NERVE STIMULATOR AND METHOD USING SIMULTANEOUS ELECTRICAL AND OPTICAL SIGNALS

• US 20100114190A1
• Filed: 10/05/2009
• Published: 05/06/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nervesense Ltd
• Original Assignee: Lockheed Martin Corporation (Martin Marietta Corporation)
• Inventors: Bendett, Mark P., Webb, James S., Wells, Jonathon D., Lemaire, Charles A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,696 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2018/2025 with a pilot laser
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36014 External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes external pacemakers A61N1/3625
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/063 comprising light transmitting means, e.g. optical fibres
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0659 infrared
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0601 Apparatus for use inside the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0613 Apparatus adapted for a specific treatment
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0622 Optical stimulation for exciting neural tissue

Abstract

An apparatus and method for stimulating animal tissue (for example to trigger a nerve action potential (NAP) signal in a human patient) by application of both electrical and optical signals for treatment and diagnosis purposes. The application of an electrical signal before or simultaneously to the application of a NAP-triggering optical signal allows the use of a lower amount of optical power or energy than would otherwise be needed if an optical signal alone was used for the same purpose and effectiveness. The application of the electrical signal may precondition the nerve tissue such that a lower-power optical signal can be used to trigger the desired NAP, which otherwise would take a higher-power optical signal were the electric signal not applied. Some embodiments include an implanted nerve interface having a plurality of closely spaced electrodes placed transversely and/or longitudinally to the nerve and a plurality of optical emitters.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating an electrical stimulation signal and an optical stimulation signal; and

applying a combination of both the electrical stimulation signal and the optical stimulation signal to a living animal to trigger a nerve action potential (NAP) in vivo.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical stimulation signal is of a nature such that if applied alone the optical signal has a probability to trigger a NAP, the probability being no more than 25%.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the electrical stimulation signal is of a nature such that if applied alone the electrical signal has a probability to trigger a NAP, the probability being no more than 25%.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical stimulation signal is of a nature such that if applied alone the electrical signal has a probability to trigger a NAP, the probability being no more than 25%.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

also selectively applying a visible indication light signal that indicates a location that the optical stimulation signal is to be applied.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a hybrid probe having an optical fiber inserted an electrically conductive cannula;

applying the optical-stimulation signal through the optical fiber; and

applying the electrical-stimulation signal through the cannula.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising using a second probe to obtain an electrical signal representative of the triggered NAP.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the hybrid probe further includes an electrode that is electrically separate from the cannula, the method further comprising using the electrode to obtain an electrical response signal representative of the triggered NAP.

9. The method of claim 6, the method further comprising using the cannula to obtain an electrical response signal representative of the triggered NAP.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein a signal representative of the electrical stimulation signal is subtracted from a signal obtained using the cannula to obtain the electrical response signal representative of the triggered NAP.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a hybrid probe having an optical fiber that has a metallization layer applied to the optical fiber;

applying the optical-stimulation signal through the optical fiber; and

applying the electrical-stimulation signal through the metallization layer.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising obtaining an electrical response signal representative of the triggered NAP.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the hybrid probe further includes an electrode that is electrically separate from the metallization layer, the method further comprising using the electrode to obtain an electrical response signal representative of the triggered NAP.

14. The method of claim 11, the method further comprising using the metallization layer to obtain an electrical response signal representative of the triggered NAP.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the applying of the combination of both the electrical stimulation signal and the optical stimulation signal includes using a plurality of electrodes configured to selectively apply the electrical stimulation signal in a direction that is both transverse and axial to a nerve pathway.

16. An apparatus comprising:

an electrical-stimulation-signal source configured to selectively output an electrical stimulation signal;

an optical-stimulation-signal source configured to selectively output an optical stimulation signal; and

a controller operatively coupled to the electrical-stimulation-signal source and to the optical-stimulation-signal source and configured to control them to trigger a nerve action potential (NAP) in vivo.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the optical stimulation signal is of a nature such that if applied alone the optical stimulation signal has a probability to trigger a NAP, the probability being no more than 25%.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the electrical stimulation signal is of a nature such that if applied alone the electrical stimulation signal has a probability to trigger a NAP, the probability being no more than 25%.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the electrical stimulation signal is of a nature such that if applied alone the electrical stimulation signal has a probability to trigger a NAP, the probability being no more than 25%.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the optical stimulation signal is infrared, the apparatus further comprising a visible-indication-light-signal source configured to project visible light to indicate a location that the optical stimulation signal is to be applied.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a hybrid probe having an optical fiber inserted an electrically conductive cannula, wherein the optical-stimulation signal is applied through the optical fiber and the electrical-stimulation signal is applied through the cannula.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, further comprising a second probe configured to obtain an electrical signal representative of the triggered NAP.

23. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the hybrid probe further includes an electrode that is electrically separate from the cannula, wherein the electrode is configured to obtain an electrical signal representative of the triggered NAP.

24. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the apparatus is configured such that the cannula is also used to obtain an electrical signal representative of the triggered NAP.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the apparatus is configured to subtract a signal representative of the electrical stimulation signal from a signal obtained using the cannula to obtain the electrical signal representative of the triggered NAP.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, further comprising a hybrid probe having an optical fiber that has a metallization layer applied to the optical fiber, wherein the optical-stimulation signal is applied through the optical fiber and the electrical-stimulation signal is applied through the metallization layer.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a second probe configured to obtain an electrical signal representative of the triggered NAP.

28. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the hybrid probe further includes an electrode that is electrically separate from the metallization layer, and is configured to obtain an electrical signal representative of the triggered NAP.

29. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the apparatus is configured to use the metallization layer to obtain an electrical signal representative of the triggered NAP.

30. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising a hybrid probe having a plurality of individually selectable optical emitters and a first plurality of individually selectable electrodes and at least one other electrode, wherein the optical-stimulation signal is propagated from one of the plurality of optical emitters and the electrical-stimulation signal is applied between a one or more of the first plurality of individually selectable electrodes and one or more of the at least one other electrode.

31. The apparatus of claim 30, wherein the controller is configured to supply signals to the hybrid probe to selectively apply the electrical stimulation signal in a direction that is both transverse and axial to a nerve pathway.

32. An apparatus comprising:

means for generating an electrical stimulation signal and an optical stimulation signal; and

means for applying a combination of both the electrical stimulation signal and the optical stimulation signal to a living animal to trigger a nerve action potential (NAP) in vivo.

33. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the applied optical stimulation signal is of a nature such that if applied alone the optical signal has a low probability to trigger a NAP, the probability being no more than 25%.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the applied electrical stimulation signal is of a nature such that if applied alone the electrical signal has a low probability to trigger a NAP, the probability being no more than 25%.

35. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the applied electrical stimulation signal is of a nature such that if applied alone the electrical signal has a low probability to trigger a NAP, the probability being no more than 25%.

36. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the applied electrical stimulation signal and the optical stimulation signal is applied to at least one tissue of the group consisting of peripheral nerves, central-nervous-system neurons, a spinal cord, spinal roots, cranial nerves, nerve endings, and cardiac tissues.

37. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the means for applying the combination of both the electrical stimulation signal and the optical stimulation signal includes a plurality of electrodes configured to selectively apply an electrical signal in a direction that is substantially axial to a nerve pathway.

38. The apparatus of claim 32, wherein the means for applying the combination of both the electrical stimulation signal and the optical stimulation signal includes a plurality of electrodes configured to selectively apply an electrical signal in a direction that is both transverse and axial to a nerve pathway.