Patent application number | Description | Published |
20100079156 | Method and means for connecting a large number of electrodes to a measuring device - An improved electrode for measurement of neuron electrical activity where the number of measurement points is much larger than offered by existing devices. We disclose a method to select a subset of available measuring electrodes, herein called pads, on the surface of the device of our invention, herein called picafina. Besides selecting a particular subset of electrodes, or pads, to use in a particular case, our invention teaches methods and means to keep the selection for a predetermined length of time, or for an indefinite length of time, both under control of the researcher or the neurosurgeon. Selecting a different measuring pad, or a combination of pads, is equivalent of making measurement at a different location, or on a nearby neuron. The invention also discloses method and means to make several parallel measurements, in which case correlations can be made between the firing of different neurons. | 04-01-2010 |
20100082076 | Method and means for connecting and controlling a large number of contacts for electrical cell stimulation in living organisms - An improved electrode for neural stimulation, including deep brain stimulation, cortical stimulation, muscle stimulation and other similar applications. The improvement of our invention over prior art consisting of the possibility of a larger number of electrode pads from where to originate the electrical stimulation, thereby offering the possibility of fine control of the location of the stimulating signal. Our invention discloses a system of address wires which controls switches and demultiplexers to select one of a plurality of wires and one of a plurality of electrode pads from where the electric stimulation starts, and latches that maintain some selected choices after the address buses go on to select other wires and other electrode tips. Our invention also discloses time delay lines which are used to keep the stimulating pulses for a pre-assigned time, after which the stimulating pulses stop until further instruction to start again. | 04-01-2010 |
20110276101 | Device and means to obstruct propagation of electromagnetic radiation in implanted body electrodes - A device to improve the safety of neuronal, heart, muscle and organ electrical stimulation devices during MRI scanning. The device consists of means to open and/or closing the circuit to the electrical stimulation device and to the battery pack, while, concomitantly, closing and/or opening another circuit to a dedicated path that dissipates the stored energy induced by the radiofrequency used in imaging MRI. | 11-10-2011 |
20120203299 | Method and means to address and make use of multiple electrodes for measurements and electrical stimulation in neurons and other cells including brain and heart - A cell stimulating and measuring device which contains a larger number of electrodes than used in current stimulators and measuring devices. The larger number of electrodes is possible with the implementation of an addressing system to choose one or a plurality of electrodes from a larger set of available electrodes to be active. Moreover, the digital address and control lines passing from the battery/control electronics unit, to the stimulator and measuring device which contains the electrodes, are sent in serial form, which decreases the space used by the wires that must be minimized in a device implanted in a living organism. The system can be used to send current to electrically stimulate cells, and to connect the same, or other electrodes to a measuring unit for data collection, which can be used either for clinical or for research use. | 08-09-2012 |
20120289823 | Animal and plant cell electric stimulator with randomized spatial distribution of electrodes for both current injection and for electric field shaping - An electric stimulator for heart, brain, organs and general cells with a random shape and position of electrodes which enhances its performance for breaking the symmetry. Two types of electrodes are introduced: type-1, or active electrodes are similar to prior art, while type-2, or passive electrodes have not been used in this context. Passive electrodes are electrically insulated, being unable to inject current in the surrounding medium, but they are capable of shaping the electric field, which has consequence on the path of the stimulating currents injected by type-1 electrodes. | 11-15-2012 |
20130072778 | Redundant connections to picafina probing device - A picafina device that is an electrode for measurement of neuron electrical activity where the number of measurement points is very large, and methods of selecting a subset of available measuring electrodes on the surface of the device. The device can keep the selection for a predetermined length of time, or for an indefinite length of time, both under control of the researcher or the neurosurgeon. Selecting a different measuring pad, or a combination of pads, is equivalent to making measurement at a different location or on a nearby neuron. Several parallel measurements can be made, in which case correlations can be made between the firing of different neurons. | 03-21-2013 |
20140012347 | System and method to obstruct propagation of electromagnetic radiation induced in implanted body electrodes - A device to improve the safety of neuronal, heart, muscle and organ electrical stimulation devices during MRI scanning. The device consists of means to disconnect the electrical stimulation device, the battery pack and controlling electronics from the connecting wires, while, concomitantly, introducing an extra network to dissipate the induced radio frequency energy with the objective of preventing the build-up of electric potential (usually called voltage in US) at the switch gap, with consequently destruction of the switch. | 01-09-2014 |
20140107451 | DBS and heart electrical stimulation and measurements with multiple electrodes - A picafina device for electrical stimulation and electrical measurements of neural and muscular cells, which is capable of electrical measurements of cells in the neighborhood of the picafina device and also of electrical stimulation at different voltages and current levels. | 04-17-2014 |
20140135607 | Multiple electrodes and connecting wires for neural and muscular stimulation and measurement device - A device to make multiple, simultaneous measurements of electrical activity on neural, muscular and other animal cells. The invention discloses multiple electrodes at fixed position on a supporting structure and multiple wires to connect the electrodes to one or more measuring devices. The electrodes are preferentially closed spaced, to allow for small spatial discrimination between measurement points. The electrodes and the wires are selected by binary addresses. The device is also capable of injecting electrical stimulation using electrodes not in use for measurements. An injected electrical stimulation at a first location may be created to measure the effect of a well-known event at another location or locations, near or far away. | 05-15-2014 |
20140222018 | Device and means for adjusting the position of DBS brain and other neural and muscular implants - A device, method and means to adjust the position of a picafina Deep Brain Stimulator (DBS). It is notoriously difficult to find the correct positioning of the picafina for best stimulating results, because it is not possible for the neurosurgeon to visually observe its position. We disclose a device, method and means to adjust the position of the picafina after it is inserted in the brain, for the best stimulating effect. | 08-07-2014 |
20140222107 | System of redundant wires and connectors for picafina DBS and heart pacemaker electrical stimulating device implanted in animals including human animals - A system to increase the reliability of the electrical connections between the electrodes and the battery/controlling electronics of an electrical stimulating device as DBS (Deep Brain Stimulator), heart pacemakers and the like. We disclose a redundant male/female connector and/or a set of redundant wires to improve the reliability of the connections between the electrodes at a first location and the battery/controlling electronics at a second location. The redundant male/female connector serves as a backup for a potential loss of electrical continuity due to the adverse effect of body fluids, and the redundant wires serve as a backup for potential loss of electrical continuity due to repetitive muscle movement causing wire movement and stress. DBS connecting wires, that ran behind the ear down the neck of the patient, are subjected to repetitive stresses due to neck twisting and therefore at high risk of breaking. | 08-07-2014 |