Techniques using heat flow management, stimulation, and signal analysis to treat medical disorders

• US 6,882,881 B1
• Filed: 10/19/2000
• Issued: 04/19/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Original Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Inventors: Webber, W. Robert S., Mizuno-Matsumoto, Yuko, Motamedi, Gholam K., Lesser, Ronald P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Evanisko, George R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oropeza, Frances P.
• Application Number:
  US09/691,051
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 600/9, 600/373, 600/377, 600/378, 600/544, 600/545, 607/2, 607/3, 607/45, 607/46, 607/96, 607/100, 607/113, 607/118
• US Class Current: 607/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00039 Electric or electromagnetic phenomena other than conductivity, e.g. capacity, inductivity, Hall effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0075 using a Peltier element, e.g. near the spot to be heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/126 for invasive application, e.g. for introducing into blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/12 Devices for heating or cooling internal body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/002 in combination with another treatment

Abstract

A device and a method of use for treating a medical disorder by surgically implanting into a patient at least one sensor element capable of detecting and conveying cell signals: attaching a management unit such that a micro controller of the management unit is connected to at least one sensor element; and connecting the management unit via a lead bundle to at least one treatment device. The treatment device may be an electrical stimulation device, a magnetic stimulation device, a heat transfer device, or a medication delivery device. Responsive to signals from the one or more sensor elements, mathematical algorithms of the management unit use wavelet crosscorrelation analysis to prompt delivery of at least one treatment modality, such heat transfer, current pulses, magnetic stimulation or medication. The medical disorder may arise from the brain, central nervous system or organs and tissues outside of the central nervous system.

Claims

1. A method of treating a medical disorder, comprising:

monitoring at least one sensor that senses physiological activity in one or more organs or organ systems;

performing a wavelet cross-correlation analysis on data obtained from said monitoring to determine whether an abnormal state caused by the medical disorder exists; and

if the abnormal state exists, administering one or more treatments selected from the group consisting of electrical stimulation, heating, cooling, and medicament to the one or more affected organs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological activity comprises electrical activity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological activity comprises chemical activity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological activity comprises a combination of electrical and chemical activity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the physiological activity comprises thermal activity.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the medical disorder is epilepsy and the organ is the brain.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more treatments comprise pulses of electrical stimulation.

8. The method of one of claims 1, 2, 3, or 4, wherein the electrical stimulation is administered so as to maintain charge balance.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the medicament is a member selected from the group consisting of drugs, electrolytes, and fluids.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the drugs are selected from the group consisting of nucleic acids, hormones, hydantoins, deoxybarbiturates, benzodiazepines, glutamate receptor agonists, glutamate receptor antagonists, γ

-aminobutyric acid receptor agonists, γ

-aminobutyric acid receptor antagonists, dopamine receptor agonists, dopamine receptor antagonists, drugs affecting NMDA receptors, drugs affecting AMPA receptors, drugs affecting metabotropic receptors, and anesthetics.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more treatments comprise electrical stimulation in combination with cooling.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical disorder is a member selected from the group consisting of seizures, headaches, pain, trauma, hemorrhage, encephalitis, localized myelitis, mass lesions, psychiatric disorders, swelling, and inflammation.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical disorder is a spinal disorder.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical disorder is a peripheral nerve disorder.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical disorder is a central nervous system disorder.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical disorder is a member selected from the group consisting of cervical spondylosis, lumbar stenosis, multiple sclerosis, and spinal myoclonus.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein wavelet cross-correlation analysis comprises:

performing a wavelet transform on data obtained from said monitoring to generate wavelet-transformed data; and

performing a cross-correlation analysis on said wavelet-transformed data.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said wavelet cross-correlation analysis is performed using a Gaussian wavelet.