Patent ID: 6934580

Claim:
A system for accessing the brain of a subject to record and/or stimulate brain states thereof, the system comprising: (a) control means; (b) first accessing means having a plurality of contact surfaces to operatively connect the control means to the brain of the subject to provide access for the purposes of obtaining three-dimensional recordings of the brain electrical activity of the subject; (c) second accessing means having a plurality of contact surfaces configured to operatively connect the control means to the brain of the subject to provide three-dimensional stimulation thereof; and (d) a waveform bank containing a plurality of different stimulating waveforms; and (e) wherein the control means is configured to (1) operatively apply a first one of the plurality of stimulating waveforms of the waveform bank to the brain of the subject through the second accessing means, (2) assess acceptability within defined limits, as determined by preset criteria, of the subject's response to the application of the first one of the plurality of stimulating waveforms, and (3) in the event that the subject's response to the first one of the plurality of stimulating waveforms is not acceptable to the subject within the defined limits, discontinue applying the first one of the plurality of stimulating waveforms of the waveform bank, apply a successive one of the plurality of stimulating waveforms of the waveform bank to the brain of the subject, and assess acceptability within the defined limits of the subject's response to the application of the successive one of the plurality of stimulating waveforms, and (4) similarly continue applying further successive ones of the plurality of stimulating waveforms of the waveform bank to the brain of the subject until the subject's response to the then currently applied one of the plurality of stimulating waveforms is determined to be acceptable to the subject within the defined limits.