Method and apparatus for coil positioning for TMS studies
First Claim
1. A device comprising:
- a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil;
a headset assembly that accepts a patient'"'"'s head;
a coil positioner assembly configured to hold said headset assembly and the patient'"'"'s head at a repeatable position, provides a pivot axis through the patient'"'"'s nose for finding a position used in a treatment procedure, controls positioning of said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil within a coordinate system defined about said repeatable position to find said position used in the treatment procedure, and holds the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil at said position during the treatment procedure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device provides simple positioning of the patient'"'"'s head and simple positioning of the TMS coil relative to a coordinate system of the patient'"'"'s head once the head is positioned. The TMS coil is fixed at a treatment position in the coordinate system of the patient'"'"'s head and the position in the coordinate system is recorded for use in subsequent clinical sessions. A positioner assembly supports the weight of the TMS coil and allows the operator to freely move the TMS coil to search for the patient'"'"'s motor threshold position (MTP) and/or the treatment position (TXP). If the TXP is in registration with the MTP, once the MTP is determined, the positioner assembly requires only a single adjustment of the magnet position to locate the TXP where the coil is locked in place for the duration of the TMS therapy. By recording the positions of the different adjustable components in the respective coordinate directions of the coordinate system of the patient'"'"'s head, exact repositioning of the TMS coil for the patient during a subsequent clinical visit is made possible without use of expensive imaging equipment.
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Citations
45 Claims
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1. A device comprising:
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a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil; a headset assembly that accepts a patient'"'"'s head; a coil positioner assembly configured to hold said headset assembly and the patient'"'"'s head at a repeatable position, provides a pivot axis through the patient'"'"'s nose for finding a position used in a treatment procedure, controls positioning of said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil within a coordinate system defined about said repeatable position to find said position used in the treatment procedure, and holds the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil at said position during the treatment procedure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A device comprising:
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a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil; a headset assembly that accepts a patient'"'"'s head; and a coil positioner assembly configured to hold said headset assembly and the patient'"'"'s head at a repeatable position, controls positioning of said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil within a coordinate system defined about said repeatable position, and holds the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil at a position used in a treatment procedure, wherein said coil positioner assembly includes a first adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil relative to said repeatable position in a direction parallel to a mid-sagittal plane through the patient, a second adjustment mechanism that adjusts said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil in a direction of an angle of a left superior oblique plane that includes a pivot axis through a nose of the patient, a motor threshold position in the patient'"'"'s head, and said position used in the treatment procedure with respect to said mid-sagittal plane, and a third adjustment mechanism that adjusts an anterior/posterior distance of said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil in said superior oblique plane. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A device comprising:
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a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil; a headset assembly that accepts a patient'"'"'s head; and a coil positioner assembly configured to hold said headset assembly and the patient'"'"'s head at a repeatable position, controls positioning of said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil within a coordinate system defined about said repeatable position, and holds the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil at a position used in a treatment procedure, wherein said coil positioner assembly includes a gimbal arrangement that supports said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil and a counterbalance for said gimbal arrangement. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16)
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17. A device comprising:
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a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil; a headset assembly that accepts a patient'"'"'s head; and a coil positioner assembly configured to hold said headset assembly and the patient'"'"'s head at a repeatable position, controls positioning of said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil within a coordinate system defined about said repeatable position, and holds the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil at a position used in a treatment procedure, wherein said coil positioner assembly includes a ball and socket that supports said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil.
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18. A coil positioner assembly comprising:
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a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil; a headrest assembly configured to hold the patient'"'"'s head at a repeatable position; and positioning apparatus that positions said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil within a coordinate system defined about said repeatable position and holds the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil at a position used in a treatment procedure, wherein said positioning apparatus includes a first adjustment mechanism that adjusts the position of said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil relative to said repeatable position in a direction parallel to a mid-sagittal plane through the patient, a second adjustment mechanism that adjusts said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil in a direction of an angle of a left superior oblique plane that includes a pivot axis through a nose of the patient, a motor threshold position in the patient'"'"'s head, and said position used in the treatment procedure with respect to said mid-sagittal plane, and a third adjustment mechanism that adjusts an anterior/posterior distance of said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil in said superior oblique plane. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21)
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22. A coil positioner assembly comprising:
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a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil; a headrest assembly configured to fix the patient'"'"'s head at a fixed left/right position so as to define a mid-sagittal plane through the patient'"'"'s nose; a positioning apparatus that positions said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil with respect to the mid-sagittal plane and holds the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil at a position used in a treatment procedure; and a sighting mechanism including a registration mark configured to align a corner of the patient'"'"'s eye with the positioning apparatus to define a pivot axis through the patient'"'"'s nose for finding the position used in the treatment procedure. - View Dependent Claims (27)
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23. A coil positioner assembly comprising:
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a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil; a headrest assembly configured to hold the patient'"'"'s head at a repeatable position; and positioning apparatus that positions said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil within a coordinate system defined about said repeatable position and holds the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil at a position used during a treatment procedure, wherein said positioning apparatus includes a gimbal arrangement that supports said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil and a counterbalance for said gimbal arrangement. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25)
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26. A coil positioner assembly comprising:
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a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil; a headrest assembly configured to hold the patient'"'"'s head at a repeatable position; positioning apparatus that positions said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil within a coordinate system defined about said repeatable position and holds the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil at a position used in a treatment procedure, wherein said positioning apparatus includes a ball and socket that supports said transcranial magnetic stimulation coil.
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28. A method for repeatably positioning a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil with respect to a patient to receive treatment, comprising the steps of:
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placing the patient'"'"'s head in a headset assembly having a cushion for accepting a back of the patient'"'"'s head and alignment straps that restrain the patient'"'"'s head in the nodding and left/right directions; applying an alignment strip with a registration mark at a position on the patient so as to align the registration mark with an anatomical landmark of the patient; wrapping a first of said alignment straps from a back of the patient'"'"'s head over a crown of the patient'"'"'s head to an alignment position on the alignment strip; wrapping a pair of lateral straps of said alignment straps from the back of the patient'"'"'s head around the respective sides of the patient'"'"'s head to alignment positions on the alignment strip so as to center the patient'"'"'s face in the left/right direction in a mid-sagittal plane; defining a coordinate system about the patient'"'"'s head; finding a position used in a treatment procedure on the patient for the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil; recording the coordinates of the position used in the treatment procedure in said coordinate system; and mechanically supporting the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil at the position used in the treatment procedure. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34)
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35. A method for repeatably positioning a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil with respect to a patient to receive treatment, comprising the steps of:
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aligning a registration mark of a sighting mechanism with a corner of a patient'"'"'s eye so as to define a pivot axis through the patient'"'"'s nose; defining a coordinate system about the patient'"'"'s head; finding a position used in a treatment procedure on the patient with respect to the pivot axis for the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil; recording the coordinates of the position used in the treatment procedure in said coordinate system; and mechanically supporting the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil at the position used in the treatment procedure. - View Dependent Claims (36)
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37. A method for repeatably positioning a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil with respect to a patient to receive treatment, comprising the steps of:
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placing the patient'"'"'s head at a repeatable position; defining a coordinate system about the repeatable position; finding a position used in a treatment procedure by adjusting a first adjustment mechanism so as to adjust an angle of a superior oblique plane with respect to a mid-sagittal plane and adjusting a second adjustment mechanism so as to adjust an anterior/posterior distance in said superior oblique plane; recording the coordinates of the position used in the treatment procedure in said coordinate system; and mechanically supporting the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil at the position used during the treatment procedure. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method for repeatably positioning a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil with respect to a patient to receive treatment, comprising the steps of:
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placing the patient'"'"'s head at a repeatable position; defining a coordinate system about the repeatable position; finding a position used in a treatment procedure on the patient for the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil; recording the coordinates of the position used in the treatment procedure in said coordinate system; and mechanically supporting the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil at the position used in the treatment procedure, including applying a counterbalance to the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil so as to reduce a weight force applied against the patient by the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil during the treatment procedure.
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43. A method for repeatably positioning a transcranial magnetic stimulation coil with respect to a patient to receive treatment, comprising the steps of:
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fixing the patient'"'"'s head at a fixed left/right position so as to define a mid-sagittal plane through the patient'"'"'s nose; aligning a sighting mechanism with an anatomical landmark of the patient so as to define a pivot axis through the patient'"'"'s nose; and adjusting the transcranial magnetic stimulation coil with respect to the mid-sagittal plane and the pivot axis to find a position used in a treatment procedure. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45)
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Specification