System for neuromodulation
Inventors
Bakker, Jurriaan • Pflug, Hans • Brouns, Robin • DELATTRE, Vincent
Assignees
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Publication Number
US-11752342-B2
Publication Date
2023-09-12
Expiration Date
Abstract
Systems and methods for a neuromodulation system are provided. In one example, the neuromodulation system includes a stimulation element, a stimulation controller, and a stimulation feedback acquisition system that includes a reference trigger input module configured such that the temporal relationship between a provided stimulation via the stimulation element and the stimulation controller, and a stimulation response received by the stimulation feedback acquisition system can be characterized.
Core Innovation
The described invention is a neuromodulation system that includes at least one stimulation element, at least one stimulation controller, and at least one stimulation feedback acquisition system. The stimulation controller generates a reference trigger signal and stimulation control signals to the stimulation element, and the stimulation feedback acquisition system receives or detects the reference trigger signal provided by the stimulation controller.
The stimulation feedback acquisition system includes a reference trigger input module that characterizes a time delay between provided stimulation, via the stimulation element, and the reference trigger signal. The characterized time delay supports synchronizing clocks across subsystems and compensating feedback acquisition latency, and the invention emphasizes characterizing a temporal relationship between stimulation delivered by the stimulation element and the stimulation response acquired by the stimulation feedback acquisition system.
Implementation options include an electrical trigger and telemetry using Bluetooth, NFMI, or NFEMI. Feedback sensors include surface EMG and other sensor modalities such as intramuscular EMG, electrode arrays, a sequence of event sensor, a motion sensor, afferent/efferent signals, impedance, EEG, BCI, and camera-based muscular activation, with example embodiments describing a programmer on a mobile device, wireless links, connector-mounted sensors, and a passive electrical component converting NFMI into an electrical reference trigger signal.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim is clm-00001, and it includes two core inventive aspects: generating a reference trigger signal for synchronization and characterizing a time delay in the feedback acquisition system. Dependent claims further define refinements including temporal relationship for clock synchronization and additional implementation details for trigger types, sensor options, and connector-mounted recognition.
Reference trigger signal generation and feedback time-delay characterization
The stimulation controller is configured to generate a reference trigger signal and stimulation control signals to the stimulation element, and the stimulation feedback acquisition system includes a reference trigger input module configured to characterize a time delay between a provided stimulation via the stimulation element and the reference trigger signal provided by the stimulation controller.
Temporal relationship for clock synchronization
The system characterizes a temporal relationship to synchronize clocks of the stimulation element(s), the stimulation controller, the stimulation feedback acquisition system, and the reference trigger input module.
Alternative feedback sensor selection in the feedback acquisition system
The stimulation feedback acquisition system includes a stimulation feedback acquisition base station and at least one sensor selected from sensor types including a sequence of event sensor, a motion sensor, EMG, afferent signal, efferent signal, impedance, EEG, BCI, and camera-based sensors.
External connector with mounted sensor for reference trigger recognition
The system includes an external connector with a mounted sensor configured to recognize a reference trigger signal from the stimulation controller.
NFMI reference trigger with passive electrical conversion
The system uses a NFMI reference trigger signal, where a stimulation controller converts the NFMI reference trigger signal via a passive electrical component into an electrical signal recorded by the stimulation feedback acquisition system.
Overall, the claim coverage centers on generating a reference trigger signal and using a reference trigger input module to characterize time delay between delivered stimulation and that reference trigger. The refinements further specify temporal relationship-based clock synchronization, expand sensor modality options for feedback acquisition, and add trigger implementation details such as under-threshold detectability, external connector recognition, and NFMI-to-electrical passive conversion.
Stated Advantages
Synchronize clocks of device components using the characterized temporal relationship.
Compensate feedback acquisition latency using the characterized time delay.
Documented Applications
Characterizing a temporal relationship between stimulation delivered by a stimulation element and a stimulation response acquired by a stimulation feedback acquisition system in a neuromodulation system.
Example neuromodulation system implementations using a programmer on a mobile device, wireless links, and connector-mounted sensors.
Using an under-threshold reference signal that does not produce stimulation but is detectable as the reference trigger for time-delay characterization.
Interested in licensing this patent?