Method and means for connecting and controlling a large number of contacts for electrical cell stimulation in living organisms

• US 20100082076A1
• Filed: 09/28/2009
• Published: 04/01/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chong I.L. Lee, Sergio Lara Pereira Monteiro
• Original Assignee: Chong I.L. Lee, Sergio Lara Pereira Monteiro
• Inventors: Lee, Chong Il, Monteiro, Sergio Lara Pereira
• Granted Patent: US 8,565,868 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/17
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0004 characterised by the type of physiological signal transmitted
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/05 Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves impedance plethysmography A61B5/0295; measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/24 Detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6868 Brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6869 Heart
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6877 Nerve
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0531 Brain cortex electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0534 Electrodes for deep brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36185 Selection of the electrode configuration
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3752 Details of casing-lead connections
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06744 Microprobes, i.e. having dimensions as IC details
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/06766 Input circuits therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 1/07307 with individual probe elements, e.g. needles, cantilever beams or bump contacts, fixed in relation to each other, e.g. bed of nails fixture or probe card

Abstract

An improved electrode for neural stimulation, including deep brain stimulation, cortical stimulation, muscle stimulation and other similar applications. The improvement of our invention over prior art consisting of the possibility of a larger number of electrode pads from where to originate the electrical stimulation, thereby offering the possibility of fine control of the location of the stimulating signal. Our invention discloses a system of address wires which controls switches and demultiplexers to select one of a plurality of wires and one of a plurality of electrode pads from where the electric stimulation starts, and latches that maintain some selected choices after the address buses go on to select other wires and other electrode tips. Our invention also discloses time delay lines which are used to keep the stimulating pulses for a pre-assigned time, after which the stimulating pulses stop until further instruction to start again.

Claims

1. A device herein called picafina, having a proximal extremity and a distal extremity, to apply electrical stimulation on living organism cells, as neurons, said device having a plurality of electrode tips on the surface of said device, from where said electrical stimulation enters the proximity of said neurons, said electrode tips being generally at or near said distal extremity of said device, and an electrical conductive wire capable of carrying electrical currents, running inside and along said device, from said proximal extremity to said distal extremity of said device, said distal extremity being further provided with means to connect said electrical conductive wire to said electrode tips, said proximal extremity of said electrical conductive wire being further provided with means to connect said electrical conductive wire to other wires outside said device for connection to batteries and appropriate electronic circuits, said electrical conductive wire having the purpose of carrying said electrical stimulation from said battery to said neurons near said electrode tips, whereby it is possible to apply controlled electrical pulses to said neurons with the objective of adjusting the neural activity of said neurons in such a way as to control some of its activities, particularly when said neurons act in undesirable ways.

2. The device of claim 1 further including an address bus, running inside said device, running generally parallel to said wire carrying electrical stimulation to said electrode tips, from its proximal end to its distal end, such address bus having as many bits, or wires, as are needed to uniquely address each one of said plurality electrode tips with a particular address, using any of the already known addressing modes or using modes described in this invention, wherein said address bus is provided with means to cause the completion the electrical connection of one of said electrical tips to said wire carrying said electrical stimulating current, with the objective of selecting one of said electrical tips, at a particular location, as the originating point of said electrical stimulation, thereby selecting which neurons receive said electrical stimulation with the intent of making an accurate selection of said affected neurons and the location in said neurons where said stimulation is applied.

3. The device of claim 1 further having an address decoder and an on/off electrical switch, one of said address decoder associated with each of said electrode tips and with each of said electrical switch, each said address decoders having a particular, unique binary address, which is considered to apply to said address decoder, to said electrode tip and to said electrical switch, wherein the connection means of said electrode tips to said wire carrying stimulation is via said electrical switch such that the on/off, or conducting/not-conducting state of said switch is determined by the output of said address decoder, the circuit being arranged in such a way that whenever, and only when, said address bus contains a digital address that is the same as the digital address written on a particular decoder, said decoder causes said electronic switch to go on the on, or conductive state, thereby completing the electrical connection between said electrical tip associated with it and said conductive wire connected to said battery and said appropriate electronic circuits, thereby causing that said neurons that are in the vicinity of said electrode tips to receive said electrical stimulation as provided by said battery and said electronic circuit.

4. The device of claim 1 further including a time delaying electronics circuit associated with each said switches, whereby once said switch is caused to change its state to the on, or conducting state, said switch continues to be on said on or conducting state for a predetermined, or delay, amount of time, whereby said electrical stimulating current continues flowing through said electrical tips to said neurons in the vicinity of said electrical tip even after said digital address is changed, with the result that said digital address bus becomes free to connect a second and more of said electrical tips to said wire carrying said electrical stimulating current.

5. The device of claim 1 further including means of connecting several said electrical tips in parallel to said single wire carrying said stimulating electrical current, wherein the parallel connection creates the possibility of decreasing the electrical impedance of said electrical tip, thereby increasing the current level of said stimulation.

6. The device of claim 1 further including pulse shaping means that is capable of causing a variable voltage or variable current pulse to be delivered to said electrical pads, said pulse shaping means taking the place of said delaying electronics, in such a way that said address bus only addresses said electrical tips once, causing said tips to stay connected to said wire carrying said stimulating electrical current, the difference being that the pulse itself becomes modulated to the shape desired, which in current art is approximately 90 microseconds on then 5.5 milliseconds off.

7. The device of claim 1 further including means to receive the addresses of said measuring tip via telemetry, as radio waves or any similar action at a distance, wherein said telemetry means obviate the need to have address wires running through the body of said picafina.

8. The device of claim 1 further containing a delay line which causes that once said electrode tip is selected, it continues on the on state, applying current to said cells or neurons, after which said time delay said switch turns to the off or disconnected state, thereby stopping said stimulating current on said cells or neurons, in such a way that allows said electrode tips to be selected again later to again originate another said stimulating pulse, said sequences of on/off cycles capable of continuing for extended periods of time, whereas the result is to have stimulating pulses of pre-assigned shapes, said shapes consisting of pre-assigned on and pre-assigned off period of times.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the body of said picafina is made of polyurethane and the measuring tips are made of titanium.

10. The device of claim 1 wherein the body of said picafina is made of an electrical non-conductive material and the measuring tips are made of an electrical conductive material.

11. A device, herein called picafina, having a proximal extremity and a distal extremity, to force stimulating electrical currents in cells, especially neurons, said device having a plurality of electrode tips on the surface of said device, said electrode tips being generally located at or near the distal extremity of said device, and a plurality of electrical current carrying wires to carry said electrical current from a source, here called battery or batteries, or any of its equivalents, which said electrical current said picafina receives at its proximal extremity to convey to its distal extremity to said electrode tips, further possessing means, as address decoders, demultiplexers, switches and their equivalents, to connect the proximal extremities of said plurality of stimulating current carrying wires to one or more said batteries or any of its equivalents, and to connect the distal extremities of said stimulating current carrying wires to one of more said electrode tips, whereas electrical current can flow from said battery, via said stimulating current carrying wires, to be injected in said cells or neurons, at the neighborhood of said electrode tips, said batteries or its equivalents being capable of stimulating either one or several said electrode tips at the same time or in succession, and means to connect one or more of said plurality of electrical stimulation carrying wires to one or more of said electrode tips, to carry said stimulating currents from the proximal extremity of said device to the distal extremity of said device, and from there to said electrode tips, from where said electrical current stimulation migrates to said cells or neurons, whereby the electrical activity can be forced in the neighborhood of said electrode tips, which is near a cell or a neuron, said stimulation being produced at the same time or in succession on several said cells, said stimulation being made at said subset of said plurality of electrode tips, wherein said multiple electrical current stimulation offers the possibility of adjusting the firing of said cells or neurons to a better condition.

12. The device of claim 11 further including a first tip address bus capable by appropriate means to select one of the plurality of said electrical stimulating tips, a first plurality of tip address decoders, and a plurality of on/off switches, in such a way that each said measuring tip is associated with one of said first address decoders and one of said on/off switches, said tip first address decoder being capable of comparing an address asserted on said first tip address bus with a predetermined address unique to each said first address decoder and said measuring tip and said on/off switch, further being able to turn on, or the conductive state, said associated on/off switch which is capable to complete the electrical connection from said electrode tip connected to one of its extremities, or input side, to the input side of said second switch capable to complete said connection to one of said electrical stimulation carrying wires, said second switch being controlled by said second wire address decoder, or second decoder, whereas it is possible to connect a subset of said electrode tips to a subset of said electrical carrying wires, therefore creating the possibility of having a plurality of said electrode tips connected to a plurality of said electrical carrying wires, each said electrical carrying wires possibly being at a different voltage level, or carrying a different current level, in such a way that said electrode tips may be set at different voltage levels or driving different current levels, furthermore opening the possibility that multiple electrical stimulation can occur either simultaneously or sequentially on said body cells and neurons, and further, that said difference in voltage levels at said electrode tips is able to shape the electric field around said device, thereby directing the current to desired directions, thereby increasing the therapeutic possibilities open to said device.

13. The device of claim 11 further including the possibility that several tips are connected in parallel, or simultaneously, to the same stimulating current wire, further including electric latches capable of holding the selected values at said address decoders, at said electric switches and at said demultiplexers, wherein the combined effect is of using a single tip of larger area, which is the combined area of said several tips connected in parallel, with the effect of allowing for a stronger signal to be forced into said cells or neurons associated with the larger available surface driving capability, further including the combination of different areas and shapes created by combinations of smaller electrode tips and different voltage levels, said combination of surface areas and shapes and voltage levels being able to direct the current that emanates from said electrodes in particular directions out of said devices, thereby causing a three-dimensional volume that receives said electric current from said electrode tips.

14. The device of claim 11 further including means to receive the address(es) of said electric tip and stimulating current wire via telemetry, as radio waves, or magnetic induction, or any other action-at-a-distance means, wherein there is no need for one or both address bus(es) running through the picafina, thereby making said device smaller.

15. The device of claim 11 wherein the body of said picafina is made of polyurethane and the measuring tips are made of titanium.

16. The device of claim 11 wherein the body of said picafina is made of an electrical non-conductive material and the measuring tips are made of an electrical conductive material.

17. A bi-directional device having a distal extremity and a proximal extremity, capable of both measuring electrical signals on a cell near said distal extremity of said device, such that said electrical signal enters an electrical tip at its distal extremity, travels through said signal device using appropriate means, then out of said signal device at its proximal extremity to a measuring and recording instrument outside said device, and also capable of applying an excitatory electrical current or voltage on the same said cells or on a different cell at a different location than the location where said signal is measured, such that said excitatory electric current travels from an outside source electrically connected to said proximal extremity of said bi-directional device, such that said excitatory electric current enters said bi-directional signal device at its proximal extremity and from there through the length of said bi-directional device to one of a plurality of said electric tips onto the surface of said bi-directional device, where said excitatory electrical stimulation enters said cell, with one out of a plurality of electrical pads or tips connected to one out of a plurality of conducting wires that carry said bi-directional signal from one end to the other of said bi-directional signal device, from which said bi-directional signals can be either measured by appropriate devices or sent into said picafina to be applied to the appropriate tip, whereas said signal applied to said cell can be used as an originating arbitrary stimulus and said measurement on said same or different cell can be used as an indicator of the consequence of said stimulus.

18. The bi-directional device of claim 17 where said bi-directional signals travels through a plurality of connecting wires extending from its proximal end to its distal end, which are connected via demultiplexers to a plurality of electrical switches to said plurality of electrical measuring/stimulating tips, said demultiplexers controlled by signals on a wire address bus, and said electrical switches controlled by a plurality of address decoders and on/off switches, one each for each said measuring/stimulating tip, said tip address decoders being capable of reading addresses asserted on said tip address bus and comparing said address with a value permanently written in each said tip address decoder, wherein said tip address decoder is capable of causing said electrical switch to change output states from its naturally occurring off state to the on state according to said tip address bus carrying respectively a different or the same address as permanently written on said tip address decoder, wherein a unique of said electrical tips may be connected via said electrical switch and said demultiplexer to one of said signal connecting wires extending from said distal end to said proximal end, wherein said signal connecting wire, said demultiplexer, said switch, said address decoder and said measuring/stimulating tips allow the electrical pathway to be directional.

19. The bi-directional picafina of claim 17 wherein said signal measuring tips of it carry measured electrical signals that can be interpreted by a microcomputer that is part of the device, wherein the use of said signal measurement allows said microcomputer to select the best values of voltages and tips to stimulate the patient.

20. The bi-directional picafina of claim 17 wherein said measuring signal and said electrical stimulation are used for heart to detect cardiac arrhythmias and to apply electrical stimulation to correct said arrhythmia or even to restart said heart when said heart stops beating.