Nerve-branch-specific action-potential activation, inhibition, and monitoring
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising:
- a dual electrode arrangement, which comprises;
a proximal electrode configuration, adapted to be implanted on a nerve trunk, on a proximal side, with respect to the brain, of a junction of said nerve trunk with a preselected nerve branch, so as to communicate with;
i. first nerve fibers of said nerve trunk, which at said junction remain with said nerve trunk, andii. second nerve fibers of said nerve trunk that branch into said preselected nerve branch; and
a distal electrode configuration, adapted to be implanted on said nerve trunk, on a distal side of said junction, so as to communicate with said first nerve fibers and not with said second nerve fibers; and
an electronic unit, in signal communication with both said proximal and distal electrode configurations, said electronic unit being configured to generate efferent action-potential propagations substantially restricted to said second nerve fibers, by;
driving said proximal electrode configuration to generate distally moving action potential propagations along said first and second nerve fibers, anddriving said distal electrode configuration to generate proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers, such that said distally and proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers collide and block each other, while said distally moving action potential propagations along said second nerve fibers propagate into said preselected nerve branch.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A dual electrode arrangement, is provided, wherein two, preferably unidirectional, electrode configurations flank a nerve junction from which a preselected nerve branch issues, proximally and distally to the junction, with respect to the brain. The arrangement is conducive to the following: generating efferent action-potential propagations, substantially restricted to the preselected nerve branch, inhibiting afferent action-potential propagations, from the preselected nerve branch, selectively generating action-potential propagations, in a subset of nerve fibers of a predetermined diameter range, substantially restricted to the preselected nerve branch, and selectively inhibiting action-potential propagations, in a subset of nerve fibers of a predetermined diameter range, substantially restricted to the preselected nerve branch. The dual electrode arrangement is further conducive to monitoring naturally-occurring, efferent action-potential propagations, heading towards the preselected nerve branch, and monitoring naturally-occurring, afferent action-potential propagations, from the preselected nerve branch. The unidirectional electrode configurations may be monopolar, bipolar, tripolar, or multipolar. Communication with extracorporeal stations, and closed loop operations are also provided.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. Apparatus comprising:
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a dual electrode arrangement, which comprises; a proximal electrode configuration, adapted to be implanted on a nerve trunk, on a proximal side, with respect to the brain, of a junction of said nerve trunk with a preselected nerve branch, so as to communicate with; i. first nerve fibers of said nerve trunk, which at said junction remain with said nerve trunk, and ii. second nerve fibers of said nerve trunk that branch into said preselected nerve branch; and a distal electrode configuration, adapted to be implanted on said nerve trunk, on a distal side of said junction, so as to communicate with said first nerve fibers and not with said second nerve fibers; and an electronic unit, in signal communication with both said proximal and distal electrode configurations, said electronic unit being configured to generate efferent action-potential propagations substantially restricted to said second nerve fibers, by; driving said proximal electrode configuration to generate distally moving action potential propagations along said first and second nerve fibers, and driving said distal electrode configuration to generate proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers, such that said distally and proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers collide and block each other, while said distally moving action potential propagations along said second nerve fibers propagate into said preselected nerve branch. - 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)
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24. A method comprising:
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providing a proximal electrode configuration, on a nerve trunk, on a proximal side, with respect to the brain, of a junction of said nerve trunk with a preselected nerve branch, so as to communicate with; i. first nerve fibers of said nerve trunk, which at said junction remain with said nerve trunk, and ii. second nerve fibers of said nerve trunk that branch into said preselected nerve branch; providing a distal electrode configuration, on said nerve trunk, on a distal side of said junction, so as to communicate with said first nerve fibers and not with said second nerve fibers; providing an electronic unit, in signal communication with said proximal and distal electrode configurations; and generating efferent action-potential propagations, substantially restricted to said second nerve fibers, of said preselected nerve branch, by; generating, by said proximal electrode configuration, distally moving action potential propagations along said first and second nerve fibers, and generating, by said distal electrode configuration, proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers, such that said distally and proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers collide and block each other, while said distally moving action potential propagations along said second nerve fibers propagate into said preselected nerve branch. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A method for generating efferent action potential propagations substantially restricted to a preselected nerve branch that branches from a nerve trunk at a junction, said nerve trunk including first nerve fibers that do not branch into said nerve branch, and second nerve fibers that branch into said nerve branch, said method comprising:
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applying first and second currents at first and second sites on proximal and distal sides, with respect to a brain, of said junction, respectively; and generating said efferent action potential propagations substantially restricted to said nerve branch by; configuring said first current to generate distally moving action potential propagations along said first and second nerve fibers, and configuring said second current to generate proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers, such that said distally and proximally moving action potential propagations along said first nerve fibers collide and block each other, while said distally moving action potential propagations along said second nerve fibers propagate into said nerve branch. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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Specification