Device and Method for Conditioned Desynchronized Stimulation

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This invention is a device and method for treating neurological or psychiatric disorders by using a combination of electrical stimulation and sensory stimuli (such as optical, acoustic, tactile, or vibratory cues). The system is designed to disrupt harmful synchronous neural activity in the brain and/or spinal cord, typically associated with diseases like Parkinson’s, dystonia, epilepsy, or depression. The device operates in two modes: in the first (learning) mode, electrical and sensory stimulations are synchronized to condition the nervous system; in the second (therapy) mode, primarily sensory stimuli are administered, taking advantage of the conditioning effect to maintain therapeutic benefit with less electrical stimulation.

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

• Treatment of neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, dystonia, and epilepsy.
• Therapy for psychiatric conditions such as depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, Tourette's syndrome, schizophrenia, and addiction.
• Reduction of pathological movements or tremors, e.g. in patients with multiple sclerosis or after stroke.
• Management of chronic pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia, migraines, or cluster headaches.
• Minimizing unwanted side-effects during deep brain or spinal cord stimulation treatments.
• Rehabilitation after brain injury or neural trauma.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Reduces the amount of electrical stimulation needed, lowering the risk of stimulation-related side effects and complications.
• Enhances patient comfort by decreasing device size and surgical complexity (smaller implants possible).
• Prolongs device battery life, minimizing replacement surgeries.
• Allows a more personalized and adaptive therapy by integrating patient/clinician controls and sensor feedback.
• Potentially achieves longer-lasting therapeutic effects by promoting neural network reorganization rather than merely suppressing symptoms.
• Facilitates conditioning of the nervous system, so therapy is maintained with less invasive interventions over time.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The invention describes a device (100) having a first stimulation unit (11) for generating electrical first stimuli (21) suppressing a pathological synchronous activity of neurons in the brain and/or spinal cord of a patient upon administering the same to the brain and/or spinal cord of the patient, a second stimulation unit (12) for generating optical and/or acoustic and/or tactile and/or vibratory second stimuli (22), and a controller (10) for controlling the first and the second stimulation units (11, 12), wherein the generation of the first and second stimuli (21, 22) optionally occurs in a first or in a second operating mode, and the controller (10) actuates the first and the second stimulation units (11, 12) such that in the first operating mode the generation of at least 60% of the second stimuli (22) is chronologically coupled to the generation of the first stimuli (21), and in the second operating mode the generation of at least 60% of the second stimuli (22) is carried out without generating the first stimuli (21).