Electrical Neural Blockade and Functional Stimulation of Dysfunctional or Transferred Nerves
Hadlock TA, Jowett N
US Patent 10,850,097 B2
What Is This Study About?
This granted United States patent covers methods and devices that combine proximal electrical neural blockade with distal functional stimulation of a dysfunctional or transferred nerve. The invention is the intellectual-property foundation of the bionic-face paradigm for hemifacial palsy and other peripheral-nerve deficits.
Key Findings
- Claims a system that blocks unwanted proximal nerve activity while stimulating target musculature distally
- Applies to dysfunctional facial nerves and to nerves transferred for reanimation
- Assigned to Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary; inventors Hadlock and Jowett
What This Means for Patients
The patented combination of reversible neural blockade and timed stimulation is the device concept behind a future implantable option for patients whose synkinesis or transferred-nerve activity cannot be managed by surgery alone.
Citation & Links
Citation: Hadlock TA, Jowett N, inventors; Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, assignee. Electrical neural blockade and functional stimulation of dysfunctional or transferred nerves. US Patent 10,850,097 B2. December 1, 2020.