Cranial nerve stimulation to treat a hearing disorder

• US 20070027504A1
• Filed: 07/27/2005
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: LivaNova USA, Inc. (LivaNova Plc)
• Original Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc
• Inventors: Guzman, Albert, Maschino, Steven, Parnis, Steven, Barrett, Burke
• Application Number:
  US11/190,796
• Publication Number:
  US 20070027504A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/55
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36036 of the outer, middle or inner ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36053 adapted for vagal stimulation A61N1/36114 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/006 for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue

Abstract

We disclose a method of treating a patient having a hearing disorder, including coupling at least one electrode to at least one vagus nerve of the patient and applying an electrical signal to the vagus nerve using the electrode to treat the hearing disorder. We also disclose a computer readable program storage device encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computer, perform the method, and a medical device and a hearing disorder treatment system that may be used in performance of the method.

Claims

1. A method of treating a patient having a hearing disorder, comprising:

coupling at least one electrode to a vagus nerve of the patient, and

applying an electrical signal to the vagus nerve using the electrode to treat the hearing disorder.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hearing disorder is tinnitus.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein coupling at least one electrode comprises coupling the electrode to an auricular branch of the vagus nerve.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein coupling at least one electrode comprises positioning the electrode on the skin of the patient.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein applying an electrical signal to the vagus nerve comprises generating a response selected from the group consisting of an afferent action potential, an efferent action potential, an afferent hyperpolarization, and an efferent hyperpolarization.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an afferent action potential on said vagus nerve using said electrical signal.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

providing a programmable electrical signal generator;

coupling said at least one electrode to said signal generator;

generating an electrical signal with the electrical signal generator;

and wherein applying an electrical signal to the vagus nerve comprises applying the electrical signal to the electrode.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

programming the electrical signal generator to define said electrical signal by at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of a current magnitude, a pulse frequency, and a pulse width, wherein electrical signal is adapted to treat the hearing disorder.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising detecting a symptom of the hearing disorder, wherein applying an electrical signal to a vagus nerve is initiated in response to said step of detecting a symptom of the hearing disorder.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein applying an electrical signal to the vagus nerve comprises applying said signal during a first treatment period, and said method further comprises applying a second electrical signal to the vagus nerve during a second treatment period.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting a symptom of the hearing disorder, wherein said detecting step is performed by the patient;

and wherein applying said second electrical signal is initiated in response to said step of detecting a symptom of the hearing disorder.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein coupling at least one electrode comprises contacting said at least one electrode directly to a vagus nerve.

10. The method of claim 10, wherein detecting a symptom of the hearing disorder is performed by the patient.

14. A method of treating a patient having a hearing disorder, comprising:

coupling at least one electrode to a vagus nerve of the patient;

providing an electrical signal generator coupled to the at least one electrode;

generating an electrical signal with the electrical signal generator; and

applying the electrical signal to the electrode to treat the hearing disorder.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of detecting a symptom of the hearing disorder, wherein the step of applying the electrical signal to the vagus nerve is initiated in response to detecting said the symptom.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein coupling at least one electrode to a vagus nerve comprises coupling at least one electrode to an auricular branch of a vagus nerve.

17. A method of treating a patient having a hearing disorder, comprising:

coupling at least one electrode to an auricular branch of a vagus nerve of the patient, and

applying an electrical signal to said auricular branch of a vagus nerve using the electrode to treat the hearing disorder.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

providing a programmable electrical signal generator;

coupling said at least one electrode to said signal generator;

generating an electrical signal with the electrical signal generator;

and wherein applying an electrical signal to said auricular branch comprises applying the electrical signal to said at least one electrode.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

programming the electrical signal generator to define said electrical signal by a plurality of parameters selected from the group consisting of a current magnitude, a pulse frequency, a pulse width, an on-time and an off-time.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein applying an electrical signal to said auricular branch comprises applying said signal during a first treatment period, and said method further comprises applying a second electrical signal to said auricular branch of a vagus nerve during a second treatment period.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said first treatment period comprises a period ranging from one hour to six months, and wherein said second treatment period comprises a period ranging from one month to the patient'"'"'s lifetime.