Method and device for stimulating the brain

• US 7,711,431 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2004
• Issued: 05/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Original Assignee: Brainlab AG
• Inventors: Tanner, Philip, Bauch, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno; Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Oropeza; Frances P
• Application Number:
  US10/910,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20050033380A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,100 Days
• Field of Search: 600/373, 600/378, 600/544, 600 9- 15, 607/2, 607/45, 607/115
• US Class Current: 607/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/055 involving electronic [EMR] or nuclear [NMR] magnetic resonance, e.g. magnetic resonance imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/064 using markers A61B5/062 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/377 using evoked responses
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 33/4806 Functional imaging of brain activation

Abstract

A method for stimulating a particular area of a brain using a stimulation device includes detecting a spatial structure of a head and determining electrical and/or magnetic properties of at least one part of anatomical structures of the head. An energy amount to be provided by the stimulation device for stimulating the particular area of the brain is calculated automatically based on the spatial structure of the head and the determined electrical and/or magnetic properties of at least one part of the anatomical structures of the head.

Claims

1. A method for stimulating a particular area of a brain using a stimulation device, said method comprising:

detecting a spatial structure of a head;

determining electrical and/or magnetic properties of at least one part of anatomical structures of the head;

using a computational unit to calculate an energy amount to be provided by the stimulation device for stimulating the particular area of the brain, said calculation being based on the spatial structure of the head and the determined electrical and/or magnetic properties of at least one part of the anatomical structures of the head.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein determining properties of the anatomical structures includes determining at least one of thickness and type of bones or tissues.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

generating a simulation model of the head from the detected spatial structure of the head.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the simulation model is a three-shell model.

5. The method as set forth in claim 3, wherein the simulation model is a multiple-shell model.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

arranging reference markers on at least one of the stimulation device and the head; and

tracking at least one of the stimulation device and the head.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the stimulation device includes a coil in the form of an eight.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

stimulating areas of the brain using electrical impulses in the stimulation device.

9. The method as set forth in claim 3, further comprising:

optically displaying the simulated area of stimulation in the brain, said simulated area being determined from the simulation model of at least one of the stimulation device and the head.

10. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the stimulation device is automatically positioned relative to the head.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the energy supplied to the stimulation device is set depending on the relative position of the stimulation device and the head.

12. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the energy to be supplied to the stimulation device is set depending on whether the area of the brain to be stimulated is to be stimulated or blocked.

13. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the energy to be supplied to the stimulation device is chosen depending on the area of the brain to be stimulated.

14. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program, wherein when the program is loaded onto a computer and executed, the program causes the computer to carry out the steps of claim 1.

15. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electrical and/or magnetic properties comprise a characteristic dielectric constant and/or a characteristic conductance of at least one part of anatomical structures of the head.

16. A method for assigning a stimulation reaction to an area of the brain, said method comprising:

stimulating the area of the brain using at least one stimulation device as set forth in claim 1;

measuring a stimulation reaction; and

automatically assigning the measured stimulation reaction to the area of the brain.

17. The method as set forth in claim 16, further comprising:

measuring intensity of the stimulation reaction using at least one sensor.

18. The method as set forth in claim 17, further comprising:

assigning a predetermined color to the intensity of the measured stimulation reaction; and

coloring a simulation model of the brain depending on intensity.

19. An apparatus for stimulating a particular area of a brain, said apparatus comprising:

a device for recording spatial anatomical structures of a head; and

a computational unit which;

determines electrical and/or magnetic properties of the anatomical structures of the head; and

calculates an energy amount for stimulating the particular area of the brain based on the determined electrical and/or magnetic properties of the anatomical structures of the head.

20. The apparatus as set forth in claim 19, further comprising:

a display device for displaying a stimulated area of the brain or area of the brain to be stimulated.

21. A system comprising the apparatus as set forth in claim 19 and a stimulation device.

22. The system as set forth in claim 21, further comprising:

markers adapted to be disposed on the stimulation device and/or on the head;

and

a navigation system which determines the relative spatial position of the stimulation device and the head.