Patents Assigned to Nexstim Oy
  • Patent number: 7998053
    Abstract: A transcranial magnetic stimulation induction coil device (“TMS coil device”) is manufactured to contain coil windings of a predetermined size and shape and fixedly positioned at a predetermined location within and orientation in relation to a casing of the TMS coil device. In one embodiment, the coil windings are encased in a casting at a predetermined location within and orientation in relation to the casting, and the casting is fixedly positioned at a predetermined location within and orientation in relation to the casing. The size and shape of the coil windings and the casing within, and the location and orientation of the coil windings in relation to each other and the casing of, the TMS coil device are known with a high level of precision, such that navigated brain stimulation can be performed with the TMS coil device with a high degree of accuracy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Nexstim Oy
    Inventor: Matti Aho
  • Patent number: 7925066
    Abstract: An error in the co-registration of a coordinate system used to represent a head of a subject in image data with a coordinate system used to represent the location of trackers affixed to the scalp surface of the head and a tracked device, such as a transcranial magnetic stimulation (“TMS”) induction coil device, is corrected using information representative of the actual distance between the tracked device and the scalp of the subject, such that representations of the tracked device and the subject's head are accurately shown on a display of a navigated brain stimulation (“NBS”) system tracking movement of the tracked device in relation to the subject's head. The correction of the error in the co-registration is performed without collecting additional tracking information from trackers on a tracked TMS coil device and the head, which avoids interrupting NBS using the TMS coil device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2007
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2011
    Assignee: Nexstim Oy
    Inventors: Jarmo Ruohonen, Perttu Sipilä, Raine Hurme, Risto Ilmoniemi, Jari Karhu
  • Publication number: 20110060179
    Abstract: A transcranial magnetic stimulation induction coil device having a tracking device with a mating portion and at least one set of two or more reflective elements, a casing separate from a tracking device and containing at least one coil winding having a known orientation within the casing, and an attachment portion corresponding to the mating portion for removably attaching the tracking device to the casing such that, when attached, the reflective elements have a known orientation with respect to the known orientation of the coil winding.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2010
    Publication date: March 10, 2011
    Applicant: NEXSTIM OY
    Inventors: Matti Aho, Henri Hannula
  • Patent number: 7854232
    Abstract: A transcranial magnetic stimulation (“TMS”) induction coil device includes an attachment portion for attachment to a tracking device and providing that the tracking device, when attached to the TMS coil device, is at a predetermined location and orientation in relation to a casing of the TMS coil device. The casing of the TMS coil device also includes a reference point for confirming the accuracy of the attachment of the tracking device to the TMS coil device at the predetermined location and orientation in relation to the casing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2010
    Assignee: Nexstim Oy
    Inventors: Matti Aho, Henri Hannula
  • Patent number: 7440789
    Abstract: The invention relates to an electrode structure (10) for attachment to a more extensive measuring structure (11), in order to measure electrical responses from the human body. The electrode structure (10) includes a conductive electrode (1). According to the invention, the electrode (1) is shaped to be thin in the thickness direction of the electrode structure (10), and the electrode structure (10) is equipped with a hole (6) and the electrode (1) is located at the edge of the hole (6), in such a way that its longitudinal axis is essentially parallel to the plane of the measurement subject.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: October 21, 2008
    Assignee: Nexstim Oy
    Inventors: Henri Hannula, Matti Aho, Marko Ollikainen
  • Patent number: 6849040
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method for determining the effect of magnetic stimulation on human brain. According to the method, the stimulation dose is determined in different parts of the brain by summing cumulatively the electric field strength generated by the individual stimulus pulses. According to the invention, the position and alignment of a magnetic stimulation coil (1) is determined separately for each applied stimulus pulse in three dimensions relative to the head (5), the number, repetition rate and intensity generated by the magnetic stimulation coil (1) are measured separately for each pulse, the coordinate data of the brain are determined substantially unambiguously in the same coordinate system with the magnetic stimulation coil (1) on the basis of information obtained from other kind of measurement, such as a tomographic scan or, e.g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2005
    Assignee: Nexstim Oy
    Inventors: Jarmo Ruohonen, Jari Karhu
  • Patent number: 6537197
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing a magnetic stimulation effect and/or a fake magnetic stimulation effect in a biological tissue. According to the method, the real magnetic stimulation is effected by virtue of inducing an electromagnetic field in said biological tissue with a sufficiently strong field strength to essentially excite said tissue, and the fake magnetic stimulation is effected by virtue of inducing an electromagnetic field in said biological tissue with a field strength that is weaker than the electromagnetic field required for an essential excitation of said tissue.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2003
    Assignee: Nexstim Oy
    Inventors: Jarmo Ruohonen, Risto Ilmoniemi, Marko Ollikainen, Juha Virtanen