System and method for selectively stimulating different body parts

• US 20060195146A1
• Filed: 01/31/2006
• Published: 08/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Ethicon Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Tracey, Michael R., DiUbaldi, Anthony, Johns, Douglas B.
• Granted Patent: US 7,647,112 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36014 External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes external pacemakers A61N1/3625
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain

Abstract

Devices and methods are provided for electrically stimulating a predetermined body part of a mammal. The method includes placing at least one electrode in proximity to the mammal'"'"'s skin, injecting an electrically conductive gel into the body of the mammal so as to form a conductive gel pathway extending at least partially along a distance between the at least one electrode and the predetermined body part, and stimulating the predetermined body part by applying an electrical signal via the electrode that travels, at least in part, through the conductive gel pathway.

Claims

1. A method for electrically stimulating a predetermined body part of a mammal, comprising:

placing at least one electrode in proximity to the mammal'"'"'s skin;

injecting an electrically conductive gel into the body of the mammal so as to form a conductive gel pathway extending at least partially along a distance between the at least one electrode and the predetermined body part; and

stimulating the predetermined body part by applying an electrical signal via the electrode that travels, at least in part, through the conductive gel pathway.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conductive gel pathway extends substantially the entire distance between the electrode and predetermined body part.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conductive gel substantially envelopes the predetermined body part.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conductive gel is bio-inert.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conductive gel remains flexible following injection.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conductive gel is a cross-linked polyacrylamide gel.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined body part is a nerve.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined body part is the pudendal nerve, and the placing step further comprises placing the electrode in the abdominal or sacral regions of the mammal.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the electrode is positioned within a patch device having an adhesive thereon for securing it to the skin.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the injecting step is performed using a syringe.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the conductive gel is a thermoset hydrogel or thermoplastic hydrogel.

12. A method for electrically stimulating a pudendal or sacral nerve of a mammal, comprising:

placing at least one electrode in proximity to the mammal'"'"'s skin substantially in the abdominal or sacral regions of the mammal;

injecting an electrically conductive gel into the body of the mammal so as to form a conductive gel pathway extending at least partially along a distance from the at least one electrode to the pudendal or sacral nerve; and

stimulating the pudendal or sacral nerve by applying an electrical signal via the electrode that travels, at least in part, through the conductive gel pathway.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the conductive gel pathway extends substantially the entire distance between the electrode and predetermined body part.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the conductive gel pathway substantially envelopes the pudendal or sacral nerve.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the conductive gel is bio-inert.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the conductive gel remains flexible following injection.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the conductive gel is a cross-linked polyacrylamide gel.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the conductive gel is a thermoset hydrogel or thermoplastic hydrogel.

19. The method according to claim 12, wherein the electrode is positioned within a patch device having an adhesive thereon for securing it to the skin.

20. The method according to claim 12, wherein the injecting step is performed using a syringe.

21. A method for treating a pelvic condition of a female patient comprising:

providing a transcutaneous electrical stimulation device including an electrode adapted to apply an electrical waveform to the patient'"'"'s skin;

identifying a location for placing the stimulation device that is substantially in the patient'"'"'s abdominal or sacral regions;

creating a conductive pathway along at least a portion of a distance from the identified location to the patient'"'"'s pudendal or sacral nerve by injecting a conductive gel along said pathway;

placing the stimulation device in the identified location; and

stimulating the pudendal or sacral nerve by activating the electrode to thereby apply the electrical waveform to the patient'"'"'s skin, wherein the electrical waveforms is conducted, at least in part, through the conductive pathway.

22. An electrical stimulation device for stimulating a selected internal body part of a mammal, comprising:

at least one electrode adapted for placement in proximity to skin of said mammal and adapted to apply an electrical waveform thereto;

an electrically conductive gel pathway extending along at least a portion of a distance from the at least one electrode to the selected internal body part,

wherein the conductive gel pathway is further comprised of a material selected from the group consisting of a poly(acrylamide), a thermoset hydrogel and a thermoplastic hydrogel.

23. The device according to claim 22, wherein the conductive gel is comprised of a thermoset hydrogel selected from the group consisting of cross-linked varieties of polyHEMA and copolymers, N-substituted acrylamides, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), poly(glyceryl methacrylate), poly(ethylene oxide), poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(acrylic acid), poly(methacrylic acid), poly(N, N-dimethylaminopropyl-N′

-acrylamide), and combinations thereof with hydrophilic and hydrophobic comonomers, cross-linkers and other modifiers.

24. The device according to claim 22, wherein the conductive gel is comprised of a thermoplastic hydrogel selected from the group consisting of acrylic derivatives, vinyl alcohol derivatives, hydrophilic polyurethanes (HPU) and Styrene/PVP block copolymers.

25. The device according to claim 22, wherein the conductive gel pathway is comprised of a bio-inert material.