Method and apparatus for using vagus nerve stimulation in surgery

• US 6,308,104 B1
• Filed: 06/22/1999
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Maquet Cardiovascular LLC (Getinge AB)
• Original Assignee: Cardiothoracic Systems, Inc. (Boston Scientific Corporation)
• Inventors: Taylor, Charles S., Morejohn, Dwight P., Matheny, Robert G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Carl H.
• Application Number:
  US09/338,303
• Time in Patent Office: 854 Days
• Field of Search: 607/5, 607/118, 607/2, 607/9, 607/149
• US Class Current: 607/118
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/122 Clamps or clips , e.g. for the umbilical cord for the vas deferens A61F6/206
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/1227 Spring clips
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/0243 for immobilizing local areas of the heart, e.g. while it beats trocars attached to inner organs or inner body tissue A61B2017/3488

Abstract

A method and apparatus for facilitating coronary surgery on the beating heart wherein the vagus nerve is electrically stimulated to purposely temporarily stop or substantially reduce the beating of the heart under precisely controlled conditions. The apparatus controllably applies the electrical stimulus to preselected locations along the vagus nerve and thus to preselected nerve branches related to the heart. The apparatus includes several clip and probe configurations for establishing electrical contact with the vagus nerve. Such purposely caused temporary stoppage or substantial reduction of the beating of the heart facilitates procedures such as suturing of an anastomosis which would otherwise be more difficult because of the motion induced by the beating heart.

Claims

1. A system for performing a selected surgical procedure on a patient'"'"'s beating heart, comprising:

an electrical nerve stimulator for supplying a vagus nerve stimulating electrical signal;

a plurality of clips attachable to positions on a vagus nerve, each clip comprising a pair of generally confronting jaws of electrically insulating material, an electrode embedded in the confronting jaws and electrically coupled to the electrical nerve stimulator, and a spring for maintaining the clip normally closed firmly on a vagus nerve; and

control circuitry coupled to the electrical nerve stimulator for supplying one or more preselected nerve stimulating signals to respective one or more of the plurality of clips for temporarily stopping or substantially reducing the beating of the heart.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each clip includes a pair of handles integral with the pair of confronting jaws for opening the jaws upon application of a force on the handles.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a surgical pliers having jaws for firmly engaging the handles of a clip.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the jaws and the handles include cooperating spherical ball and depression structures which enable swiveling of a clip relative to the pliers while firmly holding the clip within the jaws.