Treatment of endocrine disorders by nerve stimulation
First Claim
1. A method of treating pancreatic endocrine disorders in patients, which includes the steps of:
- detecting a blood glucose concentration indicative of an endocrine disorder in the patient, andin response to such detection, selectively applying a predetermined electrical signal to the patient'"'"'s vagus nerve for modulation of electrical activity thereof to adjust secretion of endogenous insulin and thereby control the endocrine disorder.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus are described for treating and controlling diabetes and other systemic pancreatic endocrine disorders attributable to abnormal levels of secretion of endogenous insulin. An electrical stimulator implanted into or worn external to the patient'"'"'s body is adapted, when activated, to generate a programmable electrical waveform for application to electrodes implanted on the vagus nerve of the patient. The electrical waveform is programmed using parameter values selected to stimulate or inhibit the vagus nerve to modulate the electrical activity thereof to increase or decrease secretion of natural insulin by the patient'"'"'s pancreas. The stimulator is selectively activated manually by the patient in response to direct measurement of blood glucose or symptoms, or is activated automatically by programming the activation to occur at predetermined times and for predetermined intervals during the circadian cycle of the patient. Alternatively, the automatic activation is achieved using an implanted sensor to detect the blood glucose concentration, and is triggered when the patient'"'"'s blood glucose concentration exceeds or falls below a predetermined level depending on whether diabetes or hypoglycemia is being treated.
1070 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of treating pancreatic endocrine disorders in patients, which includes the steps of:
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detecting a blood glucose concentration indicative of an endocrine disorder in the patient, and in response to such detection, selectively applying a predetermined electrical signal to the patient'"'"'s vagus nerve for modulation of electrical activity thereof to adjust secretion of endogenous insulin and thereby control the endocrine disorder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In a method for treatment and control of diabetes in a patient, the steps of:
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providing a programmable device responsive, when activated, to apply a programmed electrical signal to the patient'"'"'s vagus nerve for stimulation thereof to adjust secretion of endogenous insulin appropriate to maintain insulin-glucose homeostasis in the patient'"'"'s bloodstream and thereby control the diabetes, and periodically activating the device to maintain the homeostasis. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. Apparatus for treating pancreatic endocrine disorders in human patients, comprising, in combination:
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stimulus means responsive, when activated, to generate a programmable electrical waveform, electrode means electrically connectable to said stimulus means and adapted to be implanted for delivering said waveform to a nerve of the patient preselected according to its capability to affect the secretion of natural insulin by the patient'"'"'s pancreas, programming means for programming said waveform with parameter values selected, when the electrode means and the stimulus means are electrically connected and the stimulus means is activated, to modulate electrical activity of said nerve to adjust secretion of natural insulin for controlling the endocrine disorder, and activation mans for selectively activating said stimulus means, including sensing means adapted for detecting a blood glucose level of the patient indicative of a need to adjust insulin secretion. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification