System and method for controlling neurological disorders with spatially separated detection and therapy locations

Abstract

A system and method for controlling epilepsy and other neurological disorders by providing electrical stimulation to a patient's brain in response to detected neurological conditions. An implantable device includes a stimulation subsystem coupled to a stimulation electrode to provide responsive electrical brain stimulation in response to an event detected via an on-board processor's analysis of data received from a detection subsystem coupled to a detection electrode located in a different portion of the patient's brain.

1 . A system for providing therapy to a patient's brain in response to a detected event, the system comprising: 
 a therapy delivery mechanism coupled to at least one therapy delivery site in the patient's brain;    a detection subsystem coupled to at least one detection electrode in the patient's brain, wherein the detection subsystem is operative to receive and process a detected signal received by the detection electrode; and    a processor operative to identify a detected event in the detected signal and to cause the therapy delivery mechanism to apply a dose of therapy in response thereto;    wherein the detection electrode is situated in a first brain region and the at least one therapy delivery site is situated in at least one different second brain region.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the therapy delivery mechanism comprises a stimulation subsystem.  
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one therapy delivery site comprises a plurality of locations in the patient's brain.  
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the therapy delivery mechanism is adapted to deliver a plurality of therapies to the plurality of locations.  
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of therapies comprises a plurality of bursts of electrical stimulation, at least one burst for each location of the plurality of locations.  
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the bursts of electrical stimulation have different stimulation parameters.  
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the bursts of electrical stimulation have equivalent stimulation parameters.  
   
   
       8 . A method for responsively treating a neurological disorder in a patient with therapy applied to the patient's brain, the method comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a signal representative of a neurological event with a detection electrode implanted in a first region of the patient's brain;    transmitting the signal to a detection subsystem, wherein the detection subsystem is adapted to receive and process the signal received by the detection electrode;    identifying a neurological event representative of the neurological disorder with a processor coupled to the detection subsystem;    in response to the neurological event, causing a therapy delivery mechanism to apply a dose of a therapy to at least one therapy delivery site in at least one second region of the patient's brain.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one therapy delivery site comprises a plurality of locations in the patient's brain, and wherein the step of causing the therapy delivery mechanism to apply a dose of a therapy comprises applying a plurality of therapies to the plurality of locations, at least one therapy for each of the plurality of locations.