442 results about "Movement disorders" patented technology

An external stimulator adapted to be inductively coupled with an implanted lead-receiver is designed to deliver neuromodulation therapy for disorders including depression, migraine, partial complex epilepsy, generalized epilepsy, involuntary movement disorders, dementia, obsessive compulsive disorders, urinary incontinence, neurogenic / psychogenic pain and bladder control. The external stimulator containing limited number of predetermined programs packaged into the stimulator, giving the patient or caretaker a way to adjust the therapy within confined limits, or turn the device off. The pre-packaged programs contain unique combination of pulse amplitude, pulse width, frequency of stimulation, and on-off time. The programs are capable of being modified with a programming station connected to the pulse generator with a RS232-C serial connection.

A sleep quality assessment approach involves collecting data based on detected physiological or non-physiological patient conditions. At least one of detecting patient conditions and collecting data is performed using an implantable device. Sleep quality may be evaluated using the collected data by an imlantable or patient-external sleep quality processor. One approach to sleep quality evaluation involves computing one or more summary metrics based on occurrences of movement disorders or breathing disorders during sleep.

Introducing one or more stimulating drugs to the vagus nerve and / or one or more branches of the vagus nerve to treat movement disorders uses at least one implantable system control unit (SCU) with an implantable pump with at least one infusion outlet. Optional electrical stimulation may additionally be supplied by an implantable signal / pulse generator (IPG) with one or more electrodes. In certain embodiments, a single SCU provides one or more stimulating drugs and the optional electrical stimulation. In some embodiments, one or more sensed conditions are used to adjust stimulation parameters.

A method for treatment of obesity, especially morbid obesity, gastroparesis and other syndromes related to motor disorders of the stomach. The method of this invention utilizes a sensor to detect food entering the patient's stomach, thereby the sensor communicates with and activates at least one electrical stimulation device attached to either the stomach or the small intestine.

A system and method for applying electrical stimulation or drug infusion to nervous tissue of a patient to treat epilepsy, movement disorders, and other indications uses at least one implantable system control unit (SCU) (110), including an implantable signal / pulse generator (IPG) and one or more electrodes (152, 152′). The IPG is implanted in the mastoid area (143) of the skull (140) and communicates with at least one external appliance (230), such as a Behind-the-Ear (BTE) unit (100). In a preferred embodiment, the system is capable of open- and closed-loop operation. In closed-loop operation, at least one SCU includes a sensor, and the sensed condition is used to adjust stimulation parameters.

A method, apparatus, and system for treating patients suffering from movement disorders having the ability to determine one or more biomarkers indicative of a disease state. In some embodiments, the biomarker may be used as a closed-loop feedback signal to control the delivery of therapy (such as electrical stimulation or drug therapy), and which may also be used as an indication of therapy effectiveness. One embodiment uses electrodes placed in the brain to measure EEG or local field potential (LFP) signals, from which the one or more biomarkers may be determined.

An implantable neurostimulator system for treating movement disorders includes a sensor, a detection subsystem capable of identifying episodes of a movement disorder by analyzing a signal received from the sensor, and a therapy subsystem capable of applying therapeutic electrical stimulation to treat the movement disorder. The system treats movement disorders by detecting physiological conditions characteristic of an episode of symptoms of the movement disorder and selectively initiating therapy when such conditions are detected.

A method and system for providing rectangular and / or complex electrical pulses for neuromodulating vagus nerve(s) and / or its branches, to provide therapy for involuntary movement disorders (including Parkinson's disease and epilepsy), comprises implantable and external components. Complex electrical pulses comprises pulses which are configured to be one of non-rectangular, multi-level, biphasic, or pulses with varying amplitude during the pulse. The electrical pulses to vagus nerve(s) may be stimulating and / or blocking. The stimulation and / or blocking to vagus nerve(s) may be provided using one of the following pulse generation means: a) an implanted stimulus-receiver with an external stimulator; b) an implanted stimulus-receiver comprising a high value capacitor for storing charge, used in conjunction with an external stimulator; c) a programmer-less implantable pulse generator (IPG) which is operable with a magnet; d) a microstimulator; e) a programmable implantable pulse generator; f) a combination implantable device comprising both a stimulus-receiver and a programmable implantable pulse generator (IPG); and g) an implantable pulse generator (IPG) comprising a rechargeable battery. The pulse generator means comprises predetermined / pre-packaged programs. In one embodiment, the pulse generation means may also comprise telemetry means, for remote interrogation and / or programming of said pulse generation means utilizing a wide area network.

A method and apparatus for treating patients suffering from involuntary movement disorders (including epilepsy) by stimulating a selected cranial nerve of the patient with an electrical signal applied to induce a signal at brain by applying an electrical signal at the nerve to ameliorate the disorder and by applying a neural conduction block at the nerve selected to at least partially block nerve impulses on said nerve at a blocking site and reduce adverse effects of said signal on an organ.

System and methods for introducing one or more stimulating drugs and / or applying electrical stimulation to the cortex of the brain to treat movement disorders uses at least one implantable system control unit (SCU), specifically an implantable signal / pulse generator (IPG) or microstimulator with two or more electrodes in the case of electrical stimulation, and an implantable pump with one or more infusion outlets in the case of drug infusion. In certain embodiments, a single SCU provides both electrical stimulation and one or more stimulating drugs. In some embodiments, one or more sensed conditions are used to adjust stimulation parameters.

Disclosed embodiments include a complete system and platform which allows for continuous monitoring of movement disorders during normal daily activities in the clinic, home, and other normal daily environments. The system comprises: 1) a wearable apparatus for continuous monitoring of movement disorders, 2) a docking station, 3) a web server, and 4) methods for statistical analysis that generate movement impairment measures. Disclosed embodiments include a wearable movement monitoring apparatus comprising of (a) a sensor module including a plurality of low power micro-electromechanical systems kinematics sensors; (b) a microprocessor module including a low power microcontroller configured for device control, device status, and device communication; (c) a data storage module including a solid state local storage medium; (d) a wireless communication module including a low power surface mount transceiver and an integrated antenna; and (e) a power and docking module including a battery, an energy charging regulator circuit, and a docking connector.

The present invention is concerned with compounds of the general Formula I: and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, which are useful as melanin concentrating hormone receptor antagonists, particularly MCH-1R antagonists. As such, compounds of the present invention are useful for the treatment or prevention of obesity or eating disorders associated with excessive food intake and complications thereof, osteoarthritis, certain cancers, AIDS wasting, cachexia, frailty (particularly in elderly), mental disorders stress, cognitive disorders, sexual function, reproductive function, kidney function, locomotor disorders, attention deficit disorder (ADD), substance abuse disorders and dyskinesias, Huntington's disease, epilepsy, memory function, and spinal muscular atrophy. Compounds of formula I may therefore be used in the treatment of these conditions, and in the manufacture of a medicament useful in treating these conditions. Pharmaceutical formulations comprising one of the compounds of formula (I) as an active ingredient are disclosed, as are processes for preparing these compounds.

Apparatus and methods for non-invasive electrical stimulation of the brain through skin surface stimulation of the peripheral nervous system as a treatment for movement disorders. Skin surface electrodes are positioned at predetermined peripheral surface stimulation sites on the skin surface using a variety of neural imaging techniques. A pulsatile electrical current is generated at the stimulation sites through a variety of standard electrical stimulation devices. Stimulation of the peripheral surface stimulation sites translates to electrical stimulation of a specific area of the brain.

A medical device known as an implantable neurostimulation system is configured for implanting in humans to deliver a therapeutic electrical stimulation to tissue to treat a variety of medical conditions such as pain, movement disorders, pelvic floor disorders, and many other conditions. The implantable neurostimulation has a housing, a power supply carried in the housing, stimulation electronics coupled to the battery and coupled to a neurostimulator connector block, a stimulation lead, and a lead extension. The lead extension is electrically coupleable between the neurostimulation connector block and the stimulation lead. The extension conductor is composed of an outer surface and an inner core. The outer surface has an outer impedance and the inner core has a core impedance that is substantially lower than the outer impedance. Many embodiments of the low impedance lead extension are possible.

Systems and methods are provided to improve the gait performance of subjects with neurodegenerative disease neurodegenerative disease movement disorders, injuries, surgical wounds, athletic performance objectives, or combinations thereof through feedback-enhanced training. A subject walks, jogs or runs on a surface with the use of an assistive walking device such as a walker, cane, rollator or railings. Attached to the assistive walking device is a distance sensor and processing unit that detects, measures, and evaluates certain gait characteristics and delivers feedback to the subject. The subject is trained to exhibit desirable gait characteristics such as stride length, heel-toe motion, cadence, pace and the like.

Methods and / or systems for diagnosing, monitoring and / or treating persons at risk for falling and / or other pathological conditions. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, people are diagnosed before they actually start falling. Optionally, the diagnosis includes trying out and identifying one or more fall triggers using virtual reality tools. Optionally or alternatively, treatment includes training the persons using situations and / or triggers which are determined to be relevant for that person.

An implantable medical device is provided for the suppression or prevention of pain, movement disorders, epilepsy, cerebrovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, sleep disorders, autonomic disorders, abnormal metabolic states, disorders of the muscular system, and neuropsychiatric disorders in a patient. The implantable medical device can be a neurostimulator configured to be implanted on or near a cranial nerve to treat headache or other neurological disorders. One aspect of the implantable medical device is that it includes an electronics enclosure, a substrate integral to the electronics enclosure, and a monolithic feed-through integral to the electronics enclosure and the substrate. In some embodiments, the implantable medical device can include a fixation apparatus for attaching the device to a patient.

The present invention relates to a movement disorder monitor, and a method of measuring the severity of a subject's movement disorder. The present invention additionally relates to a drug delivery system for dosing a subject in response to the increased severity of a subject's symptoms. The present invention provides for a system and method, which can accurately quantify symptoms of movements disorders, accurately quantifies symptoms utilizing both kinetic information and electromyography (EMG) data, that can be worn continuously to provide continuous information to be analyzed as needed by the clinician, that can provide analysis in real-time, that allows for home monitoring of symptoms in subject's with these movement disorders to capture the complex fluctuation patterns of the disease over the course of days, weeks or months, that maximizes subject safety, and that provides remote access to the clinician or physician.

The present invention relates to methods for remotely and intelligently tuning movement disorder of therapy systems. The present invention still further provides methods of quantifying movement disorders for the treatment of patients who exhibit symptoms of such movement disorders including, but not limited to, Parkinson's disease and Parkinsonism, Dystonia, Chorea, and Huntington's disease, Ataxia, Tremor and Essential Tremor, Tourette syndrome, stroke, and the like. The present invention yet further relates to methods of remotely and intelligently or automatically tuning a therapy device using objective quantified movement disorder symptom data to determine the therapy setting or parameters to be transmitted and provided to the subject via his or her therapy device. The present invention also provides treatment and tuning intelligently, automatically and remotely, allowing for home monitoring of subjects.

An oral device for use with a person in which at least one non-toxic gas pulse is delivered to a predetermined location in the mouth via a device conduit. The oral device may be provided as a kit with at least one device for measuring the subject's responses and representing them as feedback to the subject / clinician. A method of creating a gas bolus pulse train, delivering it to a predetermined mouth area, and monitoring the subject's responses to it, is also shown. The oral device and method may be used as a diagnostic tool, or a therapeutic tool, in swallowing or speech rehabilitation of children and adults who have swallowing, speech, salivary, and / or oral sensorimotor impairments.

The present invention relates, in general, to movement disorders and, in particular, to a method of treating movement disorders, including Parkinson's Disease.

The present invention relates to a movement disorder monitor with high sensitivity, and a method of measuring the severity of a subject's movement disorder. The present invention additionally relates to a drug delivery system for dosing a subject in response to the increased severity of a subject's symptoms. The present invention provides for a system and method, which can accurately and repeatably quantify symptoms of movements disorders, accurately quantifies symptoms utilizing both kinetic information and / or electromyography (EMU) data, that can be worn continuously to provide continuous information to be analyzed as needed by the clinician, that can provide analysis in real-time, that allows for home monitoring of symptoms in subject's with these movement disorders to capture the complex fluctuation patterns of the disease over the course of days, weeks or months, that maximizes subject safety, and that provides substantially real-time remote access to data by the clinician or physician.

A method for reducing left ventricular volume, which comprises identifying infarcted tissue during open chest surgery; reducing left ventricle volume while preserving the ventricular apex; and realigning the ventricular apex, such that the realigning step comprises closing the lower or apical portion of said ventricle to achieve appropriate functional contractile geometry of said ventricle in a dyskinetic ventricle of a heart.

The present invention relates to methods for tuning treatment parameters in movement disorder therapy systems. The present invention further relates to a system for screening patients to determine viability as candidates for certain therapy modalities, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS). The present invention still further provides methods of quantifying movement disorders for the treatment of patients who exhibit symptoms of such movement disorders including, but not limited to, Parkinson's disease and Parkinsonism, Dystonia, Chorea, and Huntington's disease, Ataxia, Tremor and Essential Tremor, Tourette syndrome, stroke, and the like. The present invention yet further relates to methods of tuning a therapy device using objective quantified movement disorder symptom data acquired by a movement disorder diagnostic device to determine the therapy setting or parameters to be provided to the subject via his or her therapy device. The present invention also provides treatment and tuning remotely, allowing for home monitoring of subjects.