Treatment of movement disorders by near-diaphragmatic nerve stimulation
First Claim
1. A method of treating patients suffering from a movement disorder, which comprises the step of stimulating a patient'"'"'s vagus nerve with an electrical pulse signal applied directly or indirectly thereto at a location in the immediate vicinity of the patient'"'"'s diaphragm, including selectively programming electrical and timing parameters of said electrical pulse signal according to a predetermined therapy regimen for alleviating the disorder.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for treating patients with movement disorders includes unilaterally or bilaterally stimulating one or both of the left and right branches of a patient'"'"'s vagus nerve directly or indirectly with an electrical pulse signal generated by an implantable neurostimulator with at least one operatively coupled nerve electrode to apply the pulse signal to the selected nerve branch at a location in the vicinity of the patient'"'"'s diaphragm, either slightly above or slightly below the diaphragm. A device for performing the method includes a government approved implantable neurostimulator which is programmable to enable physician programming of electrical and timing parameters of the pulse signal, to generate the desired therapy regimen for alleviating the disorder by application of the therapeutic electrical stimulation signal to a selected nerve. Automatic detection or patient sensing of a symptom of the disorder may be utilized for activating the device.
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Citations
28 Claims
- 1. A method of treating patients suffering from a movement disorder, which comprises the step of stimulating a patient'"'"'s vagus nerve with an electrical pulse signal applied directly or indirectly thereto at a location in the immediate vicinity of the patient'"'"'s diaphragm, including selectively programming electrical and timing parameters of said electrical pulse signal according to a predetermined therapy regimen for alleviating the disorder.
- 15. A method of treating patients suffering from involuntary movement disorders by stimulating a selected cranial nerve of the patient with an electrical signal applied to induce a signal up the nerve toward the brain from a location in the vicinity of the patient'"'"'s diaphragm, including programming electrical and timing parameters of said electrical signal to ameliorate said disorder.
- 22. Apparatus for treating patients suffering from movement disorder, comprising a pulse generator sanctioned by government authority for implantation in a patient together with electrode means to treat said disorder by stimulation of a selected cranial nerve of the patient with a predetermined sequence of electrical impulses from said pulse generator applied to the selected cranial nerve at a location in a range from about two to about three inches above or below the patient'"'"'s diaphragm, for alleviating symptoms of the movement disorder in the patient.
Specification