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).
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Patent number: 8116874Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: June 15, 2007Date of Patent: February 14, 2012Assignee: Forschungzentrum Juelich GmbHInventor: Peter Tass
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Publication number: 20110201977Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 16, 2009Publication date: August 18, 2011Applicant: FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JUELICH GMBH WIHELM-JOHNEN-STRASSEInventor: Peter Tass
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Patent number: 8000796Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: November 27, 2006Date of Patent: August 16, 2011Assignee: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbHInventors: Peter Tass, Oleksandr Popovych, Christian Hauptmann, Valerii Krachkovskyi
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Patent number: 7974698Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: May 26, 2006Date of Patent: July 5, 2011Assignee: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbHInventors: Peter Tass, Oleksandr Popovych, Christian Hauptmann
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Publication number: 20110137373Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 16, 2011Publication date: June 9, 2011Applicant: FORSCHUNGZENTRUM JULICH GMBHInventor: Peter TASS
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Patent number: 7917221Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: April 8, 2004Date of Patent: March 29, 2011Assignee: Forschungszentrum Julich GmbHInventor: Peter Tass
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Publication number: 20110009921Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 17, 2010Publication date: January 13, 2011Applicants: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, ANM Adaptive Neuromodulation GmbH, Universitaet Zu KoelnInventors: Peter Tass, Hans-Joachim Freund, Oleksandr Popovych, Birgit Utako Barnikol, Joel Niederhauser, Jean-Christophe Roulet, Urban Schnell
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Publication number: 20100331912Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: September 3, 2010Publication date: December 30, 2010Applicants: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, ANM Adaptive Neuromodulation GmbH, Universitaet Zu KoelnInventors: Peter A. Tass, Birgit Utako Barnikol, Christian Hauptmann, Karim Haroud, Jean-Christophe Roulet, Urban Schnell
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Publication number: 20100324631Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2010Publication date: December 23, 2010Applicants: Forschungszentrum Juelich GmbH, ANM Adaptive Neuromodulation GmbHInventors: Peter A. Tass, Marcus Goetz, Bernhard Pelz, Stefan Fischer, Jean-Christophe Roulet, Urban Schnell
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Publication number: 20100280570Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2008Publication date: November 4, 2010Inventors: Volker Sturm, Athanasios Koulousakis, Peter Tass
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Publication number: 20100222843Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 6, 2008Publication date: September 2, 2010Inventors: Peter Tass, Volker Sturm
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Publication number: 20100217355Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: October 28, 2008Publication date: August 26, 2010Inventors: Peter Tass, Christian Hauptman
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Publication number: 20080046025Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: June 15, 2007Publication date: February 21, 2008Applicant: FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JULICH GMBHInventor: Peter Tass
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Publication number: 20070203532Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 27, 2006Publication date: August 30, 2007Applicant: FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JULICH GmBHInventors: Peter Tass, Oleksandr Popovych, Christian Hauptmann, Valeril Krachkovskyi
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Publication number: 20070135860Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: November 22, 2006Publication date: June 14, 2007Applicant: FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JULICH GmBHInventor: Peter Tass
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Publication number: 20060276853Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: May 26, 2006Publication date: December 7, 2006Applicant: FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JUELICH GMBHInventors: Peter Tass, Oleksandr Popovych, Christian Hauptmann
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Publication number: 20060212089Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: April 8, 2004Publication date: September 21, 2006Inventor: Peter Tass
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Publication number: 20060047324Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: July 5, 2003Publication date: March 2, 2006Inventor: Peter Tass
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Publication number: 20050154424Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2003Publication date: July 14, 2005Inventors: Peter Tass, Michael Schiek
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Publication number: 20050125043Abstract: 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: ApplicationFiled: February 19, 2003Publication date: June 9, 2005Inventor: Peter Tass