Patents by Inventor W. Sheffield

W. Sheffield 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).

  • Publication number: 20080103548
    Abstract: Methods for treating neurological disorders, including neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological disorders, and associated systems are disclosed. One such method includes identifying one or more neural populations, including a cortical target neural population, associated with a neurological condition. The method can further include comparing a patient-specific measure of a characteristic parameter for a selected one of the neural populations with a target measure for the same parameter. If the patient-specific measure differs from the target measure by at least a target amount, the method can include selecting an electrical signal polarity, frequency, or both polarity and frequency based at least in part on the difference between the patient-specific measure and the target measure.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 2, 2007
    Publication date: May 1, 2008
    Applicant: Northstar Neuroscience, Inc.
    Inventors: Brad Fowler, Bradford Gliner, W. Sheffield, Leif Sloan
  • Publication number: 20070179534
    Abstract: Systems and methods for patient interactive neural stimulation and/or chemical substance delivery are disclosed. A method in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes affecting a target neural population of the patient by providing to the patient at least one of an electromagnetic signal and a chemical substance. The method can further include detecting at least one characteristic of the patient, with the characteristic at least correlated with the patient's performance of an adjunctive therapy task that is performed in association with affecting the target neural population. The method can still further include controlling at least one parameter in accordance with which the target neural population is affected, based at least in part on the detected characteristic.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 19, 2005
    Publication date: August 2, 2007
    Inventors: Andrew Firlik, Bradford Gliner, W. Sheffield, Leif Sloan
  • Publication number: 20050075679
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for treating neurological disorders by electrically stimulating cells implanted in the nervous system are disclosed. A method in accordance with one aspect of the invention includes preparing cells for implantation while the cells are in a first, at least partially undifferentiated state. The cells are then implanted at an implantation site within the patient's skull cavity while in the first state, and at least one electrode is positioned to be in electrical communication with the implantation site. The patient's neural dysfunction is at least partially corrected by differentiating the cells at least until the cells achieve a second state, with the cells in the second state having an increased level of differentiation and increased neurocharacteristics when compared to the cells in the first state. Differentiating the cells can include applying an electrical potential to the at least one electrode while the electrode is in electrical communication with the implantation site.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2004
    Publication date: April 7, 2005
    Inventors: Bradford Gliner, Alan Levy, Jeffrey Balzer, Andrew Firlik, W. Sheffield, Allen Wyler