# US 2012/0083861 A1 · Selective activation of neurons by sinusoidal electric stimulation

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- Number: US 2012/0083861 A1
- Document ID: US20120083861A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/252,499
- Filed: 2011-10-04
- Published: 2012-04-05
- Earliest claimed: 2010-10-04
- Assignees: The General Hospital Corporation
- Inventors: Shelley I. Fried; Daniel K. Freeman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20120083861A1

## CPC

- A61N 1/36082: {Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease}
- A61N 1/36067: {Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease (stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003)}
- A61N 1/36171: {Frequency}
- A61N 1/36046: {of the eye}
- A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B)

## Abstract

The present invention provides for a method of selectively activating synaptically mediated responses in ganglion cells without activating passing axons, by contacting a focal region around said cells with an electrode that stimulates using low-frequency sinusoidal electric signal. In particular, the selective low-frequency sinusoidal stimulation has a frequency of ≦25 Hz. specific frequencies of sinusoidal stimulation, which can be used to preferentially activate certain neural cell types, including retinal cells: ganglion cells at 100 Hz, photoreceptors are activated at 5 Hz, and bipolar cells at 25 Hz.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of selectively activating synaptically mediated responses in ganglion cells without activating passing axons, comprising contacting a focal region around said cells with an electrode that stimulates using low-frequency sinusoidal electric signal.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the low-frequency sinusoidal stimulation has a frequency of ≦25 Hz.

### Claim 3

A method of selectively activating cells comprising exposing said cells to a low frequency sinusoidal electric signal of about ≦100 Hz.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the cells are ganglion cells and the electric stimulus is about ≦100 Hz.

### Claim 5 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the cells are photoreceptor cells and the electric stimulus is about 5 Hz.

### Claim 6 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the cells are bipolar cells and the electric stimulus is about 25 Hz.