Implantable Electroacupuncture Device and Method

• US 20160206507A1
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Published: 07/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Valencia Technologies Corporation
• Original Assignee: Valencia Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Greiner, Jeffrey H., Peterson, David K. L., Thenuwara, Chuladatta, Greiner, Stacy O.
• Application Number:
  US15/084,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20160206507A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/002 Using electric currents electrotherapy A61N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36067 Movement disorders, e.g. tremor or Parkinson disease stimulating motor muscle A61N1/36003
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36096 Mood disorders, e.g. depression, anxiety or panic disorder
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36107 Sexual dysfunction stimulating genital organs A61N1/36007
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36114 Cardiac control, e.g. by vagal stimulation stimulating the heart A61N1/362
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36117 for treating hypertension
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36125 Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36175 Pulse width or duty cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3758 Packaging of the components within the casing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3782 producing a voltage above the power source level
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An electroacupuncture device includes 1) a housing configured to be implanted beneath a skin surface of the patient at an acupoint within the patient, 2) a central electrode centrally located on a first surface of the housing, 3) an annular electrode that surrounds the central electrode on the first surface of the housing, the annular electrode being spaced apart from the central electrode, and 4) pulse generation circuitry located within the housing, wherein the pulse generation circuitry generates stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than 0.05 and applies the stimulation sessions at the acupoint by way of the central electrode and the annular electrode in accordance with the duty cycle.

Claims

1. An electroacupuncture device for treating a medical condition of a patient, comprising:

a housing configured to be implanted beneath a skin surface of the patient at an acupoint within the patient;

a central electrode of a first polarity and centrally located on a first surface of the housing;

an annular electrode of a second polarity and that surrounds the central electrode on the first surface of the housing, the annular electrode being spaced apart from the central electrode; and

pulse generation circuitry located within the housing and electrically coupled to the annular and central electrodes, wherein the pulse generation circuitry

generates stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than 0.05, and

applies the stimulation sessions at the acupoint by way of the central electrode and the annular electrode in accordance with the duty cycle,

wherein

each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions comprises a series of stimulation pulses,

the duty cycle is a ratio of T3 to T4, and

each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions has a duration of T3 minutes and occurs at a rate of once every T4 minutes.

2. The electroacupuncture device of claim 1, wherein the acupoint comprises at least one of acupoints BL14, BL23, BL52, EXHN1, EXHN3, GB34, GV4, GV20, HT5, HT7, KI6, LI4, LI11, LR3, LR8, LU2, LU7, PC5, PC6, PC7, SP4, SP6, SP9, ST36, ST37, and ST40.

3. The electroacupuncture device of claim 1, wherein the medical condition comprises at least one of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, obesity, dyslipidemia, Parkinson'"'"'s disease, essential tremor, and erectile dysfunction.

4. The electroacupuncture device of claim 1, wherein T3 is at least 10 minutes and less than 60 minutes, and wherein T4 is at least 1440 minutes.

5. The electroacupuncture device of claim 1, further comprising:

a sensor that receives, from a device external to the electroacupuncture device, a control command configured to control the electroacupuncture device.

6. The electroacupuncture device of claim 5, wherein:

the control command sets the times T3 and T4 to appropriate values configured to treat the medical condition; and

the pulse generation circuitry generates the stimulation sessions in accordance with the control command.

7. The electroacupuncture device of claim 1, wherein the housing is coin-sized and coin-shaped.

8. The electroacupuncture device of claim 1, wherein the annular electrode is located on the first surface of the housing.

9. The electroacupuncture device of claim 1, wherein the annular electrode comprises a ring electrode located around a perimeter edge of the housing.

10. The electroacupuncture device of claim 1, further comprising a primary battery contained within the housing and that provides operating power for the pulse generation circuitry, the primary battery having a nominal output voltage of 3 volts and an internal impedance greater than 5 ohms.

11. The electroacupuncture device of claim 10, wherein the pulse generation circuitry comprises:

a boost converter circuit that boosts the nominal voltage of the primary battery to an output voltage VOUT that is at least three times the nominal battery voltage;

a control circuit for selectively turning the boost converter circuit OFF and ON to limit the amount of current that is drawn from the primary battery; and

an output circuit powered by VOUT and that generates the stimulation pulses.

12. The electroacupuncture device of claim 11, wherein the pulse generation circuitry further is configured to create a reverse trapezoidal stimulation pulse waveshape for the stimulation pulses.

13. A method of treating a medical condition of a patient, comprising:

generating, by an electroacupuncture device implanted beneath a skin surface of the patient at an acupoint within the patient, stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than 0.05, wherein

each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions comprises a series of stimulation pulses,

the duty cycle is a ratio of T3 to T4,

each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions has a duration of T3 minutes and occurs at a rate of once every T4 minutes, and

the electroacupuncture device comprises a central electrode of a first polarity centrally located on a first surface of a housing of the electroacupuncture device and an annular electrode of a second polarity and that is spaced apart from the central electrode; and

applying, by the electroacupuncture device, the stimulation sessions at the acupoint by way of the central electrode and the annular electrode in accordance with the duty cycle.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the acupoint comprises at least one of acupoints BL14, BL23, BL52, EXHN1, EXHN3, GB34, GV4, GV20, HT5, HT7, KI6, LI4, LI11, LR3, LR8, LU2, LU7, PC5, PC6, PC7, SP4, SP6, SP9, ST36, ST37, and ST40.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the medical condition comprises at least one of hypertension, cardiovascular disease, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, obesity, dyslipidemia, Parkinson'"'"'s disease, essential tremor, and erectile dysfunction.

16. The method of claim 13, further comprising receiving, by the electroacupuncture device from a device external to the electroacupuncture device, a control command configured to control the electroacupuncture device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the control command sets the times T3 and T4 to appropriate values configured to treat the medical condition; and

the generating of the stimulation sessions is performed in accordance with the control command.

18. The method of claim 13, wherein the housing is coin-sized and coin-shaped.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein the annular electrode is located on the first surface of the housing.

20. The method of claim 13, wherein the annular electrode comprises a ring electrode located around a perimeter edge of the housing.