452 results about "Nervous tissue" patented technology

A method and apparatus are used to provide therapy to a patient experiencing ventricular dysfunction or heart failure. At least one electrode is located in a region associated with nervous tissue, such as nerve bundles T1-T4, in a patient's body. Electrical stimulation is applied to the at least one electrode to improve the cardiac efficiency of the patient's heart. One or more predetermined physiologic parameters of the patient are monitored, and the electrical stimulation is adjusted based on the one or more predetermined physiologic parameters.

A system and method for determining and predicting a patient's susceptibility to neurological dysfunction based on measured electrophysiological parameters employs a self-contained implantable device with depth electrodes implanted in desired locations in the patient's brain. The patient's neurological tissue is stimulated to determine excitability and refractoriness (or inhibition period) parameters, which are employed to identify susceptibility to abnormal neurological activity, particularly epileptic seizures.

This invention relates to an apparatus and method for making such apparatus for providing controlled and directional stimulation patterns for tissue stimulation. The apparatus may be useful in stimulation nervous tissue in the brain, about the spinal cord, on nerve roots, about peripheral nerves, and in muscles, among others. The apparatus includes a implantable pulse generator connected to a lead. The lead has electrodes placed about a perimeter. In addition, the lead may include electrodes placed longitudinally along the axis of the lead. By applying charge differences between circumferentially distributed electrodes, a smaller stimulation field may be established. In addition, by stimulating between electrodes distributed longitudinally on the same side, a directional flow field may be established. Such leads are especially useful in deep brain stimulation as the region in which a stimulation field is strong enough to produce tissue stimulation is directional and minimized.

The present invention involves methods and systems for using electrical stimulation to treat neurological disorders. More particularly, the method comprises surgically implanting an electrical stimulation lead that is in communication with spinal nervous tissue associated with a first, second, or third cervical vertebral segment to result in spinal nervous tissue stimulation, thus treating a wide variety of neurological disorders.

A method is provided for treating heart failure in a subject in need of such treatment, including applying a stimulating current to parasympathetic nervous tissue of the subject, selected from the group consisting of: a vagus nerve and an epicardial fat pad. The stimulating current is configured to inhibit release of at least one proinflammatory cytokine sufficiently to the treat heart failure of the subject. A level of the at least one proinflammatory cytokine is measured. Optionally, the stimulating current is configured to change a level of Connexin 43 of the subject, and the level of Connexin 43 is also measured. Other embodiments are also described.

Apparatus (18) for treating a condition of a subject is provided. An electrode device (100) is adapted to be coupled to longitudinal nervous tissue (40) of the subject, and a control unit (50) is adapted to drive the electrode device to apply to the nervous tissue a current which is capable of inducing action potentials that propagate in the nervous tissue in a first direction, so as to treat the condition. The control unit is further adapted to suppress action potentials from propagating in the nervous tissue in a second direction opposite to the first direction.

The present invention features novel placental derived stem cells and provides methods and compositions for the therapeutic uses of placental derived stem cells or placental derived stem cells that have been induced to differentiate into a desired tissue type into a recipient host in amounts sufficient to result in production of the desired cell type, i.e., hepatic, pancreatic, neuronal, or nervous tissue.

Methods and devices are disclosed for the non-invasive treatment of neurodegenerative diseases through delivery of energy to target nervous tissue, particularly the vagus nerve. The devices include a magnetic stimulator having coils with toroidal windings, which are in contact with an electrically conducting medium that is adapted to conform to the contour of a target body surface of a patient. The coils induce an electric current and / or an electric field within the patient, thereby stimulating nerve fibers within the patient. The stimulation brings about reduction of neuroinflammation in patients suffering from conditions comprising Alzheimer's Disease, Parkinson's Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, postoperative cognitive dysfunction and postoperative delirium. Reduction in inflammation is effected by enhancing the anti-inflammatory competence of cytokines such as TGF-beta, wherein a retinoid or components of the retinoic acid signaling system provide an anti-inflammatory bias, by enhancing anti-inflammatory activity of a neurotrophic factor such as NGF, GDNF, BDNF, or MANF, and / or by inhibiting the activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide methods and systems for modulating neural tissue including systems and components for selective stimulation and / or neuromodulation of targeted neural tissue. Targeted neural tissue may include one or more ganglia including those of the spinal nerves in the dorsal root and the sympathetic chain. Methods also include implantation of an electrode on, in or around a dorsal root ganglia. Some other embodiments of the present invention provide methods for selective neurostimulation of one or more dorsal root ganglia as well as techniques for applying neurostimulation to the spinal cord. Still other embodiments of the present invention provide stimulation systems and components for selective stimulation and / or neuromodulation of one or more dorsal root ganglia through implantation of an electrode on, in or around a dorsal root ganglia in combination with a pharmacological agent.

Apparatus and methods for treating back pain of a patient by denervation of an intervertebral disc or a region of the posterior longitudinal ligament by the controlled application of heat to a target tissue. In one embodiment, the invention may include a procedure combining both decompression of a disc, and denervation of the annulus fibrosus. In one embodiment, a method of the invention includes positioning an active electrode of an electrosurgical instrument in at least close proximity to an intervertebral disc, and applying at least a first high frequency voltage between the active electrode and a return electrode, wherein nervous tissue within the annulus fibrosus is inactivated, and discogenic pain of the patient is alleviated. In one embodiment, the invention includes positioning a first electrode of a dual-shaft electrosurgical instrument at a first location in relation to a target disc, positioning a second electrode of the instrument at a second location, and applying a high frequency voltage between the first and second electrodes, wherein the first and second electrodes are disposed on separate shafts of the instrument.

A system and method for applying electrical stimulation or drug infusion to nervous tissue of a patient to treat epilepsy, movement disorders, and other indications uses at least one implantable system control unit (SCU) (110), including an implantable signal / pulse generator (IPG) and one or more electrodes (152, 152′). The IPG is implanted in the mastoid area (143) of the skull (140) and communicates with at least one external appliance (230), such as a Behind-the-Ear (BTE) unit (100). In a preferred embodiment, the system is capable of open- and closed-loop operation. In closed-loop operation, at least one SCU includes a sensor, and the sensed condition is used to adjust stimulation parameters.

A method is provided, including identifying that a subject is at risk of suffering from atrial fibrillation (AF). Responsively to the identifying, a risk of an occurrence of an episode of the AF is reduced by coupling an electrode device to a site of a subject containing parasympathetic nervous tissue; driving, by a control unit, the electrode device to apply an electrical current to the site not responsively to any physiological parameters sensed by any device directly or indirectly coupled to the control unit; and configuring the current to stimulate autonomic nervous tissue in the site. Other embodiments are also described.

The present invention relates to the use of umbilical cord blood cells from a donor or patient to provide neural cells which may be used in transplantation. The isolated cells according to the present invention may be used to effect autologous and allogeneic transplantation and repair of neural tissue, in particular, tissue of the brain and spinal cord and to treat neurodegenerative diseases of the brain and spinal cord.

Methods and systems of enhancing transmission of a neural signal through damaged neural tissue include providing a stimulator, programming the stimulator with one or more stimulation parameters configured to enhance transmission of a neural signal through the damaged neural tissue, and applying a hyperpolarizing electrical stimulation current with the stimulator to the damaged neural tissue in accordance with the one or more stimulation parameters.

A wireless, handheld electrical therapy device delivers electrical pulses to a treatment area of a patient. In one embodiment, the device comprises a microcontroller-based pulse generator circuit selectively operable in a plurality of therapeutic modes. The device comprises an ergonomic housing adapted to be comfortably grasped by a user. A plurality of electrodes are disposed on a surface of the housing. In operation, a user brings the electrodes into contact with a patient's skin at a location on the patient to be treated. Electrical pulses are delivered between the electrodes, thereby electrically stimulating neural tissue at the treatment location. In one embodiment, the device is operable in a manual mode wherein the user selects from among a plurality of therapeutic regimens each corresponding to a set of predetermined operational parameters. Among the variable operational parameters are pulse amplitude, frequency, duration, damping, and shape. In another embodiment of the invention, the device is operable in an automatic mode wherein electrical conditions at the skin surface are periodically sensed and the operational parameters automatically adjusted to achieve optimal therapeutic effectiveness.

An externally powered and controlled neuro-implant system for transmission of stimulating therapeutic signals to an implantable electrode. The system basically consists of two coils, one external active coil and one internal passive coil each housed in a ferrite pot core which enhances inductive coupling and minimizes the coils in size, thus facilitating the construction of a passive coils array to enable the usage of multi-contact electrodes for swithching of the electrical stimulation between a number of sites along the target neurons. The implanted part of the system, comprising only a coil housed in a ferrite pot core, is fully passive. The passive coil, that is implanted under the skin, is connected with the electrode placed in neighbouring of the target neural tissue via implanted thin medical grade wires. The active coil is placed on the skin overlying the passive coil. Therapeutic signals produced by the transmitter outside the body are transmitted through the coils by inductive coupling across the skin of the patient.

A multi-contact electrode for neural tissue stimulation is described. The electrode has an axis and includes a plurality of electrodes going along the axis. Each electrode ends with a contact, and at least one of the contacts has an internal edge, resulting in non-uniform electrical properties throughout the contact surface facing the tissue. Also described are methods of making an electrical contact with an internal edge, and methods and systems for characterizing internal edge.

Devices, systems and methods are provided for accessing and treating anatomies associated with a variety of conditions while minimizing possible complications and side effects. This is achieved by directly neuromodulating a target anatomy associated with the condition while minimizing or excluding undesired neuromodulation of other anatomies. Typically, this involves stimulating portions of neural tissue of the central nervous system, wherein the central nervous system includes the spinal cord and the pairs of nerves along the spinal cord which are known as spinal nerves. In particular, some embodiments of the present invention are used to selectively stimulate portions of the spinal nerves, particularly one or more dorsal root ganglions (DRGs), to treat chronic pain while causing minimal deleterious side effects such as undesired motor responses.

Medical devices and methods are provided for electrical stimulation of neural tissue and controlled drug delivery to a patient. The device includes an implantable drug delivery module which comprises a plurality of reservoirs, a release system comprising at least one drug contained in each of the reservoirs, and control means for selectively releasing a pharmaceutically effective amount of drug from each reservoir; a neural electrical stimulator which comprises a signal generator connected to at least one stimulation electrode for operable engagement with a neural tissue of the patient; and at least one microcontroller for controlling operational interaction of the drug delivery module and the neural electrical stimulator. The microcontroller may control the signal generator and the control means of the drug delivery module. The device may further include a sensor operable to deliver a signal to the microcontroller, for example to indicate when to deliver electrical stimulation, drug, or both.

Leadless neurostimulation (NS) device including a device body and electrodes positioned along an active side of the device body. The electrodes form a multi-electrode array that is configured to interface with nervous tissue of a patient and supply electrical pulses to the nervous tissue. The NS device also includes an electronic sub-system that is coupled to the device body. The electronic sub-system includes switching circuitry, a power source, and an inductive coil that is operably coupled to the power source. The inductive coil is configured to receive electrical power through inductive coupling with an external coil. The device body, including the inductive coil coupled thereto, is sized and shaped to be disposed within an epidural space of a patient.

Cells derived from postpartum tissue such as the umbilical cord and placenta, and methods for their use to regenerate, repair, and improve neural tissue, and to improve behavior and neurological function in stroke patients are disclosed.

Balloon cannula systems may be used for accessing and visualizing the spine and related methods of treatment, including a forward-looking balloon system for creating a working space and the balloon system having atraumatic dissection capability to allow visualization in spine. The devices and methods described may be used, for example, to perform annulus repair, herniated disc excision, and denervation of neurological tissue; to dispense pharmacological agents and / or cell or tissue therapy agents; to diagnose disc degeneration and bony degeneration, spinal stenosis, and nucleus decompression, and to perform disc augmentation.

The present invention involves a method and a system for using electrical stimulation to treat gastrointestinal and / or eating disorders. More particularly, the method comprises surgically implanting an electrical stimulation lead that is in communication with predetermined thoracic vertebral segments to cause spinal nervous tissue stimulation, thus treating a wide variety of gastrointestinal disorders.

A method of providing therapy to a patient using at least one electrode is provided. The patient has a neural tissue region that is relatively close to the at least one electrode, and a neural tissue region that is relatively far from the at least one electrode. The method comprises conveying time-varying electrical energy from the electrode(s) into the relatively close and far neural tissue regions, wherein the electrical energy has a frequency and amplitude that blocks stimulation of the relatively close neural tissue region, while stimulating the relatively far neural tissue region.

This invention provides a method for treating a condition of a subject, comprising identifying the subject as suffering from heart failure; treating the heart failure by applying a stimulating current to parasympathetic nervous tissue of the subject, and configuring the stimulating current to change a level of protein expression of at least one NO synthase of the subject selected from the group consisting of: NOS-1, NOS-2, and NOS-3; and thereafter, measuring the level of the protein expression of at least one NO synthase, and evaluating an effectiveness of the current application by assessing at least one change in the level of the protein expression of at least one NO synthase.

Apparatus and methods for treating back pain of a patient by denervation of an intervertebral disc or a region of the posterior longitudinal ligament by the controlled application of heat to a target tissue. In one embodiment, the invention may include a procedure combining both decompression of a disc, and denervation of the annulus fibrosus. In one embodiment, a method of the invention includes positioning an active electrode of an electrosurgical instrument in at least close proximity to an intervertebral disc, and applying at least a first high frequency voltage between the active electrode and a return electrode, wherein nervous tissue within the annulus fibrosus is inactivated, and discogenic pain of the patient is alleviated. In one embodiment, the invention includes positioning a first electrode of a dual-shaft electrosurgical instrument at a first location in relation to a target disc, positioning a second electrode of the instrument at a second location, and applying a high frequency voltage between the first and second electrodes, wherein the first and second electrodes are disposed on separate shafts of the instrument.

Apparatus and methods for treating back pain of a patient by denervation of an intervertebral disc or a region of the posterior longitudinal ligament by the controlled application of heat to a target tissue. In one embodiment, the invention may include a procedure combining both decompression of a disc, and denervation of the annulus fibrosus. In one embodiment, a method of the invention includes positioning an active electrode of an electrosurgical instrument in at least close proximity to an intervertebral disc, and applying at least a first high frequency voltage between the active electrode and a return electrode, wherein nervous tissue within the annulus fibrosus is inactivated, and discogenic pain of the patient is alleviated. In one embodiment, the invention includes positioning a first electrode of a dual-shaft electrosurgical instrument at a first location in relation to a target disc, positioning a second electrode of the instrument at a second location, and applying a high frequency voltage between the first and second electrodes, wherein the first and second electrodes are disposed on separate shafts of the instrument.

The present invention consists of an implantable device with at least one package that houses electronics that sends and receives data or signals, and optionally power, from an external system through at least one coil attached to at least one package and processes the data, including recordings of neural activity, and delivers electrical pulses to neural tissue through at least one array of multiple electrodes that are attached to the at least one package. The device is adapted to electrocorticographic (ECoG) and local field potential (LFP) signals. A brain stimulator, preferably a deep brain stimulator, stimulates the brain in response to neural recordings in a closed feedback loop. The device is advantageous in providing neuromodulation therapies for neurological disorders such as chronic pain, post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depression, or similar disorders. The invention and components thereof are intended to be installed in the head, or on or in the cranium or on the dura, or on or in the brain.