Randomized stimulation of a gastrointestinal organ

• US 20070049986A1
• Filed: 09/01/2005
• Published: 03/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IntraPace, Inc.
• Original Assignee: IntraPace, Inc.
• Inventors: Imran, Mir
• Granted Patent: US 7,616,996 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/40
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control

Abstract

A device, system and method for stimulating a digestive organ is provided where the stimulation is randomized.

Claims

1. A digestive organ stimulator comprising:

a stimulation signal generator;

a random signal selector coupled to the signal generator and configured to randomly select at least one signal parameter; and

a stimulation output configured to be coupled to a digestive organ, wherein the stimulation generator is configured to output through the stimulation output, a stimulation signal comprising at least one randomly selected signal parameter.

2. The digestive organ stimulator of claim 1 wherein the random signal selector comprises a pseudorandom signal selector configured to pseudorandomly select said at least one signal parameter.

3. The digestive organ stimulator of claim 1 wherein the at least one randomly selected signal parameter is selected from a group comprising:

pulse width, pulse repetition rate, burst frequency and burst repetition rate.

4. The digestive organ stimulator of claim 1 wherein the at least one randomly selected signal parameter is selected from a predetermined group of signal parameters.

5. The digestive organ stimulator of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of outputs wherein the random signal selector is configured to randomly select a signal parameter for each of said plurality of outputs to be delivered thereto.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the random signal selector is configured to select a parameter for each of a plurality of parameter types.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the stimulation output comprises an electrode.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the stimulation output comprises an electrode configured to be coupled to a gastrointestinal tract.

9. The device of claim 1 wherein the stimulation output comprises an electrode configured to be coupled to a stomach.

10. The device of claim 1 further comprising a sensor configured to sense a response to stimulation of the organ wherein the sensor is coupled to the random signal selector whereby the random signal selector is configured to randomly select a new parameter when sensor does not sense and adequate response to stimulation.

11. A method of stimulating a digestive organ comprising the steps of:

providing a stimulator electrically coupled to the digestive organ;

randomly selecting a parameter for stimulation of the digestive organ; and

delivering a stimulation signal comprising the parameter to the digestive organ.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of randomly selecting a parameter comprises pseudorandomly selecting a parameter.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of randomly selecting a parameter comprises generating a random number corresponding to a parameter and determining the random parameter based on the random number.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of selecting a parameter comprises randomly selecting a parameter within a window of parameters.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of selecting a parameter comprises selecting a first parameter from a first type of parameters and selecting a second parameter from a second type of parameters;

and

wherein the step of delivering a stimulation signal comprises delivering a stimulation signal comprising the first parameter and the second parameter to the digestive organ.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising the steps of:

sensing a response of a digestive organ to a stimulation signal;

determining if the response of the digestive organ is within a desired range; and

randomly selecting the new parameter if the response of the digestive organ is not within the desired range.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the step of delivering the signal to the digestive organ comprises delivering the signal to a portion of the gastrointestinal tract.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of delivering the signal to the gastrointestinal tract comprises delivering a signal to the stomach to create a sensation of satiety.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising the step of

wherein the step of providing a stimulator electrically coupled to the digestive organ comprises providing a stimulator electrically coupled to a plurality of sites at the digestive organ;

wherein the step of randomly selecting a parameter for stimulation of the digestive organ comprises randomly selecting an independent parameter for stimulation at each of the plurality of sites; and

wherein the step of delivering a stimulation signal comprising the parameter to the digestive organ comprises delivering a stimulation signal comprising an independent parameter to each of the plurality of sites wherein the each independent parameter at a site is independently selected from other of the independent parameters delivered to other of said plurality of sites.