319 results about "Neural stimulation" patented technology

A neural stimulation system automatically corrects or adjusts the stimulus magnitude (stimulation energy) in order to maintain a comfortable and effective stimulation therapy. Because the changes in impedance associated with the electrode-tissue interface can indicate obstruction of current flow and positional lead displacement, lead impedance can indicate the quantity of electrical stimulation energy that should be delivered to the target neural tissue to provide corrective adjustment. Hence, a change in impedance or morphology of an impedance curve may be used in a feedback loop to indicate that the stimulation energy needs to be adjusted and the system can effectively auto correct the magnitude of stimulation energy to maintain a desired therapeutic effect.

A system for treating chronic inflammation may include an implantable microstimulator, a wearable charger, and optionally an external controller. The implantable microstimulator may be implemented as a leadless neurostimulator implantable in communication with a cervical region of a vagus nerve. The microstimulator can address several types of stimulation including regular dose delivery. The wearable charger may be worn around the subject's neck to rapidly (<10 minutes per week) charge an implanted microstimulator. The external controller may be configured as a prescription pad that controls the dosing and activity of the microstimulator.

Systems and methods are described for treating metabolic syndrome and / or Type 2 diabetes, and / or one or more of their attendant conditions, by neural stimulation. In one embodiment, an implantable pulse generator is electrically coupled to a peripheral nerve, such as the splanchnic nerve. Neural stimulation configured to either block transmission or stimulate transmission of the peripheral nerve may be used to treat metabolic syndrome and Type 2 diabetes.

Stuttering-treatment techniques using neural stimulation and / or drug delivery. One or more electrodes and / or a catheter are implanted adjacent to sites in the brain. A signal generator and the electrode deliver stimulation to a first site. A pump and the catheter deliver one or more therapeutic drugs to a second site. The first and second sites could be: the supplementary motor area, the centromedian circuit, the dorsomedial nuclei, the lateral prefrontal circuit, or other paramedian thalamic and midbrain nuclei. The stuttering treatment could be performed via periodic transcranial magnetic stimulation. A sensor, located near the patient's vocal folds, can be used for generating a signal responsive to activity of the patient's speech-producing muscles. A controller adjusts one or more stimulation parameters in response to the signal from the sensor.

Electrode configurations for reducing invasiveness and / or enhancing neural stimulation efficacy, and associated methods, are disclosed. A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention for treating a brain disorder includes identifying a target neural structure within a patient's skull and implanting an electrode device within the patient's skull so that an axis that is generally normal to the skull proximate to the electrode device and that passes through at least one electrical contact of the electrode device is offset from the target neural structure. The method further includes stimulating the target neural structure by applying an electrical signal to the at least one electrical contact. In particular embodiments, the electrode device can be positioned between, along, across, or adjacent to a fissure, recess, groove, and / or vascular structure of the patient's brain.

Polymer materials are useful as electrode array bodies for neural stimulation. They are particularly useful for retinal stimulation to create artificial vision, cochlear stimulation to create artificial hearing, or cortical stimulation many purposes. The pressure applied against the retina, or other neural tissue, by an electrode array is critical. Too little pressure causes increased electrical resistance, along with electric field dispersion. Too much pressure may block blood flow. Common flexible circuit fabrication techniques generally require that a flexible circuit electrode array be made flat. Since neural tissue is almost never flat, a flat array will necessarily apply uneven pressure. Further, the edges of a flexible circuit polymer array may be sharp and cut the delicate neural tissue. By applying the right amount of heat to a completed array, a curve can be induced. With a thermoplastic polymer it may be further advantageous to repeatedly heat the flexible circuit in multiple molds, each with a decreasing radius. Further, it is advantageous to add material along the edges. It is further advantageous to provide a fold or twist in the flexible circuit array. Additional material may be added inside and outside the fold to promote a good seal with tissue.

Neural stimulation devices are described that detect the neural activity from the spinal cord in a semi-invasive manner, where the device comprises at least one antenna array comprising an antenna. The antenna of the array is in electrical communication with the spinal cord of the patient. A device comprising more than one antenna array can be used to detect the neural signal strength, as well as the velocity and directionality of the signal.

A method is described to allow for better selection of electrodes for neural stimulation, for example in a cochlear implant. A series of stimuli, at different stimulation levels, are provided at each electrode to be tested, and the neural response to each stimulus is measured, using an implanted electrode. A value is then calculated relating stimulus level to response, to allow the relative responsiveness of electrodes to be determined. This can then be used as the basis for a stimulation map used to select which electrodes are stimulated and at what level.

The objective of the current invention is to restore color vision, in whole or in part, by electrically stimulating undamaged retinal cells, which remain in patients with, lost or degraded visual function. The invention is a retinal color prosthesis. Functionally, There are three main parts to this invention. One is external to the eye. The second part is internal to the eye. The third part is means for communication between those two parts. The external part has subsystems. These include an external imaging means, an eye-tracker, a head-motion tracker, a data processor, a patient's controller, a physician's local controller, a physician's remote controller, and a telemetry means. The imaging means may include a CCD or CMOS video camera. It gathers an image of what the eyes would be seeing if they were functional.Color information is acquired by the imaging means. The color data is processed in the video data processing unit. The color information is encoded by time sequences of pulses separated by varying amounts of time, and also with the pulse duration being varied in time. The basis for the color encoding is the individual color code reference. Direct color stimulation is another operational basis for providing color perception. The electrodes stimulate the target cells so as to create a color image for the patient, corresponding to the original image as seen by the video camera, or other imaging means.The physician's test unit can be used to set up or evaluate and test the implant during or soon after implantation at the patient's bedside.

An implantable medical device comprising stimulation circuitry adapted to provide neural stimulation energy to a neural stimulation electrode, one or more timers, including at least one neural event timer, a device behavior memory including a neural table, and a comparison circuit. The neural table maps a particular device state defined at least in part by a neural event timer to one or more associated device actions that include at least one of a neural stimulation energy delivery, a change in state of at least one neural event timer, and both a neural stimulation energy delivery and a change in state of one or more timers. The comparison circuit is adapted to compare a current state of one or more timers to a device state in the neural table and, if found to match, causing performance of one or more associated device actions.

Described herein are methods, devices and systems for inhibition of granulocyte activation by appropriate stimulation of the vagus nerve. Methods of treating granulocyte-mediated disorders (including inflammatory disorders) by stimulating the vagus nerve to inhibit granulocyte activation (particularly neutrophil activation) are also described. Appropriate stimulation may be very low levels of stimulation, including stimulation that does not result in desensitization. The level of granulocyte activation may be detected and used to at least partially control stimulation.