Actuation and control of limbs through motor nerve stimulation

• US 6,839,594 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2001
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Medtronic Incorporated (Medtronic Plc)
• Original Assignee: BioControl Medical (B.C.M) Ltd.
• Inventors: Cohen, Ehud, Gross, Yossi
• Primary Examiner(s): Jastrzab, Jeffrey R.
• Application Number:
  US09/843,334
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161415A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,349 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/45, 607 72- 76, 607/46, 607/48
• US Class Current: 607/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula

Abstract

Apparatus for actuating a skeletal muscle of a patient is provided. The apparatus typically includes a plurality of electrodes, which are adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a motor nerve that innervates the skeletal muscle. A control unit, is preferably adapted to drive a current between two or more of the plurality of electrodes, and to configure the current such that a first subset of axons in the nerve is excited by the current and such that a second subset of axons in the nerve is not excited by the current.

Claims

1. Apparatus for treating tremor of a muscle, comprising:

a plurality of electrodes, which are adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a nerve that innervates the muscle;

a sensor, which is adapted to generate a signal responsive to tremor of the muscle; and

a control unit, which is adapted to receive the signal and, responsive thereto, drive the electrodes to apply a current to the nerve, configured so as to selectively stimulate afferent axons of the nerve and reduce efferent stimulation of the muscle.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises one of the plurality of electrodes.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of electrodes are adapted to be disposed at respective sites along the length of the nerve.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control unit is adapted to drive the electrodes in a sequence responsive to the proximity of each electrode to a brain of a subject having the tremor.

5. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises at least one electromyographic (EMG) electrode.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the at least one EMG electrode comprises two EMG electrodes, respectively adapted to be coupled to sense electrical activity of the muscle and a muscle antagonistic thereto.

7. A method for treating tremor of a muscle, comprising:

sensing tremor of the muscle; and

responsive thereto, applying a current to a nerve that innervates the muscle, configured so as to selectively stimulate afferent axons of the nerve and reduce afferent stimulation of the muscle.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein sensing the tremor comprises detecting electrical activity of the nerve.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein sensing the tremor comprises detecting electrical activity of the muscle.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein detecting the electrical activity of the muscle comprises detecting electrical activity of the muscle and of a muscle antagonistic thereto.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein applying the current comprises applying the current at respective sites along the length of the nerve.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein applying the current at the respective sites comprises applying the current in a sequence, responsive to the proximity of each site to a brain of a subject having the tremor.