Method for reducing spasticity and non-transitory computer-readable medium thereof

• US 9,956,408 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2016
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GiMer Medical Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: GiMer Medical Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lin, Wei-Tso, Lu, Kuo-Hsiang
• Primary Examiner(s): Koharski, Christopher D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Patel, Natasha
• Application Number:
  US15/334,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20170043163A1
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/06 for high-frequency therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36067 Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3616 Voltage density or current density
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36171 Frequency

Abstract

A method for reducing spasticity applied with an electrical stimulation device to electrically stimulate a target zone of an organism suffering from spasticity. The electrical stimulation device comprises at least one electrical stimulation unit. The electrical stimulation unit includes at least one first electrode and at least one second electrode. The method includes the following steps. The electrical stimulation unit is placed near the target zone. The electrical stimulation unit generates an electrical stimulation signal and the electrical stimulation signal is introduced to the target zone so as to stimulate the target zone. An electric field is generated between the first electrode and the second electrode and covers the target zone. The strength of the electric field ranges from 100 V/m to 1000 V/m.

Claims

1. A method for reducing spasticity applied to electrically stimulate a target zone of an organism by an implanted electrical stimulation device, wherein the implanted electrical stimulation device includes at least an electrical stimulation unit, the method comprising:

placing the electrical stimulation unit including at least a first electrode and a second electrode near the target zone wherein the target zone is a dorsal root ganglion, a spinal cord, a dorsal root, a ventral root or a nerve on a neurotransmission pathway causing spastic symptoms; and

delivering a first electrical stimulation signal by the electrical stimulation unit of the implanted electrical stimulation device to electrically stimulate the target zone without nerve blocking agent,

wherein an electric field covering the target zone is generated between the first electrode and the second electrode of the implanted electrical stimulation device according to the first electrical stimulation signal, and a strength of the electric field is larger than 100 V/m and smaller than 1000 V/m so as to reduce spasticity of the organism.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first electrical stimulation signal is a pulse signal and its pulse repetition frequency ranges from 0 to 1 KHz.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of the first electrical stimulation signal ranges from 200 KHz to 1000 KHz.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the frequency of the first electrical stimulation signal ranges from 200 KHz to 450 KHz or ranges from 550 KHz to 1000 KHz.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of the first electrical stimulation signal comprises a plurality of pulse signals, and the plurality of pulse signals have a duration time ranging from 1 to 250 ms.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the voltage of the first electrical stimulation signal ranges from −

10V to −

1V or ranges from 1V to 10V.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the current of the first electrical stimulation signal ranges from 2 mA to 50 mA.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second electrodes are separated by a first distance which ranges from 3 mm to 7 mm, and the first and second electrodes are at least at a second distance away from the target zone, and the second distance is no more than 10 mm.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first electrical stimulation signal is adapted to block the neurotransmission in the target zone.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the electrical stimulation unit further delivers a low electrical stimulation signal which is not higher than 1 KHz.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the organism receives the electrical stimulation signal for a second time at least 24 hours after receiving the electrical signal for a first time.

12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first electrical stimulation signal is adapted to block the neurotransmission in the target zone by blocking or inhibiting c-fibers.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions configured to be executed by an implanted electrical stimulation device to electrically stimulate a target zone of an organism who suffers from spasticity so as to reduce spasticity of the organism, wherein the implanted electrical stimulation device includes at least an electrical stimulation unit, and the electrical stimulation unit includes at least a first electrode and a second electrode, and when the instructions are executed by the implanted electrical stimulation device, the implanted electrical stimulation device executes a plurality steps comprising:

delivering a first electrical stimulation signal by the electrical stimulation unit of the implanted electrical stimulation device to electrically stimulate the target zone without nerve blocking agent wherein the target zone is a dorsal root ganglion, a spinal cord, a dorsal root, a ventral root or a nerve on a neurotransmission pathway causing spastic symptoms,

wherein an electric field covering the target zone is generated between the first electrode and the second electrode of the implanted electrical stimulation device according to the first electrical stimulation signal, and a strength of the electric field is larger than 100 V/m and smaller than 1000 V/m so as to reduce spasticity of the organism.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the first electrical stimulation signal is a pulse signal and its pulse repetition frequency ranges from 0 to 1 KHz.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the frequency of the first electrical stimulation signal ranges from 200 KHz to 1000 KHz.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 13, wherein the first electrical stimulation signal is adapted to block the neurotransmission in the target zone by blocking or inhibiting c-fibers.

17. A method for reducing spasticity applied to electrically stimulate a target zone of an organism by an implanted electrical stimulation device, wherein the implanted electrical stimulation device includes at least an electrical stimulation unit, the method comprising:

placing the electrical stimulation unit including at least a first electrode and a second electrode near the target zone wherein the target zone is a dorsal root ganglion, a spinal cord, a dorsal root, a ventral root or a nerve on a neurotransmission pathway causing spastic symptoms; and

delivering a first electrical stimulation signal by the electrical stimulation unit of the implanted electrical stimulation device to electrically stimulate the target zone without destroying the neural cells,

wherein an electric field covering the target zone is generated between the first electrode and the second electrode of the implanted electrical stimulation device according to the first electrical stimulation signal, and the frequency of the first electrical stimulation signal ranges from 200 KHz to 1000 KHz so as to reduce spasticity of the organism.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing one or more instructions configured to be executed by an implanted electrical stimulation device to electrically stimulate a target zone of an organism who suffers from spasticity so as to reduce spasticity of the organism, wherein the implanted electrical stimulation device includes at least an electrical stimulation unit, and the electrical stimulation unit includes at least a first electrode and a second electrode, and when the instructions are executed by the implanted electrical stimulation device, the implanted electrical stimulation device executes a plurality steps comprising:

delivering a first electrical stimulation signal by the electrical stimulation unit of the implanted electrical stimulation device to electrically stimulate the target zone without destroying the neural cells wherein the target zone is a dorsal root ganglion, a spinal cord, a dorsal root, a ventral root or a nerve on a neurotransmission pathway causing spastic symptoms,

wherein an electric field covering the target zone is generated between the first electrode and the second electrode of the implanted electrical stimulation device according to the first electrical stimulation signal, and the frequency of the first electrical stimulation signal ranges from 200 KHz to 1000 KHz so as to reduce spasticity of the organism.