| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 607074000 | Bipolar pulses | 15 |
| 20080294226 | SHORT DURATION PRE-PULSING TO REDUCE STIMULATION-EVOKED SIDE-EFFECTS - A method and neurostimulation system of providing therapy to a patient is provided. At least one electrode is place in contact with tissue of a patient. A sub-threshold, hyperpolarizing, conditioning pre-pulse (e.g., an anodic pulse) is conveyed from the electrode(s) to render a first region of the tissue (e.g., dorsal root fibers) less excitable to stimulation, and a depolarizing stimulation pulse (e.g., a cathodic pulse) is conveyed from the electrode(s) to stimulate a second different region of the tissue (e.g., dorsal column fibers). The conditioning pre-pulse has a relatively short duration (e.g., less than 200 μs). | 11-27-2008 |
| 20090012582 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR IMPROVING BLOOD FLOW BY A SERIES OF ELECTRICALLY-INDUCED MUSCULAR CONTRACTIONS - A treatment method and device for promoting a localized increase in the flow of blood through a blood vessel in an area of the body, the method including the steps of: (a) providing a system including: (i) at least a first electrode operatively contacting a first portion of body tissue; (ii) at least a second electrode operatively contacting a second portion of body tissue; and (iii) a signal generator, operatively connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, for providing a plurality of electrical impulses to the electrodes; (b) applying the electrical impulses so as to subject the muscular tissue to at least one voltage differential, thereby inducing repeated, contracting, directional movement of muscular tissue associated within the blood vessel, so as to produce a localized increase in the flow of blood through the blood vessel. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090012583 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR IMPROVING BLOOD FLOW BY A SERIES OF ELECTRICALLY-INDUCED MUSCULAR CONTRACTIONS - A treatment method and device for promoting a localized increase in the flow of blood through a blood vessel in an area of the body, the method including the steps of: (a) providing a system including: (i) at least a first electrode operatively contacting a first portion of body tissue; (ii) at least a second electrode operatively contacting a second portion of body tissue; and (iii) a signal generator, operatively connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, for providing a plurality of electrical impulses to the electrodes; (b) applying the electrical impulses so as to subject the muscular tissue to at least one voltage differential, thereby inducing repeated, contracting, directional movement of muscular tissue associated within the blood vessel, so as to produce a localized increase in the flow of blood through the blood vessel. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20090012584 | METHOD AND DEVICE FOR IMPROVING BLOOD FLOW BY A SERIES OF ELECTRICALLY-INDUCED MUSCULAR CONTRACTIONS - A treatment method and device for promoting a localized increase in the flow of blood through a blood vessel in an area of the body, the method including the steps of: (a) providing a system including: (i) at least a first electrode operatively contacting a first portion of body tissue; (ii) at least a second electrode operatively contacting a second portion of body tissue; and (iii) a signal generator, operatively connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, for providing a plurality of electrical impulses to the electrodes; (b) applying the electrical impulses so as to subject the muscular tissue to at least one voltage differential, thereby inducing repeated, contracting, directional movement of muscular tissue associated within the blood vessel, so as to produce a localized increase in the flow of blood through the blood vessel. | 01-08-2009 |
| 20100042187 | CONNECTING ELECTRICAL SOURCES TO ELECTRODE NODES IN A MEDICAL DEVICE - This disclosure describes electrical stimulators that include some electrical sources (e.g., current sources, voltage sources) that are directly connected to a plurality of electrode nodes, and other electrical sources that may be selectively connected to selected ones of the plurality of electrode nodes via a switching unit, such as a multiplexer. One example stimulator comprises a processor, a plurality of electrode nodes, and a stimulation generator that is coupled to the processor and to the plurality of electrode nodes. The stimulation generator comprises a plurality of negative electrical sources, a switching unit, and at least one positive electrical source. The negative electrical sources are each directly connected to a different one of the plurality of electrode nodes. The switching unit is connected to each of the plurality of electrode nodes. The at least one positive electrical source is connected to the switching unit. The switching unit is configured to connect the at least one positive electrical source to a selected one or more of the plurality of electrode nodes. | 02-18-2010 |
| 20100268307 | METHODS FOR INTRAVASCULARLY-INDUCED NEUROMODULATION - Methods and apparatus are provided for intravascularly-induced neuromodulation using a pulsed electric field, e.g., to effectuate irreversible electroporation or electrofusion, necrosis and/or inducement of apoptosis, alteration of gene expression, changes in cytokine upregulation, etc., in target neural fibers. In some embodiments, the intravascular PEF system comprises a catheter having a pair of bipolar electrodes for delivering the PEF, with a first electrode positioned on a first side of an impedance-altering element and a second electrode positioned on an opposing side of the impedance-altering element. A length of the electrodes, as well as a separation distance between the first and second electrodes, may be specified such that, with the impedance-altering element deployed in a manner that locally increases impedance within a patient's vessel, e.g., with the impedance-altering element deployed into contact with the vessel wall at a treatment site within the patient's vasculature, a magnitude of applied voltage delivered across the bipolar electrodes necessary to achieve desired neuromodulation is reduced relative to an intravascular PEF system having similarly spaced electrodes but no (or an undeployed) impedance-altering element. In a preferred embodiment, the impedance-altering element comprises an inflatable balloon configured to locally increase impedance within a patient's vasculature. The methods and apparatus of the present invention may be used to modulate a neural fiber that contributes to renal function. | 10-21-2010 |
| 20110106221 | TREATMENT PLANNING FOR ELECTROPORATION-BASED THERAPIES - The present invention provides systems, methods, and devices for electroporation-based therapies (EBTs). Embodiments provide patient-specific treatment protocols derived by the numerical modeling of 3D reconstructions of target tissue from images taken of the tissue, and optionally accounting for one or more of physical constraints or dynamic tissue properties. The present invention further relates to systems, methods, and devices for delivering bipolar electric pulses for irreversible electroporation exhibiting reduced or no damage to tissue typically associated with an EBT-induced excessive charge delivered to the tissue. | 05-05-2011 |
| 20120116483 | LIVING TISSUE STIMULATION CIRCUIT - A living tissue stimulation circuit includes: an H-bridged circuit that includes a first series section in which a first semiconductor switch connected to a power source side and a third semiconductor switch connected to a ground side are connected to each other in series, and a second series section in which a second semiconductor switch connected to the power source side and a fourth semiconductor switch connected to the ground side are connected to each other in series, the first series section and the second series section being connected to each other in parallel; a stimulation electrode connected to a first node between the first and third semiconductor switches; a counter electrode connected to a second node between the second and fourth semiconductor switches; and a current adjusting circuit configured to determine a current value output from the stimulation electrode. | 05-10-2012 |
| 20120185020 | NERVE STIMULATION METHODS FOR AVERTING IMMINENT ONSET OR EPISODE OF A DISEASE - Transcutaneous electrical and magnetic nerve stimulation devices are disclosed, along with methods of averting imminent medical attacks using energy that is delivered noninvasively by the devices. The attacks comprise asthma attack, epileptic seizure, attacks of migraine headache, transient ischemic attack or stroke, onset of atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, onset of ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia, panic attack, and attacks of acute depression. The imminence of an attack is forecasted using grey-box or black-box models as used in control theory. In preferred embodiments of the disclosed methods, a vagus nerve in the neck of a patient is stimulated noninvasively to avert the attack. | 07-19-2012 |
| 20120197356 | Waveforms for Remote Electrical Stimulation Therapy - Electrical stimulation systems and methods are configured to deliver remote electrical stimulation to a patient. Stimulation waveforms are employed that are designed to penetrate tissue within a patient to transmit the electrical stimulation from an origination site to a remote delivery site. The waveforms are defined by a series of pulses, which are characterized by a number of parameters, including pulse width, pulse frequency, constant voltage or constant current amplitude, and electrode polarity (anode or cathode). The waveforms include an envelope electrical stimulation pulse train including charge balanced pulses modulated by a high frequency carrier signal configured to deeply penetrate patient tissue to carry the electrical pulse train from an origination site to a remote delivery site. | 08-02-2012 |
| 20130144362 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR INCREASING RELATIVE INTENSITY BETWEEN CATHODES AND ANODES OF NEUROSTIMULATION SYSTEM USING PULSE SLICING - A method and neurostimulation system for providing therapy to a patient is provided. A plurality of electrodes is placed adjacent to tissue of the patient. A plurality of first electrical pulses is delivered to a first set of the electrodes, at least a second electrical pulse is delivered to a second set of the electrodes during the deliverance of each of the first electrical pulses, and at least a third electrical pulse is delivered to a third set of the electrodes during the deliverance of each of the first electrical pulses. The first electrical pulses have a first polarity, and each of the second electrical pulse(s) and third electrical pulses(s) has a second a second polarity opposite to the first polarity. The second and third electrical pulses are temporarily offset from each other. | 06-06-2013 |
| 20130238059 | NEUROMODULATION USING ENERGY-EFFICIENT WAVEFORMS - Methods of neuromodulation in a live mammalian subject, such as a human patient. The method comprises applying an electrical signal to a target site in the nervous system, such as the brain, where the electrical signal comprises a series of pulses. The pulses includes a waveform shape that is more energy-efficient as compared to a corresponding rectangular waveform. Non-limiting examples of such energy-efficient waveforms include linear increasing, linear decreasing, exponential increasing, exponential decreasing, and Gaussian waveforms. Also described are apparatuses for neuromodulation and software for operating such apparatuses. | 09-12-2013 |
| 20130261706 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR APPLYING RAPID SEQUENTIAL ELECTRODE STIMULATION - Described herein are methods and systems for delivering a burst of stimulation pulses or pulse segments sequentially to a plurality of stimulation pathways. The stimulation pulses may be generated by a stimulation device, which may comprise an implantable neurostimulator. The stimulation pathways may comprise one or more electrodes electrically connected to the stimulation device. In some variations, the stimulation pathway may comprise a monopolar stimulation pathway and/or a bipolar stimulation pathway. | 10-03-2013 |
| 20150039059 | GUIDE CATHETER HAVING VASOMODULATING ELECTRODES - A guide catheter system includes a guide catheter having a proximal end, a distal end, an outer wall and a first, second and third electrode wherein the first, second and third electrodes are spaced longitudinally apart from each other on the outer wall of the catheter, and an electrical impulse generator connected to the guide catheter wherein the electrical impulse generator includes a circuit for selecting an adjacent pair of electrodes to use as a bipolar electrode system to send an electrical impulse and a method of use thereof to treat vasospasm. | 02-05-2015 |
| 20160051817 | Electrical Stimulation System with Pulse Control - An electrical stimulation system to provide pulse stimulation to an area of a living body by way of one or more electrode leads applied to the area, the area including an associated resistance element and an associated capacitance element. The system may include a pulse generating circuit having a controllable output voltage to generate constant voltage pulses to the one or more electrode leads, wherein the corresponding current signal of each constant voltage pulse includes an exponential decay to a steady state current value. The system may include a controller configured to estimate the associated resistance element of the area, determine a specified target steady state current value to be applied to the area, and control the pulse generating circuit to generate a constant voltage pulse to the one or more electrode leads at a calculated voltage level which achieves the specified target steady state current value to the area. | 02-25-2016 |
