that generates digital signal pulses; a field-programmable gate array connected to said pulse generator that generates a sine-wave-like output waveform that is further processed into first and second circuits; and two pairs of implantable electrodes connected to said field-programmable gate array and positioned on a subject's spinal cord at predetermined locations to produce an interferential current output waveform from said first and second circuits.
- 13. The stimulator of claim 12, wherein said interferential current output waveform includes a base medium frequency of at least 500 Hz but no more than 20 KHz.
- 14. The stimulator of claim 12, wherein said interferential current waveform includes a resultant beat frequency of no more than 250 Hz.
- 15. An electrical stimulator for the treatment of intractable pain syndromes, comprising:
an interferential current generator for generating an interferential alternating current output with a base medium frequency of at least 500 Hz but no more than 20 KHz; and at least two pairs of implantable electrodes connected to said interferential current producing generator and located at predetermined locations on a subject's dorsal column wherein each pair of implantable electrodes produces a separate electrical circuit.
- 16. The stimulator of claim 15, wherein said interferential current generator comprises:
a pulse generator that generates digital signal pulses; and a digital signal processor connected to said pulse generator that processes the digital signal pulses to approximate a sine-wave-like output waveform.
- 17. The stimulator of claim 15, wherein said interferential current generator comprises:
a pulse generator that generates digital signal pulses; and a field-programmable gate array connected to said pulse generator that processes the digital signal pulses to approximate a sine-wave-like output waveform.
- 18. The stimulator of claim 15, wherein said interferential current includes a resultant beat frequency of no more than 250 Hz.
- 19. The stimulator of claim 15, wherein said interferential current includes a voltage output of 11 volts maximum for each circuit.
- 20. The stimulator of claim 15, wherein said interferential current includes a pulse width of 210 microseconds.
- 21. The stimulator of claim 15, wherein said interferential current includes a pulse width with a range of at least 10 microseconds but no more than 600 microseconds.
- 22. The stimulator of claim 15, wherein two quadripolar leads are used to produce two interferential currents.
- 23. An electrical stimulator for the treatment of intractable pain syndromes, comprising:
a pulse generator that generates digital signal pulses; a digital signal processor connected to said pulse generator that generates a sine-wave-like output waveform that is further processed into first and second circuits; and two pairs of implantable electrodes connected to said digital signal processor and positioned on a subject's dorsal column at predetermined locations to produce an interferential current output waveform from said first and second circuits.
- 24. The stimulator of claim 23, wherein said interferential current output waveform includes a base medium frequency of at least 500 Hz but no more than 20 KHz.
- 25. The stimulator of claim 23, wherein said interferential current output waveform includes a resultant beat frequency of no more than 250 Hz.
- 26. An electrical stimulator for the treatment of intractable pain syndromes, comprising:
a pulse generator that generates digital signal pulses; a field-programmable gate array connected to said pulse generator that generates a sine-wave-like output waveform that is further processed into first and second circuits; and two pairs of implantable electrodes connected to said field-programmable gate array and positioned on a subject's dorsal column at predetermined locations to produce an interferential current output waveform from said first and second circuits.
- 27. The stimulator of claim 26, wherein said interferential current output waveform includes a base medium frequency of at least 500 Hz but no more than 20 KHz.
- 28. The stimulator of claim 26, wherein said interferential current waveform includes a resultant beat frequency of no more than 250 Hz.
- 29. A method for the treatment of persistent chronic pain syndromes using electrical stimulation of the spinal cord, said method comprising:
connecting a pulse generator to a digital signal processor and supplying digital signal pulses to said digital signal processor which produces a sine-wave-like current waveform which is further processed and output to first and second pairs of implantable electrodes, wherein first and second circuits are created, respectively; positioning said first pair of implantable electrodes on a subject's spinal cord at one set of diagonal corners of a targeted area; positioning said second pair of implantable electrodes on the subject's spinal cord at the other set of diagonal corners of the targeted area; and creating an interferential current with a base medium frequency of at least 500 Hz but no more than 20 KHz.
- 30. The method according to claim 29, wherein said method further includes varying locations of said first and second pairs of implantable electrodes along the spinal cord.
- 31. The method according to claim 29, wherein said method further includes modulating outputs of amplitudes of said first and second circuits.
- 32. The method according to claim 29, wherein said method includes creating an interferential current with a resultant beat frequency of no more than 250 Hz.
- 33. The method according to claim 29, wherein said method includes creating the interferential current with a voltage output of 11 volts maximum for each circuit.
- 34. The method according to claim 29, wherein said method includes creating the interferential current with a pulse width of 210 microseconds.
- 35. The method according to claim 29, wherein said method includes creating the interferential current with a pulse width comprising a range of at least 10 microseconds but no more than 600 microseconds.
- 36. The method according to claim 29, wherein said method includes creating two interferential currents by using two quadripolar leads.
- 37. A method for electrical stimulation of the spinal cord, said method comprising:
connecting a pulse generator to a digital signal processor and supplying digital signal pulses to said field-programmable gate array which produces a sine-wave-like current waveform which is further processed and output to first and second pairs ofimplantable electrodes, wherein first and second circuits are created, respectively; positioning said first pair of implantable electrodes on a subject's dorsal column at one set of diagonal corners of a targeted area; positioning said second pair of surface electrodes on the subject's dorsal column at the other set of diagonal corners of the targeted area; and creating an interferential current with a base medium frequency of at least 500 Hz but no more than 20 KHz.
- 38. The method according to claim 37, wherein said method further includes varying positions of said first and second pairs of implantable electrodes along the dorsal column.
- 39. The method according to claim 37, wherein said method further includes modulating outputs of amplitudes of said first and second circuits.
- 40. The method according to claim 37, wherein said method includes creating an interferential current with a resultant beat frequency of no more than 250 Hz.
- 41. The method according to claim 37, wherein said method includes creating an interferential current with a pulse width of 210 microseconds.
- 42. The method according to claim 37, wherein said method includes creating two interferential currents by using two quadripolar leads.
REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/441,326 filed Jan. 22, 2003 whose disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present disclosure.
Provisional Applications (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
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60441326 |
Jan 2003 |
US |