Patents Assigned to Brainsgate, Ltd.
  • Patent number: 8406869
    Abstract: A method for treatment is provided, including identifying that a subject has suffered from an adverse cerebrovascular event, excluding Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. Responsively to the identifying, beginning at least nine hours after the event, electrical stimulation is applied to a site of the subject selected from the group consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a greater palatine nerve, a lesser palatine nerve, a sphenopalatine nerve, a communicating branch between a maxillary nerve and an SPG, an otic ganglion, an afferent fiber going into the otic ganglion, an efferent fiber going out of the otic ganglion, an infraorbital nerve, a vidian nerve, a greater superficial petrosal nerve, and a lesser deep petrosal nerve. The stimulation is configured to excite nervous tissue of the site at a strength sufficient to induce at least an increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and/or a release of one or more neuroprotective substances.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2013
    Assignee: Brainsgate, Ltd.
    Inventors: Itschak Lamensdorf, Avinoam Dayan, Hernan Altman
  • Patent number: 7860569
    Abstract: A method is provided that includes identifying that a subject is at risk of suffering from vascular dementia (VaD). Responsively to the identifying, a risk of development of the VaD is reduced by applying electrical stimulation to a site of the subject selected from the group consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a greater palatine nerve, a lesser palatine nerve, a sphenopalatine nerve, a communicating branch between a maxillary nerve and an SPG, an otic ganglion, an afferent fiber going into the otic ganglion, an efferent fiber going out of the otic ganglion, an infraorbital nerve, a vidian nerve, a greater superficial petrosal nerve, and a lesser deep petrosal nerve; and configuring the stimulation to induce at least one neuroprotective occurrence selected from the group consisting of: an increase in cerebral blood flow of the subject, and a release of one or more neuroprotective substances. Other embodiments are also described.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Brainsgate, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoram Solberg, Hernan Altman
  • Patent number: 7636597
    Abstract: Apparatus for treating a subject is provided, the apparatus comprising (a) a stimulation device (352), adapted to be implanted in a vicinity of a site selected from the list consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) (52) of the subject and a neural tract originating in or leading to the SPG; and (b) a connecting element (356), coupled to the stimulation device (352), and adapted to be passed through at least a portion of a greater palatine canal (282) of the subject. Also provided is a method for implanting a treatment stimulation device (352) in a vicinity of a site of a subject, the method comprising passing the device (352) through a greater palatine foramen (22) of the subject, and bringing the device (352) into contact with the vicinity of the site, the site selected from the list consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) (52) of the subject and a neural tract originating in or leading to the SPG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2009
    Assignee: Brainsgate, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yossi Gross, Alon Shalev, Raphael Benary, Adi Lorian
  • Publication number: 20090131739
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for treating a condition of a subject, including a coil, which is configured to be positioned in a vicinity of a site selected from the group consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a greater palatine nerve, a lesser palatine nerve, a sphenopalatine nerve, a communicating branch between a maxillary nerve and an SPG, an otic ganglion, an afferent fiber going into the otic ganglion, an efferent fiber going out of the otic ganglion, an infraorbital nerve, a vidian nerve, a greater superficial petrosal nerve, and a lesser deep petrosal nerve. A control unit is configured to drive the coil to generate a magnetic field in the vicinity of the site capable of inducing an increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) of the subject. Other embodiments are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2008
    Publication date: May 21, 2009
    Applicant: BRAINSGATE, LTD.
    Inventor: Alon Shalev
  • Publication number: 20090105783
    Abstract: A method is provided that includes identifying that a subject is at risk of suffering from vascular dementia (VaD). Responsively to the identifying, a risk of development of the VaD is reduced by applying electrical stimulation to a site of the subject selected from the group consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG), a greater palatine nerve, a lesser palatine nerve, a sphenopalatine nerve, a communicating branch between a maxillary nerve and an SPG, an otic ganglion, an afferent fiber going into the otic ganglion, an efferent fiber going out of the otic ganglion, an infraorbital nerve, a vidian nerve, a greater superficial petrosal nerve, and a lesser deep petrosal nerve; and configuring the stimulation to induce at least one neuroprotective occurrence selected from the group consisting of: an increase in cerebral blood flow of the subject, and a release of one or more neuroprotective substances. Other embodiments are also described.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 18, 2007
    Publication date: April 23, 2009
    Applicant: BRAINSGATE, LTD.
    Inventors: Yoram Solberg, Hernan Altman
  • Patent number: 7146209
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for treating a condition of an eye of a subject, comprising a stimulator adapted to stimulate at least one site of the subject, so as to treat the eye condition, the site selected from the list consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) of the subject, an anterior ethmoidal nerve of the subject, a posterior ethmoidal nerve of the subject, a communicating branch between an anterior ethmoidal nerve and a retro-orbital branch of an SPG of the subject, a communicating branch between a posterior ethmoidal nerve and a retro-orbital branch of an SPG of the subject, a greater palatine nerve of the subject, a lesser palatine nerve of the subject, a sphenopalatine nerve of the subject, a communicating branch between a maxillary nerve and an SPG of the subject, a nasopalatine nerve of the subject, a posterior nasal nerve of the subject, an infraorbital nerve of the subject, an otic ganglion of the subject, an afferent fiber going into the otic ganglion of the subject, an efferent fiber going ou
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2006
    Assignee: Brainsgate, Ltd.
    Inventors: Yossi Gross, Alon Shalev
  • Patent number: 7120489
    Abstract: Apparatus for modifying a property of a brain of a patient is provided, including one or more electrodes (7), adapted to be applied to a site selected from a group of sites consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) (6) of the patient and a neural tract originating in or leading to the SPG. A control unit (8) is adapted to drive the one or more electrodes to apply a current to the site capable of inducing (a) an increase in permeability of a blood-brain barrier (BBB) of the patient, (b) a change in cerebral blood flow of the patient, and/or (c) an inhibition of parasympathetic activity of the SPG.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2006
    Assignee: Brainsgate, Ltd.
    Inventors: Alon Shalev, Yossi Gross
  • Patent number: 7117033
    Abstract: A method for treating a subject is provided, comprising positioning at least one electrode at least one site of the subject for less than about 3 hours, applying an electrical current to the site of the subject, and configuring the current to increase cerebral blood flow (CBF) of the subject, so as to treat a condition of the subject. The site is selected from the list consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) of the subject, a greater palatine nerve of the subject, a lesser palatine nerve of the subject, a sphenopalatine nerve of the subject, a communicating branch between a maxillary nerve and an SPG of the subject, an otic ganglion of the subject, an afferent fiber going into the otic ganglion of the subject, an efferent fiber going out of the otic ganglion of the subject, an infraorbital nerve of the subject, a vidian nerve of the subject, a greater superficial petrosal nerve of the subject, and a lesser deep petrosal nerve of the subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2006
    Assignee: Brainsgate, Ltd.
    Inventors: Alon Shalev, Amir Natan
  • Patent number: 6853858
    Abstract: Apparatus is provided for delivering a Non Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug (NSAID) supplied to a body of a subject for delivery to at least a portion of a central nervous system (CNS) of the subject via a systemic blood circulation of the subject, including a stimulator adapted to stimulate at least one site of the subject, so as to cause an increase in passage of the NSAID from the systemic blood circulation across a blood brain barrier (BBB) of the subject to the portion of the CNS, during at least a portion of the time that the NSAID is present in the blood, the site selected from the list consisting of: a sphenopalatine ganglion (SPG) of the subject, an anterior ethmoidal nerve of the subject, a posterior ethmoidal nerve of the subject, a communicating branch between an anterior ethmoidal nerve and a retro-orbital branch of an SPG of the subject, a communicating branch between a posterior ethmoidal nerve and a retro-orbital branch of an SPG of the subject, a greater palatine nerve of the subject, a lesse
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2005
    Assignee: Brainsgate, Ltd.
    Inventor: Alon Shalev