Trans-spinal direct current modulation systems
AssigneeResearch Foundation of the City University of New York
InventorZaghloul Ahmed
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Improved neuromodulation control of neurological abnormalities associated with effector organs in vertebrate beings using direct current stimulation for modulating spinal cord excitability, having a peripheral-current supplying component for providing direct current peripheral nerve stimulation and a spinal-current supplying component providing direct current for spinal stimulation, and a controller managing such functions.
Claims29
A system for modulation of spinal neurons associated with regulation of effector organ activity in a vertebrate being, the system comprising:
- a housing including a DC power source that provides direct current between power terminals of opposite polarity;
- a first stimulation component associated with a target effector organ including a neural stimulation circuit coupled to the terminals and having an identified neural signal output connection and an identified neural reference connection, both on said housing, and that provides a constant direct current neural stimulation signal between the identified neural signal output connection and the identified neural reference, connection for stimulation of a nerve associated with a target effector organ;
- a second stimulation component including a spinal stimulation circuit coupled to the power terminals and having an identified spinal signal output connection and an identified spinal reference connection, both on said housing, that provides a constant direct current spinal stimulation signal between the identified spinal signal connection and the identified spinal signal reference for spinal direct current stimulation associated with modulation of said target effector organ;
- and
- a polarity controlling component associated with the power terminals that simultaneously establishes a neural signal output connection at a first polarity and a spinal signal output connection at an opposite polarity, for stimulation of said effector organ according to the first and opposite polarities.
A method for modulation of spinal neurons associated with regulation of effector organ activity in a vertebrate being, the method comprising:
- applying constant direct current from a power source to a spinal location associated with nerve associated with a target effector organ, applying a spinal neural stimulation electrode to the spinal location, and applying a spinal reference electrode distal to the spinal location, and establishing a spinal stimulation circuit between the spinal neural stimulation electrode and the spinal reference electrode;
- applying a neural stimulation electrode and neural reference electrode as an electrode set across a portion of a nerve associated with the target effector organ, and establishing a neural stimulation circuit between the neural stimulation electrode and the neural reference electrode, the neural reference electrode being distal to the spinal neural stimulation electrode and the neural stimulation electrode being proximal to the spinal neural stimulation electrode;
- applying a constant direct current spinal stimulation signal to the spinal stimulation electrode;and
- applying a constant direct current neural stimulation signal at a first polarity from the power source to the neural stimulation electrode while applying the constant direct current spinal stimulation signal to the spinal neural stimulation electrode at an opposite polarity.
A method for modulation of spinal neurons associated with regulation of effector organ activity in a vertebrate being, comprising the steps of:
- applying a source of direct current to a portion of a nerve associated with a target effector organ,
- applying another source of direct current to a spinal location associated with said nerve associated with a target effector organ, and
- simultaneously controlling a range of current supplied to each of said nerve portion and spinal location for establishing the upper limit of said peripheral current at not greater than said spinal current;
- wherein establishing the upper limit includes dynamically adjusting the upper limit simultaneously with adjustment of the spinal current.
A system for modulation of spinal neurons associated with regulation of effector organ activity in a vertebrate being, the system comprising:
- a first stimulation component configured to provide stimulation of a nerve associated with a target effector organ,
- a second stimulation component configured to provide spinal direct current stimulation associated with modulation of the target effector organ, and
- a controller component configured to simultaneously control a range of current supplied by the first and second stimulation components and establishing an upper limit of current of the first stimulation component at not greater than a current at the second stimulation component and dynamically adjusting the upper limit simultaneously with adjustment of the current at the second stimulation component;
- wherein the second stimulation component is configured to provide spinal non-varying continuous direct current electrical stimulation;
- and
- wherein the first stimulation component is configured to provide direct current electrical stimulation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.