System and Method for Deep Brain Stimulation

• US 20120150256A1
• Filed: 07/23/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Bakken Research Center B.V. (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: Sapiens Steering Brain Stimulation B.V. (Medtronic Plc)
• Inventors: Martens, Hubert Ccile Franois
• Granted Patent: US 9,119,543 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/046 in a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/30 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7239 using differentiation including higher order derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36182 Direction of the electrical field, e.g. with sleeve around stimulating electrode

Abstract

A system (10) and a method for deep brain stimulation are provided. The system (10) comprises a probe (11) and a processor (14). The probe (11) comprises an array of sensing electrodes (12) for acquiring signals representing neuronal activity at corresponding positions in a brain and an array of stimulation electrodes (12) for applying stimulation amplitudes to corresponding brain regions. The processor (14) is operably coupled to the sensing electrodes (12) and the stimulation electrodes (12) and is arranged for performing the method according to the invention. The method comprises receiving (21) the acquired signals from the sensing electrodes (12), processing (22) the acquired signals to find at least one brain region with atypical neuronal activity, based on the acquired signals determining (23) a spatial distribution of stimulation amplitudes over the array of stimulation electrodes (12), and applying (24) the spatial distribution of stimulation amplitudes to the array of stimulation electrodes (12) in order to stimulate the at least one region with atypical neuronal activity.

Claims

1. A system for deep brain stimulation, the system comprising:

probe with an array of sensing electrodes for acquiring signals representing neuronal activity at corresponding positions in a brain and an array of stimulation electrodes for applying stimulation amplitudes to corresponding brain regions,

a processor, operably coupled to the sensing electrodes and the stimulation electrodes, for;

receiving the acquired signals from the sensing electrodes,

processing the acquired signals to find at least one brain region with atypical neuronal activity,

based on the acquired signals determining a spatial distribution of stimulation amplitudes over the array of stimulation electrodes, and

applying the spatial distribution of stimulation amplitudes to the array of stimulation electrodes in order to stimulate the at least one region with atypical neuronal activity.

2. A system for deep brain stimulation as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of the sensing electrodes and at least one of the stimulation electrodes are combined in one combined electrode.

3. A system for deep brain stimulation as claimed in claim 2, wherein the electrodes have an electrode surface with a surface area in the range of 0.1-1 mm².

4. A system for deep brain stimulation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the neuronal activity in a region in the brain is considered atypical when the acquired signal or the processed signal exceeds a predetermined level.

5. A system for deep brain stimulation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing comprises computing a second spatial derivative of the acquired signals.

6. A system for deep brain stimulation as claimed in claim 5, wherein the neuronal activity in a brain region is considered atypical when the second spatial derivative of the acquired signals exceeds a predetermined limit.

7. A system for deep brain stimulation as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spatial distribution of stimulation amplitudes is substantially proportional to the second spatial derivative of the acquired signals.

8. A system for deep brain stimulation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing comprises band pass filtering the acquired signals.

9. A system for deep brain stimulation as claimed in claim 8, wherein the neuronal activity in a region in the brain is considered atypical when the band-passed signal shows excessive activity.

10. A system for deep brain stimulation as claimed in claim 1, wherein the processing comprises extracting at least one specific feature from the acquired signals.

11. A system for deep brain stimulation as claimed in claim 10, wherein the processing comprises computing a second spatial derivative of the extracted specific feature.

12. A method for determining a spatial distribution stimulation amplitudes for deep brain stimulation, the method comprising:

receiving, from an array of sensing electrodes on a sensing probe, acquired signals representing neuronal activity at corresponding positions in a brain,

processing the acquired signals to find at least one brain region with atypical neuronal activity, and

based on the acquired signals determining a distribution of stimulation amplitudes over the array of the stimulation electrodes.

14. A computer program product, which program is operative to cause a processor to perform the method of claim 12.

13. A method for applying a spatial distribution of stimulation amplitudes for deep brain stimulation, the method comprising:

using a sensing probe with an array of sensing electrodes for acquiring signals representing neuronal activity at corresponding positions in a brain,

processing the acquired signals to find at least one brain region with atypical neuronal activity,

based on the acquired signals determining the spatial distribution of stimulation amplitudes over the array of stimulation electrodes, and

applying the spatial distribution of stimulation amplitudes to the array of stimulation electrodes in order to stimulate the at least one region with atypical neuronal activity.

15. A computer program product, which program is operative to cause a processor to perform the method of claim 13.