# US 2023/0264018 A1 · Medical treatment device and method for stimulating neurons of a patent to suppress a pathologically synchronous activity thereof > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2023/0264018 A1 - Document ID: US20230264018A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 17/905,428 - Filed: 2021-03-03 - Published: 2023-08-24 - Earliest claimed: 2020-03-03 - Assignees: Gretap AG - Applicants: Gretap AG - Inventors: Alexander Peter Tass - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230264018A1 ## CPC - A61N 1/36025: {for treating a mental or cerebral condition} - A61H 23/008: {using shock waves} - A61H 23/0245: {with ultrasonic transducers, e.g. piezoelectric} - A61M 21/00: Other devices or methods to cause a change in the state of consciousness; Devices for producing or ending sleep by mechanical, optical, or acoustical means, e.g. for hypnosis - A61H 2201/0157: portable - A61H 2201/1207: with electric or magnetic drive - A61H 2201/1607: Holding means therefor - A61H 2205/02: Head - A61M 2021/0022: {by the tactile sense, e.g. vibrations} - A61M 2021/0027: {by the hearing sense} - A61M 2021/0044: {by the sight sense} - A61M 2021/0066: {with heating or cooling} - A61M 2021/0072: {with application of electrical currents} - A61M 2209/088: on the body - 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) - A61H: PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING OR STIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; MASSAGE; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSES OR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY (electrotherapy, magnetotherapy, radiation therapy or ultrasound therapy A61N) - A61M: DEVICES FOR INTRODUCING MEDIA INTO, OR ONTO, THE BODY (introducing media into or onto the bodies of animals A61D7/00; means for inserting tampons A61F13/26; devices for administering food or medicines orally A61J; containers for collecting, storing or administering blood or medical fluids A61J1/05); DEVICES FOR TRANSDUCING BODY MEDIA OR FOR TAKING MEDIA FROM THE BODY (surgery A61B; chemical aspects of surgical articles A61L); DEVICES FOR PRODUCING OR ENDING SLEEP OR STUPOR {(Electrotherapy, e.g. producing anaesthesia by the use of alternating or intermittent currents A61N1/36021)} ## Abstract The present invention pertains to a medical treatment device (10) for stimulating neurons of a patient to suppress a pathologically synchronous activity of the neurons. The device (10) comprises a non-invasive stimulation unit (12) configured for simultaneously administering at least one acoustic stimulus and at least one non-acoustic stimulus to a patient's body, each of which is configured to suppress the pathologically synchronous activity when being administered to the patient's body. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Medical treatment device for stimulating neurons of a patient to suppress a pathologically synchronous activity of the neurons, comprising a non-invasive stimulation unit configured for simultaneously administering at least one acoustic stimulus and at least one non-acoustic stimulus to a patient's body, each of which is configured to suppress the pathologically synchronous activity when being administered to the patient's body. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Medical treatment device according to claim 1, which is configured to be fastened to a patient's head, wherein in a fastened state of the medical treatment device in which it is fastened to the patient's head, the stimulating unit is configured to provide the acoustic stimulus to a patient's ear and the non-acoustic stimulus to a patient's skin in the region of the patient's forehead, in particular the first branch of the trigeminal nerve, or occiput, in particular the C2 or C3 dermatome. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1, 2) Medical treatment device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when being administered to the patient's body, the acoustic stimulus is configured to suppress a pathologically synchronous activity of a first neuronal population, in particular in at least one of a patient's brain or spinal cord, and the non-acoustic stimulus is configured to suppress a pathologically synchronous activity of a second neuronal population, in particular in at least one of a patient's brain or spinal cord, which is different or delimited from the first neuronal population. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1, 2, 3) Medical treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the at least one non-acoustic stimulus is a vibrotactile stimulus. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4) Medical treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein each one of the at least one acoustic stimulus is associated to one non-acoustic stimulus, and wherein the stimulation unit is configured to simultaneously generate one non-acoustic stimulus together with its associated acoustic stimulus. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) Medical treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the stimulation unit comprises at least one vibrotactile stimulating element which is configured to oscillatingly or periodically act onto a surface of the patient's body so as to administer the non-acoustic stimulus to the patient's body. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) Medical treatment device according to claim 6, wherein the stimulation unit is configured to simultaneously generate the acoustic stimulus and the non-acoustic stimulus upon oscillatingly or periodically actuating the vibrotactile stimulating element. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) Medical treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the vibrotactile stimulating element is actuated at an actuation frequency in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, in particular from 20 Hz to 250 Hz or from 200 Hz to 600 Hz. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) Medical treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the stimulation unit comprises at least two vibrotactile stimulating elements, each of which is configured to generate one of at least two non-acoustic stimuli, and wherein the stimulation unit is configured to operate the at least two stimulating elements at different actuation frequencies. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) Medical treatment device according to claim 9, wherein the actuation frequencies, at which stimulating elements are to be actuated, are adjusted to a music scale, in particular a pentatonic scale. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10) Medical treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the stimulation unit is provided with a set of different actuation frequencies including frequencies at which the at least one stimulating element is to be actuated, and wherein the set of different actuation frequencies comprises a first actuating frequency and at least one further actuating frequency which is determined in dependence on or correlates to the first actuating frequency. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) Medical treatment device according to claim 11, wherein the at least one further actuating frequency of the set of different actuation frequencies correlates to the first actuating frequency according to at least one of the following equations: v2=v1* 9/8, v3=v1* 5/4, v4=v1* 3/2, v5=v1* 5/3, v6=v1*2k, v7=v1*2k* 9/8, v8=v1*2k* 5/4, v9=v1*2k* 3/2, and v10=v1*2k* 5/3, wherein v1 refers to the first actuating frequency; each one of v2 to v10 refers to the at least one further actuating frequency; and k refers to a natural number equal to or greater than 2. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) Medical treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the stimulation unit comprises at least one first stimulating element configured for administering the acoustic stimulus and at least one second stimulating element configured for administering the non-acoustic stimulus, wherein each first stimulating element is associated to one of the at least one second stimulating element in such a way that the first stimulating element and the associated second stimulating element are actuatable so as to simultaneously generate the acoustic and the non-acoustic stimulus. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14) Medical treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein a control unit of the stimulation unit is configured to operate the stimulation unit in: a first operating mode in which the generation of the acoustic stimuli is linked to the generation of the non-acoustic stimuli, and a second operating mode in which the generation of the acoustic stimuli is decoupled from the generation of the non-acoustic stimuli. ### Claim 15 Medical treatment method for stimulating neurons of a patient to suppress a pathologically synchronous activity of the neurons, comprising the step of non-invasively and simultaneously administer at least one acoustic stimulus and at least one non-acoustic stimulus to a patient's body, each of which is configured to suppress the pathologically synchronous activity.