Device and method for auditory stimulation

US8825167B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignees

• Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH · DE
• ANM Adaptive Neuromodulation GmbH · DE
• UNIVERSITAET ZU KOELN · DE

Inventors

• Peter Alexander Tass · Munich, DE
• Hans-Joachim Freund · Ratingen, DE
• Oleksandr Popovych · Lehrte, DE
• Birgit Utako Barnikol · Titz, DE
• Joel Niederhauser · Lahr (Eifel), DE
• Jean-Christophe Roulet · Neuchâtel, CH
• Urban Schnell · Münchenbuchsee, CH

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 12, 2013
• Grant date: Sep 2, 2014
• Expiry date: Mar 12, 2033

Classification

• Technology area (CPC A): Human Necessities
• CPC primary: A61M2021/0027
• WIPO field: Medical technology
• WIPO sector: Instruments

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.