Techniques for reducing pain associated with nerve stimulation
First Claim
1. Apparatus comprising:
- an electrode device, configured to be coupled to a site of a subject selected from the group consisting of;
a vagus nerve, an epicardial fat pad, a pulmonary vein, a carotid artery, a carotid sinus, a coronary sinus, a vena cava vein, a right ventricle, a right atrium, and a jugular vein; and
a control unit, configured to;
drive the electrode device to apply to the site a current in at least first and second bursts, the first burst including a plurality of pulses, and the second burst including at least one pulse, andset (a) a pulse repetition interval (PRI) of the first burst to be on average at least 20 ms, (b) an interburst interval between initiation of the first burst and initiation of the second burst to be less than 10 seconds, (c) an interburst gap between a conclusion of the first burst and the initiation of the second burst to have a duration greater than the average PRI, and (d) a burst duration of the first burst to be less than a percentage of the interburst interval, the percentage being less than 67%.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus is provided including an electrode device and a control unit. The electrode device is configured to be coupled to a site of a subject selected from the group consisting of: a vagus nerve, an epicardial fat pad, a pulmonary vein, a carotid artery, a carotid sinus, a coronary sinus, a vena cava vein, a right ventricle, a right atrium, and a jugular vein. The control unit is configured to drive the electrode device to apply to the site a current in at least first and second bursts, the first burst including a plurality of pulses, and the second burst including at least one pulse, and set (a) a pulse repetition interval (PRI) of the first burst to be on average at least 20 ms, (b) an interburst interval between initiation of the first burst and initiation of the second burst to be less than 10 seconds, (c) an interburst gap between a conclusion of the first burst and the initiation of the second burst to have a duration greater than the average PRI, and (d) a burst duration of the first burst to be less than a percentage of the interburst interval between, the percentage being less than 67%. Other embodiments are also described.
-
Citations
152 Claims
-
1. Apparatus comprising:
-
an electrode device, configured to be coupled to a site of a subject selected from the group consisting of;
a vagus nerve, an epicardial fat pad, a pulmonary vein, a carotid artery, a carotid sinus, a coronary sinus, a vena cava vein, a right ventricle, a right atrium, and a jugular vein; anda control unit, configured to; drive the electrode device to apply to the site a current in at least first and second bursts, the first burst including a plurality of pulses, and the second burst including at least one pulse, and set (a) a pulse repetition interval (PRI) of the first burst to be on average at least 20 ms, (b) an interburst interval between initiation of the first burst and initiation of the second burst to be less than 10 seconds, (c) an interburst gap between a conclusion of the first burst and the initiation of the second burst to have a duration greater than the average PRI, and (d) a burst duration of the first burst to be less than a percentage of the interburst interval, the percentage being less than 67%. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 16, 22, 30, 32)
wherein the rest periods have on average a rest period duration equal to at least a cycle duration that equals a duration of a single “
on”
period plus a duration of a single low stimulation period, andwherein the stimulation periods have on average a stimulation period duration equal to at least five times the rest period duration.
-
-
30. The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a sensor configured to sense a physiological parameter of the subject indicative of physiological activity of the subject, wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize the first and second bursts with the physiological activity.
-
32. The apparatus according to claim 30, wherein the physiological activity includes cardiac activity of the subject, and wherein the control unit is configured to synchronize the first and second bursts with a feature of a cardiac cycle of the subject.
-
2. (canceled)
-
7. (canceled)
-
10-15. -15. (canceled)
-
17-21. -21. (canceled)
-
23-29. -29. (canceled)
-
31. (canceled)
-
33. (canceled)
-
34. Apparatus comprising:
-
an electrode device, configured to be coupled to a site of a subject selected from the group consisting of;
a vagus nerve, an epicardial fat pad, a pulmonary vein, a carotid artery, a carotid sinus, a coronary sinus, a vena cava vein, a right ventricle, a right atrium, and a jugular vein; anda control unit, configured to; drive the electrode device, during stimulation periods that alternate with rest periods, to apply to the site a current during “
on”
periods that alternate with low stimulation periods, the “
on”
periods having on average an “
on”
duration equal to at least 1 second, and the low stimulation periods having on average a low stimulation duration equal to at least 50% of the “
on”
duration,set the current applied on average during the low stimulation periods to be less than 20% of the current applied on average during the “
on”
periods, andset the current applied on average during the rest periods to be less than 20% of the current applied on average during the “
on”
periods,wherein the rest periods have on average a rest period duration equal to at least a cycle duration that equals a duration of a single “
on”
period plus a duration of a single low stimulation period, andwherein the stimulation periods have on average a stimulation period duration equal to at least five times the rest period duration. - View Dependent Claims (37, 39, 41, 49, 50, 51)
-
-
35-36. -36. (canceled)
-
38. (canceled)
-
40. (canceled)
-
42-48. -48. (canceled)
-
52-100. -100. (canceled)
-
101. A method comprising:
-
applying, to a site of a subject, a current in at least first and second bursts, the first burst including a plurality of pulses, and the second burst including at least one pulse, the site selected from the group consisting of;
a vagus nerve, an epicardial fat pad, a pulmonary vein, a carotid artery, a carotid sinus, a coronary sinus, a vena cava vein, a right ventricle, a right atrium, and a jugular vein; andsetting (a) a pulse repetition interval (PRI) of the first burst to be on average at least 20 ms, (b) an interburst interval between initiation of the first burst and initiation of the second burst to be less than 10 seconds, (c) an interburst gap between a conclusion of the first burst and the initiation of the second burst to have a duration greater than the average PRI, and (d) a burst duration of the first burst to be less than a percentage of the interburst interval, the percentage being less than 67%. - View Dependent Claims (103, 104, 105, 106, 108, 109, 116, 122, 130, 132)
-
-
102. (canceled)
-
107. (canceled)
-
110-115. -115. (canceled)
-
117-121. -121. (canceled)
-
123-129. -129. (canceled)
-
131. (canceled)
-
133. (canceled)
-
134. A method comprising:
-
applying, to a site of a subject, during stimulation periods that alternate with rest periods, a current during “
on”
periods that alternate with low stimulation periods, the “
on”
periods having on average an “
on”
duration equal to at least 1 second, and the low stimulation periods having on average a low stimulation duration equal to at least 50% of the “
on”
duration, the site selected from the group consisting of;
a vagus nerve, an epicardial fat pad, a pulmonary vein, a carotid artery, a carotid sinus, a coronary sinus, a vena cava vein, a right ventricle, a right atrium, and a jugular vein;setting the current applied on average during the low stimulation periods to be less than 20% of the current applied on average during the “
on”
periods;setting the current applied on average during the rest periods to be less than 20% of the current applied on average during the “
on”
periods; andsetting the rest periods to have on average a rest period duration equal to at least a cycle duration that equals a duration of a single “
on”
period plus a duration of a single low stimulation period, and the stimulation periods to have on average a stimulation period duration equal to at least five times the rest period duration. - View Dependent Claims (137, 139, 141, 149, 150, 151)
-
-
135-136. -136. (canceled)
-
138. (canceled)
-
140. (canceled)
-
142-148. -148. (canceled)
-
152-200. -200. (canceled)
Specification