US 2007/0191908 A1 · METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR STIMULATING A DENERVATED MUSCLE

Abstract

A method of stimulating a subject having a denervated muscle and a corresponding functional muscle that are responsible for producing actions, such as blinking, on first and second portions, respectively, of the subject's body. The method includes determining whether the functional muscle has contracted, generating a contraction signal if it is determined that it has contracted, and causing the denervated muscle to contract following the generation of the contraction signal. Also, an apparatus for stimulating such a subject including one or more sensing devices operatively associated with the functional muscle and one or more stimulating devices operatively associated with the denervated muscle. One or more of the sensing devices generates one or more first signals in response to activity indicating functional muscle contraction. The one or more stimulating devices are made to cause the denervated muscle to contract in response to the generation of the first signals.

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Claims88

Dependent claims

An apparatus for stimulating a subject having a denervated muscle and a corresponding functional muscle, said functional muscle and said denervated muscle being responsible for producing actions on first and second portions, respectively, of said subject's body, comprising:

one or more sensing devices located on or within the body of said subject and operatively associated with said functional muscle, one or more of said one or more sensing devices generating one or more first signals in response to certain activity indicating that said functional muscle has contracted, wherein each of said one or more sensing devices includes a first RF transmitter, wherein the one or more first signals are each an RF signal transmitted by a respective first RF transmitter;
one or more stimulating devices located on or within the body of said subject and operatively associated with said denervated muscle;
and
a control unit including:
(i) a controller, (ii) a power supply, wherein power is provided to said one or more sensing devices through near field inductive coupling between said power supply and each of said sensing devices, (iii) an RF receiver for receiving said one or more first signals and providing said one or more first signals to said controller, and (iv) a second RF transmitter;
wherein when said controller receives said one or more first signals said controller causes a second signal to be generated in response thereto, said second signal being an RF signal transmitted by said second RF transmitter and received by said one or more stimulating devices, said second signal causing said one or more stimulating devices to cause said denervated muscle to contract.

3 more elements

one or more sensing devices located on or within the body of said subject and operatively associated with said functional muscle, one or more of said one or more sensing devices generating one or more first signals in response to certain activity indicating that said functional muscle has contracted, wherein each of said one or more sensing devices includes a first RF transmitter, wherein the one or more first signals are each an RF signal transmitted by a respective first RF transmitter;
one or more stimulating devices located on or within the body of said subject and operatively associated with said denervated muscle;
and
a control unit including:
(i) a controller, (ii) an RF receiver for receiving said one or more first signals and providing said one or more first signals to said controller, and (iii) a second RF transmitter;
wherein when said controller receives said one or more first signals said controller causes a second signal to be generated in response thereto, said second signal being an RF signal transmitted by said second RF transmitter, wherein each of said stimulating devices includes an antenna for receiving said second signal and conversion circuitry for converting said second signal into a DC signal, and wherein said DC signal is used to provide a stimulus to said denervated muscle that causes said denervated muscle to contract.

3 more elements

An apparatus for stimulating a denervated muscle of a subject, said subject having a functional muscle corresponding to said denervated muscle, comprising:

a sensing device located on or implanted within the body of said subject and operatively associated with said functional muscle, said sensing device including:
(i) at least one sensor for sensing a parameter associated with said functional muscle and generating a sensor signal based thereon, and
(ii) control circuitry for receiving said sensor signal, determining whether said functional muscle has contracted based on said sensor signal, and causing a first RF transmitter included in said sensing device to transmit a first RF signal if it is determined that said functional muscle has contracted;
a control unit located separately from said sensing device, said control unit having a power supply, wherein power is provided to said sensing device through near field inductive coupling between said power supply and said sensing device, an RF receiver, a controller and a second RF transmitter, wherein said RF receiver receives said first RF signal and provides a signal based on said first RF signal to said controller, and wherein in response to receipt of said signal based on said first RF signal said controller causes said second RF transmitter to transmit a second RF signal;
and
a stimulating device located on or implanted within the body of said subject, said stimulating device having stimulation circuitry operatively associated with said denervated muscle, an antenna for receiving said second RF signal and conversion circuitry for converting said second RF signal into a DC signal provided to said stimulation circuitry for powering said stimulation circuitry, wherein when said stimulating device receives said DC signal said stimulation circuitry provides a stimulus to said denervated muscle to cause said denervated muscle to contract.

3 more elements

An apparatus for stimulating a denervated muscle of a subject, said subject having a functional muscle corresponding to said denervated muscle, comprising:

a sensing device located on or implanted within the body of said subject and operatively associated with said functional muscle, said sensing device including:
(i) at least one sensor for sensing a parameter associated with said functional muscle and generating a sensor signal based thereon,
(ii) control circuitry for receiving said sensor signal, determining whether said functional muscle has contracted based on said sensor signal, and causing a first RF transmitter included in said sensing device to transmit a first RF signal if it is determined that said functional muscle has contracted, and
(iii) an energy harvesting circuit including an antenna and conversion circuitry for receiving RF energy transmitted by a far-field source and converting the received RF energy into DC power for powering said control circuitry;
a control unit located separately from said sensing device, said control unit having an RF receiver, a controller and a second RF transmitter, wherein said RF receiver receives said first RF signal and provides a signal based on said first RF signal to said controller, and wherein in response to receipt of said signal based on said first RF signal said controller causes said second RF transmitter to transmit a second RF signal;
and
a stimulating device located on or implanted within the body of said subject, said stimulating device having stimulation circuitry operatively associated with said denervated muscle, and an energy harvesting circuit including an antenna and conversion circuitry for receiving said RF energy and converting the received RF energy into DC power for powering said stimulation circuitry, wherein when said stimulating device receives said second RF signal said stimulation circuitry provides a stimulus to said denervated muscle to cause said denervated muscle to contract.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description6,777 words

Summary2,183 words

#The present invention relates to the treatment of disorders, such as Bell's palsy, wherein a subject has a denervated muscle, and in particular to a method and apparatus for stimulating the denervated muscle in response to a the contraction of a corresponding functional muscle of the subject.

#Approximately 140,000 patients per year are affected by a deficit of the seventh cranial nerve, the nerve that provides signals for the muscles of facial expression for one side (left or right) of the face (as described elsewhere herein, those muscles are referred to as being “denervated”). About half of these are due to Bell's palsy, an idiopathic condition probably related to a herpes infection. Most of the Bell's patients will recover fairly good function within about 6-12 months. About 15%, however, will recover only partially and be left with significant weakness of blinking. The other 70,000 palsies are secondary to head trauma, tumors, surgical trauma and other causes. These latter patients are much less likely to recover, and much more likely to suffer permanent damage to the eye.

#The current treatments for this disorder are crude and disfiguring, at best: sewing the eyelids together, connecting other nerves to the facial nerve, implanting gold weights into the upper eyelid, and others. None of these treatments, however, gives dynamic restoration of blink. Blinking, both the involuntary blinks which occur about 10-20 times per minute, and the voluntary blinks occurring when asked to close one's eyes, is critically important for protection of the eye. It functions to lubricate the ocular surface and sweep away foreign material and bacteria. Even lubrication maintains the integrity of the ocular surface, protecting it from bacterial invasion, and provides a smooth refractive surface for clear vision. Breakdown in any part of this system immediately places the eye at risk of pain, infection, and decreased vision.

Brief description of the drawings5 figures

#The accompanying drawings illustrate presently preferred embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention. As shown throughout the drawings, like reference numerals designate like or corresponding parts.

#FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an apparatus according to one particular embodiment of the invention for stimulating a subject that has a disorder wherein the subject has a denervated muscle and a corresponding functional muscle that are each responsible for producing an associated action on the subject's body;

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an apparatus according to an alternate embodiment of the invention for stimulating a subject that has a disorder wherein the subject has a denervated muscle and a corresponding functional muscle that are each responsible for producing an associated action on the subject's body;

Detailed description4,327 words

#As used herein, the term “muscle” shall refer to a single muscle or portion thereof or a group of two or more muscles or portions of muscle tissue, such as a group of two or more muscles working cooperatively to cause a certain activity.

#As used herein, the term “contract” or “contracted” shall refer one or a combination of the initiation of the contraction of a muscle or the actual contraction of a muscle to a particular degree, including full contraction and less than full contraction.

#As used herein, the term “denervated” shall mean that a muscle is either partially or fully deprived of a nerve supply such that the ability of the muscle to contract normally is partially or fully impaired.

Method and apparatus for stimulating a denervated muscle

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Method and apparatus for stimulating a denervated muscle

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

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Drawings

Claims88

Description6,777 words

Drawings

Classification10 codes

Life of this patent

Description6,777 words