Method and apparatus to treat disorders of gastrointestinal peristalsis
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system for treating disorders of gastrointestinal peristalsis, comprising:
- at least one leadless microstimulator implanted within a patient; and
a wireless controller coupled to the at least one leadless microstimulator for generating and transmitting a signal and power to the leadless microstimulator, causing the leadless microstimulator to generate stimulation pulses with the appropriate timing and intensity to evoke a desired gastrointestinal muscle contraction.
3 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Many patients suffer from diseases and surgical damage that result in failure of the stomach and intestinal tract to contract and relax normally in order to transfer contents distally. Electrical stimulation applied to one or more sites on the surface of the gastrointestinal viscera can treat this problem by triggering or altering muscle contractility. The present invention provides such stimulation by implanting leadless microstimulators in or on the walls of the viscera that can be programmed or controlled from a source outside the body.
-
Citations
18 Claims
-
1. A system for treating disorders of gastrointestinal peristalsis, comprising:
-
at least one leadless microstimulator implanted within a patient; and
a wireless controller coupled to the at least one leadless microstimulator for generating and transmitting a signal and power to the leadless microstimulator, causing the leadless microstimulator to generate stimulation pulses with the appropriate timing and intensity to evoke a desired gastrointestinal muscle contraction. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. An apparatus for providing stimulation to the gastrointestinal tract comprising:
-
a leadless microstimulator implanted in the gastrointestinal tract of a patient; and
a controller located outside the body of the patient for transmitting a signal and power to the microstimulator, comprising;
a transmission coil wirelessly coupled to the microstimulator;
memory means for storing modulated signal patterns;
a driver coupled to the transmission coil for generating a carrier frequency according to modulated signal patterns located in memory; and
a switch operable by the patient for initiating the operation of the transmission coil, causing each microstimulator to generate pulses with the appropriate timing and intensity to evoke the desired contraction. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9)
-
-
10. A method for treating disorders of gastrointestinal peristalsis, comprising:
-
implanting a leadless microstimulator into the gastrointestinal tract of a patient;
providing the patient with a controller providing power and command signals to the microstimulator upon operation; and
electrically stimulating the area of the gastrointestinal tract where the leadless microstimulator is implanted so as to excite a physiological response from tissue near the microstimulator. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. An apparatus for treating disorders of stomach peristalsis, the apparatus comprising:
-
a leadless microstimulator implanted in the wall of the stomach near the fundus; and
a controller located outside the body of the patient for transmitting a signal and power to the microstimulator, comprising;
a transmission coil wirelessly coupled to the microstimulator;
memory means for storing modulated signal patterns;
a driver coupled to the transmission coil for generating a carrier frequency according to modulated signal patterns located in memory; and
a switch operable by the patient for initiating the operation of the transmission coil, causing the microstimulator to generate pulses with the appropriate timing and intensity to evoke a peristaltic contraction in the stomach.
-
-
18. An apparatus for treating disorders of stomach peristalsis, comprising:
-
at least one wireless microstimulator affixed directly to the moving gut; and
external means for selectively controlling the at least one wireless microstimulator to produce a sequence of electrical pulses necessary to achieve proper peristalsis of the stomach.
-
Specification