APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR STIMULATION OF BIOLOGICAL TISSUE

• US 20110264013A1
• Filed: 06/13/2011
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Highland Instruments, Inc.,
• Original Assignee: Highland Instruments, Inc.,
• Inventors: Wagner, Timothy Andrew, Eden, Uri Tzvi
• Granted Patent: US 8,886,304 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0816 using echo-encephalography
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2007/0002 Head or parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 7/00 Heating or cooling appliances for medical or therapeutic treatment of the human body heating or cooling means in connection with bedsteads or mattresses A47C21/00 ; massage, therapeutic baths A61H; hyperthermia using electric or magnetic fields or ultrasound A61N; electric heating elements H05B
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/005 Moveable platforms, e.g. vibrating or oscillating platforms for standing, sitting, laying or leaning
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/20 continuous direct currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/32 alternating or intermittent currents applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling A61N1/40; microwave apparatus A61N5/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• 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 1/36025 for treating a mental or cerebral condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3629 in combination with non-electric therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/40 Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling microwave apparatus A61N5/00; Applying radio-frequency signals
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/002 in combination with another treatment
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0026 Stimulation of nerve tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0622 Optical stimulation for exciting neural tissue
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

An apparatus for generating focused currents in biological tissue is provided. The apparatus comprises an electric source capable of generating an electric field across a region of tissue and means for altering the permittivity of the tissue relative to the electric field, whereby a displacement current is generated. The means for altering the permittivity may be a chemical source, optical source, mechanical source, thermal source, or electromagnetic source.

Claims

1-55. -55. (canceled)

56. A method for stimulating biological tissue, the method comprising:

non-invasively providing at least two different types of energy to a region of tissue, wherein at least one of the energy types alters impedance of the tissue in the presence of the other energy types.

57. The method according to claim 56, wherein the impedance change modulates stimulation in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

enhancing the effect of stimulation;

attenuating the effect of stimulation;

amplifying the effect of stimulation;

altering the direction of stimulation;

altering stimulation thresholds of the tissue; and

a combination thereof.

58. The method according to claim 56, wherein a first type of energy is an electric field.

59. The method according to claim 58, wherein the electric field is pulsed.

60. The method according to claim 58, wherein the electric field is time varying.

61. The method according to claim 58, wherein the electric field is pulsed a plurality of time, and each pulse may be for a different length of time.

62. The method according to claim 58, wherein the electric field is time invariant.

63. The method according to claim 56, wherein a second type of energy is a mechanical field.

64. The method according to claim 63, wherein the mechanical field is generated by an ultrasound device.

65. The method according to claim 63, wherein the mechanical field is pulsed.

66. The method according to claim 63, wherein the mechanical field is time varying.

67. The method according to claim 63, wherein the mechanical field is pulsed a plurality of time, and each pulse may be for a different length of time.

68. The method according to claim 56, wherein first and second types of energy are applied to a structure or multiple structures within the brain or the nervous system selected from the group consisting of:

dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, any component of the basal ganglia, nucleus accumbens, gastric nuclei, brainstem, thalamus, inferior colliculus, superior colliculus, periaqueductal gray, primary motor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, occipital lobe, Brodmann areas 1-48, primary sensory cortex, primary visual cortex, primary auditory cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cochlea, cranial nerves, cerebellum, frontal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, sub-cortical structures, and spinal cord.

69. The method according to claim 56, wherein the tissue is neural tissue.

70. The method according to claim 69, wherein the affect of the stimulation alters neural function past the duration of stimulation.

71. A method for stimulating biological tissue, the method comprising:

non-invasively applying an electric field to a region of tissue; and

non-invasively applying a mechanical field to the region of tissue, thereby altering impedance in the region of tissue.

72. The method according to claim 71, wherein the impedance change modulates stimulation in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

enhancing the effect of stimulation;

attenuating the effect of stimulation;

amplifying the effect of stimulation;

altering the direction of stimulation;

altering stimulation thresholds of the tissue; and

a combination thereof.

73. The method according to claim 71, wherein altering impendance modulates a current in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

generating a current;

focusing a current;

increasing penetration of a current;

altering direction of a current;

altering spectral content of a current;

altering timing of a current; and

a combination thereof.

74. The method according to claim 71, wherein the tissue is neural tissue.

75. The method according to claim 72, wherein the affect of the stimulation alters neural function past the duration of stimulation.

76. The method according to claim 71, wherein the electric field and the mechanical field are applied to a structure or multiple structures within the brain or the nervous system selected from the group consisting of:

dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, any component of the basal ganglia, nucleus accumbens, gastric nuclei, brainstem, thalamus, inferior colliculus, superior colliculus, periaqueductal gray, primary motor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, occipital lobe, Brodmann areas 1-48, primary sensory cortex, primary visual cortex, primary auditory cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cochlea, cranial nerves, cerebellum, frontal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, sub-cortical structures, and spinal cord.

77. A method for stimulating biological tissue, the method comprising:

providing a noninvasive transcranial neural stimulator; and

using the stimulator to alter impedance of neural tissue.

78. The method according to claim 77, wherein the stimulator is applied to a structure or multiple structures within the brain or the nervous system selected from the group consisting of:

dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, any component of the basal ganglia, nucleus accumbens, gastric nuclei, brainstem, thalamus, inferior colliculus, superior colliculus, periaqueductal gray, primary motor cortex, supplementary motor cortex, occipital lobe, Brodmann areas 1-48, primary sensory cortex, primary visual cortex, primary auditory cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, cochlea, cranial nerves, cerebellum, frontal lobe, occipital lobe, temporal lobe, parietal lobe, and sub-cortical structures.

79. The method according to claim 77, wherein the affect of the stimulation alters neural function past the duration of stimulation.

80. The method according to claim 77, wherein the impedance change modulates stimulation in a manner selected from the group consisting of:

enhancing the effect of stimulation;

attenuating the effect of stimulation;

amplifying the effect of stimulation;

altering the direction of stimulation;

altering stimulation thresholds of the tissue; and

a combination thereof.