Patent ID: 8249690

Claim:
An apparatus for electric stimulation of deep brain areas comprising: a brain stimulation electrode line ( 10 ) comprising an elongated flexible electrode line body ( 12 ) coupled with a convex carrier ( 27 ) on a distal end of the elongated flexible electrode line body and at least one stimulation electrode ( 18 ) near said distal end which is configured to deliver electric pulses to body tissue during use; at least one ultrasonic transducer ( 20 ) up to maximally fifteen ultrasonic transducers comprising a central ultrasonic transducer ( 20 . 1 ) coupled with the convex carrier and aligned concentrically to point in a forward direction along a longitudinal direction of the elongated flexible electrode line body ( 12 ) and four peripheral ultrasonic transducers ( 20 . 2 ) coupled with the convex carrier and aligned to point obliquely forward in four different directions and wherein said central and four peripheral ultrasonic transducers ( 20 . 1 , 20 . 2 ) are arranged to detect reflected ultrasound in a detection range which is oriented distally in five different directions and are further configured to detect reflections of ultrasonic waves that are characteristic of intercranial blood vessels; and, an insertion device for brain stimulation electrode lines coupled with said brain stimulation electrode line ( 10 ) and comprising a signal processing unit ( 30 ) comprising a control and analyzer unit ( 36 ), which is connected at least indirectly to the central and four peripheral ultrasonic transducers ( 20 . 1 , 20 . 2 ) each of which are configured to generate a signal which indicates a distance to a detected blood vessel, and a relative lateral position of said detected blood vessel relative to a lengthened longitudinal axis of the distal end of the elongated flexible electrode line body ( 12 ) wherein the control and analyzer unit ( 36 ) is configured to determine the distance to and relative lateral position of said detected blood vessel in relation to the elongated flexible electrode line body ( 12 ) based on the generated signals; a display unit ( 38 , 40 ) coupled with said control and analyzer unit ( 36 ) and comprising an optical display configured to display information associated with said distance from said detected blood vessel and said relative lateral position of said detected blood vessel obtained from said central and said four peripheral ultrasonic transducers in five display sectors ( 42 , 44 ) respectively that correspond to said forward direction and said four different directions wherein said five display sectors comprise different areas on said optical display wherein said display of said information occurs during insertion of said brain stimulation electrode line in order to avoid intracranial bleeding.