Optical stimulation therapy

Abstract

A method for delivering optical stimulation comprises transfecting a target tissue with a light-sensitive channel protein sensitive to light in a wavelength range, delivering light in the wavelength range to the target tissue via an optical stimulation device, substantially simultaneously with delivering light to the target tissue, sensing bioelectric signals, determining a patient therapeutic state based on the bioelectric signals, and adjusting the delivery of the light to the target tissue based on the sensed patient therapeutic state.

1 . A medical system comprising:
 an implantable optical stimulation device comprising a light source that generates light;   an optical light guide configured to transmit the light from the light source to a target tissue remote from the implantable optical stimulation device, wherein the optical light guide comprises a non-galvanic material; and   a sense electrode implantable proximate the target tissue, wherein the implantable optical stimulation device is configured to sense bioelectrical signals via the sense electrode, and wherein the sense electrode comprises a material that produces substantially no induced current in an electromagnetic field.   
     
     
         2 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the implantable optical stimulation device is configured to sense the bioelectrical signals via the sense electrode while the optical light guide transmits the light from the light source to the target tissue. 
     
     
         3 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the bioelectrical signals comprise bioelectrical brain signals. 
     
     
         4 . The medical system of  claim 3 , wherein the bioelectrical brain signals comprise at least one of single cell action potentials, local field potentials (LFPs), energy spectra in different frequency bands, electrical signals associated with electrocorticography (ECoG), or electrical signals associated with electroencephalography (EEG). 
     
     
         5 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the implantable optical stimulation device is configured to adjust one or more parameters of the light transmitted from the light source to the target tissue based on the sensed bioelectrical signals. 
     
     
         6 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the sense electrode has an impedance of between about 100 Kiloohms and about 1 Megaohms. 
     
     
         7 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the material of the sense electrode comprises a conductive polymer. 
     
     
         8 . The medical system of  claim 1 , wherein the material of the sense electrode comprises carbon fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The medical system of  claim 1 , further comprising a lead comprising a first end configured to be coupled to the optical stimulation device and a second end implantable proximate the target tissue, wherein the sense electrode is located the lead proximate the second end of the lead, and wherein the lead comprises a material that produces substantially no induced current in an electromagnetic field. 
     
     
         10 . The medical system of  claim 9 , wherein the material of the lead comprises at least one of a conductive polymer or carbon fibers. 
     
     
         11 . A method comprising:
 transmitting light from an implantable optical stimulation device to a target tissue remote from the implantable optical stimulation device via an optical light guide, wherein an implantable optical stimulation device comprises a light source that generates the light, wherein the optical light guide comprises a non-galvanic material; and   sensing bioelectric signals via a sense electrode implanted proximate the target tissue, and wherein the sense electrode comprises a material that produces substantially no induced current in an electromagnetic field.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein sensing the bioelectric signal via the sense electrode implanted proximate the target tissue comprises sensing the bioelectrical signals via the sense electrode while transmitting the light from the optical stimulation device to the target tissue via the optical light guide. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the bioelectrical signals comprise bioelectrical brain signals. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the bioelectrical brain signals comprise at least one of single cell action potentials, local field potentials (LFPs), energy spectra in different frequency bands, electrical signals associated with electrocorticography (ECoG), or electrical signals associated with electroencephalography (EEG). 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the implantable optical stimulation device is configured to adjust one or more parameters of the light transmitted from the light source to the target tissue based on the sensed bioelectrical signals. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the sense electrode has an impedance of between about 100 Kiloohms and about 1 Megaohms. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the material of the sense electrode comprises a conductive polymer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the material of the sense electrode comprises carbon fibers. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising a lead comprising a first end coupled to the optical stimulation device and a second end implantable proximate the target tissue, wherein the sense electrode is located on the lead proximate the second end of the lead, and wherein the lead comprises a material that produces substantially no induced current in an electromagnetic field. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the material of the lead comprises at least one of a conductive polymer or carbon fibers. 
     
     
         21 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that cause a processor to control an implantable optical stimulation device to:
 transmit light from the implantable optical stimulation device to a target tissue remote from the implantable optical stimulation device via an optical light guide, wherein an implantable optical stimulation device comprises a light source that generates the light, wherein the optical light guide comprises a non-galvanic material; and   sense bioelectric signals via a sense electrode implanted proximate the target tissue, and wherein the sense electrode comprises a material that produces substantially no induced current in an electromagnetic field.