Patents by Inventor Peter A. Tass

Peter A. Tass has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8116874
    Abstract: A device including at least one electrode and/or at least one chip configured to stimulate cerebral neurons that have a pathological oscillatory activity with a period duration T, n contact points that are distributed over at least one electrode and/or over at least one chip and are configured to output electrical stimulus signals to the brain, and a controller configured to drive the contact points so that the contact points output a low-frequency succession of sequences of high-frequency pulse trains to the brain, wherein, for each sequence, m contact points of the n contact points are selected, with m?2 and m<n, and high-frequency pulse trains are applied only via the selected m points, and the temporal shift between two successive high-frequency pulse trains that are applied by different contact points is T/m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Forschungzentrum Juelich GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Tass
  • Publication number: 20110201977
    Abstract: A device having a first stimulation unit that generates electrical first stimuli suppressing a pathological synchronous activity of neurons in the brain and/or spinal cord of a patient upon administering the same to the brain and/or spinal cord of the patient, a second stimulation unit that generates optical and/or acoustic and/or tactile and/or vibratory second stimuli, and a controller that controls the first and the second stimulation units. The generation of the first and second stimuli optionally occurs in a first or in a second operating mode, and the controller actuates the first and the second stimulation units such that in the first operating mode the generation of at least 60% of the second stimuli is chronologically coupled to the generation of the first stimuli, and in the second operating mode the generation of at least 60% of the second stimuli is carried out without generating the first stimuli.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2009
    Publication date: August 18, 2011
    Applicant: FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JUELICH GMBH WIHELM-JOHNEN-STRASSE
    Inventor: Peter Tass
  • Patent number: 8000796
    Abstract: A device for decoupling and/or desynchronizing neural, pathologically synchronous brain activity, in which, the activities in a partial region of a brain area or a functionally associated brain area are stimulated by means of an electrode, resulting in decoupling and desynchronizing the affected neuron population from the pathological area and suppression of the symptoms in a patient. In an alternative embodiment of the device, the pathologically synchronous brain activity due to the disease is desynchronized which also leads to the symptoms being suppressed. The device has a stimulation electrode and at least one sensor which are driven by a control system in such a manner that they produce decoupling and/or desynchronization in their local environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2011
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Tass, Oleksandr Popovych, Christian Hauptmann, Valerii Krachkovskyi
  • Patent number: 7974698
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for desynchronization of neural illness-synchronous brain activity in which the activities in at least two subareas of a brain area or at least two functionally associated brain areas are stimulated by means of at least two electrodes. In the case of a person with an illness, desynchronization therapy suppresses symptoms in the relevant neuron population. The feedback stimulation signal, that is to say the measured, time-delayed and process neural activity, is used as an individual stimulus. This results in self-regulated, demand control of the amplitude of the stimulation signal, thus minimizing the intensity of the stimulation stimuli automatically after successful desynchronization. The apparatus has at least two stimulation electrodes and at least one sensor, which are driven by a controller such that they result in desynchronization in their local environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2011
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH
    Inventors: Peter Tass, Oleksandr Popovych, Christian Hauptmann
  • Publication number: 20110137373
    Abstract: A device for desynchronizing neuronal brain activity involving a neuron population firing in a synchronized manner at a pathological frequency. The device includes an electrode configured to generate stimuli that stimulate the neuron population; and a control unit configured to control the electrode to generate the stimuli in sequence, wherein the stimuli succeed each other with a predetermined frequency f. The predetermined frequency f is substantially equal to g×n/m, where g is the pathological frequency, and n and m are integers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 16, 2011
    Publication date: June 9, 2011
    Applicant: FORSCHUNGZENTRUM JULICH GMBH
    Inventor: Peter TASS
  • Patent number: 7917221
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for desynchronizing neuronal brain activity. According to the invention, the activity in at least two partial zones of a brain area or at least two functionally related brain areas is reset by means of two electrodes, surprisingly resulting in desynchronization in the targeted population of neurons of the patient and the symptoms being repressed. The inventive device comprises at least two stimulation electrodes (2) which are triggered by a control mechanism so as to cause synchronization in the local environment thereof. Preferably, the stimuli of the N electrodes are essentially out of phase by 1/N.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 8, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 29, 2011
    Assignee: Forschungszentrum Julich GmbH
    Inventor: Peter Tass
  • Publication number: 20110009921
    Abstract: A device and method for desynchronizing a patient's neuronal brain activity involving a neuron population firing in a pathologically synchronized manner. The device includes a stimulation unit configured to generate an acoustic stimulation signal to stimulate the neuron population when the acoustic stimulation signal is aurally received by the patient. Furthermore, the acoustic stimulation signal has a first frequency and a second frequency, with the first frequency provided to reset the phase of the neuronal brain activity in a first sub-population of the stimulated neuron population, and the second frequency provided to reset the phase of the neuronal brain activity in a second sub-population of the stimulated neuron population.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Applicants: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, ANM Adaptive Neuromodulation GmbH, Universitaet Zu Koeln
    Inventors: Peter Tass, Hans-Joachim Freund, Oleksandr Popovych, Birgit Utako Barnikol, Joel Niederhauser, Jean-Christophe Roulet, Urban Schnell
  • Publication number: 20100331912
    Abstract: A device and method for providing stimulation signals that reset the phase of the neuronal activity of neurons in a patient's brain. The device includes a control unit; and a stimulation unit that has a plurality of stimulation elements, and each stimulation element generates visual stimulation signals that reset the phase of the neuronal activity of the neurons when the signals are taken up via an eye of a patient and transmitted to neurons that are exhibiting a pathologically synchronous and oscillatory neuronal activity. The control unit is further capable of actuating the stimulation unit such that the stimulation elements generate the visual stimulation signals with a time offset in respect to one another and/or with differing phase and/or with differing polarity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 3, 2010
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicants: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, ANM Adaptive Neuromodulation GmbH, Universitaet Zu Koeln
    Inventors: Peter A. Tass, Birgit Utako Barnikol, Christian Hauptmann, Karim Haroud, Jean-Christophe Roulet, Urban Schnell
  • Publication number: 20100324631
    Abstract: A device with a control unit and a plurality of stimulation units configured to be implanted in the body of a patient and generate optical stimuli, wherein the optical stimuli reset the phase of the neuronal activity of the neurons during the stimulation of neurons exhibiting abnormally synchronous and oscillatory neuronal activity, and the control unit is configured to actuate the stimulation units such that at least two of the stimulation units reset the phases of the respectively stimulated neurons at different times.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Applicants: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, ANM Adaptive Neuromodulation GmbH
    Inventors: Peter A. Tass, Marcus Goetz, Bernhard Pelz, Stefan Fischer, Jean-Christophe Roulet, Urban Schnell
  • Publication number: 20100280570
    Abstract: An apparatus (100) is described that comprises a generator unit (1) of generating electrical stimulation signals and a spinal cord stimulation unit (2) encompassing a plurality of stimulation contact surfaces (11-14) to which the generator unit (1) feeds the stimulation signals. At least two of the stimulation contact surfaces (11-14) are arranged in a staggered manner transverse to the direction in which the spinal cord extends.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Publication date: November 4, 2010
    Inventors: Volker Sturm, Athanasios Koulousakis, Peter Tass
  • Publication number: 20100222843
    Abstract: The invention refers to a device comprising a generator unit for generating stimulation signals and a stimulation unit connected to the generator unit, wherein the stimulation unit is designed to stimulate nerve cells in the nucleus accumbens and/or in the amygdaloid nucleus and/or in the fasciculus medialis telencephali and/or in pathways made of dopaminergic areas of the mesencephalon leading to the nucleus accumbens or the amygdaloid nucleus and/or in fiber bundles linking the nucleus accumbens and the amygdaloid nucleus using the stimulation signals.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Publication date: September 2, 2010
    Inventors: Peter Tass, Volker Sturm
  • Publication number: 20100217355
    Abstract: An apparatus (100) is described which comprises at least one measuring unit (31-34) for recording test signals from neurons, a generator unit (10) for generating electrical stimulation signals in accordance with the test signals, and a plurality of stimulation units (11-14) that are connected to the generator unit (10). The stimulation units (11-14) stimulate a plurality of neural networks in a deferred manner by means of the stimulation signals and thus induce a deferred activity in the stimulated neural networks.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2008
    Publication date: August 26, 2010
    Inventors: Peter Tass, Christian Hauptman
  • Publication number: 20080046025
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a device for desynchronizing neural brain activity, a controller and a method for treating neurological and/or psychiatric disorders. According to the invention, low-frequency successions of high-frequency pulse trains are applied in corresponding brain regions. This suppresses symptoms and even brings about a cure in some cases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2007
    Publication date: February 21, 2008
    Applicant: FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JULICH GMBH
    Inventor: Peter Tass
  • Publication number: 20070203532
    Abstract: A device for decoupling and/or desynchronizing neural, pathologically synchronous brain activity, in which, the activities in a partial region of a brain area or a functionally associated brain area are stimulated by means of an electrode, resulting in decoupling and desynchronizing the affected neuron population from the pathological area and suppression of the symptoms in a patient. In an alternative embodiment of the device, the pathologically synchronous brain activity due to the disease is desynchronized which also leads to the symptoms being suppressed. The device has a stimulation electrode and at least one sensor which are driven by a control system in such a manner that they produce decoupling and/or desynchronization in their local environment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 27, 2006
    Publication date: August 30, 2007
    Applicant: FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JULICH GmBH
    Inventors: Peter Tass, Oleksandr Popovych, Christian Hauptmann, Valeril Krachkovskyi
  • Publication number: 20070135860
    Abstract: A device for treating patients by brain stimulation and related electronic component and use of the device and of the electronic component in a medical treatment method. To achieve the brain stimulation result, a device includes at least one electrode for stimulating a brain region, at least one sensor for measuring an electrical signal, a control system which can detect the occurrence of a pathological feature of the electrical signal which was measured by the sensor and, when the pathological feature occurs, delivers at least one component from a group of stimulus sequences (a) through (d): (a) a short high-frequency pulse train, (b) a resetting short high-frequency pulse train followed by a further desynchronizing short high-frequency pulse train, (c) a resetting low-frequency sequence of a high-frequency pulse train followed by a desynchronizing high-frequency pulse train, or (d) a resetting single pulse followed by a short desynchronizing high-frequency pulse train to the electrode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2006
    Publication date: June 14, 2007
    Applicant: FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JULICH GmBH
    Inventor: Peter Tass
  • Publication number: 20060276853
    Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for desynchronization of neural, illness-synchronous brain activity in which, according to the invention, the activities in at least two subareas of a brain area or at least two functionally associated brain areas are stimulated by means of at least two electrodes, on the basis of which, in the case of a person with an illness, desynchronization surprisingly occurs in the relevant neuron population and the symptoms are suppressed. The feedback stimulation signal, that is to say the measured, time-delayed and process neural activity, is used as an individual stimulus. In consequence, this results in demand control, which is self-regulating according to the invention, of the amplitude of the stimulation signal thus minimizing the intensity of the stimulation stimuli automatically after successful desynchronization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Publication date: December 7, 2006
    Applicant: FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JUELICH GMBH
    Inventors: Peter Tass, Oleksandr Popovych, Christian Hauptmann
  • Publication number: 20060212089
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for desynchronizing neuronal brain activity. According to the invention, the activity in at least two partial zones of a brain area or at least two functionally related brain areas is reset by means of two electrodes, surprisingly resulting in desynchronization in the targeted population of neurons of the patient and the symptoms being repressed. The inventive device comprises at least two stimulation electrodes (2) which are triggered by a control mechanism so as to cause synchronization in the local environment thereof. Preferably, the stimuli of the N electrodes are essentially out of phase by 1/N.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2004
    Publication date: September 21, 2006
    Inventor: Peter Tass
  • Publication number: 20060047324
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for controlled modulation of physiological and pathological neuronal rhythmic activity in the brain by means of sensory stimulation, which is capable of diagnostically ascertaining functional disorders in the brain and of alleviating or eliminating the symptoms of a functional disruption. According to the invention, the device comprises a control unit (4), a stimulator (1) and at least one means for detecting brain activity, said means being connected to the control unit (1).
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2003
    Publication date: March 2, 2006
    Inventor: Peter Tass
  • Publication number: 20050154424
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for locating the target spot of electrodes used for brain stimulation, particularly deep brain stimulation. The inventive device comprises an isolation amplifier (1) which is provided with at least one electrode (2) and at least one sensor (3). In a preferred embodiment, said device is provided with a control unit (4) which puts the signals of the electrodes (2) and the sensor (3) in relation and controls the input of stimuli via the electrode. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the stimuli are launched in a galvanically decoupled manner by optical means. The inventive device makes it possible to find the target spot for brain-stimulating electrodes in a particularly precise and fast manner according to objectifiable parameters.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Publication date: July 14, 2005
    Inventors: Peter Tass, Michael Schiek
  • Publication number: 20050125043
    Abstract: The invention relates to a device for treating patients by means of brain stimulation, an electronic component, and the use of said device and electronic component in medicine. Brain electrodes known in prior art, which are used for therapeutic permanent stimulation, have the disadvantage that as a non-physiological input in the area of the brain, for example the thalamus or the basal ganglions, permanent high-frequency stimulation can result in the affected neuron groups adapting thereto within a few years. Stimulation consequently has to be performed at a higher amplitude in order to obtain the same stimulating effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 19, 2003
    Publication date: June 9, 2005
    Inventor: Peter Tass