Patent ID: 8700167
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: A61B,A61H,A61N

Abstract:
1. A stimulation apparatus for stimulating a brain of a person comprising: (i) a first signal generator configured to apply a generated electrical stimulation signal to a sensory organ of said person; (ii) a second signal generator configured to apply a generated sensory stimulation signal to the sensory organ of said person; (iii) a signal detector configured to detect an induced brain signal, wherein the induced brain signal is an electro- or magnetoencephalogram signal generated by the brain of said person in response to the applied electrical stimulation signal or in response to the electrical stimulation signal and the sensory stimulation signal; and (iv) a control unit which is (a) configured to control the first signal generator, (b) configured to control the second signal generator and (c) configured to receive and analyze the induced brain signal from the signal detector, wherein, in a first operation mode, the control unit is configured to vary a frequency of the applied stimulation signal formed by the electrical stimulation signal or by both, the electrical and the sensory stimulation signal over a predetermined frequency range while analyzing the induced brain signal to determine an optimal setting of the frequency producing a maximum amplitude of the induced brain signal, wherein, in a second operation mode, the control unit is configured to apply both the electrical stimulation signal and the sensory stimulation signal to the sensory organ with a frequency that is adjusted to the determined optimal setting of the frequency forming an individual resonance frequency of said person, wherein the control unit further includes a phase control unit, the phase control unit controlling a phase relationship between the sensory stimulation signal generated by the second signal generator and the electrical stimulation signal generated by the first signal generator, wherein the electrical stimulation signal generated by the first signal generator and the sensory stimulation signal generated by the second signal generator have a predetermined phase relationship, wherein each of the sensory stimulation signal and the electrical stimulation signal has a frequency associated therewith, and wherein the frequency of the sensory stimulation signal generated by the second signal generator is equal to the frequency of the electrical stimulation signal generated by the first signal generator.