Surgical tools and techniques for stimulation

• US 20060195169A1
• Filed: 11/13/2003
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: BrainsGate Ltd.
• Original Assignee: BrainsGate Ltd.
• Inventors: Gross, Yossi, Shalev, Alon, Benary, Raphael, Lorian, Adi
• Granted Patent: US 7,636,597 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/116
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0546 Nasal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/30 Apparatus for iontophoresis, i.e. transfer of media in ionic state by an electromotoric force into the body, or cataphoresis
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

Apparatus for treating a subject is provided, the apparatus comprising (a) a stimulation device (352), adapted to be implanted in a vicinity of a site selected from the list consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) (52) of the subject and a neural tract originating in or leading to the SPG; and (b) a connecting element (356), coupled to the stimulation device (352), and adapted to be passed through at least a portion of a greater palatine canal (282) of the subject. Also provided is a method for implanting a treatment stimulation device (352) in a vicinity of a site of a subject, the method comprising passing the device (352) through a greater palatine foramen (22) of the subject, and bringing the device (352) into contact with the vicinity of the site, the site selected from the list consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) (52) of the subject and a neural tract originating in or leading to the SPG.

Claims

1. Apparatus for treating a subject, comprising:

a stimulation device, adapted to be implanted in a vicinity of a site selected from the list consisting of;

a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) of the subject and a neural tract originating in or leading to the SPG; and

a connecting element, coupled to the stimulation device, and adapted to be passed through at least a portion of a greater palatine canal of the subject.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the portion of the greater palatine canal has a length of at least about 2 cm, and wherein the connecting element is adapted to be passed through the portion.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the connecting element comprises at least one mark, adapted to indicate a depth of insertion of the stimulation device in the greater palatine canal.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stimulation device is adapted to stimulate the site, and to configure the stimulation to be sufficient to induce a change in cerebral blood flow of the subject.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stimulation device is adapted to stimulate the site, and to configure the stimulation to be sufficient to modulate permeability of a blood-brain-barrier of the subject.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the site includes the SPG of the subject, and wherein the stimulation device is adapted to be implanted in the vicinity of the SPG.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the site includes a vidian nerve of the subject, and wherein the stimulation device is adapted to be implanted in the vicinity of the vidian nerve.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the site includes an ethmoidal nerve of the subject, and wherein the stimulation device is adapted to be implanted in the vicinity of the ethmoidal nerve.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the site includes a retro-orbital branch of the SPG of the subject, and wherein the stimulation device is adapted to be implanted in the vicinity of the retro-orbital branch.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an introducer, adapted for mounting the stimulation device thereon, and to be passed through the at least a portion of the greater palatine canal.

11. The apparatus according claim 1, wherein the stimulation device comprises at least one electrode.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the electrode is configured to wrap around a nerve of the subject in the vicinity of the site.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a stimulator, coupled to the connecting element, and adapted to be fixed to a hard palate of the subject.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the stimulator is adapted to be coupled to the hard palate in a supraperiosteal region thereof.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the stimulator is adapted to be coupled to an upper surface of the hard palate in a nasal cavity of the subject.

16. The apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the stimulator is adapted to be coupled to a lower surface of the hard palate.

17-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A method for implanting a treatment stimulation device in a vicinity of a site of a subject, comprising:

passing the device through a greater palatine foramen of the subject;

and bringing the device into contact with the vicinity of the site, the site selected from the list consisting of;

a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) of the subject and a neural tract originating in or leading to the SPG.

27. The method according to claim 25, wherein the site includes the SPG of the subject, and wherein bringing the device into contact with the vicinity of the site comprises bringing the device into contact with the vicinity of the SPG.

28. The method according to claim 25, wherein the site includes a vidian nerve of the subject, and wherein bringing the device into contact with the vicinity of the site comprises bringing the device into contact with the vicinity of the vidian nerve.

29. The method according to claim 25, wherein the site includes an ethmoidal nerve of the subject, and wherein bringing the device into contact with the vicinity of the site comprises bringing the device into contact with the vicinity of the ethmoidal nerve.

30. The method according to claim 25, wherein the site includes a retro-orbital branch of the SPG of the subject, and wherein bringing the device into contact with the vicinity of the site comprises bringing the device into contact with the retro-orbital branch.

31. The method according to claim 25, wherein bringing the device into contact comprises:

applying stimulation with the device;

observing one or more physiological responses of the subject to the stimulation; and

verifying desired placement of the device responsive to the observation.

32. The method according to claim 25, wherein bringing the device into contact comprises applying stimulation with the device, and configuring the stimulation to be sufficient to induce a change in cerebral blood flow of the subject.

33. The method according to claim 25, wherein bringing the device into contact comprises applying stimulation with the device, and configuring the stimulation to be sufficient to modulate permeability of a blood-brain-barrier of the subject.

34. The method according to claim 25, wherein the stimulation device includes at least one electrode, and wherein bringing the device into contact comprises bringing the electrode into contact with the vicinity of the site.

35. The method according to claim 34, wherein bringing the electrode into contact comprises wrapping the electrode around a nerve of the subject in the vicinity of the site.

36. The method according to claim 25, wherein the stimulation device includes a stimulator, the method comprising fixing the stimulator to a hard palate of the subject.

37. The method according to claim 36, wherein fixing the stimulator to the hard palate comprises coupling the stimulator to a supraperiosteal region of the hard palate.

38. The method according to claim 36, wherein fixing the stimulator to the hard palate comprises coupling the stimulator to an upper surface of the hard palate in a nasal cavity of the subject.

39. The method according to claim 36, wherein fixing the stimulator to the hard palate comprises coupling the stimulator to a lower surface of the hard palate.

40. The method according to claim 25, wherein passing the device through the greater palatine foramen comprises determining a depth of insertion of the device in a greater palatine canal of the subject by observing at least one mark on the device indicative of the depth of the insertion.

41. The method according to claim 25, wherein passing the device through the greater palatine foramen comprises widening a greater palatine canal of the subject using a series of periosteal elevators having successively greater diameters.

42. The method according to claim 25, wherein passing the device through the greater palatine foramen comprises widening a greater palatine canal of the subject using a series of tools having successively greater diameters.

43. The method according to claim 25, wherein passing the device through the greater palatine foramen comprises mounting the device on an introducer, and passing the introducer through the greater palatine foramen.

26. A method for implanting a treatment stimulation device in a vicinity of a site of a subject, comprising:

passing the device through at least a portion of a greater palatine canal of the subject; and

bringing the device into contact with the vicinity of the site, the site selected from the list consisting of;

a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) of the subject and a neural tract originating in or leading to the SPG.

44. The method according to claim 26, wherein passing the device through the portion of the greater palatine canal comprises determining a depth of insertion of the device in the greater palatine canal by observing at least one mark on the device indicative of the depth of the insertion.

45. The method according to claim 26, wherein passing the device through the at least a portion of the greater palatine canal comprises passing the device through at least about 2 cm of the greater palatine canal.

46. The method according to claim 26, wherein passing the device through the at least a portion of the greater palatine canal comprises widening the portion using a series of periosteal elevators having successively greater diameters.

47. The method according to claim 26, wherein passing the device through the at least a portion of the greater palatine canal comprises widening the portion using a series of tools having successively greater diameters.

48. The method according to claim 26, wherein passing the device through the at least a portion of the greater palatine canal comprises mounting the device on an introducer, and passing the introducer through the portion.

49-64. -64. (canceled)