Magnetic pulsing system for inducing electric currents in a human body

• US 8,262,556 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Issued: 09/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aruene Corporation
• Original Assignee: Neuralieve, Inc.
• Inventors: Fischell, Robert E., Fischell, David R., Ma, Emily, Chang, Kuen, Vondle, Dave, Pless, Benjamin, Fischell, Scott J. S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Marmor, III, Charles A
• Assistant Examiner(s): KUHLMAN, CATHERINE BURK
• Application Number:
  US11/305,276
• Publication Number:
  US 20070142886A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,458 Days
• Field of Search: 600 9- 15
• US Class Current: 600/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/008 for pain treatment or analgesia
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence

Abstract

Disclosed is a means and method for the treatment of migraine headaches and other disorders of the human body by the application of one or more intense magnetic pulses. By placing an intense magnetic field pulse(s) onto a certain region of the brain, an electrical current can be generated in the cerebral cortex that can stop a migraine headache in some patients or at least decrease its severity. The device to perform this function can be called a “magnetic pulser system.” This system can be made in one piece and powered by plugging into a household or automobile receptacle or from a battery. The pulser system uses capacitors that are first charged to a high voltage and then discharged into a coil that creates the intense magnetic pulse. Both visual and auditory signals can be provided by the pulser system to assist the patient in using the device.

Claims

1. A portable magnetic pulser system for the treatment of migraine headaches of a human subject who is a migraine headache patient, the system including:

an electrical power source for operating the system;

electronic circuitry for taking power from the electrical power source for charging at least one capacitor;

control circuitry that is capable of charging the at least one capacitor and then dumping the charge into a magnetic coil that is used to create an intense magnetic pulse onto the brain of the human subject, the charging of the capacitors and the discharge of the capacitors into the magnetic coil being individually controllable by at least one electrical switch that is operated by the patient, the maximum intensity of the magnetic pulse delivered onto the brain of the human subject being between 0.05 and 5 Tesla;

a magnetic field detection coil coupled to the electronic circuitry and the control circuitry and including means to verify if either the amplitude or the time course of the magnetic pulse is out of a specified limit, and a means to produce an error signal that could be detected by the patient in response to verifying said amplitude or time course as being out of said specified limit;

means to limit the total number of magnetic pulse treatment sessions that the patient can apply to himself or herself over a period of time before a prescription expires.

2. The magnetic pulser system of claim 1 where the error signal would be a warning by means of a visual display.

3. The magnetic pulser system of claim 1 where the error signal would be by means of a voice warning.

4. The magnetic pulser system of claim 1 where the error signal would also be transmitted to a service center that the patient can use to check the functioning of his or her magnetic pulser system.