Cerebral or organ interface system

• US 7,917,222 B1
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Plint Hills Scientific LLC
• Original Assignee: Plint Hills Scientific LLC
• Inventors: Frei, Mark G., Osorio, Ivan
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHAETZLE, KENNEDY
• Application Number:
  US12/011,946
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 607/45
• US Class Current: 607/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0031 Implanted circuitry
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/031 Intracranial pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/076 Permanent implantations telemetry using implanted circuitry A61B5/0031; implanted stimulators for therapy A61N1/3605, A61N1/362, A61N1/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/372 Analysis of electroencephalograms
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4064 Evaluating the brain A61B5/031, A61B5/369, A61B5/14553 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6864 Burr holes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6882 Anchoring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0539 Anchoring of brain electrode systems, e.g. within burr hole
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36025 for treating a mental or cerebral condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37288 Communication to several implantable medical devices within one patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/375 Constructional arrangements, e.g. casings
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37514 Brain implants
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37518 Anchoring of the implants, e.g. fixation

Abstract

A cerebral and/or interface system has a housing mechanism configured to be at least partially spaced in a cavity formed in the subject'"'"'s skull; an attaching mechanism for attaching the housing mechanism to the subject'"'"'s skull; a sealing mechanism for providing a fluid-tight seal between the housing mechanism and the subject'"'"'s skull; a control mechanism spaced within the housing mechanism; a communication mechanism with one or more sensors embedded in the subject'"'"'s brain connecting the control mechanism to the subject'"'"'s brain; and a power source spaced within the housing mechanism. Optional embodiments include a treatment portion for cooling or heating adjacent tissue, a medicament portion for administering medicament to adjacent tissue, a separate auxiliary compartment with a removable lid secured to or spaced apart from the housing mechanism, contacts extending outwardly from housing mechanism, and/or a supporting mechanism for precisely displacing the housing mechanism angularly or along x-, y-, and z-axes.

Claims

1. An organ interface system for communicatively connecting at least one organ of a body with a user, comprising:

(a) at least one housing mechanism configured to be spaced at least in part within a bone of a subject, the at least one housing mechanism having at least one device contained or partially contained therein;

the at least one housing mechanism containing a treatment portion having an inner wall, at least a portion of which is thermally conductive or houses at least one thermally conductive element; and

wherein the portion of the at least one thermally conductive inner wall of the treatment portion is adapted to transfer thermal energy to, or absorb thermal energy from, tissue disposed in abutting engagement with the inner wall;

(b) attaching means configured to attach the at least one housing mechanism to the bone;

(c) at least one communication mechanism configured to communicatively connect the at least one organ to the at least one device; and

(d) a source adapted to operatively transfer thermal energy to, or absorb thermal energy from, tissue disposed in abutting engagement with the inner wall, wherein said source is disposed externally to the subject; and

(e) wherein the at least one device is configured to operatively sense, monitor, store, record, log, transmit, analyze, quantify, detect changes in, predict changes in, warn of changes in, modify, or control the stare or activity in the at least one organ.

2. An organ interface system for communicative connection to at least one organ of a subject'"'"'s body, the system comprising:

(a) at least one housing mechanism including an intraosseous main portion and an extraosseous auxiliary portion, the at least one housing mechanism configured to be spaced at least partially within a bone of the subject, the at least one housing mechanism having at least one device at least partially contained therein;

(b) attaching means configured to attach the at least one housing mechanism to the bone, the attaching means being structured wherein the auxiliary portion is slidable or rotatable about a pivot relative to the main portion and is repositionable wherein the main portion is accessible without detaching the auxiliary portion; and

(c) at least one communication mechanism configured to communicatively connect the at least one organ to the at least one device; and

(d) wherein the at least one device is configured to operatively sense, monitor, store, record, log, transmit, analyze, quantify, detect changes in, predict changes in, warn of changes in, modify, and/or control a state or activity in the at least one organ.

3. The system as described in claim 2, wherein the attaching means further includes a removable fastening mechanism adapted to be advanced into the subject'"'"'s skull, the removable fastening mechanism being spaced adjacently to the at least one housing mechanism.

4. The system as described in claim 3, wherein the removable fastening mechanism includes at least one screw.

5. The system as described in claim 2, wherein the bone is a vertebra or a rib.

6. The system as described in claim 2, wherein the at least one device includes at least one output mechanism selected from the group consisting of a unitized electrode adapted to be placed in or over the brain or a nerve for delivery of electrical currents, means adapted for controlling the temperature of at least a portion of the at least one organ, a mechanism providing biofeedback, and a mechanism configured to deliver sound, ultrasound, light, or electromagnetic waves.

7. The system as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:

(a) a control mechanism; and

(b) said control mechanism being further configured, upon detecting and predicting abnormal brain activity of the subject, to operatively activate said output mechanism.

8. The system as set forth in claim 2, wherein said housing mechanism is configured to be spaced in a cavity formed in the subject'"'"'s skull.

9. The system as set forth in claim 8, wherein said housing mechanism further comprises an auxiliary housing portion adapted to extend tangentially outwardly from the cavity formed in the subject'"'"'s skull.

10. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein at least a portion of said control mechanism is spaced within said auxiliary housing portion.

11. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein said attaching means is configured to attach said auxiliary portion to the subject'"'"'s skull.

12. The system as described in claim 2, wherein the at least one communication mechanism includes at least one sensor or measuring device configured to sense information from the brain or organ, the at least one sensor or measuring device being selected from the group consisting of a chemical sensor, a thermal sensor;

or an optical sensor.

13. The system as described in claim 2, further configured to include at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor protrudes at an adjustable angle from the inner wall of the housing mechanism.

14. The system as described in claim 13, further configured to include at least one sensor, wherein the at least one sensor protrudes at an adjustable angle from the inner wall of the housing mechanism.

15. The system as described in claim 13, wherein the at least one sensor protrudes at an adjustable distance from the inner wall of the housing mechanism.

16. The system as described in claim 2, wherein the at least one housing mechanism contains a treatment portion configured to include at least one thermally conductive element that is controllable to transfer thermal energy to, or absorb thermal energy from, tissue contiguous with the thermally conductive element in order to regulate or control the temperature of said tissue.

17. The system as described in claim 16, wherein a source for operatively transferring thermal energy to, or absorbing thermal energy from, tissue contiguous with the thermally conductive element is provided by a source disposed externally to the subject.

18. The system as described in claim 16, further including at least one thermally conductive probe in thermal communication with the treatment portion, the at least one thermally conductive probe configured to enable the measurement of organ tissue temperature for use in monitoring and/or regulating the state of the organ.

19. The system as described in claim 2, further including a substance delivery portion with at least one reservoir and at least one element selected from the group including a pore, a probe, a catheter, a microtube, and a nanotube, wherein the at least one element is adapted to be utilized in the delivery of a substance to tissue or in the collection of tissue samples or fluid from tissue, wherein timing of administration or collection is determined using a detected or predicted change in state or activity in the at least one organ.

20. The system as described in claim 19, timing of the delivery or collection is determined using a detected or predicted change in state or activity in the at least one organ.

21. The system as described in claim 19, wherein the delivery of a substance is dependent upon an analysis of a previously collected fluid or tissue sample.

22. The system as described in claim 2, wherein the at least one housing mechanism is further structured to include at least one mount or fiducial marker specifically placed for use in stereotactic localization of brain targets.

23. The system as described in claim 22, wherein the at least one housing mechanism is further structured to allow the attachment, engagement, fixation or stabilization of other devices or tools that may be used in conjunction with the system.

24. The system as described in claim 2, wherein a portion of the at least one housing mechanism is structured of pliable, biocompatible material and is further configured to be deformable to conform to the curvatures or geodesics of the skull of a subject.

25. The system as described in claim 2, wherein a portion of the at least one device includes a pressure-relieving shunt configured to maintain a desired level of intracranial pressure and to allow release of fluid in the event of hydrocephalus.

26. An organ interface system for communicative connection to at least one organ of a subject'"'"'s body, the system comprising:

(a) at least one housing mechanism configured to be spaced at least partially within a bone of the subject;

(b) attaching means configured to attach the at least one housing mechanism to the bone;

(c) at least one housing positioning mechanism mounted to the at least one housing mechanism;

(d) at least one device mounted on the at least one positioning mechanism and contained at least partially within the at least one housing mechanism; and

(e) at least one communication mechanism adapted to communicatively connect the at least one organ to the at least one device;

(f) wherein the device positioning mechanism is configured to enable positioning of the at least one device mounted thereon with at least two degrees of freedom, and

(g) wherein the at least one device is configured to operatively sense, monitor, store, record, log, transmit, analyze, quantify, detect changes in, predict changes in, warn of changes in, modify, or control a state or activity in the at least one organ.