NEUROSTIMULATION WITH SIGNAL DURATION DETERMINED BY A CARDIAC CYCLE

• US 20100100151A1
• Filed: 10/20/2008
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LivaNova USA, Inc. (LivaNova Plc)
• Original Assignee: Cyberonics, Inc
• Inventors: Terry,, Reese S. JR.
• Granted Patent: US 8,457,747 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/45
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36082 Cognitive or psychiatric applications, e.g. dementia or Alzheimer's disease
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36135 using physiological parameters

Abstract

We disclose a method of providing an electrical signal to a cranial nerve of a patient for treating a medical condition, comprising providing an electrical signal generator, coupling at least a first electrode to a cranial nerve of the patient and to the electrical signal generator, generating an electrical signal with the electrical signal generator, and applying the electrical signal to the cranial nerve, using the at least a first electrode, for a duration less than a cardiac period of the patient and during the cardiac period of the patient. We also disclose an implantable medical device capable of implementing the method.

Claims

1. A method of providing an electrical signal to a cranial nerve of a patient for treating a medical condition, comprising:

providing an electrical signal generator,

coupling at least a first electrode to a cranial nerve of the patient and to the electrical signal generator,

generating an electrical signal with the electrical signal generator, and

applying the electrical signal to the cranial nerve, using the at least a first electrode, for a duration determined by a cardiac cycle parameter of the patient.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein applying the electrical signal to the cranial nerve comprises applying the electrical signal for a duration determined by at least one of an R-R interval, a P-P interval, a T-T interval, a P wave interval, a PR segment interval, a PQ segment interval, a QRS interval, an ST segment interval, and an interbeat interval of the patient.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the duration of applying is less than the interbeat interval.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the duration is determined by reference to an interbeat interval selected from the group consisting of an R-R interval immediately preceding the most recently detected R-wave, and a moving average R-R interval calculated over the last n R-R intervals, where n is an integer from 2 to about 10.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein n is 3.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the duration of applying is a percentage of the interbeat interval.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the duration of applying is from 0.1% of the interbeat interval to 3000% of the interbeat interval.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the duration of applying is from 10% of the interbeat interval to 50% of the interbeat interval.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the electrical signal to the cranial nerve comprises beginning to apply the electrical signal at a particular point in the cardiac cycle of the patient.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the particular point in the cardiac cycle is selected from the group consisting of a detected P-wave, a detected Q-wave, a detected R-wave, a detected S-wave, a detected T-wave, and a detected U-wave.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the particular point in the cardiac cycle follows a point in the cardiac cycle selected from the group consisting of a detected P-wave, a detected Q-wave, a detected R-wave, a detected S-wave, a detected T-wave, and a detected U-wave by a delay period.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the delay period is from 0.1 msec to about 1000 msec.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the electrical signal to the cranial nerve comprises beginning to apply the electrical signal after a selected number of occurrences of at least one characteristic of the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle selected from the group consisting of a detected P-wave, a detected Q-wave, a detected R-wave, a detected S-wave, a detected T-wave, and a detected U-wave.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein applying the electrical signal to the cranial nerve comprises beginning to apply the electrical signal after a predetermined number of R-waves ranging from two R-waves to 1000 R-waves.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sensing at least one parameter of a cardiac cycle of the patient selected from the group consisting of a P-wave, a Q-wave, an R-wave, an S-wave, a T-wave, and a U-wave, and

providing a cardiac cycle determination module to analyze the at least one sensed parameter of the patient'"'"'s cardiac cycle and to determine said at least one cardiac cycle parameter.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein the duration of applying is greater than the interbeat interval.

17. In a method of applying an electrical signal to a cranial nerve of a patient for treating a medical condition, the improvement comprising:

applying the electrical signal to the cranial nerve, wherein applying said electrical signal is provided for a duration determined by a cardiac cycle parameter of the patient.

18. An implantable medical device (IMD), comprising:

an electrical signal generator;

a first electrode operatively coupled to the electrical signal generator; and

a cardiac cycle determination module capable of determining at least one cardiac cycle parameter of a patient;

wherein;

the electrical signal generator is capable of generating and delivering at least one electrical signal through the first electrode, wherein said electrical signal is delivered for a duration determined by the cardiac cycle parameter of the patient.

19. The implantable medical device of claim 18, wherein the electrical signal generator is capable of generating and delivering the at least one electrical signal through the first electrode, and wherein said electrical signal is initiated at a time determined by the at least one cardiac cycle parameter and for a duration determined by the at least one cardiac cycle parameter.