Method and Device for the Treatment of Headache

• US 20090276005A1
• Filed: 05/01/2009
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Realeve LLC
• Original Assignee: Autonomic Technologies, Inc. (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: Pless, Benjamin David
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0553 Paddle shaped electrodes, e.g. for laminotomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain

Abstract

A method is provided for the suppression or prevention of pain, movement disorders, epilepsy, cerebrovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, sleep disorders, autonomic disorders, abnormal metabolic states, disorders of the muscular system, and neuropsychiatric disorders in a patient. The method comprises inserting an electrode into a patient. The electrode can be positioned on or proximate to a neural structure, and the electrode can detect an ENG signal. In some embodiments, the neural structure can be the patient'"'"'s sphenopalatine ganglia (“SPG”), sphenopalatine nerves (“SPN”), or vidian nerves (“VN”). Placement of the electrode can be tested by detecting a characteristic ENG. If the characteristic ENG indicates that the electrode is not positioned on the target neural structure, the electrode can be repositioned.

Claims

1. A method of positioning an electrode on or proximate to at least one of a patient'"'"'s sphenopalatine ganglia, sphenopalatine nerves, or vidian nerves, comprising:

inserting an electrode into the patient;

detecting an ENG with the electrode; and

testing placement of the electrode by detecting a characteristic ENG.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising activating the electrode to apply an electrical signal to at least one of the sphenopalatine ganglia, sphenopalatine nerves, or vidian nerves.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising repositioning the electrode after the testing step.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising repositioning the electrode if the characteristic ENG is not detected.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising repeating the detecting and testing steps.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the characteristic ENG is a time domain profile.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the characteristic ENG is a frequency profile.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the characteristic ENG is an amplitude characteristic.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the characteristic ENG is a bursting pattern.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the characteristic ENG is a spikes pattern.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrode is a needle electrode.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrode is a micro-electrode.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrode is a macro-electrode.