Deep brain stimulation device having wireless power transmission mechanism

• US 8,504,166 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2008
• Issued: 08/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gachon University of Medicine & Science Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Original Assignee: Gachon University of Medicine & Science Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Inventors: Lee, Uhn, Choi, Sang Hyouk
• Primary Examiner(s): Heller, Tammie K
• Application Number:
  US12/600,026
• Publication Number:
  US 20110112602A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,910 Days
• Field of Search: 607/45, 607/46, 607/48, 607/49, 607/61
• US Class Current: 607/61
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3787 from an external energy source

Abstract

Provided is a deep brain stimulation (DBS) device that wirelessly receives microwaves from a power transmission antenna installed at a hat put on a patient, transforms the microwaves into power, and drives electrodes implanted into a brain of the patient using the power, so as to correct abnormal motor and sensory functions of the patient. The DBS device includes: a hat module configured for placement over a head of the patient to transmit microwaves, and an implantation module configured to be implanted through a skull under a scalp to contact the cerebral nerve of the patient, receive the microwaves from the hat module, transform the microwaves into direct current (DC) power, and stimulate the cerebral nerve using the DC power.

Claims

1. A deep brain stimulation (DBS) device using a wireless power transmission mechanism to stimulate a cerebral nerve of a patient having abnormal motor and sensory functions so as to normalize functions of a brain of the patient, the DBS device comprising:

a hat module configured for placement over a head of the patient and further configured to transmit microwaves; and

an implantation module, including;

a thin film configured to be fixed between a scalp and a skull of the patient;

a power receiver disposed on the thin film and configured to receive the microwaves from the hat module through the scalp and transform the microwaves into DC power;

a power modulator disposed on the thin film and configured to receive the DC power from the power receiver and modulate the DC power into power to be used by the implantation module; and

a stimulation pin having a head portion that is directly attached to a lower surface of the thin film, the stimulation pin being configured to be implanted through the skull under the scalp of the patient to thereby contact a deep cerebral nerve and further configured to provide an electric stimulation to the cerebral nerve of the patient.

2. The DBS device of claim 1, wherein:

the hat module comprises a power transmission antenna configured to transmit the microwaves to the implantation module; and

the power receiver is configured to receive the microwaves from the power transmission antenna.

3. The DBS device of claim 2, wherein the power transmission antenna is a horn antenna.

4. The DBS device of claim 1, wherein the hat module comprises:

a power supply unit configured to supply power to the hat module;

a power transmitter configured to transmit the microwaves;

a command signal transmitter configured to transmit a command signal to operate a cerebral nerve function of the implantation module; and

a controller configured to control the power transmitter and the command signal transmitter.

5. The DBS device of claim 4, wherein the power transmitter comprises:

an oscillator configured to receive power from the power supply unit to generate the microwaves; and

a power transmission antenna configured to transmit the microwaves to the implantation module.

6. The DBS device of claim 4, wherein the implantation module comprises:

a command signal receiver disposed on the thin film and configured to receive the command signal from the command signal transmitter of the hat module.

7. The DBS device of claim 5, wherein the power transmission antenna is a horn antenna.

8. The DBS device of claim 1, wherein the power receiver is a rectenna array which is radially disposed on the thin film.

9. The DBS device of claim 1, wherein the stimulation pin includes at least one stimulation electrode installed at a tip portion thereof and insulation material coated on a surface thereof.