Patent ID: 7346382

Claim:
A computer-assisted method comprising: a) obtaining volumetric imaging data representing an anatomic volume of a brain of a patient; b) generating from the volumetric imaging data a computer model that allows a non-uniform conductivity to represent inhomogeneous and anisotropic tissue properties; c) using the computer model to calculate at least one volume of influence, wherein the volume of influence comprises a predicted volume of tissue affected by an electrical stimulation delivered by an electrode at a corresponding at least one candidate electrode target location, and wherein calculating the volume of influence comprises at least one of: i) calculating a second difference of a potential distribution to represent the volume of influence; or ii) calculating the volume of influence includes using an electric field model together with a multi-compartment neuron model oriented and positioned to represent at least one actual nerve pathway in the anatomic volume; and d) selecting a recommended electrode target location in the anatomic volume using the at least one calculated volume of influence.