System for stimulating a hypoglossal nerve for controlling the position of a patient's tongue
First Claim
1. A system configured to control a position of a patient'"'"'s tongue, the system comprising:
- an electrode having a plurality of contacts, the plurality of contacts configured to be implanted proximate a Hypoglossal nerve, each of the plurality of contacts being configured to apply at least one electric signal to the Hypoglossal nerve; and
an implantable pulse generator (IPG) coupled to the electrode, the IPG being programmed, without taking into account a timing of respiration, to;
deliver at least two electric signal groups to at least two muscles of the patient'"'"'s tongue via the plurality of contacts in a pattern of electric frequencies, each of the at least two electric signal groups including at least one electric signal, the at least two electric signal groups including a first electric signal group and a second electric signal group;
apply the first electric signal group at a first starting amplitude;
ramp the first starting amplitude of the first electric signal group upwards to a first target amplitude;
maintain the first target amplitude of the first electric signal group for a first pre-determined amount of time;
ramp the first target amplitude of the first electric signal group down to a first rest amplitude;
apply the second electric signal group at a second starting amplitude while the first electric signal group is being maintained at the first target amplitude or while the first electric signal group is being ramped from the first target amplitude down to the first rest amplitude; and
ramp the second starting amplitude of the second electric signal group upwards to a second target amplitude; and
maintain the second target amplitude of the second electric signal group for a second pre-determined amount of time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for controlling a position of a patient'"'"'s tongue includes attaching at least one electrode to the patient'"'"'s Hypoglossal nerve and applying an electric signal through the electrode to at least one targeted motor efferent located within the Hypoglossal nerve to stimulate at least one muscle of the tongue. The system may also include the use of more than one contact to target more than one motor efferent and stimulating more than one muscle. The stimulation load to maintain the position of the tongue may be shared by each muscle. The position of the patient'"'"'s tongue may be controlled in order to prevent obstructive sleep apnea.
285 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A system configured to control a position of a patient'"'"'s tongue, the system comprising:
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an electrode having a plurality of contacts, the plurality of contacts configured to be implanted proximate a Hypoglossal nerve, each of the plurality of contacts being configured to apply at least one electric signal to the Hypoglossal nerve; and an implantable pulse generator (IPG) coupled to the electrode, the IPG being programmed, without taking into account a timing of respiration, to; deliver at least two electric signal groups to at least two muscles of the patient'"'"'s tongue via the plurality of contacts in a pattern of electric frequencies, each of the at least two electric signal groups including at least one electric signal, the at least two electric signal groups including a first electric signal group and a second electric signal group; apply the first electric signal group at a first starting amplitude; ramp the first starting amplitude of the first electric signal group upwards to a first target amplitude; maintain the first target amplitude of the first electric signal group for a first pre-determined amount of time; ramp the first target amplitude of the first electric signal group down to a first rest amplitude; apply the second electric signal group at a second starting amplitude while the first electric signal group is being maintained at the first target amplitude or while the first electric signal group is being ramped from the first target amplitude down to the first rest amplitude; and ramp the second starting amplitude of the second electric signal group upwards to a second target amplitude; and maintain the second target amplitude of the second electric signal group for a second pre-determined amount of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification