Actuation and control of limbs through motor nerve stimulation
AssigneeBiocontrol Medical Ltd.
InventorsEhud Cohen, Yossi Gross
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatus for actuating a skeletal muscle of a patient is provided. The apparatus typically includes a plurality of electrodes, which are adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a motor nerve that innervates the skeletal muscle. A control unit, is preferably adapted to drive a current between two or more of the plurality of electrodes, and to configure the current such that a first subset of axons in the nerve is excited by the current and such that a second subset of axons in the nerve is not excited by the current.
Claims133
Apparatus for actuating a skeletal muscle of a patient, comprising:
- a plurality of electrodes, which are adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a motor nerve that innervates the skeletal muscle;
- and
- a control unit, which is adapted to drive a current between two or more of the plurality of electrodes, and to configure the current such that a first subset of axons in the nerve is excited by the current and such that a second subset of axons in the nerve is not excited by the current.
Apparatus for actuating a skeletal muscle of a patient, comprising:
- a plurality of electromagnetic elements, which are adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a motor nerve that innervates the skeletal muscle;
- and
- a control unit, which is adapted to drive the electromagnetic elements to generate a varying magnetic field that induces an electric current in the motor nerve, and to configure the field such that a first subset of axons in the nerve is excited by the current and such that a second subset of axons in the nerve is not excited by the current.
Apparatus for controlling a limb of a patient, comprising:
- one or more electrodes, which are adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a motor nerve that innervates a skeletal muscle that controls the limb;
- a disposition sensor, which is adapted to generate a disposition sensor signal responsive to an actual disposition of the limb;
- and
- a control unit, which is adapted to receive the disposition sensor signal, to determine, responsive thereto, the actual disposition of the limb, and to drive the one or more electrodes to apply a current to the nerve, configured such that application thereof induces a contraction of the skeletal muscle which reduces a difference between a desired disposition of the limb and the actual disposition of the limb.
Apparatus for treating tremor of a muscle, comprising:
- a plurality of electrodes, which are adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a nerve that innervates the muscle;
- a sensor, which is adapted to generate a signal responsive to tremor of the muscle;
- and
- a control unit, which is adapted to receive the signal and, responsive thereto, drive the electrodes to apply a current to the nerve, configured so as to stimulate afferent axons of the nerve.
A method for actuating a skeletal muscle of a patient, comprising:
- driving a current into a motor nerve that innervates the skeletal muscle;
- and
- configuring the current such that a first subset of axons in the nerve is excited by the current and such that a second subset of axons in the nerve is not excited by the current.
A method for actuating a skeletal muscle of a patient, comprising:
- generating a varying magnetic field that induces an electric current in a motor nerve that innervates the skeletal muscle;
- and
- configuring the field such that a first subset of axons in the nerve is excited by the current and such that a second subset of axons in the nerve is not excited by the current.
A method for controlling a limb of a patient, comprising:
- sensing an actual disposition of the limb;
- and
- driving a current into a motor nerve that innervates a skeletal muscle that controls the limb;
- and
- configuring the current to induce a contraction of the skeletal muscle which reduces a difference between a desired disposition of the limb and the actual disposition of the limb.
A method for treating tremor of a muscle, comprising:
- sensing tremor of the muscle;
- and
- responsive thereto, applying a current to a nerve that innervates the muscle, configured so as to stimulate afferent axons of the nerve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.