Device and Method for Effective Invasive Neurostimulation by Means of Varying Stimulation Sequences

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This invention relates to an implantable device and method for effective invasive neurostimulation using varying stimulation sequences. The device has multiple stimulation elements (such as electrode contacts or optical fibers) that provide electrical or optical stimuli to neurons in the brain or spinal cord. The stimulation patterns are organized into sequences where, for a certain number of repetitions (at least 20), the order of activated stimulation elements remains the same before being varied. This carefully controlled variation aims to desynchronize abnormally synchronized neuronal activity, which can underlie various neurological and psychiatric conditions, thus providing long-lasting therapeutic effects.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Treatment of Parkinson's disease, especially drug-resistant cases
• Deep brain stimulation for essential tremor and dystonia
• Neuromodulation therapies for epilepsy
• Alleviation of chronic pain through spinal cord stimulation
• Treatment of psychiatric disorders such as depression, OCD, and Tourette syndrome
• Managing complications after stroke (functional disorders or spasticity)
• Treatment for conditions like tinnitus, migraine, fibromyalgia, and cluster headaches
• Neuromodulation for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias
• ADHD, autism, and movement disorder therapies
• Reducing risk of device battery size and complications in implantables

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Provides long-lasting therapeutic effects compared to traditional stimulation patterns
• Increases the robustness of treatment outcomes against variations in stimulation intensity and patient-specific biological differences
• Reduces the number of ineffective stimulation epochs, leading to more consistent and predictable results
• Lowers the required electrical current, enabling smaller, less invasive implants and potentially reducing side effects and risks
• Adaptable for both electrical and optical neurostimulation
• Can be integrated with feedback systems (closed-loop control) to further optimize therapy response
• Potentially applicable to a wide range of neurological and psychiatric disorders
• Supports improved patient quality of life by targeting the root cause of abnormal neuronal synchrony

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to a device for stimulating neurons, comprising - a stimulation unit, which can be implanted in the body of a patient and which has a plurality of stimulation elements for stimulating neurons in the brain and/or spinal cord of the patient with stimuli, and - a control unit, which controls the stimulation unit such that - the stimulation elements repeatedly generate sequences of stimuli, and - the order in which the stimulation elements generate stimuli within a sequence is constant for at least 20 successively generated sequences and is then varied.