Acute and chronic electrical signal therapy for obesity

• US 20060074459A1
• Filed: 10/28/2005
• Published: 04/06/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tylerton International Inc.
• Original Assignee: MetaCure Limited (MetaCure (USA), Inc.)
• Inventors: Ben-Haim, Shlomo, Darvish, Nissim, Mika, Yuval, Belsky, Ziv, Ben Arie, Yaakov, Flesler, Melina
• Granted Patent: US 7,512,442 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/08 Arrangements or circuits for monitoring, protecting, controlling or indicating for external stimulators A61N1/3603; for implantable neurostimulators A61N1/36128; for heart stimulators A61N1/37; for defibrillators A61N1/3925
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/306 Arrangements where at least part of the apparatus is introduced into the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/326 for promoting growth of cells, e.g. bone cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control

Abstract

Apparatus is provided for treating a condition such as obesity. The apparatus includes a set of one or more electrodes, which are adapted to be applied to one or more respective sites in a vicinity of a body of a stomach of a patient. A control unit is adapted to drive the electrode set to apply to the body of the stomach a signal, configured such that application thereof increases a level of contraction of muscle tissue of the body of the stomach, and decreases a cross sectional area of a portion of the body of the stomach for a substantially continuous period greater than about 3 seconds.

Claims

1. Apparatus for treating a condition, comprising:

a set of one or more electrodes, adapted to be applied to one or more respective sites in a vicinity of a stomach of a patient; and

a control unit, adapted to drive the electrode set to apply an Excitable Tissue Control (ETC) signal to the sites, configured such that application thereof decreases a cross sectional area of at least a portion of the stomach.