Apparatus and method for managing chronic pain with infrared light sources and heat

摘要

Method and apparatus for infrared-light nerve stimulation-plus-therapeutic-heat (INS-plus-TH) that includes providing a plurality of light sources; providing a plurality of thermally conductive extensions configured to transfer heat generated by the plurality of light sources away from the plurality of light sources; emitting a plurality of infrared-light nerve-stimulation signals toward neural tissue of an animal from the plurality of light sources, wherein the emitted infrared-light nerve-stimulation signals are configured to generate action potentials in the neural tissue, and wherein the emitting of the plurality of infrared-light nerve-stimulation signals includes generating heat; controlling the emitting of the plurality of infrared-light nerve-stimulation signals to generate action potentials in the neural tissue; and transferring the heat generated by the plurality of light sources during the emitting of the plurality of infrared-light nerve-stimulation signals away from the plurality of light sources and into surrounding tissue of the animal using the plurality of thermally conductive extensions.

主权项

1. An apparatus comprising:
an infrared-light nerve stimulation-plus-therapeutic-heat (INS-plus-TH) device configured to be implanted in an animal, wherein the INS-plus-TH device includes:
a plurality of light sources that output infrared-light signals that are efficacious for nerve stimulation, wherein the light sources generate heat, wherein the plurality of light sources includes a first array having a first plurality of vertical-cavity-surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs);a controller operatively coupled to control the plurality of light sources; anda plurality of thermally conductive material extensions that lead away from the INS-plus-TH device and spread the heat into surrounding tissue of the animal and away from at least one of the group consisting of the light sources and the controller wherein the INS-plus-TH device is configured as a cuff stimulator having the first array of VCSELs located on a first side of a peripheral nerve and a second array having a second plurality of VCSELs located on a second side of the peripheral nerve, opposite the first side, with the plurality of thermally conductive material extensions extending in a direction parallel to a longitudinal axis of the peripheral nerve.