WIRELESS CONTROLLED NEUROMODULATION SYSTEM

• US 20070282389A1
• Filed: 05/24/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Drexel University
• Original Assignee: Drexel University
• Inventors: Darling, Michael, Sultan, Ebraheem, Khair, Andrew, Moxon, Karen
• Granted Patent: US 8,086,316 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4094 Diagnosing or monitoring seizure diseases, e.g. epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/417 the bone marrow
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37288 Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed for controlled neuromodulation. The apparatus includes a plurality of neural sensors, wherein each of the neural sensors is electrically connected to a separate signal conditioner. Each of the signal conditioners produces a neural sensor signal, which is analyzed by a separate threshold detector to produces a neural event signal when the neural sensor signal exceeds a threshold level associated with the threshold detector. Each of the threshold detectors is connected to a wireless transceiver and the wireless transceivers transmit the neural event signals to a processor. The processor analyzes the neural event signals and determines the presence or absence of a clinical brain state. The apparatus can be used to detect and control epileptic seizures.

Claims

1. An apparatus for controlled neuromodulation comprising:

a plurality of neural sensors, wherein each of said neural sensors is electrically connected to a separate signal conditioner, each of said signal conditioners produces a neural sensor signal;

each of said neural sensor signals is analyzed by a threshold detector that produces a neural event signal when said neural sensor signal exceeds a threshold level associated with said threshold detector;

said threshold detector is connected to a wireless transceiver which transmits said neural event signals to a processor that receives all of said neural event signals and determines the presence or absence of a clinical brain state.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a neuron stimulator, wherein said processor activates said neuron stimulator upon a determination that said clinical brain state exists.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a drug delivery device, wherein said processor activates said drug delivery device to deliver a drug to prevent an epileptic seizure upon a determination that said seizure clinical brain state exists.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said clinical brain state is an epileptic seizure.

5. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said clinical brain state is an epileptic seizure.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said clinical brain state is an epileptic seizure.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one of said neural sensors is placed in the brain of a human or an animal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least two of said neural sensors are part of a multi-site electrode.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said threshold level associated with said threshold detector is adjustable.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said processor adjusts said threshold level via said wireless transceiver.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said determination is based on a correlation measurement of said neural event signals.

12. A method of controlling epileptic seizures in a human or an animal, the method comprising:

sensing neural activity in the brain of said human or animal with a plurality of neural sensors;

determining for each neural sensor when said neural sensor has sensed neural activity above a neural action threshold;

wirelessly transmitting information relating to said determination that neural activity has exceeded said neural action threshold to a monitoring processor; and

correlating said transmitted information to determine when a seizure is imminent.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

adjusting said neural action threshold for each neural sensor with a wireless signal transmitted from said monitoring processor.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising activating a neuron stimulator to deliver a signal to prevent an epileptic seizure upon said determination that a seizure is imminent.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising activating a drug delivery device to deliver a drug to prevent an epileptic seizure upon said determination that a seizure is imminent.

16. A method for monitoring neural signals comprising:

placing an electrode in the vicinity of a neuron to be monitored;

measuring a voltage signal created at said electrode by said neuron to be monitored;

detecting when said voltage signal reaches a neural action threshold.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

storing a record of when said neural action threshold occurred.