VAGUS NERVE STIMULATION METHOD
First Claim
1. A method of treating a medical condition in a patient comprising:
- detecting at least a portion of the cardiac cycle of the patient;
applying to a vagus nerve of the patient, in response to said detecting of a portion of the cardiac cycle of the patient, a pulsed electrical signal comprising a plurality of microbursts, wherein each microburst is characterized by;
from 2 to 20 pulses per microburst;
an interpulse interval between adjacent pulses of the microburst of from about 1 to about 20 milliseconds; and
a microburst duration of not greater than 1 second; and
wherein each microburst is separated from an adjacent microburst by an interburst period of at least 100 milliseconds.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An implanted electrical signal generator delivers a novel exogenous electrical signal to a vagus nerve of a patient. The vagus nerve conducts action potentials originating in the heart and lungs to various structures of the brain, thereby eliciting a vagal evoked potential in those structures. The exogenous electrical signal simulates and/or augments the endogenous afferent activity originating from the heart and/or lungs of the patient, thereby enhancing the vagal evoked potential in the various structures of the brain. The exogenous electrical signal includes a series of electrical pulses organized or patterned into a series of microbursts including 2 to 20 pulses each. No pulses are sent between the microbursts. Each of the microbursts may be synchronized with the QRS wave portion of an ECG. The enhanced vagal evoked potential in the various structures of the brain may be used to treat various medical conditions including epilepsy and depression.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of treating a medical condition in a patient comprising:
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detecting at least a portion of the cardiac cycle of the patient; applying to a vagus nerve of the patient, in response to said detecting of a portion of the cardiac cycle of the patient, a pulsed electrical signal comprising a plurality of microbursts, wherein each microburst is characterized by; from 2 to 20 pulses per microburst; an interpulse interval between adjacent pulses of the microburst of from about 1 to about 20 milliseconds; and a microburst duration of not greater than 1 second; and wherein each microburst is separated from an adjacent microburst by an interburst period of at least 100 milliseconds. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of treating a patient having a neuropsychiatric disorder comprising:
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detecting at least a portion of the cardiac cycle of the patient; applying to a vagus nerve of the patient, in response to said detecting of a portion of the cardiac cycle of the patient, a pulsed electrical signal comprising a plurality of microbursts, wherein each microburst is characterized by; from 2 to 20 pulses per microburst; an interpulse interval between adjacent pulses of the microburst of from about 1 to about 20 milliseconds; and a microburst duration of not greater than 1 second; and wherein each microburst is separated from an adjacent microburst by an interburst period of at least 100 milliseconds. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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Specification