Apparatus for the Stimulation of the Spinal Cord

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This patent describes a spinal cord stimulation apparatus comprising a signal generator and a stimulation unit with multiple contact surfaces arranged in a staggered pattern across the spinal cord. The apparatus delivers electrical stimulation signals via these contacts to different segments of the spinal cord, enabling precise and independent stimulation of various neuronal populations for therapeutic purposes. The system can operate in open-loop or closed-loop modes, with feedback sensors for adaptive therapy, and aims to desynchronize abnormal neural activity associated with chronic pain and other conditions.

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• Treatment of chronic, therapy-resistant pain disorders, including neuropathic pain.
• Management of angina pectoris by disrupting the pain-induced sympathetic nervous system feedback loop.
• Alleviation of symptoms in patients with peripheral arterial disease (arterial occlusive disease).
• Neurorehabilitation for spinal cord injuries by targeting specific spinal cord segments for neuromodulation.
• Adaptive neuromodulation therapies that dynamically adjust stimulation based on real-time neuronal activity.
• Clinical research into neural network disorders and novel pain management strategies.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Allows targeted, segment-specific stimulation of the spinal cord for more precise and effective therapy.
• Reduces energy consumption compared to continuous high-frequency stimulation, extending device battery life and reducing the need for frequent surgeries.
• Capability to desynchronize pathological synchronous neural activity, providing long-lasting therapeutic effects for chronic pain.
• Minimizes unwanted side effects such as dysesthesia and paresthesia by using lower currents and spatially selective stimulation.
• Flexible system architecture supports both pre-programmed and responsive (closed-loop) stimulation based on patient needs and feedback.
• Permits multi-site, customizable stimulation patterns for individual patient anatomy and condition, improving therapeutic outcomes.

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Patent Abstract

An apparatus (100) is described that comprises a generator unit (1) of generating electrical stimulation signals and a spinal cord stimulation unit (2) encompassing a plurality of stimulation contact surfaces (11-14) to which the generator unit (1) feeds the stimulation signals. At least two of the stimulation contact surfaces (11-14) are arranged in a staggered manner transverse to the direction in which the spinal cord extends.