Red light implant for treating Parkinson's disease

• US 8,900,284 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2007
• Issued: 12/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Depuy Synthes Products Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: DePuy Synthes Products LLC (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: DiMauro, Thomas M., Attawia, Mohamed, Holy, Chantal, Lilienfeld, Sean, Sutton, Jeffrey K., Ward, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): ROANE, AARON F
• Application Number:
  US11/761,708
• Publication Number:
  US 20070239235A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,730 Days
• Field of Search: 128/898, 607 88- 94
• US Class Current: 607/92
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/063 comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body

Abstract

This invention relates to an implantable device that delivers an effective amounts of red light to the substantia nigra as a treatment for Parkinson'"'"'s Disease (PD).

Claims

1. A method of treating a patient having a neurodegenerative disease, comprising the steps of:

a) implanting a device comprising an antenna and a light emitting diode (LED) in a brain of the patient,

b) transcutaneously transmitting Rf energy to the antenna in an amount sufficient to power the LED, and

c) irradiating a patient'"'"'s brain with an effective amount of red or infrared light from the powered LED,

wherein irradiation of the brain is carried out with between about 0.2 J/cm² and 50 J/cm² energy and for a duration on the order of minutes,

wherein irradiation is carried out at an intensity of between ⅓

mW/cm2 and 625 mW/cm².

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the light has a wavelength of between about 600 nm and 835 nm.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the light has a wavelength of between about 800 and 900 nm.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the light has a wavelength of between about 600 and 700 nm.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the irradiation is effective to increase cytochrome oxidase activity in the brain.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the irradiation is effective to increase catalase or SOD activity in the brain.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the irradiation is effective to decrease NO synthase activity in the brain.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein irradiation of the brain is carried out with red light and white light.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein irradiation is carried out for a duration of between 80 and 600 seconds.

9. A method of treating a patient having a neurodegenerative disease, comprising the steps of:

a) implanting a device comprising an antenna, a capacitor, and a light emitting diode (LED) in a brain of the patient,

b) transcutaneously transmitting Rf energy to the antenna in an amount sufficient to power the LED, and

c) continuously irradiating a patient'"'"'s brain with an effective amount of red or infrared light from the powered LED,

wherein irradiation of the brain is carried out with between about 0.2 J/cm² and 50 J/cm² energy and for a duration on the order of minutes,

wherein irradiation is carried out at an intensity of between ⅓

mW/cm2 and 625 mW/cm².

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the irradiation is for a duration of between 80 seconds and 10 minutes.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein irradiation is carried out with between about 1 J/cm² and 10 J/cm² energy.