Motor Function Neural Control Interface For Spinal Cord Injury Patients
At least one electrical brain signal is received from a patient and is demultiplexed into an efferent motor intention signal and at least one afferent sensory signal (such as an afferent touch sense signal and/or an afferent proprioception signal). A functional electrical stimulation (FES) device is controlled to apply FES to control a paralyzed portion of the patient that is paralyzed due to a spinal cord injury of the patient. The controlling of the FES device is based on at least the efferent motor intention signal. A demultiplexed afferent touch sense signal may be used to control a haptic device. The afferent sensory signal(s) may be used to adjust the FES control.
Claim CLM-00001. 1. An apparatus for assisting a patient having a spinal cord injury, the apparatus comprising:
an electrical brain signal monitoring interface configured to record at least one electrical brain signal of the patient; a functional electrical stimulation (FES) device configured to connect via FES electrodes with a paralyzed portion of the patient that is paralyzed due to the spinal cord injury and to control the paralyzed portion of the patient by applying FES to the paralyzed portion of the patient via the FES electrodes; an electronic processor operatively connected with the electrical brain signal monitoring interface to receive the at least one electrical brain signal and with the FES device to control the FES applied to the paralyzed portion of the patient; and a non-transitory storage medium storing instructions readable and executable by the electronic processor, the instructions including:
electrical brain signal demultiplexing instructions that are executable by the electronic processor to demultiplex the at least one electrical brain signal into an efferent motor intention signal and at least one afferent sensory signal; andFES control instructions that are executable by the electronic processor to control the FES applied to the paralyzed portion of the patient by the FES device based on at least the efferent motor intention signal.
Claim CLM-00011. 11. A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions readable and executable by an electronic processor that is operatively connected to receive at least one electrical brain signal from a patient and to operate a functional electrical stimulation (FES) device to apply FES to control a paralyzed portion of the patient that is paralyzed due to a spinal cord injury of the patient, the stored instructions including:
electrical brain signal demultiplexing instructions that are executable by the electronic processor to demultiplex the at least one electrical brain signal into an efferent motor intention signal and at least one afferent sensory signal; and FES control instructions that are executable by the electronic processor to control the FES applied to the paralyzed portion of the patient by the FES device based on at least the efferent motor intention signal.
Claim CLM-00021. 21. A method comprising:
receiving at least one electrical brain signal from a patient; by an electronic processor, demultiplexing the at least one electrical brain signal into an efferent motor intention signal and at least one afferent sensory signal; and by the electronic processor, controlling a functional electrical stimulation (FES) device to apply FES to control a paralyzed portion of the patient that is paralyzed due to a spinal cord injury of the patient; wherein the controlling of the FES device is based on at least the efferent motor intention signal.
