Signal analysis, heat flow management, and stimulation techniques to treat medical disorders
AssigneeThe Johns Hopkins University
InventorsRonald P. Lesser, W. R.S. Webber
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Abstract
Analytical methods and devices for analyzing biological signals, for example, electrical signals from the brain to determine whether an abnormal condition caused by a medical condition exists. In one embodiment, the medical disorder may be epilepsy. The analytical methods include wavelet analysis and neighbor cross-correlation count, which is a frequency specific measure of the degree of correlation of a single channel of data with respect to its neighbors. The devices according to the invention are programmed to include the analytical methods and to administer treatment regimens such as electrical stimulation, heating, cooling and medication as needed.
Claims17
A method of analyzing a plurality of biological signals, comprising:
- performing a wavelet transform on the plurality of biological signals;
- and
- for at least one wavelet scale used in said performing:
- calculating the degree of correlation of each of the plurality of transformed biological signals with respect to at least one of the plurality of transformed biological signals;
- defining a correlation threshold;
- counting ones of the plurality of transformed biological signals having correlations to the at least one of the plurality of transformed biological signals that are greater than the correlation threshold;
- and
- comparing the results of said counting to a total number of possible correlations.
A method of treating a medical disorder, comprising:
- performing a wavelet analysis on a plurality of biological signals from a patient to determine whether an abnormal state caused by the medical disorder is present;
- for at least one wavelet scale used in performing the wavelet transform, performing a neighbor correlation count to determine whether a treatment regimen would ameliorate or terminate the abnormal state;
- and
- if the abnormal state exists and the treatment regimen would ameliorate or terminate the abnormal state, administering the treatment regimen.
A method of treating epilepsy, comprising:
- performing a wavelet analysis on electrical signals from the nervous system to determine whether an ictal or pre-ictal state is present in a patient;
- if the ictal or pre-ictal state is present, performing a neighbor correlation count to determine whether electrical stimulation would be effective to ameliorate or terminate the ictal or pre-ictal state;
- and
- if the neighbor correlation count indicates that electrical stimulation would be effective to ameliorate or terminate the ictal or pre-ictal state, administering the electrical stimulation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.