APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STIMULATING A BRAIN OF A PERSON

• US 20090319004A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ebs Technologies Gmbh
• Original Assignee: Ebs Technologies Gmbh
• Inventors: Sabel, Bernhard A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,700,167 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/54
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/245 specially adapted for magnetoencephalographic [MEG] signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/369 Electroencephalography [EEG] devices for psychotechnics A61B5/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/372 Analysis of electroencephalograms
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 5/00 Exercisers for the eyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/326 for promoting growth of cells, e.g. bone cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36025 for treating a mental or cerebral condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36046 of the eye
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus for stimulating a brain (3B) of a person (2) comprising a detector (10) for detecting an induced or a spontaneous physiological signal generated by the brain (3B), a control unit (12) being connected to said detector (10) for comparing the detected physiological signal with a criterion to determine an optimal setting of a variable signal parameter, a first signal generator (8) for applying an electrical stimulation signal (EES) to said person (2) and/or at least one second signal generator (9) for applying a sensory stimulation signal (SSS) to a sensory organ (3A) of said person (2), wherein a signal parameter of the stimulation signals (ESS, SSS) are adjusted to the determined optimal setting of said signal parameter.

Claims

1-25. -25. (canceled)

26. A stimulation apparatus for stimulating a brain of a person comprising:

a control unit which controls a first signal generator to apply a generated electrical stimulation signal to a sensory organ of said person and a second signal generator to apply a generated sensory stimulation signal to the sensory organ of said person,

wherein in a first operation mode a frequency of the applied stimulation signal formed by the electrical stimulation signal or by both, the electrical and the sensory stimulation signal is varied in a predetermined frequency range to determine an optimal setting of the frequency producing a maximum amplitude of an induced electro- or magnetoencephalogram signal which is generated by the brain of said person in response to the applied electrical stimulation signal or in response to the electrical stimulation signal and the sensory stimulation signal and which is detected by a signal detector connected to said control unit,

wherein in a second operation mode the electrical stimulation signal and the sensory stimulation signal are both applied to the sensory organ with a frequency that is adjusted to the determined optimal setting of the frequency forming an individual resonance frequency of said person.

27. The stimulation apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said signal detector is an EEG-detector.

28. The stimulation apparatus according to claim 27, wherein said sensory stimulation signal is an optical stimulation signal, and auditory stimulation signal or a vibration stimulation signal.

29. The stimulation apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said stimulation signal is a sine wave signal or a rectangular signal.

30. The stimulation apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the frequency of the stimulation signal is varied in a frequency range Δ

f between 0-100 Hz.

31. The stimulation apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the determined optimal setting of the frequency of the stimulation signal is stored in a memory unit.

32. The stimulation apparatus according to claim 26, wherein said control unit is connected to the signal generators via control lines to control said signal generators such that the electrical stimulation signal and the sensory stimulation signal comprise a predetermined phase relationship.

33. The stimulation apparatus according to claim 26, wherein the electrical stimulation signal is applied to said person via electrodes or magnetic stimulation coils wherein at least one of said electrodes or magnetic stimulation coil is fixed near the sensory organ of said person.

34. The stimulation apparatus according to claim 33, wherein the sensory organ to which said electrode or magnetic stimulation coil is fixed is formed by an eye of said person, by an ear of said person or by a touch sensory organ of said person.

35. The stimulation apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the optical sensory stimulation signal is formed by pulsed flash light generated by a light bulb.

36. The stimulation apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the optical sensory stimulation signal is generated by light emitting diode device.

37. The stimulation apparatus according to claim 28, wherein the optical sensory stimulation signal is formed by a predetermined stimulus pattern displayed on a display monitor.

38. The apparatus according to claim 34, wherein the optical sensory stimulation signal is applied to an impaired region of the eye of said person.

39. The stimulation apparatus according to claim 26, wherein a memory is provided for storing a sensitivity chart indicating a sensitivity of areas of the sensory organ to a respective sensory stimulation signal.

40. A method for stimulating a brain of a person comprising the steps of:

applying in a first operation mode a stimulation signal which is formed by an electrical stimulation signal or by both, an electrical and a sensory stimulation signal, with a varying frequency to a sensory organ of the person,

wherein the frequency is varied in a predetermined frequency range to determine an optimal setting of the frequency producing a maximum amplitude of an induced electro- or magnetoencephalogram signal generated by the brain of said person in response to the applied electrical stimulation signal or in response to the electrical stimulation signal and the sensory stimulation signal and detected by a signal detector; and

applying in a second operation mode an electrical stimulation signal and a sensory stimulation signal to the sensory organ of said person with a frequency that is adjusted to the determined optimal setting of the frequency which forms an individual resonance frequency of said person.