Stimulation method for the sphenopalatine ganglia, sphenopalatine nerve, or vidian nerve for treatment of medical conditions

• US 20030018368A1
• Filed: 09/17/2002
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mehdi M. Ansarinia
• Original Assignee: Mehdi M. Ansarinia
• Inventors: Ansarinia, Mehdi M.
• Application Number:
  US10/245,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20030018368A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3605 Implantable neurostimulators for stimulating central or peripheral nerve system
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36075 Headache or migraine

Abstract

A method is provided for the suppression or prevention of pain, movement disorders, epilepsy, cerebrovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, sleep disorders, autonomic disorders, urinary bladder disorders, abnormal metabolic states, disorders of the muscular system, and neuropsychiatric disorders in a patient. The method comprises positioning at least one electrode on or proximate to at least one of the patient'"'"'s sphenopalatine ganglia (“SPG”), sphenopalatine nerves (“SPN”), or vidian nerves (“VN”), and activating the at least one electrode to apply an electrical signal to at least one of the SPG, SPN, or VN. In a further embodiment of the invention used to treat the same conditions, the electrode used is capable of dispensing a medication solution or analgesic which is applied via an electrode to at least one of the SPG, SPN, or VN. A method is also provided for surgically implanting an electrode on or proximate to at least one of the SPG, SPN, or VN of a patient.

Claims

1. A method for suppressing or preventing pain, movement disorders, epilepsy, cerebrovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, sleep disorders, autonomic disorders, urinary bladder disorders, abnormal metabolic states, disorders of the muscular system, and neuropsychiatric disorders in a patient, the method comprising:

positioning at least one electrode on or proximate to at least one of the patient'"'"'s sphenopalatine ganglia, sphenopalatine nerves, or vidian nerves;

activating the at least one electrode to apply an electrical signal to at least one of the sphenopalatine ganglia, sphenopalatine nerves, or vidian nerves.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the at least one electrode is surgically implanted on or proximate to at least one of the patient'"'"'s sphenopalatine ganglia, sphenopalatine nerves, or vidian nerves.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the electrical signal applied by the electrode can be adjusted in voltage, frequency, pulse width, current, or intensity.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the electrical signal applied by the electrode may be made positive or negative and the direction of current flow from the electrode may be changed.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one electrode may be remotely controlled using a remote control device which is accessible from outside the body of the patient.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the at least one electrode is powered by a power source surgically implanted within the patient.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one electrode is multi-polar.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one electrode is unipolar.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the at least one electrode is bipolar.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the electrical signal applied by the at least one electrode has an intensity in the range of from about 0.1 to 20 volts, a frequency in the range of from about 1 to 1000 Hertz, and a pulse width in the range of between 25 to 1000 microseconds.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein activation of the at least one electrode is done to treat:

(i) pain resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising;

migraine headaches, including migraine headaches with aura, migraine headaches without aura, menstrual migraines, migraine variants, atypical migraines, complicated migraines, hemiplegic migraines, transformed migraines, and chronic daily migraines;

episodic tension headaches;

chronic tension headaches;

analgesic rebound headaches;

episodic cluster headaches;

chronic cluster headaches;

cluster variants;

chronic paroxysmal hemicrania;

hemicrania continua;

post-traumatic headache;

post-traumatic neck pain;

post-herpetic neuralgia involving the head or face;

pain from spine fracture secondary to osteoporosis;

arthritis pain in the spine, headache related to cerebrovascular disease and stroke;

headache due to vascular disorder;

reflex sympathetic dystrophy, cervicalgia;

glossodynia, carotidynia;

cricoidynia;

otalgia due to middle ear lesion;

gastric pain;

sciatica;

maxillary neuralgia;

laryngeal pain, myalgia of neck muscles;

trigeminal neuralgia;

post-lumbar puncture headache;

low cerebro-spinal fluid pressure headache;

temporomandibular joint disorder;

atypical facial pain;

ciliary neuralgia;

paratrigeminal neuralgia;

petrosal neuralgia;

Eagle'"'"'s syndrome;

idiopathic intracranial hypertension;

orofacial pain;

myofascial pain syndrome involving the head, neck, and shoulder;

chronic migraneous neuralgia, cervical headache;

paratrigeminal paralysis;

sphenopalatine ganglion neuralgia;

carotidynia;

Vidian neuralgia; and

causalgia;

(ii) movement disorders resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising;

Parkinson'"'"'s disease;

cerebropalsy;

dystonia;

essential tremor; and

hemifacial spasms;

(iii) epilepsy, including generalized and partial epilepsy;

(iv) cerebrovascular diseases resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising;

aneurysms, strokes, and cerebral hemorrhage;

(v) autoimmune diseases resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising multiple sclerosis;

(vi) sleep disorders resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising sleep apnea and parasomnias;

(vii) autonomic disorders resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising;

gastrointestinal disorders, including but not limited to gastrointestinal motility disorders, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chronic hiccups, gastroesphageal reflux disease, and hypersecretion of gastric acid;

autonomic insufficiency;

excessive epiphoresis;

excessive rhinorrhea; and

cardiovascular disorders including but not limited to cardiac dysrythmias and arrythmias, hypertension, and carotid sinus disease;

(viii) urinary bladder disorders resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising spastic or flaccid bladder;

(ix) abnormal metabolic states resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism

(x) disorders of the muscular system resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising muscular dystrophy and spasms of the upper respiratory tract and face; and

(xi) neuropsychiatric disorders resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising;

depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the at least one electrode is surgically implanted on or proximate to at least one of the patient'"'"'s sphenopalatine ganglia, sphenopalatine nerves, or vidian nerves.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the amount of medication solution or analgesic applied, the rate at which medication solution or analgesic is applied, and the time period over which the medication solution or analgesic is applied can be adjusted.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the at least one electrode may be remotely controlled using a remote control device which is accessible from outside the body of the patient.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the at least one electrode is powered by a power source surgically implanted within the patient.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein activation of the at least one electrode is done to treat:

(i) pain resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising;

migraine headaches, including migraine headaches with aura, migraine headaches without aura, menstrual migraines, migraine variants, atypical migraines, complicated migraines, hemiplegic migraines, transformed migraines, and chronic daily migraines;

episodic tension headaches;

chronic tension headaches;

analgesic rebound headaches;

episodic cluster headaches;

chronic cluster headaches;

cluster variants;

chronic paroxysmal hemicrania;

hemicrania continua;

post-traumatic headache;

post-traumatic neck pain;

post-herpetic neuralgia involving the head or face;

pain from spine fracture secondary to osteoporosis;

arthritis pain in the spine, headache related to cerebrovascular disease and stroke;

headache due to vascular disorder;

reflex sympathetic dystrophy, cervicalgia;

glossodynia, carotidynia;

cricoidynia;

otalgia due to middle ear lesion;

gastric pain;

sciatica;

maxillary neuralgia;

laryngeal pain, myalgia of neck muscles;

trigeminal neuralgia;

post-lumbar puncture headache;

low cerebro-spinal fluid pressure headache;

temporomandibular joint disorder;

atypical facial pain;

ciliary neuralgia;

paratrigeminal neuralgia;

petrosal neuralgia;

Eagle'"'"'s syndrome;

idiopathic intracranial hypertension;

orofacial pain;

myofascial pain syndrome involving the head, neck, and shoulder;

chronic migraneous neuralgia, cervical headache;

paratrigeminal paralysis;

sphenopalatine ganglion neuralgia;

carotidynia;

Vidian neuralgia; and

causalgia;

(ii) movement disorders resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising;

Parkinson'"'"'s disease;

cerebropalsy;

dystonia;

essential tremor; and

hemifacial spasms;

(iii) epilepsy, including generalized and partial epilepsy;

(iv) cerebrovascular diseases resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising;

aneurysms, strokes, and cerebral hemorrhage;

(v) autoimmune diseases resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising multiple sclerosis;

(vi) sleep disorders resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising sleep apnea and parasomnias;

(vii) autonomic disorders resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising;

gastrointestinal disorders, including but not limited to gastrointestinal motility disorders, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chronic hiccups, gastroesphageal reflux disease, and hypersecretion of gastric acid;

autonomic insufficiency;

excessive epiphoresis;

excessive rhinorrhea; and

cardiovascular disorders including but not limited to cardiac dysrythmias and arrythmias, hypertension, and carotid sinus disease;

(viii) urinary bladder disorders resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising spastic or flaccid bladder;

(ix) abnormal metabolic states resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism

(x) disorders of the muscular system resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising muscular dystrophy and spasms of the upper respiratory tract and face; and

(xi) neuropsychiatric disorders resulting from one or more medical conditions comprising;

depression, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

12. A method for suppressing or preventing pain, movement disorders, epilepsy, cerebrovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, sleep disorders, autonomic disorders, urinary bladder disorders, abnormal metabolic states, disorders of the muscular system, and neuropsychiatric disorders in a patient, the method comprising:

positioning at least one electrode on or proximate to at least one of the patient'"'"'s sphenopalatine ganglia, sphenopalatine nerves, or vidian nerves, said electrode capable of dispensing a medication solution or an analgesic;

activating the at least one electrode to apply the medication solution or analgesic to at least one of the sphenopalatine ganglia, sphenopalatine nerves, or vidian nerves.