Patent ID: 7127296

Claim:
A method for maximizing the therapeutic ratio (TR) of a neurostimulator system, wherein the therapeutic ratio is defined as the ratio of a maximum comfortable stimulation level (numerator) to a just-perceivable stimulation level (denominator), comprising: determining the pulse amplitudes of the just-perceptible stimulation level for a patient for at least two fixed pulse durations; determining the pulse amplitudes of the maximum comfortable stimulation level for the patient for the at least two fixed pulse durations; determining a fixed duration therapeutic ratio for each of the at least two fixed pulse durations; determining the pulse durations of the just-perceptible stimulation level for the patient for at least two fixed pulse amplitudes; determining the pulse durations of the maximum comfortable stimulation level for the patient for the at least two fixed pulse amplitudes; determining a fixed amplitude therapeutic ratio for each the at least two fixed pulse amplitudes; and selecting a stimulation level control strategy that maximizes the therapeutic ratio.