Method and apparatus for providing transcranial magnetic stimulation (tms) to a patient

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017136255-A1
Application number	US-201615281475-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 30, 2016
Priority date	Mar 14, 2013
Publication date	May 18, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Apparatus for applying Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to a patient, wherein the apparatus comprises:
a head mount for disposition on the head of a patient; and a plurality of magnet assemblies for releasable mounting on the head mount, wherein each of the magnet assemblies comprises a magnet for selectively providing a rapidly changing magnetic field capable of inducing weak electric currents in the brain of a patient so as to modify the natural electrical activity of the brain of the patient; wherein the number of magnet assemblies mounted on the head mount, their individual positioning on the head mount, and their selective provision of a rapidly changing magnetic field is selected so as to allow the spatial, strength and temporal characteristics of the magnetic field to be custom tailored for each patient, whereby to provide patient-specific TMS therapy, to assist in diagnosis or to map out brain function in neuroscience research. In one preferred form of the invention, each of the magnet assemblies comprises a magnet for selectively providing a rapidly changing magnetic field of at least 500-600 Tesla/second corresponding to a magnet movement speed of no less than 400 Hertz.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . Apparatus for applying Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to a patient, wherein the apparatus comprises:
a head mount for disposition on the head of a patient; and a plurality of magnet assemblies for releasable mounting on the head mount, wherein each of the magnet assemblies comprises a magnet for selectively providing a rapidly changing magnetic field capable of inducing weak electric currents in the brain of a patient so as to modify the natural electrical activity of the brain of the patient; wherein the number of magnet assemblies mounted on the head mount, their individual positioning on the head mount, and their selective provision of a rapidly changing magnetic field is selected so as to allow the spatial, strength and temporal characteristics of the magnetic field to be custom tailored for each patient, whereby to provide patient-specific TMS therapy, to assist in diagnosis or to map out brain function in neuroscience research.

2 . Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each of the magnet assemblies comprises a magnet for selectively providing a rapidly changing magnetic field of at least 500-600 Tesla/second corresponding to a magnet movement speed of no less than 400 Hertz.

3 . Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the head mount comprises a skull cap.

4 . Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the magnet assemblies are secured to the head mount using a hook-and-loop fastener.

5 . Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the hook-and-loop fastener comprises a fastener base disposed on the head mount and a fastener connect disposed on each of the magnet assemblies.

6 . Apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the magnet assemblies comprise a permanent magnet and apparatus for moving the permanent magnet.

7 . Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the apparatus for moving the permanent magnet comprises a motor, and further wherein the permanent magnet is attached to the drive shaft of the motor.

8 . Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the apparatus for moving the permanent magnet comprises a solenoid.

9 . Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the permanent magnet comprises a rare earth magnet.

10 . Apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the rare earth magnet comprises neodymium.

11 . Apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the magnet assemblies comprise an electromagnet.

12 . Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a computerized controller for selectively causing selected ones of the magnet assemblies to provide a rapidly changing magnetic field.

13 . Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a plurality of electrodes for monitoring the electrical activity of the brain.

14 . A method for providing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to a patient, the method comprising:
providing apparatus comprising:
a head mount for disposition on the head of a patient; and
a plurality of magnet assemblies for releasable mounting on the head mount, wherein each of the magnet assemblies comprises a magnet for selectively providing a rapidly changing magnetic field capable of inducing weak electric currents in the brain of a patient so as to modify the natural electrical activity of the brain of the patient;
positioning the head mount on the head of the patient, and positioning a selected number of magnet assemblies on the head mount at selected locations; and selectively providing a rapidly changing magnetic field with at least one of the magnet assemblies; wherein the number of magnet assemblies mounted on the head mount, their individual positioning on the head mount, and their selective provision of a rapidly changing magnetic field is selected so as to custom tailor the spatial, strength and temporal characteristics of the magnetic field for that patient, whereby to provide patient-specific TMS therapy, to assist in diagnosis or to map out brain function in neuroscience research.

15 . A method according to claim 14 wherein each of the magnet assemblies comprises a magnet for selectively providing a rapidly changing magnetic field of at least 500-600 Tesla/second corresponding to a magnet movement speed of no less than 400 Hertz.

16 . A method according to claim 14 wherein the head mount comprises a skull cap.

17 . A method according to claim 14 wherein the magnet assemblies are secured to the head mount using a hook-and-loop fastener.

18 . A method according to claim 17 wherein the hook-and-loop fastener comprises a fastener base disposed on the head mount and a fastener connect disposed on each of the magnet assemblies.

19 . A method according to claim 14 wherein the magnet assemblies comprise a permanent magnet and apparatus for moving the permanent magnet.

20 . A method according to claim 19 wherein the apparatus for moving the permanent magnet comprises a motor, and further wherein the permanent magnet is attached to the drive shaft of the motor.

21 . A method according to claim 19 wherein the apparatus for moving the permanent magnet comprises a solenoid.

22 . A method according to claim 19 wherein the permanent magnet comprises a rare earth magnet.

23 . A method according to claim 22 wherein the rare earth magnet comprises neodymium.

24 . A method according to claim 19 wherein the magnet assemblies comprise an electromagnet.

25 . A method according to claim 14 further comprising a computerized controller for selectively causing selected ones of the magnet assemblies to provide a rapidly changing magnetic field.

26 . A method according to claim 14 further comprising a plurality of electrodes for monitoring the electrical activity of the brain.

27 . Apparatus for applying Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to a patient, wherein the apparatus comprises:
a head mount for disposition on the head of a patient; and a plurality of magnet assemblies mounted on the head mount in a predetermined pattern, wherein each of the magnet assemblies comprises a magnet for selectively providing a rapidly changing magnetic field capable of inducing weak electric currents in the brain of a patient so as to modify the natural electrical activity of the brain of the patient; wherein the number of magnet assemblies mounted on the head mount, their individual positioning on the head mount, and their selective provision of a rapidly changing magnetic field is selected so as to allow the spatial, strength and temporal characteristics of the magnetic field to be custom tailored for each patient, whereby to provide patient-specific TMS therapy, to assist in diagnosis or to map out brain function in neuroscience research.

28 . Apparatus according to claim 27 wherein each of the magnet assemblies comprises a magnet for selectively providing a rapidly changing magnetic field of at least 500-600 Tesla/second corresponding to a magnet movement speed of no less than 400 Hertz.

29 . Apparatus according to claim 27 comprising a kit of devices, wherein each device comprises a head mount having a plurality of magnet assemblies mounted on the head mount in a predetermined pattern, and further wherein each of the devices in the kit has its plurality of magnet assemblies mounted in a different predetermined pattern.

30 . A method for providing Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) to a patient, the method comp

Assignees

• Methodist Hospital
• Univ Cornell

Inventors

• Helekar Santosh A
• Voss Henning U

Classifications

• A61B5/0036

  including treatment, e.g., using an implantable medical device, ablating, ventilating · CPC title

• A61B5/4064

  Evaluating the brain (for intracranial pressure A61B5/031; for cerebral blood gases A61B5/14553; using EEG A61B5/369) · CPC title

• A61B5/05

  Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves (measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof A61B5/11; detecting, measuring or recording bioelectric or biomagnetic signals of the body or parts thereof A61B5/24) · CPC title

• A61N2/06

  using magnetic fields produced by permanent magnets (A61N2/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A42B1/04

  Soft caps; Hoods · CPC title