Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US20050021106?dq=snorkel
Timestamp: 2017-12-13 19:11:22
Document Index: 167186011

Matched Legal Cases: ['art.\n39', 'art.\n40', 'art.\n41', 'art.\n51', 'art.\n52', 'art.\n53', 'Application No. 60']

Patent US20050021106 - Methods and apparatus for effectuating a lasting change in a neural-function ... - Google Patents
The present disclosure suggests methods of selecting a stimulation site for stimulating a patient's brain or methods of effectuating a neural-function of a patient associated with an impaired body function. In one exemplary implementation, such a neural function may be effectuated by selecting a stimulation...http://www.google.com/patents/US20050021106?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US20050021106 - Methods and apparatus for effectuating a lasting change in a neural-function of a patient
Publication number US20050021106 A1
Application number US 10/913,034
Also published as US7236831, US20040073270, US20090118788
Publication number 10913034, 913034, US 2005/0021106 A1, US 2005/021106 A1, US 20050021106 A1, US 20050021106A1, US 2005021106 A1, US 2005021106A1, US-A1-20050021106, US-A1-2005021106, US2005/0021106A1, US2005/021106A1, US20050021106 A1, US20050021106A1, US2005021106 A1, US2005021106A1
Inventors Andrew Firlik, Jeffrey Balzer, Bradford Gliner
Original Assignee Firlik Andrew D., Jeffrey Balzer, Gliner Bradford Evan
Patent Citations (94), Referenced by (121), Classifications (25), Legal Events (1)
US 20050021106 A1
1-32. (Cancelled)
33. A method for effectuating a neural function related to a body part affected by a stroke, comprising:
identifying an ipsilateral hemisphere in the brain relative to the affected body part;
implanting an electrode at a cortical stimulation site selected to promote the neural function related to the affected body part, the cortical stimulation site being at least proximate to the cortex in the ipsilateral hemisphere of the brain; and
applying an ipsilateral electrical stimulation to the cortical stimulation site.
34. The method of claim 33, further comprising applying a contralateral electrical stimulation to a stimulation site at least proximate to the cortex in a contralateral hemisphere of the brain.
35. The method of claim 34 wherein the ipsilateral electrical stimulation and the contralateral electrical stimulation are applied concurrently.
36. The method of claim 34 wherein the ipsilateral electrical stimulation and the contralateral electrical stimulation are applied sequentially.
37. The method of claim 34 wherein the ipsilateral electrical stimulation and contralateral electrical stimulation have different frequencies.
38. The method of claim 33, further comprising performing an adjunctive therapy related to the affected body part.
39. The method of claim 38 wherein the adjunctive therapy comprises moving the affected body part.
40. The method of claim 38 wherein the adjunctive therapy comprises electrically stimulating the affected body part.
41. The method of claim 38, further comprising applying a contralateral electrical stimulation to a stimulation site at least proximate to the cortex in a contralateral hemisphere of the brain.
42. The method of claim 41 wherein the ipsilateral electrical stimulation and the contralateral electrical stimulation are applied concurrently.
43. The method of claim 41 wherein the ipsilateral electrical stimulation and the contralateral electrical stimulation are applied sequentially.
44. The method of claim 41 wherein the ipsilateral electrical stimulation and contralateral electrical stimulation have different frequencies.
45. A method for effectuating a neural function related to a body part affected by a stroke, comprising:
positioning an electrode at a cortical stimulation site selected to promote the neural function related to the affected body part, the cortical stimulation site being at least proximate to the cortex in an ipsilateral hemisphere of the brain relative to the affected body part; and
46. The method of claim 45, further comprising applying a contralateral electrical stimulation to a stimulation site at least proximate to the cortex in a contralateral hemisphere of the brain.
47. The method of claim 46 wherein the ipsilateral electrical stimulation and the contralateral electrical stimulation are applied concurrently.
48. The method of claim 46 wherein the ipsilateral electrical stimulation and the contralateral electrical stimulation are applied sequentially.
49. The method of claim 46 wherein the ipsilateral electrical stimulation and contralateral electrical stimulation have different frequencies.
50. The method of claim 45, further comprising performing an adjunctive therapy related to the affected body part.
51. The method of claim 50 wherein the adjunctive therapy comprises moving the affected body part.
52. The method of claim 50 wherein the adjunctive therapy comprises electrically stimulating the affected body part.
53. The method of claim 50, further comprising applying a contralateral electrical stimulation to a stimulation site at least proximate to the cortex in a contralateral hemisphere of the brain.
54. The method of claim 53 wherein the ipsilateral electrical stimulation and the contralateral electrical stimulation are applied concurrently.
55. The method of claim 53 wherein the ipsilateral electrical stimulation and the contralateral electrical stimulation are applied sequentially.
56. The method of claim 53 wherein the ipsilateral electrical stimulation and contralateral electrical stimulation have different frequencies.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 10/260,720, filed on Sep. 27, 2002, which claims the benefit of U.S. application Ser. No. 60/325,872 filed on Sep. 28, 2001 and which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/802,808, filed on Mar. 8, 2001, which, in turn, claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/217,981, filed Jul. 31, 2000. Each of these applications is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
FIGS. 13 and 14 are schematic illustrations of the implanting procedure 104 described above with reference to FIG. 3 for positioning the first and second electrodes relative to a portion of the brain of a patient 500. Referring to FIG. 13, a stimulation site 502 is identified in accordance with an embodiment of the diagnostic procedure 102. In one embodiment, a skull section 504 is removed from the patient 500 adjacent to the stimulation site 502. The skull section 504 can be removed by boring a hole in the skull in a manner known in the art, or a much smaller hole can be formed in the skull using drilling techniques that are also known in the art. In general, the hole can be 0.2-4.0 cm in diameter. Referring to FIG. 14, an implantable stimulation apparatus 510 having first and second electrodes 520 can be implanted in the patient 500. Suitable techniques associated with the implantation procedure are known to practitioners skilled in the art. After the stimulation apparatus 510 has been implanted in the patient 500, a pulse system generates electrical pulses that are transmitted to the stimulation site 502 by the first and second electrodes 520. Stimulation apparatus suitable for carrying out the foregoing embodiments of methods in accordance with the invention are described in more detail below with reference to the FIGS. 16-21.
The electrical stimulation methods in accordance with the invention can use several different pulse forms to facilitate or effectuate the desired neuroplasticity.
The pulses can be a bi-phasic or monophasic stimulus that is applied to achieve a desired potential in a sufficient percentage of a population of neurons at the stimulation site. In one embodiment, the pulse form has a frequency of approximately 2-1000 Hz, but the frequency may be particularly useful in the range of approximately 40-200 Hz. For example, initial clinical trials are expected to use a frequency of approximately 50-100 Hz. The pulses can also have pulse widths of approximately 10 μs-100 ms, or more specifically the pulse width can be approximately 20-200 μs. For example, a pulse width of 50-100 μs may produce beneficial results.
FIGS. 16-21 illustrate stimulation apparatus in accordance with several embodiments of the invention for electrically stimulating regions of the brain in accordance with one or more of the methods described above. The devices illustrated in FIGS. 16-21 are generally used to stimulate a region of the cortex proximate to the pial surface of the brain (e.g., the dura mater, the pia mater, the fluid between the dura mater and the pia mater, and a depth in the cortex outside of the white matter of the brain). The devices can also be adapted for stimulating other portions of the brain in other embodiments. A variety of other useful stimulation apparatus are detailed in U.S. Patent Application Publication U.S. Pat. No. 2002/0087201, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. In addition, other suitable stimulation apparatus may be apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the present disclosure.
The embodiment of the stimulation apparatus 600 shown in FIG. 17 is configured to be implanted into a patient so that the electrodes 660 contact a desired portion of the brain at the stimulation site. The housing 612 and the electrodes 660 can project from the attachment element 614 by a distance “D” such that the electrodes 660 are positioned at least proximate to the pia mater 708 surrounding the cortex 709. The electrodes 660 can project from a housing 612 as shown in FIG. 17, or the electrodes 660 can be flush with the interior surface of the housing 612. In the particular embodiment shown in FIG. 17, the housing 612 has a thickness “T” and the electrodes 660 project from the housing 612 by a distance “P” so that the electrodes 660 press against the surface of the pia mater 708. The thickness of the housing 612 can be approximately 0.5-4 cm, and is more generally about 1-2 cm. The configuration of the stimulation apparatus 600 is not limited to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 16 and 17, but rather the housing 612, the attachment element 614, and the electrodes 660 can be configured to position the electrodes in several different regions of the brain. For example, in an alternate embodiment, the housing 612 and the electrodes 660 can be configured to position the electrodes deep within the cortex 709, and/or a deep brain region 710. In general, the electrodes can be flush with the housing or extend 0.1 mm to 5 cm from the housing. More specific embodiments of pulse system and electrode configurations for the stimulation apparatus will be described below.
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Cooperative Classification A61N1/0534, A61N1/361, A61N1/3756, A61N1/36025, A61N1/36082, A61N1/36014, A61N1/0539, A61N1/36017, A61N1/375, A61N1/0531
European Classification A61N1/36Z3F, A61N1/36Z, A61N1/375, A61N1/05K1C, A61N1/36E, A61N1/05K1S, A61N1/36, A61N1/36E2, A61N1/36Z3E, A61N1/36E6, A61N1/05K1D