Nerve stimulation methods for averting imminent onset or episode of a disease
First Claim
1. A method of averting an onset of an acute medical event in a patient, the method comprising:
- detecting a signal via a sensor, wherein the signal is at least one of physiological or environmental, wherein the signal is at least one of within, on, or about the patient, wherein the signal includes a value;
forecasting the onset of the acute medical event based at least in part on the value;
positioning a contact surface of a housing against an outer skin surface of a neck of the patient, wherein an electrical impulse generator is positioned within the housing and wherein the contact surface is integral with the housing;
generating an electrical impulse with the electrical impulse generator; and
transmitting, via the electrical impulse generator, based at least in part on the forecasting, the electrical impulse non-invasively and transcutaneously through the outer skin surface of the neck of the patient to a selected nerve fiber in the patient to treat the acute medical event, wherein the electrical impulse is sufficient to avert the acute medical event, wherein the acute medical event is selected from a group of events comprising an asthma attack, an epileptic seizure, an attack of migraine headache, a transient ischemic attack, an onset of atrial fibrillation, a myocardial infarction, an onset of ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia, a panic attack, and an attack of acute depression.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Transcutaneous electrical and magnetic nerve stimulation devices are disclosed, along with methods of averting imminent medical attacks using energy that is delivered noninvasively by the devices. The attacks comprise asthma attack, epileptic seizure, attacks of migraine headache, transient ischemic attack or stroke, onset of atrial fibrillation, myocardial infarction, onset of ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia, panic attack, and attacks of acute depression. The imminence of an attack is forecasted using grey-box or black-box models as used in control theory. A vagus nerve in the neck of a patient can be stimulated noninvasively to avert the attack.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of averting an onset of an acute medical event in a patient, the method comprising:
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detecting a signal via a sensor, wherein the signal is at least one of physiological or environmental, wherein the signal is at least one of within, on, or about the patient, wherein the signal includes a value; forecasting the onset of the acute medical event based at least in part on the value; positioning a contact surface of a housing against an outer skin surface of a neck of the patient, wherein an electrical impulse generator is positioned within the housing and wherein the contact surface is integral with the housing; generating an electrical impulse with the electrical impulse generator; and transmitting, via the electrical impulse generator, based at least in part on the forecasting, the electrical impulse non-invasively and transcutaneously through the outer skin surface of the neck of the patient to a selected nerve fiber in the patient to treat the acute medical event, wherein the electrical impulse is sufficient to avert the acute medical event, wherein the acute medical event is selected from a group of events comprising an asthma attack, an epileptic seizure, an attack of migraine headache, a transient ischemic attack, an onset of atrial fibrillation, a myocardial infarction, an onset of ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia, a panic attack, and an attack of acute depression. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A system for averting an acute medical event in a patient, the system comprising:
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a sensor configured to sense a physiological or environmental signal, wherein the physiological or environmental signal is at least one of within, on, or about the patient, wherein the physiological or environmental signal comprises a value; a controller coupled to the sensor, wherein the controller is configured to forecast an onset of the acute medical event based at least in part on the value; a housing coupled to the controller and including an electrically permeable or conducting contact surface configured to contact an outer skin surface of the patient, wherein the contact surface is integral to the housing; an energy source housed within the housing, wherein the energy source is configured to generate an electric field sufficient to transmit an electric current transcutaneously and non-invasively via the electrically permeable or conducting contact surface through the outer skin surface of the patient to a nerve at a target region within the patient; and wherein the electric current is sufficient to avert or at least partially ameliorate an acute medical event, wherein the acute medical event is selected from a group of medical events comprising an asthma attack, an epileptic seizure, an attack of migraine headache, a transient ischemic attack or a stroke, an onset of atrial fibrillation, a myocardial infarction, an onset of ventricular fibrillation or a tachycardia, a panic attack, and an attack of acute depression. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method comprising:
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averting an onset of an acute medical event in a patient, via at least; forecasting the onset of the acute medical event based at least in part on a value of a signal obtained from a sensor, wherein the signal is indicative of at least one physiological or environmental condition or event, and wherein the condition or event is detected within, on, or about the patient; positioning a contact surface of a housing against an outer skin surface of a neck of the patient, wherein the electrical impulse generator is positioned within the housing and wherein the contact surface is integral with the housing; generating an electrical impulse with the electrical impulse generator; and transmitting, based at least in part on the forecasting, the electrical impulse non-invasively, via the neck of the patient, to a nerve fiber in the patient to at least partially treat the acute medical event, wherein the electrical impulse is sufficient to avert the acute medical event, wherein the acute medical event is selected from a group of events comprising an asthma attack, an epileptic seizure, an attack of migraine headache, a transient ischemic attack, an onset of atrial fibrillation, a myocardial infarction, an onset of ventricular fibrillation or tachycardia, a panic attack, and an attack of acute depression.
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Specification