Interface apparatus for stimulation of biological tissue

• US 8,977,354 B2
• Filed: 04/21/2014
• Issued: 03/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Highland Instruments, Inc.,
• Original Assignee: Highland Instruments, Inc.,
• Inventors: Wagner, Timothy Andrew, Eden, Uri Tzvi
• Primary Examiner(s): BOCKELMAN, MARK
• Application Number:
  US14/257,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20140228716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 323 Days
• Field of Search: 607/3, 607/45, 607/139, 601/2
• US Class Current: 607/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0408 Use-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0452 Specially adapted for transcutaneous muscle stimulation [TMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0472 Structure-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36025 for treating a mental or cerebral condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36034 specified by the stimulation parameters
• 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 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

Abstract

An apparatus for interfacing between tissues being stimulated is provided. The apparatus includes an electric source capable of generating an applied electric field across a region of tissue and/or a means for altering at least one electromagnetic characteristic of the region of tissue relative to the applied electric field and an interface component, such interface component creating an interface between the region of tissue and the applied electric field or the means for altering at least one electromagnetic characteristic of the region of tissue.

Claims

1. A stimulation apparatus comprising:

a cap configured to interact with a head of a user;

an electric source coupled to the cap, the electric source capable of generating an electric field across a region of tissue; and

a non-electric energy source coupled to the cap, the non-electric energy source configured to emit energy to at least a portion of the region of tissue for altering electromagnetic properties of at least the portion of the region of tissue;

wherein the cap further comprises a material that acts as a bridging medium between the region of tissue and the electric source and/or the non-electric energy source, and the cap is configured such that a portion of the energy emitted by the non-electric energy source intersects a portion of the electric field generated by the electric source at the region of tissue.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric source is embedded in the cap.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric source is fastened to the cap.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric source is placed on a surface of to the cap.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the non-electric energy source is an ultrasound device that generates a mechanical field across at least the portion of the region of tissue.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the ultrasound device is embedded in the cap.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the ultrasound device is fastened to the cap.

8. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the ultrasound device is placed on a surface of to the cap.

9. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the material matches acoustic properties of the mechanical field with the tissue.

10. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the material matches electromagnetic properties of the electric field with the tissue.

11. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the material matches acoustic properties of the mechanical field and electromagnetic properties of the electric field with the tissue.

12. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the material couples the electric field and the mechanical field before the fields are focused on the tissue.

13. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the electric source and the ultrasound device are adjustable within the body relative to the tissue.

14. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a control element.

15. The apparatus according to claim 14, wherein the control element controls a feature selected from the group consisting of:

number of uses and number of stimulations per session.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises multiple removable parts.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein at least one of the parts is disposable.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the material is a fluid or gel.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the electric source is an inductive electric source.