Electrode configuration for a brain neuropacemaker

• US 5,938,689 A
• Filed: 05/01/1998
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Neuropace Inc.
• Original Assignee: Neuropace Inc.
• Inventors: Fischell, David R., Fischell, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCHAETZLE, KENNEDY
• Application Number:
  US09/070,974
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/45, 607/46, 607/62, 607/116, 607/139, 607/148, 607/149, 607/152, 600/372, 600/373, 600/376, 600/377, 600/378, 600/393, 600/644
• US Class Current: 607/45
• 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 1/36064 Epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36075 Headache or migraine
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36185 Selection of the electrode configuration

Abstract

Disclosed herein are several unique configurations of electrodes for stimulation of brain tissue. Specifically, a configuration of electrodes is disclosed that has at least one electrode on the brain'"'"'s surface and at least one additional electrode located deep within the tissue of the brain. It is envisioned that all such electrodes would be located in close proximity to a particular region of the brain such as an epileptic focus. It is further envisioned that several brain surface electrodes would be used in conjunction with several deep brain electrodes. Specifically, it is envisioned that all surface electrodes would be electrically joined together and all deep electrodes would be electrically joined together. In this way, when a source of electrical current is connected to those electrodes, a particular region of the brain could be surrounded by a "curtain" of electrical current that can be used to depolarize neurons at the perimeter of the region so as to prevent any electrical signal originating in that region from being transmitted beyond that region to the rest of the brain. Sub-surface electrodes placed between 1 and 10 mm below the brain'"'"'s surface could also be used with either brain surface electrodes or deep brain electrodes.

Claims

1. A system for the electrical stimulation of brain tissue, the system comprising:

at least one brain surface electrode;

at least one deep brain electrode; and

a control module adapted to provide a stimulation electrical current between the at least one brain surface electrode and the at least one deep brain electrode, the control module having a first terminal and a second terminal, the control module'"'"'s first terminal being electrically coupled to the at least one brain surface electrode and the control module'"'"'s second terminal being electrically coupled to the at least one deep brain electrode, the at least one brain surface electrode and the at least one deep brain electrode being placed in a configuration within the brain tissue so that the stimulation electrical current forms a sheet of electrical current that is applied in the vicinity of the boundary of an epileptic focus that is located within the brain tissue thus depolarizing brain neurons located in the vicinity of the epileptic focus.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein there is exactly one deep brain electrode.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein there are exactly two brain surface electrodes.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein there are exactly three brain surface electrodes.

5. The system of claim 2 wherein there are exactly four brain surface electrodes.

6. The system of claim 2 wherein there are exactly five brain surface electrodes.

7. The system of claim 2 wherein the at least one brain surface electrode is exactly one electrode and is in the form of a ring that has an annular bottom surface that is electrically conducting and makes contact with the surface of the brain.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the at least one brain surface electrode is one electrode in the form of a ring having an annular bottom surface in the form of an annulus that makes electrical contact with the surface of the brain, the ring being adapted to cooperate with the at least one deep brain electrode to create the sheet of electrical current in the vicinity of the boundary of the epileptic focus.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the ring has a diameter between 1 and 3 centimeters.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the ring is electrically insulated on each of its surfaces except for the ring'"'"'s annular bottom surface that is in contact with the brain, the annular bottom surface being electrically conducting.

11. A system of brain electrodes for the electrical stimulation of brain tissue, the system comprising:

at least one brain sub-surface electrode;

at least one deep brain electrode; and

a control module adapted to provide a stimulation electrical current between the at least one brain sub-surface electrode and the at least one deep brain electrode, the control module having a first terminal and a second terminal, the control module'"'"'s first terminal being electrically coupled to the at least one brain sub-surface electrode and the control module'"'"'s second terminal being electrically coupled to the at least one deep brain electrode, the at least one brain sub-surface electrode and the at least one deep brain electrode being placed in a configuration within the brain tissue so that the stimulation electrical current forms a sheet of electrical current that is applied in the vicinity of the boundary of an epileptic focus that is located within the brain tissue thus depolarizing brain neurons located in the vicinity of the epileptic focus.

12. A system of brain electrodes for the electrical stimulation of brain tissue, the system comprising:

at least one brain sub-surface electrode;

at least one brain surface electrode; and

a control module adapted to provide a stimulation electrical current between the at least one brain surface electrode and at least one sub-surface electrode, the control module having a first terminal and a second terminal, the control module'"'"'s first terminal being electrically coupled to the at least one brain sub-surface electrode and the control module'"'"'s second terminal being electrically coupled to the at least one surface electrode, the at least one brain surface electrode and the at least one brain sub-surface electrode being placed in a configuration within the brain tissue so that the stimulation electrical current forms a sheet of electrical current that is applied in the vicinity of the boundary of an epileptic focus that is located within the brain tissue thus depolarizing brain neurons located in the vicinity of the epileptic focus.

13. A method for establishing a sheet of electrical current in the vicinity of the boundary of an epileptic focus in the brain tissue of a human subject, the method comprising the following steps:

(a) placing within the body of the human subject a control module that has a first electrical terminal and a second electrical terminal, the control module being capable of providing an electrical current across one or more configurations of electrodes which electrode configurations are placed within the body of a human subject;

(b) placing a configuration of one or more surface electrodes onto the surface of the brain of the human subject in the vicinity of the boundary of an epileptic focus each of the one or more surface electrodes being electrically connected to the first terminal of the control module;

(c) placing a configuration of one or more deep brain electrodes at a depth of greater than 1 cm into the brain tissue in the vicinity of the boundary of an epileptic focus with each of the deep brain electrodes being electrically connected to the second terminal of the control module; and

(d) actuating the control module so as to create a sheet of electrical current between the configurations of the one or more surface electrodes and the one or more deep brain electrodes thus placing the sheet of electrical current in the vicinity of the boundary of the epileptic focus so as to depolarize neurons in the vicinity of the boundary of the epileptic focus.