Method and apparatus for guiding movement of a freely roaming animal through brain stimulation

• US 7,970,476 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2003
• Issued: 06/28/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York)
• Original Assignee: The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (State University of New York)
• Inventors: Talwar, Sanjiv K., Chapin, John K., Hawley, Emerson S., Xu, Shaohua
• Primary Examiner(s): Bertram; Eric D.
• Application Number:
  US10/361,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20030199944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,060 Days
• Field of Search: 607/1, 607/2, 607/48, 607/49, 607/60, 607/115, 607/116, 600/544, 600/545, 340/573.3, 119/712, 119/720, 119/908
• US Class Current: 607/48
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 1/031 Cages for laboratory animals; Cages for measuring metabolism of animals
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 15/021 Electronic training devices specially adapted for dogs or cats
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0529 Electrodes for brain stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/061 using biological neurons, e.g. biological neurons connected to an integrated circuit

Abstract

Movement of a freely roaming animal (190), such as a rat, is guided using electric stimulation of the animal'"'"'s brain. Cues are provided to the animal to move forward by stimulating a reward center of the brain. Cues are provided to the animal to change its direction by stimulating portions of the animal'"'"'s brain that control right and left movements, such as a cortical representation of whiskers of the animal. Multi-channel, remotely controlled equipment (140, 145, 150, 350) may be carried by the animal to enable independent energizing of electrodes attached to different regions of the animal'"'"'s brain. A transmitter carried by the animal may report back data to allow monitoring. A component may be carried by the animal for carrying out a mission, such as for search and rescue or surveillance. Groups of animals may be controlled in real-time by coordinating their movements and tracking their locations.

Claims

1. A method for guiding forward, right and left movement of a freely roaming animal, comprising:

implanting electrodes in a medial forebrain bundle (MFB) area of an animal'"'"'s brain for controlling the animal'"'"'s forward movement, and implanting electrodes in a portion of the animal'"'"'s brain for controlling left and right movements;

energizing the electrodes to provide cues to the animal to move forward by stimulating the MFB area of the animal'"'"'s brain to achieve a first actual behavioral result; and

energizing the electrodes to provide cues to the animal to change its direction of movement either left or right by stimulating the portion of the animal'"'"'s brain for controlling left and right movement, individually or simultaneously with the step of energizing the electrodes to provide cues to the animal to move forward, to achieve a second actual behavioral result;

wherein the first actual behavioral result is the animal moving forward for a specified length of time and distance, and the second actual behavioral result is the animal turning left or right for a specified length of time and distance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the cues are provided to the animal to coordinate its movements; and

the portion of the animal'"'"'s brain for controlling left and right movement includes the somatosensory (SI) cortices of the animal'"'"'s brain.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeating the energizing of the electrodes in the animal to achieve a first desired behavioral result and a second desired behavioral result.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of respective freely roaming animals wherein each of the plurality of animals has electrodes implanted in the portions of the animal'"'"'s brain for controlling the animal'"'"'s forward movement and left and right movements; and

energizing the electrodes to provide cues in one or more of the plurality of animals.

5. A system for guiding forward, right and left movement of a freely roaming animal, comprising:

a plurality of electrodes configured to be implanted in a medial forebrain bundle (MFB) area of an animal'"'"'s brain for controlling the animal'"'"'s forward movement;

a plurality of electrodes configured to be implanted in a portion of the animal'"'"'s brain for controlling left and right movements;

an energizing device configured to be coupled to the animal and configured to energize the electrodes to provide cues to the animal to move forward by stimulating the medial forebrain bundle area of the animal'"'"'s brain, and to provide cues to the animal to change its direction of movement by stimulating the portion of the animal'"'"'s brain for controlling left and right movements;

a remotely controlled receiver configured to be coupled to the animal and configured to receive signals for controlling the energizing device;

a transmitter configured to initiate the signals for controlling the energizing device;

a first signal initiated from the transmitter configured to energize the plurality of electrodes configured to be implanted in the MFB area for a specified period of time to provide cues to the animal to move forward in a direction; and

a second signal initiated from the transmitter individually or simultaneously with the first signal configured to energize the plurality of electrodes configured to be implanted in the portion of the animal'"'"'s brain for controlling left and right movements for a specified period of time to provide cues to the animal to turn left or right, whereby the animal turns a specified direction and moves forward in a new direction.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first signal is initiated and maintained for cueing the animal to move forward for a specified first distance, the first signal is maintained while the second signal is initiated, both the first and second signals being maintained for a specified length of time for turning the animal the specified direction, and the first signal stopped and the second signal continued for cueing the animal forward in the new direction.

7. A method for guiding forward, right and left movement of a freely roaming animal, comprising:

implanting electrodes in a medial forebrain bundle (MFB) area of an animal'"'"'s brain for controlling the animal'"'"'s forward movement, and implanting electrodes in a portion of the animal'"'"'s brain for controlling left and right movements;

energizing the electrodes to provide cues to the animal to move forward by stimulating the MFB area of the animal'"'"'s brain to achieve a first actual behavioral result;

energizing the electrodes to provide cues to the animal to change its direction of movement either left or right by stimulating the portion of the animal'"'"'s brain for controlling left and right movement, individually or simultaneously with the step of energizing the electrodes to provide cues to the animal to move forward, to achieve a second actual behavioral result;

energizing the electrodes for cueing the animal to move forward for a specified length of time and distance in a first direction;

energizing the electrodes for cueing the animal to turn left or right for a specified time and distance simultaneously with the step of energizing the electrodes for cueing the animal to move forward; and

energizing the electrodes for cueing the animal to move forward in a new direction.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

guiding the animal in a path having multiple changes of direction.