VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION APPARATUS, AND ASSOCIATED METHODS
First Claim
1. An apparatus for providing electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve of a patient, comprising:
- one or more probes for being implanted in the body of said patient for providing current pulses to said vagus nerve;
an implantable device for being implanted in the body of said patient, said implantable device having;
(i) control circuitry electrically connected to said one or more probes, said control circuitry being structured to generate said current pulses and provide said current pulses to said one or more probes, and (ii) power circuitry electrically connected to said control circuitry for providing a DC power signal to said control circuitry; and
a power supply separate from said implantable device and external to said patient'"'"'s body, said power supply providing power to said implantable device through a near-field technique between said power supply and said power circuitry when said power circuitry is in proximity with said power supply.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for providing vagus nerve stimulation for the treatment of diseases such as depression and epilepsy that do not require an onboard, implanted power supply. Power may be supplied from outside of the body by near-field inductive coupling with an external power supply provided in a support article (e.g., garment) worn by the patient. Power may also be supplied by providing an antenna for harvesting ambient RF energy and converting it into DC power. In addition, the methods and apparatus provide for remote, wireless programming of the parameters that specify the nature of current pulses provided to the vagus nerve by probes implanted in the body of the patient. The preferred stimulation profile is 1-2 milliamp pulses of 250 microseconds in duration at a frequency of 20 to 30 Hz, wherein the profile is repeatedly on for 30 seconds and off for 5 minutes.
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Citations
63 Claims
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1. An apparatus for providing electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve of a patient, comprising:
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one or more probes for being implanted in the body of said patient for providing current pulses to said vagus nerve; an implantable device for being implanted in the body of said patient, said implantable device having;
(i) control circuitry electrically connected to said one or more probes, said control circuitry being structured to generate said current pulses and provide said current pulses to said one or more probes, and (ii) power circuitry electrically connected to said control circuitry for providing a DC power signal to said control circuitry; anda power supply separate from said implantable device and external to said patient'"'"'s body, said power supply providing power to said implantable device through a near-field technique between said power supply and said power circuitry when said power circuitry is in proximity with said power supply. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 41, 45, 46, 47, 48, 59)
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10. A method of providing electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve of a patient, comprising:
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implanting one or more probes into the body of said patient, said one or more probes being structured to provide current pulses to said vagus nerve; implanting a device in said body of said patient, said device being electrically connected to said one or more probes; causing said device to generate said current pulses and provide said current pulses to said one or more probes; and providing power to said device from a location external to the body of said patient using a near-field technique. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 42, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 61)
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15. An apparatus for providing electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve of a patient, comprising:
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one or more probes for being implanted in the body of said patient for providing current pulses to said vagus nerve; and an implantable device for being implanted in the body of said patient, said implantable device including; control circuitry electrically connected to said one or more probes, said control circuitry being structured to generate said current pulses and provide said current pulses to said one or more probes, and power circuitry electrically connected to said control circuitry, said power circuitry having an antenna for receiving energy transmitted in space from a far-field source, said power circuitry converting said received energy into a DC power signal and providing said DC power signal to said control circuitry. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 60)
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26. A method of providing electrical stimulation to the vagus nerve of a patient, comprising:
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implanting one or more probes into the body of said patient, said one or more probes being structured to provide current pulses to said vagus nerve; implanting a device in the body of said patient, said device being electrically connected to said one or more probes; causing said device to generate said current pulses and provide said current pulses to said one or more probes; and providing power to said device by receiving energy transmitted in space from a remote far-field source external to the body of said patient and converting said received energy into a DC power signal. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 43, 62)
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31. A method of treating at least one of depression and epilepsy, comprising:
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implanting a device in the body of a patient; causing said device to generate and provide current pulses to the vagus nerve of said patient; and providing power to said device from a location external to the body of said patient. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 44, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 63)
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Specification