System and method of pain relief based on analysis of temporal nociceptive signals

Abstract

An apparatus, system and technique selectively eliminates the noxious signal components in a neuronal signal by creating an interfering electrical signal that is tuned to a given frequency corresponding to the oscillatory pattern of the noxious signal, resulting in a modified neuronal signal that substantially reproduces a normal, no-pain neuronal signal. The disclosed system and technique of pain relief is based on the hypothesis that the temporal profile of pain signals encodes particular components that oscillate at unique and quantifiable frequencies, which are responsible for pain processing in the brain.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for neutralizing a noxious signal in an afferent neural pathway, the method comprising:
 A) acquiring a signal at a sensing point location in an afferent neural pathway of a subject, the acquired signal having a first temporal profile;   B) comparing the first temporal profile of the signal with a second temporal profile of a comparison non-noxious control signal;   C) if a difference exists between the first and second temporal profiles, generating a neutralizing signal having a temporal profile at least partially similar to the second temporal profile of a comparison non-noxious signal; and   D) applying the neutralizing signal to the afferent neural pathway at a location different from the sensing point location.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the acquired signal comprises any of nociceptive pain signal, inflammatory pain signal, or neuropathic pain signal. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the acquired signal is a nociceptive signal. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the neutralizing signal is a non-nociceptive signal. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein B) comprises:
 B1) identifying at least one uncommon frequency component between a frequency based power analysis of the first temporal profile and a frequency based power analysis of the second temporal profile. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein C) comprises:
 C1) generating a neutralizing signal comprising one or more frequency components present in the frequency based power analysis the second temporal profile. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the neutralizing signal comprises less than all frequency components present in the frequency based power analysis the second temporal profile. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the neutralizing signal comprises all frequency components present in the frequency based power analysis the second temporal profile. 
     
     
         9 . An electromagnetic stimulation system comprising:
 a plurality of electrodes, a first of which is receptive to a signal acquired at a sensing point location in an afferent pathway of a subject, the signal acquired having a temporal profile;   memory for storing a plurality of neutralizing signal parameter programs;   a selection device coupled to the memory for selecting one of the plurality of neutralizing signal parameter programs,   a signal generator controllable by a selected of the plurality of neutralizing signal parameter programs for generating components of a neutralizing signal; and   an output unit for connection to at least one electrode;   wherein a second of the plurality of electrodes is configured for applying components of the neutralizing signal, generated by the signal generator, to an application point location in the afferent pathway of the subject which is different from the sensing point location of the acquired signal.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the acquired signal comprises any of nociceptive pain signal, inflammatory pain signal, or neuropathic pain signal. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10  wherein the acquired signal is a nociceptive signal acquired. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the neutralizing signal is a non-nociceptive signal. 
     
     
         13 . An electromagnetic stimulation system comprising:
 memory for storing a plurality of temporal profiles of neutralizing signals;   an input section receptive to a signal acquired at a sensing point location in an afferent pathway of a subject, the signal acquired having a temporal profile;   an output unit operatively coupled to the signal generator for connection to at least one electrode; and   a processing module operatively coupled to the input section, memory and signal generator and configured to:
 compare the temporal profile of the acquired signal with the plurality of temporal profiles of neutralizing signals in memory; and 
 if a difference exists between the temporal profile of the acquired signal and a template profile of one of the neutralizing signals, generating a neutralizing signal having the temporal profile which differs from the temporal profile of the acquired signal. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the signal acquired is a nociceptive signal. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13  wherein the neutralizing signal is a non-nociceptive signal. 
     
     
         16 . A method for masking a noxious signal in an afferent neural pathway, the method comprising:
 A) acquiring a signal from a neuron bundle in the afferent neural pathway of a subject;   B) identifying the acquired signal acquired as a nociceptive signal;   C) generating a masking signal different from the acquired signal; and   D) applying the masking signal to a plurality of neuron bundles in the afferent neural pathway.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein B) comprises:
 B1) performing a time domain to frequency domain transformation of a temporal profile of the signal acquired to create a first frequency based power analysis identifying corresponding frequency components of the signal acquired. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein B) further comprises:
 B2) comparing the first frequency based power analysis with a second frequency based power analysis of a masking signal having a temporal profile. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein B) further comprises:
 B3) identifying at least one uncommon frequency component between the first frequency based power analysis and the second first frequency based power analysis. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the masking signal is a non-nociceptive signal.