Neuroprotective electrical stimulation

• US 8,958,881 B2
• Filed: 03/25/2013
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BrainsGate Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BrainsGate Ltd.
• Inventors: Lamensdorf, Itschak, Dayan, Avinoam, Altman, Hernan
• Primary Examiner(s): Koharski, Christopher D
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDWARDS, PHILIP CHARLES
• Application Number:
  US13/849,673
• Publication Number:
  US 20130218249A1
• Time in Patent Office: 694 Days
• US Class Current: 607/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Apparatus is provided that includes one or more electrodes, configured to be applied to a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a greater palatine nerve, a lesser palatine nerve, a sphenopalatine nerve, a communicating branch between a maxillary nerve and an SPG, an otic ganglion, an afferent fiber going into the otic ganglion, an efferent fiber going out of the otic ganglion, an infraorbital nerve, a vidian nerve, a greater superficial petrosal nerve, or a lesser deep petrosal nerve; and a control unit, configured to drive the electrodes to apply electrical stimulation to the site, and configure the stimulation to excite nervous tissue of the site at a strength sufficient to induce at least one neuroprotective occurrence selected from the group consisting of: an increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF), and a release of one or more neuroprotective substances, and insufficient to induce a significant increase in permeability of a blood-brain barrier (BBB).

Claims

1. Apparatus for treating a subject, comprising:

one or more electrodes, configured to be applied to a site of the subject selected from the group consisting of;

a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a greater palatine nerve, a lesser palatine nerve, a sphenopalatine nerve, a communicating branch between a maxillary nerve and an SPG, an otic ganglion, an afferent fiber going into the otic ganglion, an efferent fiber going out of the otic ganglion, an infraorbital nerve, a vidian nerve, a greater superficial petrosal nerve, and a lesser deep petrosal nerve; and

a control unit, configured to;

drive the one or more electrodes to apply electrical stimulation to the site, and

configure the stimulation to excite nervous tissue of the site at a strength that (a) is sufficient to induce at least one neuroprotective occurrence selected from the group consisting of;

an increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) of the subject, and a release of one or more neuroprotective substances, and (b) is insufficient to induce a significant increase in permeability of a blood-brain barrier (BBB) of the subject.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to set the strength to less than 90% of a strength sufficient to induce the significant increase in the permeability of the BBB.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to set the strength to less than 40% of a strength sufficient to induce the significant increase in the permeability of the BBB.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to set the strength to more than 50% of a strength sufficient to induce the significant increase in the permeability of the BBB.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the site includes the SPG, and wherein the electrodes are configured to be applied to the SPG.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, comprising an elongated support element configured to be placed within a greater palatine canal of the subject, sized to extend from a palate of the subject to the SPG, and having a distal end, wherein the electrodes are fixed to the support element in a vicinity of the distal end thereof.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to configure the stimulation to induce the at least one neuroprotective occurrence without producing a measurably-harmful clinical effect for the subject.