Hybrid optical-electrical probes for stimulation of nerve or other animal tissue

• US 8,357,187 B1
• Filed: 02/07/2011
• Issued: 01/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Lockheed Martin Aculight Corp. (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Bendett, Mark P., Webb, James S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Farah, Ahmed
• Assistant Examiner(s): LIPITZ, JEFFREY BRIAN
• Application Number:
  US13/022,576
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 607/88, 607/89, 607/116, 607/122
• US Class Current: 607/89
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0605 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/063 comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres
• 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, and based on the sensed balance conditions, varying infrared (IR) nerve-stimulation signals are sent to a plurality of the different vestibular nerves.

Claims

1. A method for optically stimulating a tissue of an animal and electrically stimulating the tissue of the animal, the method comprising:

obtaining a train of light-signal pulses for each of a plurality of optical-signal channels from an optical source, wherein each train of light-signal pulses is suitable to optically stimulate the tissue of the animal to elicit the electrical response;

providing an electro-optical system that includes a plurality of exposed electrodes, a first plurality of electrical conductors, and an optical fiber having a longitudinal axis and operatively coupled to the optical source and configured to transmit the plurality of optical-signal channels of light-signal pulses obtained from the optical source, wherein the first plurality of electrical conductors including a first electrical conductor having an insulation-covered portion and a second electrical conductor having an insulation-covered portion are deposited on the optical fiber, wherein each one of the first plurality of electrical conductors of the electro-optical system is connected to one of the plurality of exposed electrodes, and wherein the optical fiber includes a first plurality of optical waveguides in the optical fiber, wherein the electro-optical system further includes a planar substrate having an integrated electro-optical circuit (IEOC) that includes both a second plurality of optical waveguides and the plurality of exposed electrodes, wherein the planar substrate is connected to an end of the optical fiber and configured to receive the trains of light-signal pulses from the optical fiber into the second plurality of optical waveguides and to conduct electrical signals between the plurality of electrical conductors on the optical fiber and the plurality of exposed electrodes on the IEOC;

aligning the electro-optical system such that the obtained trains of light-signal pulses leave the electro-optical system and are directed toward the tissue of the animal;

transmitting the train of light-signal pulses of each one of the plurality of optical-signal channels through a corresponding one of the first plurality of optical waveguides of the electro-optical system between the optical source and the tissue of the animal;

optically stimulating a nerve action potential in the tissue of the animal using the transmitted trains of light-signal pulses;

generating an electrical-stimulation signal, configured to provide electrical stimulation of the tissue of the animal;

transmitting electrical signals corresponding to the electrical-stimulation signal using the first plurality of electrical conductors deposited on the optical fiber; and

electrically stimulating the tissue of the animal using the transmitted electrical signals.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising helically wrapping a flex substrate around the optical fiber, wherein the flex substrate is patterned with a plurality of electrical lines, wherein the plurality of electrical lines includes the first electrical conductor and the second electrical conductor, and wherein a first subset of the plurality of electrical lines are electrical conductors for signal and a second subset of the plurality of electrical lines supply power.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical source is contained within a battery-powered electro-optic stimulation device, the method further comprising implanting the electro-optic stimulation device and the optical fiber in the animal such that the optical fiber runs from the electro-optic stimulation device at a first end of the optical fiber to the tissue of the animal at a second, opposite end of the optical fiber.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the animal is a human person, the method further comprising stimulating nerves of the vestibular system of the person.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of each one of the plurality of optical-signal channels includes transmitting different wavelengths to stimulate different respective nerves of each of a plurality of inner-ear balance organs.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing a condition that affects balance using a second plurality of electrical conductors deposited on the optical fiber, and wherein the transmitting of one of the plurality of optical-signal channels of light-signal pulses includes transmitting different ones of the plurality of series of light-signal pulses to each of a plurality of different sense organs to provide the person a sense-of-balance nerve stimulation.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a nerve-action-potential signal from a stimulated nerve in the tissue of the animal; and

transmitting electrical signals corresponding to the detected nerve-action-potential signal using a second plurality of electrical conductors deposited on the optical fiber.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising amplifying the detected nerve-action-potential signal to form an amplified nerve-action-potential signal, wherein the transmitting of the electrical signals corresponding to the detected nerve-action-potential signal includes transmitting the amplified nerve-action-potential signal.

9. An apparatus for optical stimulation of a plurality of nerves of an animal to cause a nerve action potential in the plurality of nerves of the animal and for electrical stimulation of the plurality of nerves of the animal, the apparatus comprising:

an optical source that emits a train of light-signal pulses for each of a plurality of optical-signal channels, wherein the each train of light-signal pulses is configured to optically stimulate the plurality of nerves of the animal to elicit the electrical response in the plurality of nerves;

an optical fiber having a longitudinal axis and operatively coupled to the optical source and configured to transmit the plurality of optical-signal channels of light-signal pulses from the optical source to respective ones of the plurality of nerves of each of one or more organs of the animal in order to stimulate the respective nerves such that the transmitted plurality of optical-signal channels of light-signal pulses causes the nerve action potential in the respective nerves, wherein the optical fiber includes a first plurality of optical waveguides in the optical fiber, each corresponding to one of the plurality of optical-signal channels;

a plurality of exposed electrodes;

a first plurality of electrical transmission media including a first electrical transmission medium that has an insulation-covered portion and that is connected to one of the plurality of exposed electrodes and a second electrical transmission medium that has an insulation-covered portion and that is connected to one of the plurality of exposed electrodes, wherein the first plurality of electrical transmission media is deposited on and integral with the optical fiber, wherein the first plurality of electrical transmission media is configured to transmit an electrical-stimulation signal to the respective nerves in order to electrically stimulate the respective nerves; and

an optical-electrical substrate that forms a functional interface to the tissue of the animal, wherein the optical-electrical substrate has an integrated electro-optical circuit (IEOC) that includes both a second plurality of optical waveguides and the plurality of exposed electrodes, wherein the optical-electrical substrate is connected to an end of the optical fiber and configured to receive the trains of light-signal pulses from the first plurality of optical waveguides in the optical fiber into the second plurality of optical waveguides and to conduct electrical signals between the plurality of electrical conductors on the optical fiber and the plurality of exposed electrodes on the IEOC.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a flex substrate that is helically wrapped around the optical fiber, wherein the flex substrate is patterned with a plurality of electrical lines, wherein the plurality of electrical lines includes the first electrical transmission medium and the second electrical transmission medium, and wherein a first subset of the plurality of electrical lines are electrical conductors and a second subset of the plurality of electrical lines supply power.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising an implantable electro-optic stimulation device configured to be implanted in the animal, wherein the implantable electro-optic stimulation device includes the optical source, and wherein the optical fiber runs from the electro-optic stimulation device at a first end of the optical fiber to the respective nerves of each of the one or more organs of the animal at a second end of the optical fiber.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the optical source couples different amounts of the trains of light-signal pulses through the first plurality of optical waveguides to stimulate different respective nerves of each of the plurality of inner-ear balance organs.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising:

an insulator layer surrounding the first plurality of electrical transmission media; and

a co-axial metal-film shield layer deposited on the insulator layer.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the optical source couples different optical wavelengths for the light-signal pulses to stimulate different respective nerves of each of the plurality of inner-ear balance organs.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the optical source includes a self-contained battery-powered device.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising at least one sensor configured to sense a condition that affects balance, and wherein the optical fiber transmits a different train of light-signal pulses, based on the sensed condition, to each of a plurality of different balance-sense organs to provide the person sense-of-balance nerve stimulation.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second electrical transmission medium is deposited on the insulation-covered portion of the first electrical transmission medium such that the second electrical transmission medium forms a co-axial metal-film shield layer that shields the first electrical transmission medium.

19. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the optical-electrical substrate is a planar slab substrate.

17. An apparatus for optical stimulation of a plurality of nerves of an animal and for transmission of an elicited electrical response caused by the optical stimulation, the apparatus comprising:

an optical source operable to emit a train of light-signal pulses in each of a plurality of optical-signal channels that will cause a nerve action potential response in the plurality of nerves of the animal when directed onto the plurality of nerves;

first means for transmitting the trains of light-signal pulses of the plurality of optical-signal channels to the plurality of nerves of the animal in order to cause the nerve action potential response in the plurality of nerves of the animal, wherein the first means for transmitting the trains of light-signal pulses includes a first plurality of guided optical paths in the first means for transmitting the trains of light-signal pulses;

second means for transmitting the trains of light-signal pulses of the plurality of optical-signal channels to the plurality of nerves of the animal in order to cause the nerve action potential response in the plurality of nerves of the animal, wherein the second means for transmitting the trains of light-signal pulses is optically coupled to the first means for transmitting the trains of light-signal pulses;

means for aligning the second means for transmitting the trains of light-signal pulses to direct the trains of light-signal pulses toward the plurality of nerves of the animal;

first means for transmitting electrical-stimulation signals to the plurality of nerves, wherein the first means for transmitting electrical-stimulation signals is deposited on the first means for transmitting the trains of light-signal pulses; and

second means for transmitting the electrical-stimulation signals to the plurality of nerves, wherein the second means for transmitting the electrical-stimulation signals is electrically coupled to the first means for transmitting the electrical-stimulation signals, and wherein both the second means for transmitting the trains of light-signal pulses and the second means for transmitting the electrical-stimulation signals are located on a planar substrate.