116 results about "Brain pathway" patented technology

A system and method that facilitates stimulating neural pathways, e.g., muscles and / or associated nerves, of a patient's body for the purpose of therapeutic medical treatment by rehabilitating weakened muscles and using neuroplasticity to retrain sequential muscle movements and / or to provide the ability to directly deliver functional motor movements. Use of the present invention is of particular value for treating a patient following a stroke. More particularly, such systems are characterized by a plurality of discrete devices, preferably battery powered but may alternatively include RF-powered devices as well or in combination, configured for implanting within a patient's body via injection, each device being configured to affect a parameter, e.g., via nerve and / or muscle stimulation and / or to sense a body parameter, e.g., temperature, O2 content, physical position, electrical potential, etc., that operate under control of a system controller that coordinates the sequential stimulation via wireless commands to the implanted devices.

An implantable device applies and controls a neural stimulus. The device has a plurality of electrodes, and a stimulus source for providing a stimulus to be delivered from the electrodes to a neural pathway in order to evoke an action potential on the neural pathway, such as the spinal cord. A control unit controls application of a neural stimulus as defined by a set of parameter values and measures via measurement circuitry an evoked neural compound action potential response. The control unit determines from the measured evoked response a feedback variable, and compares it to a therapy map. The therapy map defines a therapeutic relationship of control variable to feedback variable. One or more of the stimulus parameter values are altered to effect the required change in the control variable. This process is performed iteratively to improve alignment of the feedback variable with the therapy map over time.

A method for identifying and treating a neural pathway associated with chronic pain via nerve stimulation and brain wave monitoring of a mammalian brain includes positioning a probe to stimulate a target nerve, wherein the target nerve is suspected of being a source of chronic pain; delivering a first nerve stimulation from the probe to the target nerve, wherein the first nerve stimulation is sufficient to elicit a chronic pain response in the brain; and monitoring for evoked potential activity in the brain as a result of the first nerve stimulation. The method can also include delivering second and third nerve stimulations to confirm the correct identification of the neural pathway and to treat the chronic pain, respectively. A system and apparatus for performing a procedure to identify and treat a nerve that is the source of chronic pain are also described.

A system of non-linear feedback control for spinal cord stimulation is provided. The system comprises a lead adapted to be implanted within an epidural space of a dorsal column of a patients spine, and a pulse generator (PG) electrically coupled to the lead. The PG is configured to deliver spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy. The system also comprises a sensing circuitry configured to sense an evoked compound action potential (ECAP) response that propagates along the neural pathway. The system also comprises a processor programmed to operation, in response to instructions stored on a non-transient computer-readable medium, to obtain a baseline ECAP response when the lead and spinal cord tissue properties are in baseline states; analyze ECAP responses relative to the baseline ECAP response to obtain an ECAP feedback difference indicative of a change in at least one of the baseline state of the lead and the baseline state of the spinal cord tissue properties. The processor is also programmed to adjust an SCS therapy based on the ECAP feedback.

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for treating a variety of diseases and disorders that are primarily or at least partially driven by an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain, such as asthma, COPD, depression, anxiety, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and the like. The invention involves the use of an energy source comprising magnetic and / or electrical energy that is transmitted non-invasively to, or in close proximity to, a selected nerve to temporarily stimulate, block and / or modulate the signals in the selected nerve such that neural pathways are activated to release inhibitory neurotransmitters in the patient's brain.

A method for estimating conduction velocity of a neural response. Measurements of the neural response are obtained from at least two electrodes which are at distinct locations along a neural pathway. A delay between the time of arrival of the neural response at each respective electrode is determined from the measurements. From the delay, and from knowledge of electrode spacing, a conduction velocity of the neural response is estimated.

A method and a multichannel implantable device are described for partial or complete restoration of impaired gastrointestinal motility, or for disturbing and / or partially or completely blocking normal gastrointestinal motility using one or multiple microsystem-controlled channels of circumferentially arranged sets of two or more electrodes which provide externally-invoked synchronized electrical signals to the smooth muscles via the neural pathways.

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for treating a variety of diseases and disorders that are primarily or at least partially driven by an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain, such as asthma, COPD, depression, anxiety, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and the like. The invention involves the use of an energy source comprising magnetic and / or electrical energy that is transmitted non-invasively to, or in close proximity to, a selected nerve to temporarily stimulate, block and / or modulate the signals in the selected nerve such that neural pathways are activated to release inhibitory neurotransmitters in the patient's brain.

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for treating a variety of diseases and disorders that are primarily or at least partially driven by an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain, such as asthma, COPD, depression, anxiety, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and the like. The technology involves the use of an energy source comprising magnetic and / or electrical energy that is transmitted non-invasively to, or in close proximity to, a selected nerve to temporarily stimulate, block and / or modulate the signals in the selected nerve such that neural pathways are activated to release inhibitory neurotransmitters in the patient's brain.

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for treating bronchial constriction related to asthma, anaphylaxis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), exercise-induced bronchospasm and post-operative bronchospasm. The treatment comprises transmitting impulses of energy non-invasively to selected nerve fibers that activate neural pathways to reduce the release of acetycholine from airway-related vagal preganglionic neurons within the brain of the patient. The transmitted energy impulses, comprising magnetic and / or electrical energy, stimulate the selected nerve fibers to produce the bronchodilation.

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for treating a variety of diseases and disorders that are primarily or at least partially driven by an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain, such as asthma, COPD, depression, anxiety, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and the like. The invention involves the use of an energy source comprising magnetic and / or electrical energy that is transmitted non-invasively to, or in close proximity to, a selected nerve to temporarily stimulate, block and / or modulate the signals in the selected nerve such that neural pathways are activated to release inhibitory neurotransmitters in the patient's brain.

Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for treating a variety of diseases and disorders that are primarily or at least partially driven by an imbalance in neurotransmitters in the brain, such as asthma, COPD, depression, anxiety, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, and the like. The invention involves the use of an energy source comprising magnetic and / or electrical energy that is transmitted non-invasively to, or in close proximity to, a selected nerve to temporarily stimulate, block and / or modulate the signals in the selected nerve such that neural pathways are activated to release inhibitory neurotransmitters in the patient's brain.

This novel therapeutic (reparative, etiotropic not merely symptomatolytic) electrostimulatory method hereinafter referred to as Coupled Neuraxial Mesoscopic Desynchronization Electrostimulation Therapy (cNMDET) is comprised of a varied combination of progressively sequenced electrode placements and its clinically targeted areas which are comprised of the CNS [regions of the brain and spinal cord including, but not limited to, the underlying clinicopathologic mechanisms of the ANS] and clinically involved components of the PNS variably coupled in such a manner as to apply this therapeutic electrostimulation (reparative modulation) along the coursing path (longitudinally) of the targeted neural pathway over a segment and / or in its entirety, as well as, the utilization of patterned applications for involved joints, muscles, fascia, ligaments, tendons and areas involved in inflammatory processes of clinical significance accomplished through the application of, preferably, but not limited to, Coupled Neuraxial Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (cNTENS) and Coupled Neuraxial Transcranial Direct Stimulation (ctDCSn).