Implantable Electroacupuncture Device and Method
First Claim
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 circuitrygenerates stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than 0.05, andapplies the stimulation sessions at the acupoint by way of the central electrode and the annular electrode in accordance with the duty cycle,whereineach stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions comprises a series of stimulation pulses,the duty cycle is a ratio of T3 to T4, andeach stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions has a duration of T3 minutes and occurs at a rate of once every T4 minutes.
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electroacupuncture device for treating a medical condition of a patient, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method of treating a medical condition of a patient, comprising:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification