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Process data mining system and method. The system analyzes data from complex process plants or systems and operates in open-book and closed-book modes. In closed-book mode, the system monitors incoming data sets against pre-defined clusters of data values and generates reports, indicating whether incoming data is a match or a no-match with the pre-defined clusters. In open-book mode, the system generates initial clusters, without having a-priori knowledge of the component or process, and also creates clusters "on the fly", thereby fine-tuning the analysis. A knowledge base encompasses a combination of parameters for a particular component. Clusters are defined within the knowledge base, each cluster representing a particular operating condition. The system expands clusters, within pre-defined limits, or creates new clusters, as needed, in order to accommodate incoming data values. Newly created clusters are then named, so as to indicate the particular operating conditions.
1. A method of analyzing data relating to parameters of a component in a process plant, a component being a piece of equipment, a location, or a process step, and a process plant being an agglomeration of equipment and/or process steps, the method comprising the steps of:
a) defining a set of data channels as a data vector for a particular component, each data channel in the set carrying data relating to a specific parameter of the particular component, such that a first data channel of the set carries data relating to a first specific parameter and a second data channel transmits data relating to a second specific parameter, the data vector being a discrete transmission of instantly measured data vector of the set of data channels, each discrete transmission being indicative of an operating condition of the particular component;
b) defining a knowledge base that relates to the particular component;
c) receiving the discrete transmission of the instantly measured data vector into the knowledge base;
d) prior to defining a cluster that encompasses a first data vector for a first operating condition of the particular component in the knowledge base, operating the knowledge base in open-book mode;
e) providing a cluster-generating algorithm that generates an initial cluster from the instantly measured data vector; and
f) adding the initial cluster to the knowledge base, the initial cluster subsequently serving as a pre-defined cluster.
2. The method of
g) providing one or more pre-defined clusters in the knowledge base, the pre-defined cluster being a pre-defined data vector having pre-defined boundaries for expected values of the data vector from the plurality of data channels in the knowledge base, each one cluster of the one or more pre-defined clusters being indicative of a specific one operating condition, such that, when more than one pre-defined cluster is provided, a first cluster is indicative of a first operating condition and a second cluster is indicative of a second operating condition;
h) providing a cluster-matching algorithm that determines whether one pre-defined cluster of the one or more pre-defined clusters encompass transmitted values of the instantly measured data vector;
i) upon determining that the one pre-defined cluster encompasses the transmitted values of the instantly measured data vector, adding the instantly measured data vector to the one pre-defined cluster; and
j) upon determining that none of the one or more pre-defined clusters encompass the transmitted values of the instantly measured data vector, creating a new cluster having boundaries that encompass the instantly measured data vector.
3. The method of
k) operating the knowledge base in closed-book mode, for monitoring operation of the particular component;
l) upon determination of the cluster-matching algorithm that the transmitted values of the instantly measured data vector fall within the pre-defined boundaries of the pre-defined cluster, allocating the instantly measured data vector to the pre-defined cluster; and,
m) upon determination of the cluster-matching algorithm that the transmitted values of the instantly measured data vector fall outside the pre-defined boundaries of the pre-defined cluster, issuing a report on the instantly measured data vector.
4. The method of
n) identifying each pre-defined cluster of the one or more pre-defined clusters within the knowledge base as representative of a particular operating state, wherein a first pre-defined cluster corresponds to a first operating state and a second pre-defined cluster corresponds to a second operating state;
o) comparing the instantly measured data vector with the pre-defined clusters, so as to determine a closest cluster, the closest cluster having cluster boundaries that encompass the transmitted values of the instantly measured data vector;
p) determining a residual value of the instantly measured data vector relative to an expected value of the closest cluster, the expected value being defined by the cluster boundaries and the residual value defining a distance between the instantly measured data vector and the expected value of the closest cluster;
q) determining a match condition if the residual value is within the cluster boundaries; and
r) determining a no-match condition, if the residual value is outside the cluster boundaries.
5. The method of
s) providing a pre-defined boundary-expansion tolerance for each of the one or more pre-defined clusters;
t) determining that the residual value of the instantly measured data vector lies within the pre-defined boundary-expansion tolerance of one of the pre-defined clusters; and
u) expanding the knowledge base by automatically expanding the cluster boundaries of said one of the pre-defined clusters, so as to obtain an expanded cluster that encompasses the transmitted values of the instantly measured data vector.
6. The method of
v) within the knowledge base, defining all the data channels of the knowledge base as base level parameters;
w) within each of the one or more pre-defined clusters, defining one or more of the base level parameters as being particularly indicative of a particular operating state and defining the at least one or more base level parameters to also be a corresponding one or more key level parameters;
x) within the knowledge base, defining a key-level knowledge base that contains a key-level cluster comprising a selection of the one or more key level parameters, the key-level cluster being indicative of a particular operating state of the component;
y) first processing with the algorithm the key level parameters in the key-level knowledge base to determine a match with the key-level cluster, so as to determine the particular operating state, and then subsequently processing the base level parameters against the pre-defined clusters that correspond to the particular operating state.
7. The method of
z) forming a base-level knowledge base comprising all data channels;
aa) within the base-level knowledge base defining one or more parent clusters and one or more child clusters, wherein a first parent cluster corresponds to a first operating condition and a first child cluster of the first parent cluster corresponds to a particular scenario within the first operating condition;
ab) applying a fingerprinting algorithm to the one or more parent clusters;
ac) searching for a match of the data values of the discrete transmission with the expected value of an individual parent cluster of the one or more parent clusters;
ad) if a match is found with the individual parent cluster, associating a cluster ID of the individual cluster with the transmitted values of the instantly measured data vector and incrementing a cluster counter for the individual parent cluster; and
ae) if a no-match with the one or more parent clusters is found, expanding the base-level knowledge base by generating a new algorithm-defined parent cluster that reflects the transmitted values of the instantly measured data vector.
8. The method of
af) ascertaining whether the process plant includes a plurality of plants;
ag) allocating a collection of the data channels to a corresponding one plant of the plurality plants; and
ah) sequentially processing a first knowledge base of each plant of the plurality of plants and then a second knowledge base of the each plant.
9. The method of
ai) operating the cluster-generating algorithm concurrently in the open-book mode and in a closed book mode, wherein the closed-book mode disallows generation of a new initial cluster;
aj) providing pre-existing data for the knowledge base, so as to provide at least one cluster that is a first pre-defined cluster that has cluster boundaries that are defined by a minimum-maximum tolerance range for each data vector;
ak) comparing the transmitted values of the instantly measured data vector with values in the first pre-defined cluster;
al) determining whether the transmitted values of the instantly measured data vector fall within the cluster boundaries of the first pre-defined cluster;
am) upon determining a match, issuing a match report; and
an) upon determining a no-match, issuing a no-match report.
10. The method of
b1) defining a plurality of knowledge bases, each knowledge base of the plurality relating to one particular component and containing data channels for the one particular component.
11. The method of
b2) defining a first knowledge base as comprising a first set of data channels and defining a second knowledge base as comprising a second set of data channels, wherein the first and the second sets of data channels are exclusive of each other.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of monitoring industrial process plants. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of process data mining.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Industrial process plants employ various means to monitor processes and equipment. These may be Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED) specially made for particular equipment or some mathematical modeling method. IEDs are designed around the concept of a feedback control loop based on traditional control theory. Usually set points are defined within the range of data; violations of these set points trigger an alarm mode. These methods, while excellent at determining violation of set conditions and/or adjusting the control loop accordingly when system parameters change, are usually computationally intensive, even for monitoring and controlling a single piece of equipment. The complexity of such systems increases exponentially when implemented at the plant level, let alone for a fleet-wide implementation.
On the other hand, most mathematical methods employed in the industry currently utilize a two step process for analyzing and monitoring data: a training step and a monitoring step. In the training step, the system "learns" the modeling parameters, based on a-priori data, and in the monitoring step, the system monitors the equipment or the process against the "learned" result.
The major disadvantage of using such a two step process for learning and monitoring is that inconsistent results may be observed if the model changes due to a changing physical process, corrupt data, sensor malfunction etc. In such cases, there are no sure ways to know why the results are inconsistent and this gives rise to the possibility of false alarm.
Another obvious limitation is that a "clean" or optimal set of data is required to train the model before monitoring can be performed. This initial optimal data set usually is not available for the real world and has to be obtained either from simulation or from filtering existing prior data. If the model developed in such a way has some errors, or if some unforeseen event is seen in the data, the model has to be retrained to account for such a data point. This retraining of the model introduces an added effort in the monitoring step.
What is needed, therefore, is a method for analyzing and classifying process data that does not require a clean set of data for training purposes, but that learns parameters on the fly by looking at changing data. What is further needed is such a method that optimizes the control data as more data is added. What is yet further needed is such a method that differentiates between key parameters and base parameters. What is still yet further needed is such a method that combines outputs of related sensors.
The method according to the invention is referred to as "process data mining" and the software used to accomplish the data mining is referred to as the "process data miner" or PDM. Process data mining is a method of collecting data from some complex system containing multiple elements or components and analyzing that data, using a PDM algorithm. In the description below, reference will be made to an industrial process plant (IPP), but it is understood that the complex system from which data is mined may be a very different type of system, such as the human body or certain systems within the human body, financial data and systems, communication systems, complex weather systems, etc.
Definitions: Certain terms used throughout this document are defined below. The definitions pertain to the use of these terms within the software system developed.
Method of Process Data Mining: The method of process data mining according to the invention combines a closed-book or monitoring mode with an open-book or learning mode. The open-book mode requires no a-priori data and is capable of learning parameters and limits as it sees incoming changing data. This allows one to employ the method on a new piece of equipment or a new process step, without an operator first having to provide base data. The closed-book mode, on the other hand, requires a minimum set of data to operate, as this mode compares incoming data with pre-defined data and generates reports, based on deviations or matches of the incoming data with the pre-defined data. Ideally, both modes are in operation simultaneously, so that the method is simultaneously monitoring and reporting on current conditions and is also generating new clusters in a learning process, which helps to optimize or fine-tune data analysis. The method may be used to monitor a single piece of equipment, or a single process at minimum. The method may also be used to monitor multiple pieces of equipment, processes, or a combination of related equipment and processes. A further feature of the method according to the invention is that it allows an operator to define "key" parameters and "base" parameters, the key parameters being those that are particularly predictive of a particular operating state.
As a first step, digitized data are collected from sensors that monitor processes or equipment in the IPP and are stored in a centralized location, a data historian. The data historian may be maintained by the IPP or a third party service located somewhere outside of the plant. Analysis of the IPP data provides a measure of the overall health of the plant and is the primary objective of the PDM. Basic signal conditioning, such as filtering, smoothing, noise removal and digitization, may already have been done on raw signals measured by actual physical sensors before they are input into the data historian.
The data are delivered to the PDM via specific data channels, each sensor having its own data channel and each data channel having a unique data channel name. Thus, each data channel represents a particular parameter of the IPP. One piece of equipment used in an IPP may have several data channels associated with it. The data channels are organized into knowledge bases, to facilitate analysis of particular processes or areas of the IPP. Real time or pseudo-real time data are classified within these knowledge bases, using a suitable technique such as clustering, artificial neural network, Gaussian filtering, Kalman filter banks, correlation techniques, principal component analysis technique (PCA), heuristic methods, mathematical models, etc. The knowledge bases may represent different operating states of "components" within a process plant, such as fault conditions, normal operating conditions or expected behavior of the system being monitored, etc.
Some data channels, i.e., some parameters, may be defined as key parameters. Key parameters are parameters that are indicative of critical process states. For example, in electrical power plants, the plant load is a key parameter, because the behavior of components varies under different load conditions. The parameters that are indicative of fault or normal operating conditions also change according to the change in load. It is therefore meaningful to first determine the load parameters before performing further analysis on components. Different data channels within a knowledge base may also be given different weights, depending upon, for example, their contribution to the evolution of the process or how indicative they are of a fault condition.
The data channels are then combined into user-defined clusters, based on a-priori knowledge of the IPP operators. For example, data channels or parameters from a particular pump, which carry data relating to bearing oil temperature, speed, shaft vibration, etc., are gathered into a "pump" cluster. The cluster is given a minimum-maximum tolerance range. Several clusters for the same "pump" may be defined, each cluster representing a different operating condition, such as optimal operating condition, a fault condition, a condition indicative of a pending fault, etc. Any combination of parameters is possible. Thus, parameters from different key pieces of equipment and key process steps may be combined to a cluster. And, again, several clusters of this particular grouping of parameters may be defined, each cluster indicative of a different operating condition.
The PDM method according to the invention has the ability to "learn" new clusters on the fly, without input from IPP operators. In learning mode, the PDM expands a knowledge base by expanding the boundaries of a cluster, in order to accept data within a certain range that is beyond the initially defined minimum-maximum tolerance, or generates new clusters to encompass data that does not fall within certain pre-defined limits of any relevant clusters. The knowledge bases are expanded as a function of key parameters, data channels, time derivatives of the data, integrals of the data and/or calculated formulas, or one or more data channels and/or their derivatives and/or their integrals. Expansion of a knowledge base implies that the system either learns about new operating states that were not predefined or expands predefined clusters.
The PDM builds a model for the present condition of a cluster, based on an adaptive filtering algorithm, such as a Kalman filter, a particle filter, an autoregressive moving average, etc., to generate a predictive analysis of future behavior of the data channels. The PDM compares the output of such a predictive component of the PDM to incoming data. If the error between the two data sets is greater than a preset acceptable level, the PDM flags the incoming data as a new cluster and then creates a new model for the data.
The present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numbers indicate identical or functionally similar elements.
The present invention will now be described more fully in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the preferred embodiments of the invention are shown. This invention should not, however, be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, they are provided so that this disclosure will be complete and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art.
For purposes of illustration only, a single component in the plant IPP, a pump, will be relied upon in the description to illustrate the process of data mining. The following parameters in the pump will be monitored: flow rate, temperature, pressure, shaft vibration, and load. The goal is to determine whether the pump is overheating and to be able to intervene before imminent failure occurs. It is understood that a number of pumps or a combination of pumps and other equipment or processes may be included in the plant IPP, with the corresponding knowledge bases incorporated into PDM system 1000, but for the sake of simplicity, the example is for a single piece of equipment.
A knowledge base is defined as "pump overheating (OB)," which represents the operating state that is to be predictively identified. The data channels associated with the knowledge base "pump overheating (OB)" are as mentioned above, load, flow rate, temperature, pressure, and shaft vibration. Among these data channels, the parameter "load" is identified as a key parameter, because it is known that the pump behaves differently under different load conditions. For example, the normal temperature range lies within certain limits when the plant load is 40% to 60%, but the same temperature range may be too high for normal operating conditions, when the plant load is only 20%. It is therefore expedient to first identify the load range at which the pump is running, before looking at the other parameters.
The tag (OB) indicates that the knowledge base has been defined in open book mode. The same knowledge base is also defined in closed book mode and called "pump overheating (CB)". The tag (CB) indicates that the knowledge base is in closed book mode.
The normal operating ranges and overheating ranges for all the data channels are roughly known. By "roughly" is meant that ranges are known for ideal operating conditions. A plant may operate in a non-ideal condition, making some of the ranges invalid. In such cases, the PDM system 1000, by processing the knowledge base in open-book mode, "learns" non-ideal conditions and provides information that allows an operator to recognize when a non-ideal condition is developing. It is particularly advantageous to operate the PDM system simultaneously in open-book mode and in closed book mode. The closed-book mode provides a report on a process or component that is operating in a non-ideal state, whereas the simultaneously operated open-book mode generates a new cluster representative of that particular non-ideal state. This newly generated cluster is assigned an appropriate name at some point, so that, when the particular non-ideal state next occurs, it is immediately apparent to the operator what the non-ideal condition is.
Referring again to the pump illustration, clusters are defined for key parameter data channels that correspond to the ranges: "less that 20%"; "21% to 60%"; and "greater than 61%". These three clusters serve as "parent" clusters for the key level processing. Two additional clusters are defined as "child" clusters for each of the parent clusters: "Pump Normal Operation" and "Pump Overheating". The first child cluster defines the ranges for each data channel for the ideal normal operation of the pump, and the second child cluster defines the ranges for each data channel when the pump is overheating. Advantageously, yet another cluster "Pump Normal Operation" is defined as the Expectation cluster, i.e., as the cluster that is representative of the expected sensor values from the pump in normal operating mode most of the time. All monitoring is done against the min/max values defined for this expectation cluster. Alternatively, the expectation cluster may be defined as representative of the operating condition "Pump Overheating." In this case, the PDM system 1000 monitors the incoming sensor values with respect to the fault condition and reports on the evolution of the pump condition over time against the fault condition. Monitoring against the fault condition is the inverse of monitoring against the normal operating condition.
In the example given here, each parent cluster has two child clusters subordinate to it, i.e.,
Less than 20%
21% to 60%
Greater than 61%
The overall view of the knowledge bases for "pump overheating" is as follows:
Knowledge Bases:
"pump overheating (OB)"
"pump overheating (CB)"
Data Channels associated with "pump overheating (OB)"/"pump overheating (CB)"
Load (Key Parameter)
Flow Rate
Shaft Vibration
Initial Clusters for both "pump overheating (OB)"/"pump overheating (CB)"
Less than 20% (parent)
21% to 60% (parent)
Greater than 61% (parent)
Pump Overheating (child)
Pump Normal Operation (child) (Expectation)
Once the knowledge base has been defined, the PDM software 100 is ready to receive incoming data from the plant IPP, and to process the received data with the PDM algorithm. As mentioned previously, it is not necessary to define initial clusters prior to first using the PDM system 1000 according to the invention. The system 1000 in open-book mode is capable of learning initial clusters and comparing data with those clusters.
Operation of the knowledge base "pump overheating (OB)", i.e., open-book mode: The plant IPP sends all the data for a particular time in bulk, i.e., it sends the data for all data channels in the knowledge base at the same time. The algorithm thus receives data for each data channel, load, temperature, pressure, flow rate, and shaft vibration at the same time and initiates data processing for the key level parameters, which, in the case of the example, is the load parameter.
On receiving the first set of data, the algorithm first stores that data in raw form in the database DB. It then identifies the data for load as being the key parameter and clusters this data. The algorithm looks into pre-defined clusters to determine whether the received data matches any of the defined clusters. If it does not, the algorithm expands the knowledge base, either by expanding the cluster boundaries, if possible, of one of the clusters to encompass the set of data, or, if expansion of cluster boundaries is not possible, by creating a new cluster. This first level of cluster formed is termed the "parent" cluster and is associated with the "parent" knowledge base that contains only those data channels that were identified as key level data channels when the knowledge bases were defined.
On the second pass, the algorithm clusters the next set of received data. This time it considers all data channels related to the knowledge base. It then tries to fit, if possible, the incoming data into either one of the child clusters. If the received set of data is outside pre-defined cluster boundaries, yet within certain expansion tolerances, the algorithm expands the cluster boundaries of the appropriate cluster. If the distance of the values in the received data set is too great from the values of the closest cluster, such that the cluster boundaries cannot be expanded, then a new child cluster is created to accommodate this new data. The algorithm reports the distances of the set of data to the closest cluster and stores all appropriate data in the database.
It is clear to those skilled in the art, that any number of knowledge bases may be defined within a plant IPP, to trap specific faults within a system and monitor against the normal operating mode of the system. Staying with the example of the pump, incoming data sets may not match any of the clusters, if the pump bearing is slowly degrading. The knowledge base in open book mode will form intermediate clusters as the pump deteriorates from the normal condition to the fault condition. In this case, the system identifies a slowly evolving fault condition. At the same time, the knowledge base may form many other clusters, if some other fault (related or otherwise to the bearing overheating condition) is occurring on the pump, for example loss of flow, or loss of power.
Operation of the knowledge base "pump overheating (CB)", i.e., closed book mode: The processing steps for the closed book mode are similar to those in open book mode, but instead of expanding clusters or creating new clusters (either parent or child) to accommodate the incoming data, the algorithm simply reports the distances to the pre-defined clusters. The plant operator or user typically runs both open book and closed book modes of the knowledge base at the same time and uses the open book mode to learn new conditions (other than the pre-defined ideal conditions) and then later define them in closed book condition, so that they can be reported in near-real-time.
An IPP typically includes multiple pieces of equipment and/or processes, which are monitored by analyzing data collected from the signal outputs of the sensors and transducers that measure operating parameters, such as pressure, temperature, vibration, pH, etc. The processes and equipment will frequently have so-called "key parameters," i.e., parameters that are more critical to proper operation or are more indicative of the health of the process than other parameters. Studying the behavior of the key parameters generally provides more precise information or a clearer picture of the state of the IPP than an analysis of all parameters in a combined way. For this reason, it is useful to identify the key parameters and to first analyze the data from these key parameters, before taking into account all combined parameters. As shown in
Data incoming from the IPP may be sub-divided into knowledge bases, whereby a knowledge base is a collection of individual parameters, frequently referred to herein as "data channels", that are closely related or indicative of a particular process or equipment. Defining the data in a knowledge base for a particular process or process step provides a basis for monitoring the particular process or step against a pre-defined operating condition, such as a normal operating condition or a known fault condition. Working with knowledge bases also enables "knowledge discovery" of new and/or unforeseen operating states.
Both processing modes may be further branched into the key level processing and the base level processing. The choice of key level or base level processing depends upon the way in which the knowledge base structure has been designed. If a knowledge base has been defined with some data channels as key level data channels, then the algorithm first processes the knowledge base in key level processing, and then in base level processing. If a knowledge base is defined without any data channels as key parameters, then the algorithm automatically proceeds to base level processing, skipping the key level processing step.
A-priori information about the process or equipment to be monitored may be completely lacking or only partially available, such as when a new piece of equipment is brought online or a new process is implemented. In such a case, the PDM software 100 operates in open book or learning mode. All information is then initially "learned", that is, it is collected and stored in new clusters, and is later classified as to the appropriate state or condition, once the system operator interprets the newly acquired knowledge.
Referring again to
Step 901: data are received for PDM pre-fingerprinting.
Each plant IPP may have several knowledge bases KB defined within it. In this example, each power generating plant has a knowledge base for the boiler, a knowledge base for at least one pump, etc. A plant IPP must have at least one knowledge base KB defined within it for monitoring to occur. Each knowledge base encompasses a plurality of correlated parameters, i.e., data channels, and at least one model or cluster. As time goes on and various operating conditions become known, the knowledge base expands to encompass a plurality of models or clusters. Each data channel carries data from a specific sensor; each cluster encompasses all the data channels of the knowledge base, but the values of the data in the cluster correspond to specific operating conditions. Thus, a first cluster in the knowledge base "pump" may contain values of the parameters that correspond to normal operation at 100% power load; a second cluster contain values of the same parameters that correspond to normal operation at 50% power load; a third cluster contain values of the same parameters that correspond to a known fault condition at 100% power load; etc. Examples of data channels DC for the knowledge base "pump" include: pressure, bearing oil temperature, flow rate, vibration on pump shaft, etc. A cluster may have a "child" cluster. Vector objects V are at the next level in the object hierarchy. Vector objects V are arrays of numbers that represent either the system data or model information, such as, for example, the cluster boundaries. A minimum-maximum tolerance is assigned to each value within a cluster that corresponds to a particular condition. Thus, minimum-maximum tolerances are assigned to the values of parameters in the first cluster mentioned just above and different minimum-maximum tolerances may be assigned to the values of the same parameters in the second cluster. The incoming data are pulled from the database as a vector V of data channels DC, with each data channel forming a member element, that is, a single output signal of a particular sensor, of an incoming vector array.
The knowledge base KB also has a fingerprinting FP object. The FP object implements an algorithm that partitions the data into different operating conditions, like fault conditions, normal operating conditions, or other, and also stores the data at the appropriate location in the database 1100.
It is understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative of the present invention. Variations in the construction of the method for process data mining may be contemplated by one skilled in the art without limiting the intended scope of the invention herein disclosed and as defined by the following claims.
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Our orchard is built upon your trust, a trust our family treasures. We bring you over 30 of the best apple varieties and meet all USDA compliance checks. A trip to Sunrise Orchards is the perfect family excursion for a weekend day trip. When you journey along the Mississippi River Valley to Sunrise Orchards in Gays Mills you will delight in the scenery and discover educational highlights. Nutritional Information, recipes and our best recommendations for using apples are always available for you.
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Apples and products made from them can be an important part of your daily diet. You can find nutritional information here for the apple and apple cider.

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CROWN POINT - Crown Point residents will have an opportunity to "Savor the Arts" Thursday, March 12.
That's when the Crown Point Central School music department will perform in a coffeehouse-style fundraising event at 6 p.m.
Admission will be $1 with desserts available.
"Musicians in grades 7 - 12 are offering an evening of light entertainment and delectable desserts in a caf setting," explained Jeris French, Crown Point music teacher.
Students will perform Broadway show tunes, movie themes and light classic pieces.
The school band, chorus, orchestra members and guests will perform solos, duets and ensembles, with accompanist Russell Ames.
Also featured will be the CPCS Class Dancers, under the direction of Laura Uhly.
People with a sweet tooth are in for a treat, French said.
"Cheesecakes, pies and specialty cakes will be sold by the serving and also raffled to take home," she said.
Raffle tickets for specialty baked goods will be sold the week of the event and the winners drawn that night.
Students are soliciting baked goods for the show. People interested in donating can call Marie Mesones at 597-9667 or contact French.
"Support the arts at CPCS," French urged.
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Last night, after her performance at iTunes Festival, Gaga debuted a brand new creation by Haus of Gaga, Bubble Dress 2.0.
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Photo credit: courtesy of Omar Angel Perez, H0les, Daily Mail


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Emily Rooms & Apartments is a dinstictive boutique hostel situated in the heart of Sarajevo in the well known Old Town - 'Bascarsija', where history shows itself in a lacework style.rnrn With its stunning array of rooms and apartments 'Emily Rooms & Apartments' is able to house of up to 30 people.
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Emily Apartments is a wonderful place to enjoy the beauty of Sarajevo. Is situated nearby Baščaršija, in a strategic position in the center of the city. Another positive note is the really nice and unique panorama of the city that you can see from the flat. The host was polite and helpful, we enjoy talking with him and give us all the assistance for our stay in Sarajevo. Reccomended!Read More
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text:
MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University men's golf team added a pair of standouts from the Black Hills area to its 2013-14 roster, head coach Adam Anderson announced Tuesday afternoon.
Jacob Palo, a Hot Springs, S.D. native, and Lead native Gabe Dirksen both signed with the Tiger men's golf program recently and will join the team in the fall. Both had solid prep careers, and both come to DWU with ties to the college.
Dirksen, who is from the same hometown as Tiger assistant coach Tyler Evenson and former DWU All-American golfer Dani Bellet Everson, won five varsity letters for the Lead-Deadwood High School golf team. He took third at the Class A state golf meet as a senior and helped the Golddiggers to the Class A state team title.
Dirksen took first place at the region golf tournament and second at the conference tournament. He also lettered twice in golf and once in track. He competed on the Avera/Austad Junior Tour and won several tournaments on the tour. Dirksen, who plans to major in bio chemistry at DWU, was a member of the National Honor Society.
Palo, the younger brother of current DWU golfer Emilie Palo, joins the Tigers after earning five varsity letters for the Bison. He has several top-two finishes, and qualified for the Class A state meet as a junior. He also competed at the region tournament for five years, and played on the Avera/Austad Junior Tour for three years.
"Any time you have the opportunity to add two very smart, coachable and motivated young men to your program in the same day, is a great day," Anderson said. "I am excited by the decision made today by both Gabe and Jacob. Both are thrilled to soon begin their collegiate athletic careers, and both will be outstanding teammates.
"Both Gabe and Jacob have supportive families who appreciate the value of the well-rounded education their sons will receive at DWU."
The Tiger men begin the spring portion of their 2012-13 schedule March 18-19 when they travel to Winfield, Kan., for a tournament hosted by Southwestern College.


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|Doubletree Hotels Winfield properties are listed below. Search for cheap and discount Doubletree Hotels hotel rooms in Winfield, IL for your upcoming meeting or individual travels. We list the best Doubletree Hotels Winfield hotels/motels so you can review the Winfield Doubletree Hotels hotel list below to find the perfect place.
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This is my first flight with the Waterproof Quadrocopter, using the gopro slung underneath. It was great fun to shoot. Really looking forward to heading out over the deep blue sea.
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2013-14 Preseason Schedule: What We Know
The Pacers haven't released their full schedule for the 2013-14 preseason, but other teams have. It appears they'll open the preseason against Central Division rival Chicago, which will also likely mark the return of 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose. Below is a list of what preseason games are set.
Oct. 5 vs. Chicago – 8:00 p.m. EST (via Bulls)
Oct. 10 vs. Houston in Manila, Philippines (officially announced)
Oct. 13 vs. Houston in Taipei, Taiwan (officially announced)
Oct. 18 @ Chicago – 8:00 p.m. EST (via Bulls)
Oct. 19 at Cleveland – 7:30 p.m. EST (via Cavaliers)
Oct. 22 at Atlanta – 7:30 p.m. EST (via Hawks)


text:
Aspects of the invention relate to intracranial electrodes and methods for implanting and using intracranial electrodes. In one particular example, an intracranial electrode includes a shaft having a distal contact surface adapted to electrically contact a surface of a patient's brain, a head associated with the shaft, and threads adapted to fix the electrode with respect to the patient's skull. This electrode may have an adjustable length adapted to change a contact force of the distal contact surface against the surface of the brain by adjusting the length of the electrode.
1. A method for implanting an intracranial electrode, comprising:
passing an elongate conductive member into a borehole extending through a patient's skull;
advancing the elongate conductive member into the patient's brain so that the elongate conductive member extends into the patient's subcortical tissue; and
threadably rotating a shaft of the electrode into engagement with a wall of the borehole to secure the shaft in the borehole and crimp the elongate conductive member against the wall of the borehole after advancing the elongate conductive member into the patient's brain.
2. The method of
3. The method of
4. The method of
5. The method of
6. The method of
7. The method of
8. The method of
9. The method of
10. The method of
11. An intracranial electrode system, comprising:
a shaft;
a head associated with the shaft, the head being sized to be positioned subcutaneously adjacent a patient's skull; and
an elongate conductive member carried by at least one of the head and the shaft, the elongate conductive member being positioned to extend into the patient's subcortical tissue, the elongate conductive member and the shaft being movable relative to each other during implantation of the electrode in the patient, the elongate conductive member being electrically coupled to at least one of the shaft and the head, wherein at least one of the head and the shaft includes a rotatable fitting having an aperture, and wherein the elongate conductive member is slideably received in the aperture of the fitting, further wherein the rotatable fitting is rotatable relative to the shaft to change an orientation angle between an axial axis of the shaft and an axial axis of the elongate conductive member.
12. The system of
13. The system of
14. The system of
a conductive lead electrically coupled to the head; and
a subcutaneous cap positioned over the head and securing the lead to the head.
15. The system of
16. The system of
17. The system of
18. The system of
19. An intracranial electrode system, comprising:
a shaft;
a head associated with the shaft, the head being sized to be positioned subcutaneously adjacent a patient's skull; and
an elongate conductive member carried by at least one of the head and the shaft, the elongate conductive member being positioned to extend into the patient's subcortical tissue, the elongate conductive member and the shaft being movable relative to each other during implantation of the electrode in the patient, wherein at least one of the head and the shaft includes a rotatable fitting having an aperture, and wherein the elongate conductive member is slideably received in the aperture of the fitting, further wherein the rotatable fitting is rotatable relative to the shaft to change an orientation angle between an axial axis of the shaft and an axial axis of the elongate conductive member.
20. The system of
21. The system of
22. The system of
23. The system of
a conductive lead electrically coupled to the head; and
a subcutaneous cap positioned over the head and securing the lead to the head.
24. The system of
25. The system of
26. The system of
27. The system of
28. A method for implanting an intracranial electrode, comprising:
securing a shaft of the electrode in a borehole extending through a patient's skull;
passing an elongate conductive member into the borehole;
while the shaft is in the borehole, rotating a fitting carried by the shaft relative to the shaft until an axis of an aperture through the fitting has a selected angular orientation relative to the shaft, then sliding the elongate member through the aperture in the fitting and into the patient's brain; and
advancing the elongate conductive member into the patient's brain so that the elongate conductive member extends into the patient's subcortical tissue.
29. The method of
30. The method of
31. The method of
32. The method of
33. The method of
34. The method of
35. The method of
36. The method of
This application claims priority from Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/429,481, filed Nov. 27, 2002.
The present invention relates to intracranial electrodes and methods for implanting and using intracranial electrodes. These electrodes and methods are particularly well suited for neurostimulation systems and may also be used in electroencephalography and other recording systems, e.g., evoked potential recordings.
A wide variety of mental and physical processes are known to be controlled or influenced by neural activity in the central and peripheral nervous systems. For example, the neural functions in some areas of the brain (e.g., the sensory or motor cortices) are organized according to physical or cognitive functions. Several other areas of the brain also appear to have distinct functions in most individuals. In the majority of people, for example, the areas of the occipital lobes relate to vision, the regions of the left inferior frontal lobes relate to language, and the regions of the cerebral cortex appear to be involved with conscious awareness, memory, and intellect. Because of the location-specific functional organization of the brain, in which neurons at discrete locations are statistically likely to control particular mental or physical functions in normal individuals, stimulating neurons at selected locations of the central nervous system can be used to effectuate changes in cognitive and/or motor functions throughout the body.
In several existing applications, neural functions are treated or augmented by electrical or magnetic stimulation powered by a neural stimulator that has a plurality of therapy electrodes and a pulse system coupled to the therapy electrodes. The therapy electrodes can be implanted into the patient at a target site for stimulating the desired portions of the brain. For example, one existing technique for masking pain in a patient is to apply an electrical stimulus to a target stimulation site of the brain. In other applications, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of an appropriate target site in the brain has shown promise for treating damage to and disease and disorders of the brain, including depression and, possibly, obsessive-compulsive behavior.
The brain can be stimulated in several known fashions. One type of treatment is referred to as transcranial electrical stimulation (TES), which involves placing an electrode on the exterior of the patient's scalp and delivering an electrical current to the brain through the scalp and the skull. TES, however, is not widely used because the delivery of the electrical stimulation through the scalp and the skull causes patients a great amount of pain and the electrical field is difficult to direct or focus accurately.
Another type of treatment is the transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) identified above. TMS, involves using a high-powered magnetic field adjacent the exterior of the scalp over an area of the cortex. TMS does not cause the painful side effects of TES. Unfortunately, TMS is not presently effective for treating many patients because the existing delivery systems are not practical for applying stimulation over an adequate period of time. TMS systems, for example, are relatively complex and require stimulation treatments to be performed by a healthcare professional in a hospital or physician's office. The efficacy of TMS in longer-term therapies may be limited because it is difficult to (a) accurately localize the region of stimulation in a reproducible manner, (b) hold the device in the correct position over the cranium for the requisite period, and (c) provide stimulation for extended periods of time.
Another device for stimulating a region of the brain is disclosed by King in U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,922, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference. King discloses a device for cortical surface stimulation having electrodes mounted on a paddle that is implanted under the skull of the patient. These electrodes are placed in contact with the surface of the cortex to create "paresthesia," which is a vibrating or buzzing sensation. Implanting the paddle typically requires removal of a relatively large (e.g., thumbnail-sized or larger) window in the skull via a full craniotomy. Craniotomies are performed under a general anesthetic and subject the patient to increased chances of infection.
A physician may employ electroencephalography (EEG) to monitor neural functions of a patient. Sometimes this is done alone, e.g., in diagnosing epileptic conditions, though it may also be used in conjunction with neurostimulation. Most commonly, electroencephalography involves monitoring electrical activity of the brain, manifested as potential differences at the scalp surfaces, using electrodes placed on the scalp. The electrodes are typically coupled to an electroencephalograph to generate an electroencephalogram. Diagnosis of some neurological diseases and disorders, e.g., epilepsy, may best be conducted by monitoring neural function over an extended period of time. For this reason, ambulatory electroencephalography (AEEG) monitoring is becoming more popular. In AEEG applications, disc electrodes are applied to the patient's scalp. The scalp with the attached electrodes may be wrapped in gauze and the lead wires attached to the electrodes may be taped to the patient's scalp to minimize the chance of displacement.
EEG conducted with scalp-positioned electrodes requires amplification of the signals detected by the electrodes. In some circumstances, it can be difficult to pinpoint the origin of a particular signal because of the signal dissipation attributable to the scalp and the skull. For more precise determinations, EEG may be conducted using "deep brain" electrodes. Such electrodes extend through the patient's scalp and skull to a target location within the patient's brain. Typically, these deep brain electrodes comprise lengths of relatively thin wire that are advanced through a bore through the patient's skull to the desired location. If the electrodes are to be monitored over an extended period of time, the electrodes typically are allowed to extend out of the patient's skull and scalp and are coupled to the electroencephalograph using leads clipped or otherwise attached to the electrodes outside the scalp. To avoid shifting of the electrodes over time, the electrodes typically are taped down or held in place with a biocompatible cementitious material. The patient's head typically must be wrapped in gauze to protect the exposed electrodes and the associated leads, and the patient is uncomfortable during the procedure. This may be suitable for limited testing purposes-deep brain encephalography typically is limited to tests conducted in hospital settings over a limited period of time, usually no more than a few days—but could be problematic for longer-term monitoring, particularly in nonclinical settings.
Screws have been used to attach plates or the like to patients'skulls.
A. Overview
Various embodiments of the present invention provide intracranial electrodes and methods for implanting and using intracranial electrodes. It will be appreciated that several of the details set forth below are provided to describe the following embodiments in a manner sufficient to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the disclosed embodiments. Several of the details and advantages described below, however, may not be necessary to practice certain embodiments of the invention. Additionally, the invention can also include additional embodiments that are not described in detail with respect to
One embodiment of the invention provides an intracranial electrode that includes a shaft, a head, and threads. The shaft includes a distal contact surface adapted to electrically contact a surface of a patient's brain. The head is associated with the shaft and is sized to be positioned subcutaneously adjacent the patient's skull. This can ameliorate the difficulties associated with electrodes that protrude through the patient's scalp, including irritation of the skin and discomfort. The threads are carried by at least one of the head and the shaft and may be adapted to fix the electrode with respect to the patient's skull. This intracranial electrode has an adjustable length adapted to change a contact force of the distal contact surface against the surface of the brain by adjusting the length of the electrode. In one adaptation of this embodiment, the intracranial electrode includes an adjustment means that is adapted to adjust the length of the electrode.
Another embodiment of the invention provides an intracranial electrode that includes an electrically conductive member, a dielectric member, and an anchor. The electrically conductive member has a blunt contact surface and the dielectric member has an interior in which the electrically conductive member is received. The anchor may be carried by the electrically conductive member or the dielectric member. The anchor is adapted to anchor at least one of the electrically conductive member and the dielectric member with respect to a patient's skull adjacent a brain surface such that the contact surface of the electrically conductive member is in electrical contact with the brain surface and the dielectric member electrically insulates the skull from the electrically conductive member.
Another embodiment of the invention provides a neurostimulator system. This neurostimulator system includes an intracranial electrode, a lead, and a pulse system. The intracranial electrode may take the form of one of the preceding embodiments. In one particular implementation, the intracranial electrode includes a shaft including a distal contact surface adapted to electrically contact a surface of a patient's brain; a head associated with the shaft, with the head being sized to be positioned subcutaneously adjacent the patient's skull; and threads carried by at least one of the head and the shaft, with the threads being adapted to fix the electrode with respect to the patient's skull. The lead is adapted to be subcutaneously implanted beneath the patient's scalp. The lead has a first portion, which is adapted to be electrically coupled to the contact surface, and an electrically insulated implantable length. The pulse system is adapted to be implanted in the patient's body at a location spaced from the electrode. The pulse system is operatively coupled to the electrode via the lead to deliver an electrical stimulus to the brain via the electrode. If so desired, an array of such intracranial electrodes may be employed and the pulse system may be adapted to generate an electrical potential between the electrodes in the array.
A method of implanting an intracranial electrode in accordance with another embodiment of the invention involves advancing a threaded electrode through a patient's skull until a contact surface of the electrode is in atraumatic contact with a surface of the patient's brain. The threaded electrode is electrically coupled to a lead. A head of the electrode and the length of the lead are covered with the patient's scalp, thereby enclosing the electrode. An electrical stimulus is delivered to the patient's brain via the electrode. This electrical stimulus may be generated by a pulse system electrically coupled to the electrode by the lead. In one adaptation of this embodiment, the method may also include adjusting a length of the electrode, e.g., to adjust the force of the contact surface of the electrode against the surface of the brain.
For ease of understanding, the following discussion is subdivided into three areas of emphasis. The first section discusses certain intracranial electrodes; the second section relates to select embodiments of neurostimulation systems; and the third section outlines methods in accordance with other embodiments of the invention.
B. Intracranial Electrodes
In one embodiment, the intracranial electrode 100 is adapted to be electrically connected to a pulse system (1050 in
The head 102 of the electrode 100 is adapted to be implanted subcutaneously beneath the patient's scalp 30 (shown schematically in
The dimensions of the electrode 100 can be varied to meet various design objectives. In one embodiment, however, the electrode 100 is longer than the thickness of the patient's skull. More specifically, the head 102 is adapted to be seated at an extracranial subcutaneous site while the threaded shaft 110 is only slightly longer than the skull thickness at the intended treatment site. Lengths on the order of 4-50 mm, for example, may be appropriate in certain applications. The diameter of the head 102 and the threaded shaft 110 may also be varied. For most applications, shafts 110 having diameters (typically excluding the width of the threads 112) of no greater than 4 mm will suffice. Shaft diameters of about 14 mm are likely, with diameters of 1.5-2.5 mm being well suited for most applications.
The connection of the electrode 150 to the lead 160 in
In one embodiment, the cap 162 is sized to be subcutaneously implanted beneath the patient's scalp 30. In the illustrated embodiment, the head 152 and the cap 162 both extend outwardly beyond the outer cortex 12 of the patient's skull 10. In another embodiment (not shown) some or all of the length of the head 152 and/or the cap 162 may be countersunk into a recess formed through the outer cortex 12 and/or an outer portion of the cancellous 18. This can improve patient comfort, which can be useful if the intracranial electrode 150 is intended to be implanted permanently or for an extended period of time.
When implanted in a skull 10 as shown in
In one particular embodiment, the dielectric layer 280 comprises an electrically insulative ceramic material. In another embodiment, the dielectric layer 280 comprises an electrically insulative plastic or other biocompatible polymer that has sufficient structural integrity to adequately anchor the electrode 250 to the skull 10 for the duration of its intended use. If so desired, the dielectric layer 280 may be porous or textured to promote osseointegration of long-term implants. For shorter-term applications, the dielectric layer 280 may be formed of or covered with a material that will limit osseointegration.
In each of the preceding embodiments, the intracranial electrode 100, 150, 200, or 250 has a fixed length. In the embodiment shown in
The intracranial electrode 300 of
The head 320 of the electrode 300 comprises a body 322 and a tubular length 324 that extends from the body 322. The body 322 may be adapted to be rotated by hand or by an installation tool. In one embodiment the body 322 is generally hexagonal to facilitate rotation with an appropriately sized wrench. In the particular embodiment shown in
The head 320 includes an internally threaded bore 326 that extends through the thickness of the body 322 and the tubular length 324. The bore 326 has threads sized to mate with the external threads on the shaft 310. If so desired, a biocompatible sealant (e.g., a length of polytetrafluoroethylene tape) may be provided between the threads of the bore 326 and the threads of the shaft 310 to limit passage of fluids or infectious agents through the bore 326.
Rotation of the shaft 310 with respect to the head 320 will, therefore, selectively advance or retract the shaft 310 with respect to the head 320. This will, in turn, increase or decrease, respectively, the distance between the lower face 323 of the head body 322 and the contact surface 315 of the shaft 310. As suggested in
If so desired, the torque driver 340 may include graduations 342 to inform the physician how far the shaft 310 has been advanced with respect to the head 320. As noted below, in certain methods of the invention, the thickness of the skull at the particular treatment site may be gauged before the electrode 300 is implanted. Using this information and the graduations 342 on the torque driver 340, the physician can fairly reliably select an appropriate length for the electrode 300 to meet the conditions present at that particular site.
In the embodiment shown in
In another embodiment, the head 320 is formed of a dielectric material, such as a dielectric ceramic or plastic. This may necessitate a different connection between the lead 120 and the shaft 310, such as by electrically contacting the lead 120 to the proximal end 312 of the shaft 310. Employing a dielectric head 320 can help electrically insulate the skull 10 from the electrodes 300, improving signal quality and reducing interference between the various electrodes 300 in an array, as noted above.
The intracranial electrode 350 of this embodiment also includes a head 370 having an internally threaded bore 376 extending through its thickness. The threads of the bore 376 are adapted to mate with the threads of the first threaded portion 360 a. By rotating the shaft 360 with respect to the head 370 (e.g., with a screwdriver 340), the distance between the head 370 and the contact surface 365 can be adjusted in much the same manner described above in connection with
The head 320 of the electrode 300 in
In the embodiment of
In the preceding embodiments, some or a majority of the head of the electrode extends outwardly beyond the outer surface of the skull 10. In the particular implementation shown in
The head 420 includes a base 430 and an actuator 422. The base 430 includes an externally threaded body 432 and a tubular length 434 that extends from the body 432. A portion of the tubular length 434 carries external threads 436. The tubular length 434 may also include one or more locking tabs 440, each of which includes an actuating surface 442.
The actuator 422 has an internally threaded bore 424 that is adapted to matingly engage the threads 436 on the base 430. Rotating the actuator 422 with respect to the base 430 in a first direction will advance the actuator 422 toward the actuating surface 442 of each of the tabs 440. The actuator 422 may urge against the actuating surfaces 442, pushing the tabs 440 inwardly into engagement with the shaft 410. This will help lock the shaft 410 in place with respect to the base 430. Rotating the actuator 422 in the opposite direction will allow the tabs 440 to resiliently return toward a rest position wherein they do not brake movement of the shaft 410. The force with which the shaft 410 engages the dura mater 20 (not shown) then can be adjusted to a desired level by moving the shaft 410 with respect to the base 430. When the shaft 410 is in the desired position, the actuator 422 may be moved into engagement with the tabs 440 to hold the shaft 410 in the desired position.
The contact surface 455 of the shaft 452 is pushed against the surface of the dura mater 20 with a predictable force by means of a spring 454 received in the recess 466. In
In another embodiment (not shown), the spring 454 comprises a compressed elastomer, which may take the form of a column that fills some or all of the diameter of the recess 466. The elastomer may comprise a biocompatible polymeric material, for example. In such an embodiment, the elastomer may be electrically conductive, e.g., by filling a polymeric material with a suitable quantity of a conductive metal powder or the like. In another embodiment, one or more wires may be embedded in the elastomeric material to conduct an electrical signal across the elastomer to the shaft 452.
In the illustrated embodiment and the alternative embodiment wherein the spring 454 comprises an elastomer, the head 460 may be formed of a dielectric material, helping electrically insulate the skull 10 from the shaft 452. In an alternative embodiment, the head 460 may be formed of an electrically conductive material. Even though the other structural elements of the electrode 450 may remain largely the same, this would avoid the necessity of having the lead 468 extend through the head 460; an electrically conducive ring 122 or the like instead may be employed in a manner analogous to that shown in
The contact surface 481 of the shaft 480 is pushed against the surface of the dura mater 20 with a predictable force by means of a spring 486. The spring 486 may be substantially the same as the spring 454 shown in
The electrode 475 of
To implant the electrode 500 in the skull 10, the shaft 510 may be advanced into a bore in the skull until the contact surface 515 exerts the desired contact force against the dura mater 20. Once the shaft 510 is in the desired position, the compressive force F on the collar 540 may be released, allowing the collar 540 to expand outwardly into compressive engagement with the lumen of the bore in the skull 10. This will help hold the electrode 500 in place with respect to the skull without requiring permanent anchoring of the shaft 510 to the skull 10.
The shaft 510 may be electrically coupled to a pulse system (not shown) by a lead 520. The lead 520 may include a cap 522 having an electrically conductive inner surface 524 coupled to a body 526 of the lead. The lead 520 may be analogous to the lead 160 shown in
In one embodiment, the collar 540 comprises a dielectric material. This will help electrically insulate the skull 10 from the shaft 510. In another embodiment, the collar 540 is electrically conductive and the lead 520 may be electrically coupled to the shaft 510 via the collar 540.
In the embodiment shown in
In use, the conductive member 570 may be slid freely through a pilot hole 11 formed through the skull to position the tip 574 at the target site 28 in a known manner. The pilot hole 11 may be larger than the conductive member 570 or be tapped to receive the threads of the shaft 560. With the conductive member 570 in place, the shaft 560 may be threaded into the pilot hole 11, crimping the conductive member 570 against an interior of the pilot hole 11. This will fix the conductive member 570 in place. If so desired, a proximal length 572 of the conductive member 570 may extend outwardly of the skull and be held in place by the head 562. The threads of the threaded shaft 560 may also cut through the dielectric sheath of the conductive member 570 as the shaft 560 is screwed into place, making electrical contact with the conductive wire therein.
The gimbal fitting 630 is adapted to allow an operator greater control over the placement of the electrically conductive tip 574 of the conductive member 570. In use, the tip 574 of the conductive member 570 will be threaded through an opening in the gimbal fitting 630. By pivoting the gimbal fitting 630 with respect to the threaded shaft 620 of the head 610, the angular orientation of the conductive member 570 with respect to the pilot hole 11 in the skull 10 can be accurately controlled. Once the operator determines that the conductive member 570 is at the appropriate angle, e.g., using a surgical navigation system such as that noted below, the operator may advance the conductive member 570 to position the conductive tip 574 at the target site 28. Once the tip 574 is in position, the cap 162 of a lead 160 may be press-fitted on the head 610 of the electrode 600. This will crimp the proximal length 572 of the conductive member 570 between the head 610 and the conductive inner surface 163 of the cap 162, providing an effective electrical connection between the conductive member 570 and the body 164 of the lead 160.
C. Systems Employing Intracranial Electrodes
The pulse system 1050 may be implanted in the body of the patient P at a location remote from the array 1010 of electrodes 100. In the embodiment shown in
In one embodiment, the controller 1060 includes a processor, a memory, and a programmable computer medium. The controller 1060, for example, can be a computer, and the programmable computer medium can be software loaded into the memory of the computer and/or hardware that performs the requisite control functions. In an alternative embodiment suggested by dashed lines in
The controller 1060 is operatively coupled to and provides control signals to the pulse generator 1065, which may include a plurality of channels that send appropriate electrical pulses to the pulse transmitter 1070. The pulse generator 1065 may have N channels, with at least one channel associated with each of N electrodes 100 in the array 1010. The pulse generator 1065 sends appropriate electrical pulses to the pulse transmitter 1070, which is coupled to a plurality of electrodes 1080. In one embodiment, each of these electrodes is adapted to be physically connected to the body 124 of a separate lead, allowing each electrode 1080 to electrically communicate with a single electrode 100 in the array 1010 on a dedicated channel of the pulse generator 1065. Suitable components for the power supply 1055, the integrated controller 1060, the pulse generator 1065, and the pulse transmitter 1070 are known to persons skilled in the art of implantable medical devices.
As shown in
The electrodes 100 of these arrays 1010 may be provided with electrical signals in a variety of different manners. In some circumstances, one electrode 100 or a subset of the electrodes 100 may have one electrical potential and a different electrode 100 or subset of the electrodes 100 (or, in some embodiments, the housing 1052 of the pulse system 1050) may have a different electrical potential. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/978,134, entitled "Systems and Methods for Automatically Optimizing Stimulus Parameters and Electrode Configurations for Neuro-Stimulators" and filed Oct. 15, 2001 (the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference), suggests ways for optimizing the control of the electrical pulses delivered to the electrodes 100 in an array 1010. The methods and apparatus disclosed therein may be used to automatically determine the configuration of therapy electrodes and/or the parameters for the stimulus to treat or otherwise effectuate a change in neural function of a patient.
The preceding discussion focuses on use of intracranial electrodes (e.g., electrodes 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 475, 500, 550, or 600) in neurostimulation systems. In an alternative application, the intracranial electrodes may be used to monitor electrical potentials in electroencephalography. A suitable electroencephalograph may incorporate a system similar to the neurostimulation system 1000 shown in
D. Methods
As noted above, other embodiments of the invention provide methods of implanting an intracranial electrode and/or methods of installing a neurostimulation system including an implantable intracranial electrode. In the following discussion, reference is made to the particular intracranial electrode 100 illustrated in
As noted above, implanting conventional cortical electrodes typically requires a full craniotomy under general anesthesia to remove a relatively large (e.g., thumbnail-sized or larger) window in the skull. Craniotomies are performed under a general anesthetic and subject the patient to increased chances of infection.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, however, the diameter of the electrode shaft 110 is sufficiently small to permit implantation under local anesthetic without requiring a craniotomy. In this embodiment, a relatively small (e.g., 4 mm or smaller) pilot hole may be formed through at least part of the thickness of the patient's skull adjacent a selected stimulation or monitoring site of the brain. When implanting the electrode 100 of
The location of the pilot hole (and, ultimately the electrode 100 received therein) can be selected in a variety of fashions. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2002/0087201 and U.S. application Ser. No. 09/978,134 (both of which are incorporated hereinabove), for example, suggest approaches for selecting an appropriate stimulation site. When the desired site has been identified, the physician can bore the pilot hole to guide the contact surface 115 of the electrode 100 to that site. In one embodiment, the physician may use anatomical landmarks, e.g., cranial landmarks such as the bregma or the sagittal suture, to guide placement and orientation of the pilot hole. In another embodiment, a surgical navigation system may be employed to inform the physician during the procedure. Briefly, such systems may employ real-time imaging and/or proximity detection to guide a physician in placing the pilot hole and in placing the electrode 100 in the pilot hole. In some systems, fiducials are positioned on the patient's scalp or skull prior to imaging and those fiducials are used as reference points in subsequent implantation. In other systems, real-time MRI or the like may be employed instead of or in conjunction with such fiducials. A number of suitable navigation systems are commercially available, such as the STEALTHSTATION TREON TGS sold by Medtronic Surgical Navigation Technologies of Louisville, Colo., U.S.
Once the pilot hole is formed, the threaded electrode 100 may be advanced along the pilot hole until the contact surface 115 electrically contacts a desired portion of the patient's brain. If the electrode 100 is intended to be positioned epidurally, this may comprise relatively atraumatically contacting the dura mater 20; if the electrode is to contact a site on the cerebral cortex, the electrode will be advanced to extend through the dura mater. The electrodes 100 may also be implanted to a selected depth within the cerebral cortex or at a deeper location in the brain.
In one embodiment, the length of the electrode 100 is selected (or adjusted for electrode 300, for example) to achieve the desired level of contact and the electrode will be advanced until a known relationship with the skull is achieved, e.g., when the head 102 compresses the contact ring 122 of the lead 120 against the exterior of the skull 10. In another embodiment, the thickness of the skull 10 need not be known to any significant accuracy before the electrode 100 is implanted. Instead, the electrode 100 may be connected, e.g., via the lead 120, to an impedance monitor and the impedance may be monitored as the electrode 100 is being implanted. It is anticipated that the measured impedance will change when the electrode 100 contacts the dura mater 20. Once this contact is detected, the physician may advance the electrode a small, fixed distance to ensure reliable electrical contact over time.
As noted above, the electrode 100 may be coupled to a lead 120. The timing of this coupling may vary with the nature of the coupling. For a lead 120 employing a contact ring 122 or the like positioned below the head 102, the lead may be coupled to the electrode before the electrode is introduced into the skull. In other embodiments, the lead (e.g., lead 160 of
Once the electrode is in place, an electrical stimulus may be delivered from a pulse system 1050 to the patient's brain via the lead 120 and the electrode 100. In certain embodiments of the invention discussed previously, a plurality of electrodes 100 may be implanted in an array (e.g., array 1010, 1010 a, 1010 b, or 1010 c) in the patient's skull and each of the electrodes 100 may be coupled to the pulse system 1050 by an electrically separate lead 120. The precise nature of the stimulus delivered via the electrode(s) 100 can be varied as desired to diagnose or treat any particular condition. The type and frequency of stimulus may be selected as outlined in U.S. patent application Publication No. U.S. 2002/0087201, for example, and also may be optimized as taught in U.S. application Ser. No. 09/978,134.
Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words "comprise," "comprising," and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense, that is to say, in a sense of "including, but not limited to." Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number, respectively. When the claims use the word "or" in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list, and any combination of the items in the list.
The above-detailed descriptions of embodiments of the invention are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise form disclosed above. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the invention are described above for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the invention, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. For example, whereas steps are presented in a given order, alternative embodiments may perform steps in a different order. The various embodiments described herein can be combined to provide further embodiments.
In general, the terms used in the following claims should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification, unless the above-detailed description explicitly defines such terms. While certain aspects of the invention are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of the invention in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the inventors reserve the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the invention.
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Adena Pickaway Ross Family Physicians
Our physicians treat adult patients with diabetes and endocrinology problems. We are currently accepting new patients and do require a referral from your primary care physician. We accept Medicare, Medicaid and most commercial insurances.
To schedule an appointment with Adena Endocrinology and Diabetes Care, please call (740) 779-8268. When you call for an appointment, please tell the receptionist the reason for your visit. This is important in helping ensure the proper amount of time for each visit. If you need to cancel your appointment, we ask that you provide a 24 hour notice to allow other patients to be scheduled.
Do you need after hours care? Visit the Adena Urgent Care on Western Avenue or the Clinic at Walmart.
- Department of:
- Adena Regional Medical Center
Specialties at Adena Pickaway Ross Family Physicians
Visitor Information
|100 North Walnut Street
Chillicothe, OH 45601
Get Directions
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|M-F 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Browse our medical staff, read bios and watch videos to find a doctor that best fits you and your family.
We offer a variety of departments at our many locations throughout southern Ohio. From primary care to specialty departments; we want to help you get better quicker.
Adena Endocrinology & Diabetes Care
- Department of:
- Adena Regional Medical Center
Adena Pickaway-Ross Family Physicians
- Department of:
- Adena Regional Medical Center


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summer school 2013
courses with a related study tour
WEEK ONE: 8 - 12 July 2013
Course 2: Dr Rose Walker
The Road to Compostela
The fee for this course is £475 to include the cost of travelling to Ely
'There are four roads … ', so begins the 'Pilgrim's Guide' to Santiago de Compostela in the Codex Calixtinus, the manuscript that was stolen from the cathedral in 2011. The text goes on to describe an itinerary of holy bodies; good and bad rivers; places to stay and people to avoid. Along those same roads some of the finest monuments of Romanesque art came into being.
This course will look at buildings and sculpture at sites along the roads in France and Spain. We will examine the idea of a 'pilgrimage church' in relation to Santiago de Compostela, Sainte-Foy-de-Conques, and St Sernin-de-Toulouse. How did processions and liturgy use cloisters like Moissac and Santo Domingo de Silos? How did reliquaries, above all the mesmeric image of Sainte-Foy at Conques, embody a relationship with their community and with pilgrims? In London we will visit the Victoria and Albert Museum and the British Library. The course will also consider England's fascination with Santiago de Compostela over the centuries and pilgrimage in England through a visit to Ely Cathedral, where we will be accompanied by the distinguished scholar of medieval architecture, Professor Paul Crossley.
NB You may also be interested in Dr Walker's and Professor Rocío Sánchez Ameijeiras' Study Tour to Santiago de Compostela from 11-13 October.
Both course and tour are, however, entirely freestanding events and attendance at one does not require attendance at the other.
Course 4: Dr Ayla Lepine
Art and Architecture in Victorian London from the 'Battle of the Styles' to 'Art for Art's Sake'
Victorian art and architecture had an immense impact on London, leaving us with such diverse structures, collections and art movements as the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the Red House, Leighton House and the Aesthetic Movement, St Pancras Station, Goldsmiths' Hall, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Houses of Parliament and the Albert Memorial. Examining all of these legacies closely, this course will encourage students to look afresh at nineteenth-century taste and innovation, and question to what extent Victorian art and architecture relied on old traditions to convey modern values. Both in the classroom and in a series of visits to London buildings and art collections, students will consider different approaches to this important period in British history.
Students will have unique opportunities to engage first-hand with the forms and functions of buildings and objects, using collections held in the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate Britain and the RIBA to gain in-depth understanding of nineteenth-century art and ideas. Decorative arts, interior design, fashion and the popular press will also be taken into account. By looking closely and applying an array of art historical methodologies, we will engage with fundamental ideas about beauty, labour and commerce when London was at the centre of the world's largest empire.
If you would like to pursue your interest in Victorian art and architecture further, you may also be interested in our Study Tour to Victorian Oxford, conducted by Dr Carol Jacobi from 7-8 September.
WEEK THREE: 22 - 26 July 2013
Course 18: Caroline Brooke
Art, Money and Power: Medici Patronage in Florence c. 1420-1570
The name 'Medici' is synonymous with artistic innovation and achievement during the Renaissance in Florence. This course examines the art patronage of more than five generations of the dynasty, from the emergence of the family as a political force early in the Renaissance, to the establishment of the grand duke dynasty that reigned for almost two centuries. It focuses on the commissions of Cosimo the Elder, Piero the Gouty, Lorenzo the Magnificent, and Cosimo I Grand Duke of Tuscany, in order to consider how the political, religious and social aspirations of individual members of the Medici family shaped the cultural and artistic life of the city. The works of major Florentine artists such as Donatello, Fra Filippo Lippi, Michelangelo and Bronzino are examined in relation to the tastes and aspirations of their patrons, as manifestations of civic pride, devotion, and personal ambition. Issues such as familial pietas, the varying fortunes of the Medici bank and the political climate of the period are also considered in relation to the development of Medicean patterns of patronage. Visits include the British Museum, the National Gallery and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Please note that Dr Scott Nethersole's Study Tour to Florence from 27 – 29 September will pursue some of the themes of power and patronage discussed during the week. Both course and tour are, however, entirely freestanding events and attendance at one does not require attendance at the other.


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DETROIT - The state of Michigan has approved $13.5 million in incentives for the fourth installment of Eddie Murphy's "Beverly Hills Cop" franchise, which will be filmed in and around Detroit, officials announced Thursday.
Murphy will return to his role as Axel Foley, Brett Ratner will direct and Jerry Bruckheimer will produce the film for Paramount Pictures, according to the Michigan Film Office. The office said it estimates that filmmakers will spend $56.6 million in the state and employ about 352 Michigan workers. It's set for a March 2016 release.
"We are excited to welcome Axel Foley and the 'Beverly Hills Cop' franchise back to Michigan," film office Director Margaret O'Riley said in a statement. "This project will highlight locations throughout metro Detroit that speak to the city's heritage while making significant investments in the community by hiring Michigan workers and local businesses."
In the update to the franchise, the Foley character leaves his work as a Beverly Hills police detective "during the coldest winter on record to navigate the new rules and old enemies in one of America's most tenacious cities," the film office said.
Murphy starred in the first "Beverly Hills Cop" movie in 1984, also produced by Bruckheimer, and it was that year's top-grossing movie in North America at $235 million. Sequels followed in 1987 and 1994.
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Address: 66 WEST TOWNE MALL, Madison, WI, 53719
- Hours:
- 10:00 - 21:00 ( Mon - Sat ) 11:00 - 18:00 ( Sun )
West Towne Mall is a shopping mall located in Madison, Wisconsin that is owned by CBL Properties. It was the first enclosed shopping center within 70 miles (110 km) of Madison with its grand opening October 15, 1970. The mall was designed by architect Lou Resnick and developed by Jacobs, Visconsi, and Jacobs Co., of Cleveland, Ohio, the developer of Brookfield Square Mall in Milwaukee. The 56,000 sq ft (5,200 m²) Manchester's store was later replaced by a food court. West Towne is the sister mall to the East Towne Mall which opened a year later. As of 2008, West Towne Mall is anchored by Sears, J. C. Penney, Boston Store, Steve & Barry's, and Dick's Sporting Goods.History
The West Towne and its sister mall, East Towne, were originally developed by Jacobs, Visconsi, and Jacobs Company of Cleveland, Ohio, which was later known as the Richard E. Jacobs Group. Initial anchors were Prange's, Sears, J.C. Penney and Manchester's. The Manchester's location was their sixth and at the time their largest store. The store would eventually be replaced by a food court.
West Towne was built in a cow pasture on the west side of Madison in an area that was originally intended for industrial development. After the mall was built it became a massive retail area instead. Palm trees and other tropical plants were originally used in the mall area. The trees shipped from Florida were nearly killed by a cold snap when delays in the shipment of the glass for the main entryway forced emergency heaters into use. Half-inch thick glass made by Pilkington in England was hung in curtain form with no visible support or connections and filled a 50'x27' area at the main entrance. A helicopter was employed to place the 30 HVAC units on the building's roof to control the climate of the building.
West Towne's grand opening was Thursday October 15, 1970 at 9:30 a.m. and had no ceremony or ribbon cutting to mark the occasion. The mall's manager James M. Roche explained the lack of a ceremony saying, "We feel the shopper has come out to see the center. Our "grand opening" will be symbolized by all stores opening their doors promptly at 9:30 a.m." Part of the opening included young women called "mall-ettes" handing out balloons, flowers and mall directories to shoppers. Only 28 stores were open at the time and two of the anchors Sears and J.C. Penney opened later.
Two artists were commissioned to provide artwork for the main mall area. Detroit sculptor Joseph A. McDonnell was commissioned to create five metal sculptures for the mall. McDonnell spent seven months completing the sculptures, four of which were motorized to rotate as well as a large 15'x15' chandelier like work that hung near the east entrance. McDonnell was quoted as saying he was "astonished at the amount of money [the developers] wanted to spend on art" and noted at the time that he had only seen one other shopping center that spent more on artistic development. Clarence Van Duzer, a sculptor from Cleveland, Ohio, was commissioned to help design three of the four fountain areas as well as a suspended sculpture and water sculpture locater at the center of the mall. Part of the central fountain included a 19-foot (5.8 m) tall metal piece with several nozzles that circulated 800 gallons of water per minute forming part of the sculpture. He also created four magnesium sculptures that were suspended from the ceiling between the fountain and one of the sunken lounge areas. The fountains and sunken lounges were removed during a late-1980s remodeling of the mall.
West Towne and East Towne malls were at the center of a mid-1980s Wisconsin Supreme Court case. In Jacobs (the mall's owner at the time) v. Major, an anti-nuclear dance group, called the Nu Parable dancers, was barred from performing a dance which ended in a "die-in" on the mall's property. At issue was the right of non-consensual use of private property for freedom of speech purposes. In 1987, the Wisconsin Supreme court ruled 4-3 in favor of the mall owner's right to exclude Nu Parable from both malls.
CBL Properties purchased West Towne Mall, West Towne Crossing as well as East Towne Mall from Richard E. Jacobs Group in late 2000 as part of a $1.2 billion deal that included 23 properties. The deal was completed February 1, 2001. West Towne Crossing is immediately west of West Towne Mall and includes a Best Buy, Kohls, Shopko, Office Depot, Gander Mountain, Cub Foods and Barnes & Noble. CBL refurbished both East Towne and West Towne unveiling the changes which included more skylights, family restrooms, improved interior decor, seating, flooring and other changes in November 2003. The face lift to West Towne Mall cost $2.8 million and was the first significant change to the mall since the 1989 addition of a fourth anchor store. According to CBL, the new design used elements of the Wisconsin State Capitol specifically noting the high chandeliers and wooden table and benches.
In 2003, former Boston Store locations were demolished at both East Towne and West Towne and Dick's Sporting Goods stores were constructed at a total cost of $5.5 million. Those stores opened at the end of October, 2004. Boston Store remained both malls in the former location originally occupied by Prange's.Anchors
Boston Store
Dick's Sporting Goods
Steve & Barry's
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Mall newsletters
Administrative Professionals Day is April 27!
- @ West Towne Mall
- 2011-04-22
Hippity Hoppity Easter's on its way!
- @ West Towne Mall
- 2011-04-14
The Easter Bunny Arrives on Saturday!
- @ West Towne Mall
- 2011-04-07
Soles 4 Souls Starts This Friday!
- @ West Towne Mall
- 2011-04-02
Valentine's Day is Right Around the Corner!
- @ West Towne Mall
- 2011-02-10


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Cook the Book: Watercress & Curly Endive Salad with Croutons
When combined, the peppery cress and tender, pleasingly bitter frisée creates a salad that's worlds away from the dull mesclun mixes we've become used to. These are salad greens that really taste like something—they don't act solely as a vehicle for other ingredients or a particularly intriguing dressing. It's a salad that's all about the lettuce, and this time of year, it's just right. More