BIOMIMETIC NEUROSTIMULATION DEVICE

• US 20100145414A1
• Filed: 12/18/2007
• Published: 06/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Bakken Research Center B.V. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips N.V.
• Inventors: Decre, Michel Marcel Jose Ghislain, Martens, Hubert Cecile Francois, Ponomarev, Youri Victorovitch
• Granted Patent: US 8,923,977 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/68
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0526 Head electrodes A61N1/0551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36025 for treating a mental or cerebral condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36067 Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36139 with automatic adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/006 for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue

Abstract

A neuromimetic device includes a feedforward pathway and a feedback pathway. The device operates in parallel with a suspect neural region, coupled between regions afferent and efferent to the suspect region. The device can be trained to mimic the suspect region while the region is still considered functional; and then replace the region once the region is considered dysfunctional. The device may be particularly useful in treating neuromotor issues such as Parkinson'"'"'s disease.

Claims

1. A neuromimetic device comprising:

at least first and second inputs (317, 318) adapted to receive neural signals, the first input (317) being disposed to receive signals afferent to a suspect region (307) and the second input (318) being adapted to receive signals from a neural region (308) other than the suspect region;

at least one output (316) adapted to emit neural compatible signals efferent to the suspect region; and

at least one signal processing apparatus comprising a feed-forward path (309, 310, 311) arranged between the first input and the output and a modulation path (312) arranged to receive signals from the second input and provide a modulation signal to the feed-forward path.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the neural region (308) other than the suspect region is efferent to the suspect region (307).

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the feed-forward path comprises at least one processor for performing operations, the operations comprising:

monitoring (401) signals received from the first and second inputs during a first time period;

training (407) the processor during the first time period to produce processing functions to produce signals received at the second input responsive to signals received at the first input;

detecting (402) that the suspect region has become dysfunctional after the first time period;

executing (403) the learned processing functions during a second time period;

monitoring (404) signals received from the first and second inputs during the second time period; and

altering (406) the processing functions during the second time period, responsive to a determination (405) that signals received at the second input fail to match signals learned during the training operation.

4. The device of claim 3, further comprising at least one third input (330) for receiving signals generated externally (315) to a patient'"'"'s body and wherein the detecting is responsive to the signals received at the third input.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the feedforward path comprises a stimulus emitter unit (311) coupled to the output.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the second input is arranged to receive signals efferent to the output, and wherein modulating comprises feedback responsive to those efferent signals.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising at least one third input (330) for receiving signals generated externally (315) to a patient'"'"'s body.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the feedforward path comprises:

a first sensor (309) arranged to receive first signals output from an afferent first neural region (306) expected to remain healthy;

a processor (310) adapted to learn and emulate functions of the suspect region (307), which is a second neural region; and

a stimulus emitter (311) arranged to supply signals to an efferent third neural region (308) expected to remain healthy.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the modulation path comprises a second sensor (312) arranged to receive signals from a fourth region efferent to an output of the stimulus emitter (311) and supply a modulation signal to the processor (310).

10. The device of claim 8, wherein:

the suspect region (807) communicates bidirectionally (813, 823, 824, 825) with the first and third neural regions (806, 808)

the first sensor (809) is further arranged for receiving second signals efferent to the suspect region, but afferent to an output (816) of the stimulus emitter unit (811); and

the device further comprises a feedback path (821) from the stimulus emitter unit (811) to an area afferent to the first input to the first sensor.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the suspect region (807) is expected to communicate bidirectionally (813, 823, 824, 825) with adjacent tissue and the device further comprises:

a first coupling (820) to the first sensor (809) from a region located between the suspect region and an output of the stimulus emitter unit; and

a second coupling (821) to the first neural region (806) from the stimulus emitter unit.

12. A method for replacing suspect neural tissue the method comprising:

implanting a neuromimetic device, the device comprising at least one output (316) adapted to emit neural compatible signals efferent to a suspect region (307), at least first (317) and second (318) inputs adapted to receive neural signals, the first input (317) being disposed to receive signals afferent to the suspect region (307) and the second input being adapted to receive signals efferent to the output (316), and at least one signal processing apparatus comprising a feedforward path (309, 310, 311) coupling the first input and the output and a feedback path (312) arranged to receive signals from the second input and to provide a feedback signal to the feedforward path;

emitting (403) at least one stimulus based on a processing function;

monitoring (404) signals received from the first and second inputs;

comparing (405) patterns of signals received at the first and second inputs; and

adapting (406) an emission pattern based on a result of the comparing.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving (401) signals received from the first and second inputs during a first time period;

training (407) the processing function during the first time period to produce signals received at the second input (318) responsive to signals received at the first input (317);

detecting (402) that the suspect region has become dysfunctional after the first time period; and

performing the emitting (403), monitoring (404), comparing (405), and adapting (406) steps during a second time period.