Apparatus and method for neuromodulation with mri-guided ultrasound and induced electric fields

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024131353-A1
Application number	US-202318380013-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 12, 2023
Priority date	Oct 21, 2022
Publication date	Apr 25, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

An apparatus and method may be provided utilizing electropermanent magnets (EPMs) to deliver either or both ultrasound and changing magnetic fields. The apparatus and method may be used to modulate neurons and/or transport materials in the nervous system of human or non-human animals.

First claim

1 . An apparatus comprising:
at least one electropermanent magnet and at least one magnetizable diaphragm, and a controller that controls the electropermanent magnet to apply a magnetic field to an object of interest for the purpose of one of neuromodulation, imaging, or therapy, and also controls the electropermanent magnet to apply a magnetic force on the diaphragm that creates a sound wave that has an effect on a structure in the object of interest.

2 . The apparatus as in claim 1 where the diaphragm contains more than one section, so that sound waves of different phases or amplitudes are created by the same diaphragm.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an interface configured to couple the sound wave emitted from the diaphragm to the object of interest.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electropermanent magnet comprises an array of electropermanent magnets.

5 . A method in which an electropermanent magnet is used to collect an image of an object of interest and then to generate a sound wave entering the object of interest, the method comprising:
controlling the electropermanent magnet to apply a magnetic field to the object of interest, and controlling the electropermanent magnet to apply a force on a magnetizable diaphragm resulting in a sound wave.

6 . The method as in claim 5 wherein the diaphragm contains more than one section, so that sound waves of different phases or amplitudes may be created by the same diaphragm.

7 . The method of claim 5 , further comprising an interface configured to couple the sound wave emitted from the diaphragm to the object of interest.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein the at least one electropermanent magnet comprises an array of electropermanent magnets.

Assignees

• Weinberg Medical Physics Inc

Inventors

• Weinberg Irving N

Classifications

• A61N2/06 Primary

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

• A61N2/006 Primary

  for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue · CPC title