NEUROSTIMULATOR

• US 20160310739A1
• Filed: 06/30/2016
• Published: 10/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology, Institute of Technology (Select Education Group LLC), Regents of the University of California (University of California), University of Louisville
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology, Regents of the University of California (University of California), University of Louisville
• Inventors: Chen, Yangsheng, Burdick, Joel W., Tai, Yu-Chong, Naber, John F., Keynton, Robert S., Edgerton, Victor Reggie, Roy, Roland R., Gerasimenko, Yury, Harkema, Susan J., Hodes, Jonathan, Angeli, Claudia A., Nandra, Mandheerej S., Desautels, Thomas Anthony, Upchurch, Steven L., Jackson, Douglas J., Terrafranca, Nicholas A.
• Granted Patent: US 9,931,508 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2505/09 Rehabilitation or training
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1106 to assess neuromuscular blockade, e.g. to estimate depth of anaesthesia
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/296 for electromyography [EMG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/407 Evaluating the spinal cord A61B5/4896 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4076 Diagnosing or monitoring particular conditions of the nervous system A61B5/4821, A61B5/4824 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4836 Diagnosis combined with treatment in closed-loop systems or methods A61B5/0036 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0553 Paddle shaped electrodes, e.g. for laminotomy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control
• 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 1/36103 Neuro-rehabilitation; Repair or reorganisation of neural tissue, e.g. after stroke
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36107 Sexual dysfunction stimulating genital organs A61N1/36007
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3611 Respiration control stimulating respiratory organs A61N1/3601
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36114 Cardiac control, e.g. by vagal stimulation stimulating the heart A61N1/362
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36125 Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36139 with automatic adjustment

Abstract

Neurostimulator devices and methods of using these devices are described. The neurostimulator devices can include a stimulation assembly connectable to a plurality of electrodes; one or more sensors; and at least one processor configured to modify at least one complex stimulation pattern.

Claims

1. A neurostimulator device comprising:

a stimulation assembly connectable to a plurality of electrodes, wherein the plurality of electrodes are configured to stimulate a spinal cord;

one or more sensors; and

at least one processor configured to modify at least one complex stimulation pattern deliverable by the plurality of electrodes by integrating data from the one or more sensors and performing a machine learning method implementing a Gaussian Process Optimization on the at least one complex stimulation pattern.

2. The neurostimulator device of claim 1, wherein the at least one complex stimulation pattern comprises a first stimulation pattern followed by a second stimulation pattern.

3. The neurostimulator device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive and record electrical signals from the plurality of electrodes.

4. The neurostimulator device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive electrical signals from the plurality of electrodes, and modify the at least one complex stimulation pattern based at least in part on the electrical signals received from the plurality of electrodes.

5. The neurostimulator device of claim 1, wherein the one or more sensors include an electromyography sensor, an evoked potential sensor, a joint angle sensor, a flex sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope sensor, a flow sensor, a pressure sensor, a load sensor, a temperature sensor, or a combination thereof.

6. The neurostimulator device of claim 1 configured to aid a subject having a neurologically derived paralysis in a portion of the patient'"'"'s body affected by a lesion to the spinal cord, wherein the spinal cord includes at least one selected spinal circuit that has a first stimulation threshold representing a minimum amount of stimulation required to activate the at least one selected spinal circuit, and a second stimulation threshold representing an amount of stimulation above which the at least one selected spinal circuit is fully activated,

wherein when the at least one complex stimulation pattern is applied to a portion of the spinal cord of the patient, the at least one complex stimulation pattern is below the second stimulation threshold such that the at least one selected spinal circuit is at least partially activatable by the addition of at least one of (a) neurological signals originating from the portion of the patient'"'"'s body having the paralysis, and (b) supraspinal signals.

7. The neurostimulator device of claim 1 configured to stimulate the spinal cord and improves or restores voluntary movement, an autonomic function, motor function, metabolic function, or a combination thereof.

8. The neurostimulator device of claim 1 configured to stimulate the spinal cord and improves or restores at least one of voluntary movement of muscles involved in standing, voluntary movement of muscles involved in stepping, voluntary movement of muscles involved in reaching, voluntary movement of muscles involved in grasping, voluntarily changing positions of one or both legs, voluntarily changing positions of one or both arms, voiding the subject'"'"'s bladder, sexual function, voiding the subject'"'"'s bowel, postural activity, locomotor activity, cardiovascular function, respiratory function, digestive function, autonomic function, motor function, vasomotor function, cognitive function, body temperature, metabolic processes, or a combination thereof.

9. The device neurostimulator of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes include more than four groups of electrodes.

10. The device neurostimulator of claim 9, wherein the at least one complex stimulation pattern comprises different electrical stimulation for each of the groups of electrodes.

11. The device neurostimulator of claim 1, configured to deliver a stimulus 1 microsecond apart.

12. The device neurostimulator of claim 1, further comprising a system including a plurality of muscle electrodes.

13. The device neurostimulator of claim 1, wherein one electrode of the plurality of electrodes is located at neural tissue and another electrode of the plurality of electrodes is located at an end organ.

14. A method of improving neurologically derived paralysis, the method comprising:

applying a complex stimulation pattern to a spinal cord of a patient using a neurostimulator device;

wherein the neurostimulation device includes a stimulation assembly connectable to a plurality of electrodes, wherein the plurality of electrodes are configured to stimulate a spinal cord;

one or more sensors; and

at least one processor configured to modify at least one complex stimulation pattern deliverable by the plurality of electrodes by integrating data from the one or more sensors and performing a machine learning method implementing a Gaussian Process Optimization on the at least one complex stimulation pattern.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein application is configured to stimulate the spinal cord and improve or restore at least one of voluntary movement of muscles involved in standing, voluntary movement of muscles involved in stepping, voluntary movement of muscles involved in reaching, voluntary movement of muscles involved in grasping, voluntarily changing positions of one or both legs, voluntarily changing positions of one or both arms, voiding the subject'"'"'s bladder, sexual function, voiding the subject'"'"'s bowel, postural activity, locomotor activity, cardiovascular function, respiratory function, digestive function, autonomic function, motor function, vasomotor function, cognitive function, body temperature, metabolic processes, or a combination thereof.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensors include an electromyography sensor, an evoked potential sensor, a joint angle sensor, a flex sensor, an accelerometer, a gyroscope sensor, a flow sensor, a pressure sensor, a load sensor, a temperature sensor, or a combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein when the at least one complex stimulation pattern is below a second stimulation threshold such that at least one selected spinal circuit is at least partially activatable by addition of at least one of (a) neurological signals originating from a portion of the patient'"'"'s body having the paralysis, and (b) supraspinal signals.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of electrodes includes more than four groups of electrodes.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one complex stimulation pattern comprises different electrical stimulation for each of the groups of electrodes.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

subjecting the patient to physical training using a training device.