Epilepsy Seizure Control Program
EPILEPSY is a serious neurodegenerative disorder where approximately one third of patients do not respond to current medications. Bionic Technologies Australia's Epilepsy Seizure Control Program interfaces signal processing technology with direct brain stimulation to produce a closed-loop electronic implantable device. This implant will recognise and control epileptic seizures either by the stimulation of target regions within the CNS or by the controlled release of therapeutic drugs.
The project is examining
alternative methods for the treatment of epilepsy aimed at early detection
and suppression seizures via the use of implantable
neural devices. The
Centre’s program is utilising signal processing technology
to produce an implant which will recognise
and control epileptic seizures either by the electrical stimulation
of target regions within the brain or by the controlled release
of therapeutic drugs.
The implanted device will be externally powered yet will not require wires to breach the skin. This reduces the likelihood of infection, overcoming one of the largest obstacles associated with the use of such devices. Furthermore, the device will have the ability to both record and stimulate, and miniature microprocessors to allow signal analysis of sufficient complexity to perform non-linear EEG signal analysis to be incorporated within the device.
The device will incorporate the recording of background electrical activity from the surface of the brain to identify impending seizures well in advance of their clinical manifestation. It will then produce electro-stimulatory signals, delivered to electrode arrays implanted within the exact region of seizure activity to depolarize the abnormal electrical signals associated with the impending seizure, and abort the seizure activity. Alternatively, the device will administer a specific anti-epileptic drug intracranially from a polymer matrix with the drug release controlled by electro-stimulatory signals.
Read more about Epilepsy Seizure Control
The project will be conducted by Bionic Technologies Australia as a collaborative activity between The Bionic Ear Institute, St Vincent’s Hospital, University of Wollongong and CSIRO with key collaborative input from Mark Cook (SVHM), Michael Murphy (SVHM), Robert Shepherd (BEI), Anthony Burkitt (BEI), Tony Paolini (BEI) and Gordon Wallace (UoW).
Bionic Technologies Australia
© 2007