Patent ID: 11957910
Assignee: UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE RESEARCH FOUNDATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A  F | IPC A

Claim 11:
12. A system for enabling or improving, in a patient having a neurologically derived paralysis, control of one or more autonomic functions selected from the group consisting of cardiovascular function, body temperature, metabolic processes, sexual function, vasomotor function, or cognitive function, the system comprising:
an electrode array electrically coupled to a portion of a spinal cord of the patient; and
a processor communicatively coupled to the electrode array, the processor configured to:
receive data related to the one or more autonomic functions in the patient during physical training using a training device, the training device configured to induce at least one of postural proprioceptive signals, locomotor proprioceptive signals, or supraspinal signals in the patient,
detect the one or more autonomic functions in the patient during the physical training based on the received data,
select electrical stimulation parameters among a plurality of electrical stimulation parameters based on the detected one or more autonomic functions, and
cause the electrode array to apply electrical stimulation using the selected stimulation parameters to the portion of the spinal cord of the patient,

wherein at least one of the electrical stimulation or the physical training is configured to modulate in real time electrophysiological properties of a spinal circuit in the patient so the spinal circuit is activated by the at least one of the postural proprioceptive signals, the locomotor proprioceptive signals, or the supraspinal signals that are derived from a region of the patient where the one or more autonomic functions are enabled or improved.