TRANSCRANIAL MAGNETIC STIMULATION FIELD SHAPING

• US 20100286470A1
• Filed: 07/16/2010
• Published: 11/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brainsway, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Cervel (Assignment For The Benefit Of Creditors), LLC
• Inventors: SCHNEIDER, M. Bret, Mishelevich, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,956,274 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/006 for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence

Abstract

Described herein are Transcranial Magnetic Simulation (TMS) systems and methods of using them for emitting focused, or shaped, magnetic fields for TMS. In particular, described herein are arrays of TMS electromagnets comprising at least one primary (e.g., central) TMS electromagnet and a plurality of secondary (e.g., lateral or surrounding) TMS electromagnets. The secondary TMS electromagnets are arranged around the primary TMS electromagnet(s), and are typically configured to be synchronously fired with the primary TMS electromagnets. Secondary TMS electromagnets may be fired at a fraction of the power used to energize the primary TMS electromagnet to shape the resulting magnetic field. The secondary TMS electromagnets may be stimulated at opposite polarity to the primary TMS electromagnet(s). Focusing in this manner may prevent or reduce stimulation of adjacent non-target brain regions.

Claims

1. A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) system for stimulating a subject'"'"'s neuronal tissue configured for shaping the emitted magnetic field to modulate a brain target, the system including:

a primary TMS electromagnet configured to apply TMS to the subject; and

a plurality of secondary TMS electromagnets, each configured to apply TMS to the subject and to shape the magnetic field emitted by the primary TMS electromagnet, wherein the secondary TMS electromagnets are configured for stimulation at a lower power than the primary TMS electromagnet to emit a magnetic field that is concurrent with and shapes the magnetic field emitted by the primary TMS electromagnet.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary and secondary TMS electromagnets are configured so that the primary TMS electromagnet may be positioned between the secondary TMS electromagnets around the subject'"'"'s head.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of secondary TMS electromagnets are configured to stimulate in the same in polarity as the primary TMS electromagnet.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of secondary TMS electromagnets are configured to stimulate in the opposite polarity as the primary TMS electromagnet.

5. The system of claim 1, further wherein the primary TMS electromagnet comprises a plurality of TMS electromagnets.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary TMS electromagnet and the secondary TMS electromagnets are two-coil TMS electromagnets having different geometries.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary TMS electromagnet is a flat-bottomed TMS electromagnet and the secondary TMS electromagnets are V-shaped TMS electromagnet.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to coordinate the application of power to the primary and secondary TMS electromagnets.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a frame configured to secure the primary and secondary TMS electromagnets so that the primary TMS electromagnet may be positioned between the secondary TMS electromagnets around a subject'"'"'s head.

10. The system of claim 1 comprising three secondary TMS electromagnets.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the primary TMS electromagnet is configured focus on a brain target and the secondary TMS electromagnets are configured to have a different focus from the focus of the primary TMS electromagnet.

12. A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) system for stimulating a subject'"'"'s neuronal tissue, the system including:

a primary TMS electromagnet configured to apply Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to the subject; and

at least one secondary TMS electromagnet configured to shape the magnetic field emitted by the primary TMS electromagnet, and the secondary TMS electromagnet is configured for stimulation at a lower power than the primary TMS electromagnet to emit a magnetic field that is of opposite polarity and is concurrent with and shapes the magnetic field emitted by the primary TMS electromagnet.

13. A Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) system for stimulating a subject'"'"'s neuronal tissue, the system including:

a primary TMS electromagnet configured to apply Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to the subject;

a plurality of secondary TMS electromagnets configured to shape the magnetic field emitted by the primary TMS electromagnet, wherein the secondary TMS electromagnets are configured be stimulated at a lower power and to emit a magnetic field that is opposite in polarity and concurrent with the magnetic field emitted by the primary TMS electromagnet, and

wherein the primary TMS electromagnet is configured to be positioned between the secondary TMS electromagnets around the patient'"'"'s head.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the primary TMS electromagnet and the secondary TMS electromagnets are two-coil TMS electromagnets having different geometries.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the primary TMS electromagnet is a flat-bottomed TMS electromagnet and the secondary TMS electromagnets comprise V-shaped TMS electromagnets.

16. The system of claim 13, further comprising a controller configured to coordinate the application of power to the primary and secondary TMS electromagnets.

17. The system of claim 13, further comprising a frame configured to secure the primary and secondary TMS electromagnets so that the primary TMS electromagnet is positionable between the secondary TMS electromagnets around a patient'"'"'s head.

18. The system of claim 13 comprising three secondary TMS electromagnets.

19. A device for performing TMS comprising

a primary TMS electromagnet configured to apply Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation to a subject;

a plurality of secondary TMS electromagnets arranged around the primary TMS electromagnet and configured to shape the magnetic field emitted by the primary TMS electromagnet, wherein the secondary TMS electromagnets are configured to emit a magnetic field that is opposite in polarity and concurrent with the magnetic field emitted by the primary TMS electromagnet; and

a frame configured to secure the primary and secondary TMS electromagnets in position around a subject'"'"'s head so that the primary TMS electromagnet is between the secondary TMS electromagnets around the subject'"'"'s head.

20. The device of claim 19, comprising three secondary TMS electromagnets flanking the primary TMS electromagnet.

21. A method of performing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) of target deep brain structures by shaping the field emitted by a primary TMS electromagnet, the method comprising:

positioning a primary TMS electromagnet between a plurality of secondary TMS electromagnets around a subject'"'"'s head;

shaping the magnetic field emitted by the primary TMS electromagnet to modulate a deep brain target by simultaneously emitting a magnetic field from the primary TMS electromagnet and each of the plurality of secondary TMS electromagnets,

wherein the energy applied to each of the secondary TMS electromagnets is less than the energy applied to the primary TMS electromagnet.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the magnetic field emitted by the secondary TMS electromagnets has the opposite polarity of the primary TMS electromagnet.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising aiming the primary TMS electromagnet at a deep brain target within a subject'"'"'s brain.