Signal analysis, heat flow management, and stimulation techniques to treat medical disorders

• US 20030171685A1
• Filed: 04/15/2003
• Published: 09/11/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Original Assignee: Johns Hopkins University
• Inventors: Webber, W. R.S., Lesser, Ronald P.
• Granted Patent: US 7,228,171 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/509
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00039 Electric or electromagnetic phenomena other than conductivity, e.g. capacity, inductivity, Hall effect
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/00084 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0075 using a Peltier element, e.g. near the spot to be heated or cooled
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/126 for invasive application, e.g. for introducing into blood vessels
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/12 Devices for heating or cooling internal body cavities
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/002 in combination with another treatment

Abstract

Analytical methods and devices for analyzing biological signals, for example, electrical signals from the brain to determine whether an abnormal condition caused by a medical condition exists. In one embodiment, the medical disorder may be epilepsy. The analytical methods include wavelet analysis and neighbor cross-correlation count, which is a frequency specific measure of the degree of correlation of a single channel of data with respect to its neighbors. The devices according to the invention are programmed to include the analytical methods and to administer treatment regimens such as electrical stimulation, heating, cooling and medication as needed.

Claims

1. A method of analyzing a plurality of biological signals, comprising:

performing a wavelet transform on the plurality of biological signals; and

for at least one wavelet scale used in said performing;

calculating the degree of correlation of each of the plurality of transformed biological signals with respect to at least one of the plurality of transformed biological signals;

defining a correlation threshold;

counting ones of the plurality of transformed biological signals having correlations to the at least one of the plurality of transformed biological signals that are greater than the correlation threshold; and

comparing the results of said counting to a total number of possible correlations.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising repeating the method for each wavelet scale used in said performing.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the biological signals are electrical signals from nervous system tissue.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the electrical signals are from the brain.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the wavelet transform is a discrete wavelet transform.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the Gabor wavelet is used as a basic wavelet in performing the wavelet analysis.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the Gaussian wavelet is used as a basic wavelet in performing the wavelet analysis.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the total number of possible correlations comprises the number of biological signals in the plurality of biological signals multiplied by the number of wavelet scales used in said performing.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the treatment regimen would ameliorate or terminate the abnormal state comprises determining whether the treatment regimen would ameliorate or terminate the abnormal state in a particular epoch of time.

9. A method of treating a medical disorder, comprising:

performing a wavelet analysis on a plurality of biological signals from a patient to determine whether an abnormal state caused by the medical disorder is present;

for at least one wavelet scale used in performing the wavelet transform, performing a neighbor correlation count to determine whether a treatment regimen would ameliorate or terminate the abnormal state; and

if the abnormal state exists and the treatment regimen would ameliorate or terminate the abnormal state, administering the treatment regimen.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the medical disorder is epilepsy.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the biological signals are electrical signals from the brain.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the treatment regimen comprises one or more treatments selected from the group consisting of heating, cooling, electrical stimulation, and medicament.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the treatment regimen comprises electrical stimulation.

15. A method of treating epilepsy, comprising:

performing a wavelet analysis on electrical signals from the nervous system to determine whether an ictal or pre-ictal state is present in a patient;

if the ictal or pre-ictal state is present, performing a neighbor correlation count to determine whether electrical stimulation would be effective to ameliorate or terminate the ictal or pre-ictal state; and

if the neighbor correlation count indicates that electrical stimulation would be effective to ameliorate or terminate the ictal or pre-ictal state, administering the electrical stimulation.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining whether the electrical stimulation would ameliorate or terminate the ictal or pre-ictal state comprises determining whether the electrical stimulation would ameliorate or terminate the ictal or pre-ictal state in a particular epoch of time.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the electrical signals are from the brain.