Heat-removal method and apparatus for treatment of movement disorder episodes
First Claim
1. A method of suppressing seizures in a patient comprising:
- detecting with at least one fiber optic sensing-contact positioned in the brain a physiological symptom associated with a seizure; and
in response to detection of the symptom, automatically activating a heat-transfer operator to selectively transfer heat away from a targeted portion in the brain previously identified as being related to seizures in the patient by absorbing heat into a temperature-contact situated at the targeted portion and thermally coupled to the heat-transfer operator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Heat-removal method and apparatus for treatment of movement disorder episodes; more specifically, a device and method for intracranially suppressing movement disorder episodes upon the detection of physiological symptoms. The device includes a temperature-contact implanted at a targeted portion in the brain which is determined to be associated with such episodes and connection to an implanted heat-transfer operator, typically a Peltier cooler or a thermal-electric cooler. Heat transfer from the temperature-contact to the heat-transfer operator cools the targeted portion and suppresses the movement disorder episode. Such heat transfer is performed upon the sensing of symptoms which normally preface episodes. The symptoms can be sensed intracranially by sensing-contacts, on the skin by a sensor or by a person or animal. Alternatively, heat removal (cooling) can be performed without sensing symptoms to prevent episodes when the patient is particularly sensitive to, or in danger from, episodes.
87 Citations
77 Claims
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1. A method of suppressing seizures in a patient comprising:
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detecting with at least one fiber optic sensing-contact positioned in the brain a physiological symptom associated with a seizure; and
in response to detection of the symptom, automatically activating a heat-transfer operator to selectively transfer heat away from a targeted portion in the brain previously identified as being related to seizures in the patient by absorbing heat into a temperature-contact situated at the targeted portion and thermally coupled to the heat-transfer operator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method of allowing suppression of a movement disorder in a patient comprising:
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surgically implanting in the patient'"'"'s brain at least one temperature-contact at a predetermined targeted portion;
thermally coupling the temperature-contact to a Peltier cooler; and
operating the heat-transfer operator to transfer heat away from the temperature-contact such that the targeted portion is cooled and the movement disorder is suppressed. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
surgically implanting in the patient'"'"'s brain at least one sensing-contact for sensing a physiological symptom of a movement disorder; and
connecting the sensing-contact to a power source which supplies power for the operation of the Peltier cooler upon the sensing of a symptom, the power source being surgically implanted in the patient'"'"'s body.
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34. The method of claim 33 wherein the sensing-contact and the temperature-contact are positioned on a probe.
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35. The method of claim 26 further comprising surgically implanting in the patient'"'"'s brain at least one sensing-contact for sensing a symptom of the movement disorder, the symptom being electrical changes in the brain.
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36. The method of claim 26 further comprising surgically implanting in the patient'"'"'s brain at least one sensing-contact for sensing a symptom of the movement disorder, the symptom being chemical changes in the brain.
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37. The method of claim 26 further comprising surgically implanting in the patient'"'"'s brain at least one sensing-contact for sensing a symptom of the movement disorder, the symptom being electrochemical changes in the brain.
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38. A method of controlling or preventing seizures in a patient comprising:
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sensing a symptom of an incipient seizure, the symptom being a chemical change within the brain; and
thereafter transferring heat away from a predetermined targeted portion in the brain by use of a heat-transfer operator implanted in the patient. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. An implanted seizure-suppressing device comprising:
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at least one temperature-contact positioned at a targeted portion in the brain; and
a heat-transfer operator positioned away from the targeted portion and thermally coupled to the temperature-contact, whereby heat is withdrawn from the targeted portion upon activation of the heat-transfer operator. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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70. A method of suppressing seizures in a patient comprising:
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detecting a physiological symptom associated with a seizure; and
in response to detection of the symptom, selectively transferring heat away from a targeted portion in the brain previously identified as being related to seizures in the patient by absorbing heat into a temperature-contact situated at the targeted portion and thermally coupled to a thermal conveyor, the thermal conveyor transferring heat from the temperature-contact through a thermal transfer fluid. - View Dependent Claims (71, 72, 73, 74)
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75. A method of suppressing seizures in a patient comprising:
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detecting with a sensing-contact positioned in the brain a physiological symptom associated with a seizure; and
in response to detection of the symptom, activating a heat-transfer operator to selectively transfer heat away from a targeted portion in the brain previously identified as being related to seizures in the patient by absorbing heat into a temperature-contact situated at the targeted portion and thermally coupled to the heat-transfer operator, the sensing-contact deactivating the transfer of heat after sensing a subsidence of the symptom.
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76. A method of suppressing seizures in a patient comprising:
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providing a probe having a distal end, the distal end having a sensing-contact and a temperature-contact, the temperature-contact adapted for thermal coupling to a heat-transfer operator;
positioning the distal end in the patient'"'"'s brain such that the distal end is situated at a targeted portion in the brain previously identified as being related to seizures in the patient;
detecting with the sensing-contact a physiological symptom associated with a seizure; and
in response to detection of the symptom, automatically activating the heat-transfer operator to selectively transfer heat away from the targeted portion by absorbing heat into the temperature-contact situated at the targeted portion. - View Dependent Claims (77)
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Specification