Case Western Reserve University

The Cleveland Clinic Foundation

The United States of America, As Represented by the Secretary, Department of Health and Human Services

Scott Lempka

Kevin L Kilgore

Manfred Franke

Niloy Bhadra

Narendra Bhadra

Tina L Vrabec

Jesse S Wainright

Andre G Machado

Karl West

Mark S Lobosky

Cameron C McIntyre

Nicholas Maling

Tina Vrabec

Jesse Wainright

Described herein are systems and methods for the treatment of pain using electrical nerve conduction block (ENCB). Contrary to other methods of pain treatment, the ENCB can establish a direct block of neural activity, thereby eliminating the pain. Additionally, the ENCB can be administered without causing electrochemical damage. An example method can include: placing at least one electrode contact in electrical communication with a region of a subject's spinal cord; applying an electrical nerve conduction block (ENCB) to a nerve in the region through the at least one electrode contact; and blocking neural activity with the ENCB to reduce the pain or other unwanted sensation in the subject.

Treatment of pain using electrical nerve conduction block

One aspect of the present disclosure is a system including a waveform generator, a controller, and an electrical contact. The waveform generator is for generating an electrical nerve conduction block (ENCB). The controller is coupled with the waveform generator. The controller is configured to receive an input comprising at least one parameter to adjust the ENCB. The electrical contact is coupled with the waveform generator. The electrical contact is configured to be placed into contact with a nerve. The electrical contact comprises a high charge capacity material that prevents formation of damaging electro-chemical products at a charge delivered by the ENCB. The electrical contact is configured to deliver the ENCB to the nerve to block transmission of a signal related to a pain through the nerve.

Systems for treatment of a neurological disorder using electrical nerve conduction block

Embodiments discussed herein facilitate identification of a target area within a region of a brain for stimulation via one or more BS (Brain Stimulation) electrodes. One example embodiment comprises generating, based on radiological imaging of a region of a brain of a patient and BS electrode lead(s), a patient-specific anatomical model of the region and lead(s); populating the patient-specific anatomical model with neuron models based on associated neuronal densities of at least one of the region or one or more sub-regions of the region; constructing a patient-specific local field potential (LFP) model of the region based on the patient-specific anatomical model and location(s)/orientation(s) of the one or more BS electrode leads; and identifying, via the patient-specific LFP model of the region, a target area within the region for at least one of monitoring or treatment of a medical condition via the one or more BS electrode leads.

Patient-specific local field potential model

One aspect of the present disclosure is a system including a waveform generator, a controller, and an electrical contact. The waveform generator is for generating an electrical nerve conduction block (ENCB). The controller is coupled with the waveform generator. The controller is configured to receive an input comprising at least one parameter to adjust the ENCB. The electrical contact is coupled with the wave-form generator. The electrical contact is configured to be placed into contact with a nerve. The electrical contact comprises a high charge capacity material that prevents formation of damaging electro-chemical products at a charge delivered by the ENCB. The electrical contact is configured to deliver the ENCB to the nerve to block transmission of a signal related to a pain through the nerve.

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to lead assemblies for stimulating tissue. The lead assemblies can include lead bodies that are slidably coupled to each other and include one or more contacts that are moveably disposed within the slits of the lead bodies. The positions of the one or more contacts can be adjusted to change the direction of stimulation. For example, the positions of the one or more contacts can be adjusted based on theoretically-optimal positions determined from a patient-specific computer model. Parameters of the stimulation applied by the one or more contacts can also be optimized based on the patient-specific computer model.

Lead assemblies with adjustable contacts

One aspect of the present disclosure relates to lead assemblies for stimulating tissue. The lead assemblies can include lead bodies that are slid ably coupled to each other and include one or more contacts that are movably disposed within the slits of the lead bodies. The positions of the one or more contacts can be adjusted to change the direction of stimulation. For example, the positions of the one or more contacts can be adjusted based on theoretically-optimal positions determined from a patient-specific computer model. Parameters of the stimulation applied by the one or more contacts can also be optimized based on the patient-specific computer model.

Described herein are methods of treating various neurological disorders using electrical nerve conduction block (ENCB) without causing electrochemical damage. Examples of the various neurological disorders can include pain, muscle spasticity, hyperhidrosis, vertigo, sialorrhea, or the like. The methods can include placing an electrode contact in electrical communication with a nerve that transmits a signal related to the neurological disorder. The method also includes applying an ENCB to the nerve through the electrode contact. The electrode contact can include a high charge capacity material that prevents formation of damaging electrochemical reaction products at a charge delivered by the ENCB. The method also includes blocking transmission of the signal related to the neurological disorder through the nerve with the ENCB to treat the neurological disorder.

Methods of treatment of a neurological disorder using electrical nerve conduction block

One aspect of the present disclosure relates a method for determining effective stimulation parameters to apply to a patient in order to improve the patient's medical condition. The method can employ functional and/or structural imaging to determine the effective stimulation parameters. As such, the method includes programming a stimulation device with an initial stimulation parameter. An image can be received of at least a portion of the patient that is affected by a stimulation by the stimulation device. Based on the image, the efficacy of the stimulation with the at least one initial stimulation parameter can be assessed. The at least one initial stimulation parameter can be updated based on the assessed efficacy.

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Cleveland Heights, OH, United States of America

Scott Lempka