Light-based implants for treating Alzheimer's disease

Abstract

An intracranial, light-emitting implant for providing therapy to a patient having Alzheimer's Disease.

We claim: 
     
       1. A method of treating a patient having Alzheimer's Disease, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a device comprising an LED and a fiber optic cable having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion; 
 b) implanting the device into the patient so that the distal end portion of the fiber optic cable is located adjacent to the hippocampus, and 
 c) delivering light provided in a wavelength of between 600 nm and about 1000 nm from the LED through the proximal end portion of the fiber optic cable to the distal end portion of the cable, and 
 d) irradiating the hippocampus with an effective amount of the delivered light, 
 
       wherein the fiber optic cable and LED are located inside the patient's skull, 
       wherein the distal end portion of the fiber optic cable does not directly contact the hippocampus. 
     
     
       2. A method of treating a patient having Alzheimer's Disease, comprising the steps of:
 a) providing a device comprising an LED and a fiber optic cable having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion; 
 b) implanting the device into the patient so that the distal end portion of the fiber optic cable is located adjacent to the hippocampus, and 
 c) delivering light provided in a wavelength of between 650 nm and about 1000 nm from the LED through the proximal end portion of the fiber optic cable to the distal end portion of the cable, and 
 d) irradiating the hippocampus with an effective amount of the delivered light, 
 
       wherein the fiber optic cable and LED are located inside the patient's skull, 
       wherein the distal end portion of the fiber optic cable does not directly contact the hippocampus. 
     
     
       3. A method of treating a patient having Alzheimer's Disease, comprising the steps of:
 a) selecting a device comprising an LED and a light emitter having a proximal end portion and a distal end portion;   b) inserting at least a portion of the device into the patient so that the distal end portion of the light emitter is located between the patient's skin and hippocampus and placed to irradiate a portion of the hippocampus, and   c) delivering light provided in a wavelength of between 600 nm and about 1000 nm from the LED through the proximal end portion of the light emitter to the distal end portion of the light emitter,   d) irradiating the hippocampus with an effective amount of the delivered light, and   e) placing the distal end portion of the light emitter within 10 mm of the hippocampus wherein the distal end portion of the light emitter does not directly contact the hippocampus.    
     
     
       4. The method of claim 3, wherein delivering light provided in a wavelength of between 600 nm and about 1000 nm includes delivering light provided in a wavelength of between 600 nm and 700 nm.  
     
     
       5. The method of claim 3, wherein delivering light provided in a wavelength of between 600 nm and about 1000 nm includes delivering light provided in a wavelength of between 800 nm and 900 nm.  
     
     
       6. The method of claim 3, wherein delivering light provided in a wavelength of between 600 nm and about 1000 nm includes delivering light provided in a wavelength of between 800 nm and 835 nm.  
     
     
       7. The method of claim 3, wherein the hippocampus is irradiated with between about 0.2 J/cm 2  and 200 J/cm 2  of energy.  
     
     
       8. The method of claim 3, wherein the hippocampus is irradiated with between about 0.2 J/cm 2  and 50 J/cm 2  of energy.  
     
     
       9. The method of claim 3, wherein the hippocampus is irradiated with between about 1 J/cm 2  and 10 J/cm 2  of energy.  
     
     
       10. The method of claim 3, wherein the hippocampus is irradiated for a time on the order of minutes.  
     
     
       11. The method of claim 3, wherein the hippocampus is irradiated for 10 minutes.  
     
     
       12. The method of claim 3, further comprising intracerebroventricularly administering an effective amount of Il-10.  
     
     
       13. The method of claim 3, further comprising administration of UVB irradiation.  
     
     
       14. The method of claim 3, further comprising placing the distal end portion of the light emitter within 4 mm of the hippocampus.