Device and Method for Calibration of Non-Invasive Desynchronizing Neurostimulation

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This patent describes an apparatus and method for calibrating a non-invasive neural stimulation system designed to treat neurological and psychiatric conditions characterized by abnormal, synchronized oscillatory neuronal activity. The device uses various types of external stimuli (e.g., acoustic, optical, tactile, vibratory, thermal, or electrical) to deliver carefully timed desynchronizing signals to targeted neurons. The system automatically selects and fine-tunes the optimal stimulation parameters by monitoring neural responses (e.g., via EEG) to suppress pathological synchronous neural firing without requiring invasive procedures.

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

• Treatment of Parkinson's disease and essential tremor via non-invasive neuromodulation.
• Therapeutic intervention for tinnitus through targeted auditory stimulation.
• Management of conditions like dystonia, epilepsy, depression, Tourette syndrome, OCD, autism, ADHD, fibromyalgia, migraine, and neuralgia using tailored non-invasive stimulation.
• Rehabilitation following stroke by facilitating neural network desynchronization.
• Alleviation of chronic pain syndromes and spasticity using customized tactile or thermal stimulation.
• Improvement of sleep disorders and certain forms of psychiatric or substance-related disorders through neural phase resetting.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Provides a non-invasive, patient-friendly alternative to implanted neural stimulation techniques, increasing accessibility and reducing risk.
• Automatically calibrates stimulation parameters and locations based on objective electrophysiological feedback, enhancing treatment precision and efficacy.
• Capable of delivering a wide variety of stimulation modalities (acoustic, optical, tactile, vibratory, thermal, electrical) for adaptable, individualized treatment.
• Reduces side effects and treatment times by streamlining parameter selection and minimizing patient burden during calibration.
• Expands neuromodulation therapies to a broader patient population and diverse neurological/psychiatric disorders.
• Enables long-lasting therapeutic effects by promoting synaptic remodeling and persistent network desynchronization.

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Patent Abstract

The invention relates to an apparatus (1) for stimulating neurons having a pathological synchronous and oscillatory neural activity, said apparatus comprising a non-invasive stimulation unit (11) for applying stimuli (22) that stimulate a patient's neurons, a measurement unit (12) for recording test signals (23) that represent a neural activity of the stimulated neurons, and a control and analysis unit (10) for controlling the stimulation unit (11) and analyzing the test signals (23). The stimulation unit (11) applies first stimuli (34), and based on the test signals (23) recorded in reaction to the application of the first stimuli (34), the first stimuli (34) causing the phase of the pathological synchronous and oscillatory neural activity of the stimulated neurons to be reset are selected, whereupon the stimulation unit (11) applies the selected first stimuli (34) with a time delay, and the test signals (23) recorded in reaction to the stimuli (34, 38) applied with the time delay are used to verify whether said stimuli (34, 38) applied with the time delay suppress the pathological synchronous and oscillatory neural activity of the stimulated neurons.