HEPATIC ELECTRICAL STIMULATION

• US 20110118747A1
• Filed: 01/19/2011
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Pasricha, Pankaj J., Chen, Jiande
• Granted Patent: US 8,417,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 606/129
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of providing electrical stimulation to a liver of a subject which includes providing one or more stimulatory electrodes to the liver of the subject and providing electrical stimulation to the liver of the subject. The invention further relates to methods of reducing risk factors of metabolic syndrome, treating diabetes, treating a subject having eating disorders and reducing glucose levels of a subject using methods of the present invention.

Claims

1-19. -19. (canceled)

20. A method of placing a device onto or into a liver parenchyma of a subject, said method comprising:

inserting an end of a needle having an interior bore from the exterior of the subject onto or into the liver parenchyma;

inserting the device through the interior bore of the needle until the device engages the liver parenchyma; and

removing the needle;

wherein the device remains on or in the liver parenchyma.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the device is a stimulatory electrode.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the device is operatively connected to a sensor.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein the device is a sensor.

24. A method detecting levels of one or more risk factors of a metabolic syndrome, the method comprising:

inserting an end of a needle having an interior bore from the exterior of a subject onto or into a liver parenchyma;

inserting a stimulatory electrode through the interior bore of the needle until the electrode engages the liver parenchyma; and

removing the needle;

wherein the electrode remains on or in the liver parenchyma, and wherein the electrode is operatively connected to a sensor to provide electrical stimulation to the subject based on one or more risk factors detected by the sensor.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the one or more risk factors of a metabolic syndrome are glucose levels more than about 110 mg/dL, obesity, insulin resistance, levels of serum triglycerides more than about 150 mg/dL, serum HDL cholesterol levels less than about 50 mg/dL, or blood pressure levels more than about 130/85 mmHg.