Vestibular implant and method for optical stimulation of nerves

• US 8,317,848 B1
• Filed: 09/03/2011
• Issued: 11/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Aculight Corp. (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Webb, James S., Bendett, Mark P., Ralph, Heather A., Wells, Jonathon D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Johnson, III, Henry M
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIPITZ, JEFFREY BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US13/225,408
• Time in Patent Office: 451 Days
• Field of Search: 607/88, 607/89
• US Class Current: 607/89
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0605 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0647 the applicator adapted to be worn on the head
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0603 for treatment of body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0622 Optical stimulation for exciting neural tissue

Abstract

An optical-signal vestibular-nerve stimulation device and method that provides different nerve stimulation signals to a plurality of different vestibular nerves, including at least some of the three semicircular canal nerves and the two otolith organ nerves. In some embodiments, balance conditions of the person are sensed by the implanted device or external device, and based on the sensed balance conditions, varying laser nerve-stimulation signals are sent to a plurality of the different vestibular nerves.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of laser light sources configured to generate a plurality of laser signals;

providing an optical head configured to direct the plurality of laser signals toward one or more nerves of each of one or more inner-ear vestibular organs of an animal, wherein the providing of the optical head includes providing a plurality of spatially separated optical emitters on an emitting face of the optical head such that the plurality of emitters emit the plurality of laser signals from locations on the emitting face having a fixed spatial separation from one another and such that at least three of the plurality of emitters direct the plurality of laser signals in substantially parallel directions;

implanting the optical head in the animal such that the plurality of emitters of the optical head directs the plurality of laser signals toward the one or more nerves of each of the one or more inner-ear vestibular organs of the animal;

delivering the plurality of laser signals through the plurality of emitters to the one or more nerves of each of the one or more inner-ear vestibular organs of the animal;

testing the implanted optical head to determine which ones of the spatially separated optical emitters are most effective for optical stimulation of desired nerves of the one or more nerves, wherein the testing causes laser light sources of the plurality of laser light sources to emit laser signals through the plurality of emitters toward the one or more nerves based on a search algorithm that searches through the plurality of laser light sources, wherein the testing includes sensing one or more conditions that affect balance of the animal during the testing, wherein the one or more conditions are related to nerve action potentials (NAPs) triggered in the one or more nerves by the laser signals emitted during the testing, wherein the most effective emitters are determined at least partly based on the sensing of the one or more conditions; and

selectively controlling the plurality of laser signals from each of the plurality of laser light sources such that the plurality of laser signals provide controlled optical stimulation to the desired nerves in order to trigger nerve action potentials (NAPs) in the desired nerves, wherein the selectively controlling includes using results of the testing of the implantable optical head such that the selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals results in the optical head emitting laser signals through those selected emitters of the plurality of emitters that were determined to be most effective for optical stimulation of the desired nerves.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals includes controlling a pulse width of the plurality of laser signals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals includes controlling a pulse repetition rate of the plurality of laser signals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals includes controlling a pulse shape of the plurality of laser signals.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals includes controlling a DC background amount of light intensity and a maximum intensity of the plurality of laser signals.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals includes controlling a precharge amount of light intensity followed by a trigger amount of light intensity of the plurality of laser signals.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals includes controlling the plurality of laser signals to decrease a frequency of the NAPS produced by the one or more nerves that would otherwise occur without the plurality of laser signals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the obtaining of the plurality of laser signals includes implanting a self-contained battery-powered laser-light-generation device in the animal.

9. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising providing a bundle of optical fibers operatively coupled between the plurality of laser sources and the optical head, wherein the delivering of the plurality of laser signals through the optical head to the one or more nerves of each of the one or more inner-ear vestibular organs includes positioning the optical head against a vestibular organ and using the one or more optical fibers to guide the plurality of laser signals from at least one of the plurality of laser sources to the vestibular organ.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of laser light sources includes a first laser light source and a second laser light source, wherein the selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals includes controlling the first laser light source to send a first series of pulses during a first period of time and controlling the second laser light source to send a second series of pulses during the first period of time, and wherein the first series of pulses differs from the second series of pulses in repetition rate.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensing of the one or more conditions that affect balance includes monitoring eye movements.

12. A method for optical stimulation of a plurality of vestibular nerves of a human person, the method comprising:

providing an optical head having a plurality of vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) located at fixed spatial locations on a monolithic emitter face of the optical head and configured to emit a plurality of spatially separated laser signals from the emitter face toward the plurality of vestibular nerves of the person, wherein the plurality of spatially separated laser signals are configured to optically stimulate responses in the plurality of vestibular nerves;

implanting the optical head in the person;

delivering the plurality of spatially separated laser signals through the optical head to the plurality of vestibular nerves of the person;

testing the implanted optical head to determine which ones of the plurality of VCSELs are most effective for optical stimulation of desired nerves of the plurality of vestibular nerves, wherein the testing causes VCSELs of the plurality of VCSELs to emit laser signals toward the plurality of vestibular nerves based on a search algorithm that searches through the plurality of VCSELs, wherein the testing includes sensing one or more conditions that affect balance of the person during the testing, wherein the one or more conditions are related to nerve action potentials (NAPs) triggered in the plurality of vestibular nerves by the laser signals emitted during the testing, and wherein the most effective VCSELs are determined at least partly based on the sensing of the one or more conditions; and

selectively controlling the plurality of laser signals emitted from each of the plurality of VCSELs such that the plurality of laser signals provide controlled optical stimulation to the desired nerves in order to trigger nerve action potentials (NAPs) in the desired nerves, wherein the selectively controlling includes using results of the testing of the implantable optical head such that the selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals results in the optical head emitting laser signals from those selected VCSELs of the plurality of VCSELs that were determined to be most effective for optical stimulation of the desired nerves.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals includes controlling a pulse width of the plurality of laser signals.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals includes controlling a pulse repetition rate of the plurality of laser signals.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals includes controlling a pulse shape of the plurality of laser signals.

16. An apparatus comprising

a plurality of laser light sources configured to generate a plurality of laser signals;

an optical head configured to be implanted in an animal and to direct the plurality of laser signals toward one or more nerves of each of one or more inner-ear vestibular organs of the animal, wherein the optical head includes a plurality of spatially separated optical emitters on an emitter face of the optical head such that the plurality of emitters emit the plurality of laser signals from locations on the emitter face having a fixed spatial separation from one another;

means for delivering the plurality of laser signals through the plurality of emitters to the one or more nerves of each of the one or more inner-ear vestibular organs of the animal;

means for testing the optical head, when implanted, to determine which ones of the spatially separated optical emitters are most effective for optical stimulation of desired nerves of the one or more nerves, wherein the means for testing causes laser light sources of the plurality of laser light sources to emit laser signals through the plurality of emitters toward the one or more nerves, wherein the means for testing includes means for sensing one or more conditions that affect balance of the animal during testing, wherein the one or more conditions are related to nerve action potentials (NAPs) triggered in the one or more nerves by the laser signals emitted during the testing, wherein the most effective emitters are determined at least partly based on sense data generated from the means for sensing; and

means for selectively controlling the plurality of laser signals from each of the plurality of laser light sources such that the plurality of laser signals provide controlled optical stimulation to the desired nerves in order to trigger nerve action potentials (NAPs) in the desired nerves, wherein the means for selectively controlling includes means for using results of the testing of the implantable optical head such that the means for selectively controlling of the plurality of laser signals emits laser signals through those selected emitters of the plurality of emitters that were determined to be most effective for optical stimulation of the desired nerves.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for selectively controlling the plurality of laser signals includes means for controlling a pulse width of the plurality of laser signals.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for selectively controlling the plurality of laser signals includes means for controlling a pulse repetition rate of the plurality of laser signals.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for selectively controlling the plurality of laser signals includes means for controlling a pulse shape of the plurality of laser signals.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the means for selectively controlling the plurality of laser signals includes means for controlling a DC background amount of light intensity and a maximum light intensity of the plurality of laser signals.