Brain stimulation systems and methods

• US 9,149,599 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2008
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lotus Magnus, LLC
• Original Assignee: Lotus Magnus, LLC
• Inventors: Walter, Timothy J., Marar, Uma
• Primary Examiner(s): Berhanu, Etsub
• Assistant Examiner(s): TOTH, KAREN E
• Application Number:
  US12/514,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20110015469A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,556 Days
• Field of Search: 600/544, 600/545
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/00571 for achieving a particular surgical effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 3/113 for determining or recording eye movement
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02405 Determining heart rate variability
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0816 Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/378 Visual stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4809 Sleep detection, i.e. determining whether a subject is asleep or not
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4812 Detecting sleep stages or cycles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0016 by the smell sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0022 by the tactile sense, e.g. vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0044 by the sight sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/00 Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/502 User interfaces, e.g. screens or keyboards
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/10 Electroencephalographic signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/18 : Rapid eye-movements [REM]
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2230/60 : Muscle strain, i.e. measured on the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/006 : for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0653 : Organic light emitting diodes
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 : Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 : with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/06 : with both visual and audible presentation of the material to be studied

Abstract

Systems and methods for brain stimulation.

Claims

1. A stimulation system for stimulating a subject, the system comprising:

a learning component and a consolidation component, wherein the learning component comprises;

learning auditory stimulation apparatus for delivering an auditory stimulus selected by the subject to the subject while the subject is awake and learning a specific task; and

one or more self-actuation input devices operably coupled to the learning auditory stimulation apparatus and configured for self-actuation by the subject to deliver the selected auditory stimulus from the learning auditory stimulation apparatus to the subject when the subject is awake and learning the specific task;

and wherein the consolidation component comprises;

monitoring apparatus for monitoring the sleep state of the subject while the subject is asleep;

consolidation auditory stimulation apparatus for delivering the selected auditory stimulus to the subject; and

a controller operably coupled to the monitoring apparatus to receive input regarding the sleep state of the subject from the monitoring apparatus and operably coupled to the consolidation auditory stimulation apparatus to operate the consolidation auditory stimulation apparatus, wherein the controller utilizes the input from the monitoring apparatus to determine when the subject is in a particular sleep state, and further wherein the controller operates the consolidation auditory stimulation apparatus to deliver the selected auditory stimulus to the subject during the particular sleep state, the particular sleep state being selected based on the specific task being learned by the subject while the subject was awake.

2. The stimulation system of claim 1, wherein the learning component and the consolidation component are components of a single integral unit.

3. The stimulation system of claim 1, wherein the learning component is a component of a first unit, wherein the consolidation component is a component of a second unit, and wherein the second unit is separate from the first unit.

4. The stimulation system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring apparatus comprises electroencephalography apparatus.

5. The stimulation system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring apparatus comprises electromyography apparatus.

6. The stimulation system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring apparatus comprises electrooculography apparatus.

7. The stimulation system of claim 1, wherein the stimulation system further comprises a self-contained patch and adhesive to attach the self-contained patch to the subject, wherein the monitoring apparatus, the consolidation auditory stimulation apparatus, and the controller are located on the self-contained patch.

8. The stimulation system of claim 1, wherein the learning auditory stimulation apparatus and the consolidation component comprise:

memory for storing one or more selected auditory stimulations; and

one or more output devices, wherein the one or more output devices deliver the one or more selected auditory stimulations.

9. The stimulation system of claim 1, wherein the stimulation system further comprises a configuration apparatus to configure the stimulation system, wherein the configuration apparatus comprises:

processing apparatus;

a first input interface coupled to the processing apparatus to receive input from the subject; and

an input/output interface coupled to the processing apparatus to transmit data to the controller of the stimulation system.

10. The stimulation system of claim 1, wherein the learning auditory stimulation apparatus of the learning component and the consolidation auditory stimulation apparatus of the consolidation component are the same apparatus.

11. The stimulation system of claim 1, wherein the learning auditory stimulation apparatus of the learning component is different than the consolidation auditory stimulation apparatus of the consolidation component.

12. The stimulation system of claim 1, wherein the monitoring apparatus is configured for detecting electroencephalography activity using one or more electrodes.

13. A method of stimulating a subject'"'"'s brain, the method comprising:

providing auditory stimulation apparatus for delivering to a subject an auditory stimulus selected by the subject;

providing monitoring apparatus to monitor the state of the subject;

positioning the auditory stimulation apparatus where the subject can hear the auditory stimulations;

delivering the selected auditory stimulus from the auditory stimulation apparatus to the subject during one or more first periods when the subject is awake and learning a specific task, wherein the selected auditory stimulus is delivered in response to self-actuation of a self-actuation input device operably coupled to the auditory stimulation apparatus, wherein the self-actuation input device is self-actuated by the subject when the subject is awake and learning the specific task; and

delivering the selected auditory stimulus from the auditory stimulation apparatus to the subject during one or more second periods when the subject is asleep, the one or more second periods being identified by the monitoring apparatus and being selected based on the specific task being learned by the subject when the subject was awake.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the selected auditory stimulus is selected based on the specific task being learned.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the monitoring apparatus comprises electroencephalography apparatus to measure electrical activity of the subject'"'"'s brain.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein electrical activity of the subject'"'"'s brain indicative of sawtooth waveforms before rapid eye movement occurs during each of the one or more second periods.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein electrical activity in the subject'"'"'s brain indicative of slow wave sleep occurs during each second period of the one or more second periods.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein electrical activity in the subject'"'"'s brain indicative of an increase in slope of a waveform of the electrical activity occurs during each second period of the one or more second periods.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein electrical activity in the subject'"'"'s brain indicative of an impending increase in slope of a waveform of the electrical activity occurs during each second period of the one or more second periods.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein electrical activity in the subject'"'"'s brain indicative of sleep spindles occurs during each second period of the one or more second periods.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein electrical activity in the subject'"'"'s brain indicative of stage II sleep immediately preceding rapid eye movement occurs during each second period of the one or more second periods.

22. The method of claim 13, wherein rapid eye movement of the subject occurs during each second period of the one or more second periods.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein the method comprises delivering the selected auditory stimulations to the subject during a plurality of the second periods when the subject is asleep.