Actuation and control of limbs through motor nerve stimulation
View Patent ↗Apparatus for actuating a skeletal muscle of a patient is provided. The apparatus typically includes a plurality of electrodes, which are adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a motor nerve that innervates the skeletal muscle. A control unit, is preferably adapted to drive a current between two or more of the plurality of electrodes, and to configure the current such that a first subset of axons in the nerve is excited by the current and such that a second subset of axons in the nerve is not excited by the current.
1. Apparatus for treating tremor of a muscle, comprising: a plurality of electrodes, which are adapted to be placed in a vicinity of a nerve that innervates the muscle; a sensor, which is adapted to generate a signal responsive to tremor of the muscle; and
a control unit, which is adapted to receive the signal and, responsive thereto, drive the electrodes to apply a current to the nerve, configured so as to selectively stimulate afferent axons of the nerve and reduce efferent stimulation of the muscle.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises one of the plurality of electrodes.
3. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of electrodes are adapted to be disposed at respective sites along the length of the nerve.
4. Apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit is adapted to drive the electrodes in a sequence responsive to the proximity of each electrode to a brain of a subject having the tremor.
5. Apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one electromyographic (EMG) electrode.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the at least one EMG electrode comprises two EMG electrodes, respectively adapted to be coupled to sense electrical activity of the muscle and a muscle antagonistic thereto.
7. A method for treating tremor of a muscle, comprising: sensing tremor of the muscle; and responsive thereto, applying a current to a nerve that innervates the muscle, configured so as to selectively stimulate afferent axons of the nerve and reduce afferent stimulation of the muscle.
8. A method according to claim 7 , wherein sensing the tremor comprises detecting electrical activity of the nerve.
9. A method according to claim 7 , wherein sensing the tremor comprises detecting electrical activity of the muscle.
10. A method according to claim 9 , wherein detecting the electrical activity of the muscle comprises detecting electrical activity of the muscle and of a muscle antagonistic thereto.
11. A method according to claim 7 , wherein applying the current comprises applying the current at respective sites along the length of the nerve.
12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein applying the current at the respective sites comprises applying the current in a sequence, responsive to the proximity of each site to a brain of a subject having the tremor.