Apparatus and method for stimulation of biological tissue

• US 8,886,304 B2
• Filed: 06/13/2011
• Issued: 11/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Highland Instruments, Inc.,
• Original Assignee: Highland Instruments, Inc.,
• Inventors: Eden, Uri T., Wagner, Timothy A.
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCKELMAN, MARK
• Application Number:
  US13/158,601
• Publication Number:
  US 20110264013A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 601/2, 607/88, 607/96, 607/3, 607/45
• US Class Current: 607/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0816 using echo-encephalography
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0002 Head or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/00 Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body heating or cooling means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses A47C21/00 ; massage, therapeutic baths A61H; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields or ultrasound A61N; electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/005 Moveable platforms, e.g. vibrating or oscillating platforms for standing, sitting, laying or leaning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/20 continuous direct currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/32 alternating or intermittent currents applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling A61N1/40; microwave apparatus A61N5/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36014 External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes external pacemakers A61N1/3625
• 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 1/3629 in combination with non-electric therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/40 Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling microwave apparatus A61N5/00; Applying radio-frequency signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/002 in combination with another treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/006 for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0026 Stimulation of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0622 Optical stimulation for exciting neural tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

An apparatus for generating focused currents in biological tissue is provided. The apparatus comprises an electric source capable of generating an electric field across a region of tissue and means for altering the permittivity of the tissue relative to the electric field, whereby a displacement current is generated. The means for altering the permittivity may be a chemical source, optical source, mechanical source, thermal source, or electromagnetic source.

Claims

1. A method for stimulating neural tissue beneath skin of a patient to treat an ailment, the method comprising:

non-invasively providing at least two different types of energy transcranially to a region of neural tissue beneath skin, wherein at least one of the energy types alters conductivity of the neural tissue beneath skin in the presence of the other energy types, and one of the types of energy is an electric field of less than 100,000 Hz, wherein the combined energy provides a treatment that affects the ailment.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conductivity change modulates stimulation in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

enhancing the effect of stimulation;

attenuating the effect of stimulation;

amplifying the effect of stimulation;

altering the direction of stimulation;

altering stimulation thresholds of the tissue; and

a combination thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electric field is pulsed.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electric field is time varying.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electric field is pulsed a plurality of times, and each pulse may be for a different length of time.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electric field is time invariant.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein a second type of energy is a mechanical field.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the mechanical field is generated by an ultrasound device.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the mechanical field is pulsed.

10. The method according to claim 7, wherein the mechanical field is time varying.

11. The method according to claim 7, wherein the mechanical field is pulsed a plurality of times, and each pulse may be for a different length of time.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein first and second types of energy are applied to a structure or multiple structures within the brain or the nervous system selected from the group consisting of:

dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, any component of the basal ganglia, nucleus accumbens, gastric nuclei, brainstem, thalamus, inferior colliculus, superior colliculus, periaqueductal gray, primary motor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, occipital lobe, Brodmann areas 1-48, primary sensory cortex, primary visual cortex, primary auditory cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cochlea, cranial nerves, cerebellum, frontal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, sub-cortical structures, and spinal cord.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the effect of the stimulation alters neural function past the duration of stimulation.

14. A method for stimulating neural tissue beneath skin of a patient to treat an ailment, the method comprising:

non-invasively applying an electric field of less than 100,000 Hz transcranially to a region of neural tissue beneath skin; and

non-invasively applying a mechanical field to the region of neural tissue beneath skin, thereby altering conductivity in the region of neural tissue beneath skin, wherein the combined energy fields provide a treatment that affects the ailment.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the conductivity change modulates stimulation in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

enhancing the effect of stimulation;

attenuating the effect of stimulation;

amplifying the effect of stimulation;

altering the direction of stimulation;

altering stimulation thresholds of the tissue; and

a combination thereof.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein altering conductivity modulates a current in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

generating a current;

focusing a current;

increasing penetration of a current;

altering direction of a current;

altering spectral content of a current;

altering timing of a current; and

a combination thereof.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the effect of the stimulation alters neural function past the duration of stimulation.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein the electric field and the mechanical field are applied to a structure or multiple structures within the brain or the nervous system selected from the group consisting of:

dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, any component of the basal ganglia, nucleus accumbens, gastric nuclei, brainstem, thalamus, inferior colliculus, superior colliculus, periaqueductal gray, primary motor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, occipital lobe, Brodmann areas 1-48, primary sensory cortex, primary visual cortex, primary auditory cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cochlea, cranial nerves, cerebellum, frontal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, sub-cortical structures, and spinal cord.

19. A method for stimulating neural tissue beneath skin, the method comprising:

providing a noninvasive transcranial neural stimulator that comprises a noninvasive transcranial electric stimulator comprising an electric source capable of generating an electric field of less than 100,000 Hz across a region of human neural tissue beneath skin; and

a noninvasive transcranial ultrasound device capable of generating a mechanical field across the region of human neural tissue beneath the skin; and

using the stimulator to alter conductivity of neural tissue beneath skin by providing noninvasive transcranially delivered fields to the neural tissue wherein the combined fields provide a treatment that affects the ailment.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein the stimulator is applied to a structure or multiple structures within the brain or the nervous system selected from the group consisting of:

dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, any component of the basal ganglia, nucleus accumbens, gastric nuclei, brainstem, thalamus, inferior colliculus, superior colliculus, periaqueductal gray, primary motor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, occipital lobe, Brodmann areas 1-48, primary sensory cortex, primary visual cortex, primary auditory cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cochlea, cranial nerves, cerebellum, frontal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, and sub-cortical structures.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein the effect of the stimulation alters neural function past the duration of stimulation.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein the conductivity change modulates stimulation in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

enhancing the effect of stimulation;

attenuating the effect of stimulation;

amplifying the effect of stimulation;

altering the direction of stimulation;

altering stimulation thresholds of the tissue; and

a combination thereof.