NON-INVASIVE VAGAL NERVE STIMULATION TO TREAT DISORDERS
First Claim
1. A method of treating a breathing disorder in a patient, the method comprising:
- positioning a device adjacent to a skin surface of the patient;
generating, via the device, a signal comprising one or more electrical impulses; and
transmitting, via the device, the one or more electrical impulses to a vagus nerve in the patient, wherein the one or more electrical impulses comprises bursts of pulses with a silent inter-burst interval between each of the bursts, wherein each of the bursts and the silent inter-burst interval repeats from about 3 Hz to about 100 Hz, wherein each of the pulses has a duration from about 50 microseconds to about 1000 microseconds.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for treating bronchial constriction related to asthma, anaphylaxis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), exercise-induced bronchospasm and post-operative bronchospasm. The treatment comprises transmitting impulses of energy non-invasively to selected nerve fibers that activate neural pathways to reduce the release of acetycholine from airway-related vagal preganglionic neurons within the brain of the patient. The transmitted energy impulses, comprising magnetic and/or electrical energy, stimulate the selected nerve fibers to produce the bronchodilation.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of treating a breathing disorder in a patient, the method comprising:
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positioning a device adjacent to a skin surface of the patient; generating, via the device, a signal comprising one or more electrical impulses; and transmitting, via the device, the one or more electrical impulses to a vagus nerve in the patient, wherein the one or more electrical impulses comprises bursts of pulses with a silent inter-burst interval between each of the bursts, wherein each of the bursts and the silent inter-burst interval repeats from about 3 Hz to about 100 Hz, wherein each of the pulses has a duration from about 50 microseconds to about 1000 microseconds. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A device for treating a breathing disorder in a patient, the device comprising:
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a housing comprising a contact surface configured to contact an outer skin surface of the patient; and an energy source coupled to the housing, wherein the energy source is configured to transmit an electric current through the outer skin surface of the patient to a vagus nerve within the patient, wherein the electric current is sufficient to generate a signal comprising one or more electrical impulses comprising bursts of pulses with a silent inter-burst interval between each of the bursts, wherein each of the bursts and the silent inter-burst interval repeats from about 3 Hz to about 100 Hz, and wherein each of the pulses has a duration from about 50 microsecond to about 1000 microseconds. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification