Devices and methods for treating medical disorders with evoked potentials and vagus nerve stimulation
First Claim
1. A method for treating a medical condition in a patient, the method comprising:
- applying a first sensory stimulus to the patient;
measuring a first baseline evoked potential from the patient, wherein the first baseline potential is evoked by the first sensory stimulus;
applying an electrical impulse transcutaneously through an outer skin surface of the patient to a vagus nerve of the patient;
measuring a second evoked potential from the patient subsequent to the applying, wherein the second evoked potential relates to a response of the patient to the medical condition as a function of a characteristic of the electrical impulse;
comparing a characteristic of the first baseline evoked potential with a characteristic of the second evoked potential; and
determining, based on the comparing, whether the electrical impulse has triggered an action potential in the vagus nerve.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Devices, systems and methods for treating medical disorders, such as migraine or other primary headaches, or fibromyalgia, by noninvasive electrical stimulation of a vagus nerve, used in conjunction with the measurement of evoked potentials (EPs). The system comprises a stimulator that is applied to the surface of the patient'"'"'s neck to apply electrical impulses sufficient to stimulate a cervical vagus nerve, scalp electrodes that are used to measure EPs that are evoked by that stimulation, feedback or biofeedback circuits to vary the stimulation based upon EP characteristics, and other sensory stimulation modalities that produce EPs. The system is preferably used to optimize the placement of the stimulator, to test whether a patient is a suitable candidate for treatment using vagus nerve stimulation, and to select the stimulation parameters that optimized acute or chronic treatment, e.g., by correcting an EP habituation deficit.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method for treating a medical condition in a patient, the method comprising:
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applying a first sensory stimulus to the patient; measuring a first baseline evoked potential from the patient, wherein the first baseline potential is evoked by the first sensory stimulus; applying an electrical impulse transcutaneously through an outer skin surface of the patient to a vagus nerve of the patient; measuring a second evoked potential from the patient subsequent to the applying, wherein the second evoked potential relates to a response of the patient to the medical condition as a function of a characteristic of the electrical impulse; comparing a characteristic of the first baseline evoked potential with a characteristic of the second evoked potential; and determining, based on the comparing, whether the electrical impulse has triggered an action potential in the vagus nerve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for treating a medical condition in a patient, the method comprising:
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applying a first sensory stimulus to the patient; measuring a first baseline electrical potential from the patient, wherein the first baseline electrical potential is evoked by the first sensory stimulus; applying an electrical impulse transcutaneously through an outer skin surface of a neck of the patient to a vagus nerve of the patient; measuring an acute response of the patient to the medical condition as a function of a characteristic of the electrical impulse; and comparing the acute response with the first baseline electrical potential. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A method comprising:
measuring a first evoked potential from a patient having an outer skin surface and a vagus nerve, wherein the first evoked potential has a first characteristic and was evoked via a first sensory stimulus applied to the patient;
applying an electrical impulse transcutaneously through the outer skin surface to the vagus nerve after the first evoked potential has been measured;
measuring a second evoked potential from the patient responsive to the electrical impulse being applied, wherein the second evoked potential has a second characteristic, performing a comparison between the first characteristic and the second characteristic; and
taking an action based on the comparison being informative of the electrical impulse causing a response in the patient.- View Dependent Claims (27)
Specification