Gastric stimulator apparatus and method for installing
First Claim
1. Method of applying electrical stimulation to the neuromuscular tissue in the viscera, comprising:
- providing an electrode attachment assembly supporting a plurality of electrode pairs thereon for attachment to the tissue such that the plurality of electrode pairs are positionable at substantially different locations thereon;
laparoscopically inserting the electrode attachment assembly through a surgical access opening in the patient;
attaching the electrode attachment assembly to the neuromuscular tissue such that the plurality of electrode pairs are spaced apart, thereby forming an electrical interface between each of the plurality of electrode pairs and the neuromuscular tissue; and
electrically stimulating the tissue in a time-varying manner with selectable individual pairs of the plurality of electrode pairs with a pulse generator.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus for stimulating neuromuscular tissue of the gastrointestinal tract and methods for installing the apparatus to the neuromuscular tissue. The pulse generator is provided with a switching matrix, and may stimulate the tissue in a time-varying manner by selecting pairs of electrodes and altering the polarities thereof while stimulating the tissue. In addition, a real-time clock allowing a trigger for on and off modes, the time clock could also allow for a trigger to change parameters. Such parameters that could be changed are pulse width, amplitude, duty cycle (amount of time of pulse and time between pulses, or series of pulses), frequency, polarity, choice of unipolar versus bi-polar, and electrode on-off. The electrical stimulation utilizes a plurality of electrodes connected to at least one organ in the gastrointestinal tract of a patient along a peristaltic flow path with each of the electrodes being connected at a different location along the peristaltic flow path. Electrical pulses are provided to the organ from a first set of the plurality of electrodes and second electrical pulses are provided to the organ from a second set of electrodes. The electrical pulses provided are in an independent non-phased relationship for maintaining therapeutic regulation of peristaltic flow through the at least one organ in the gastrointestinal tract while defeating the body'"'"'s natural tendency for adaption.
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Citations
31 Claims
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1. Method of applying electrical stimulation to the neuromuscular tissue in the viscera, comprising:
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providing an electrode attachment assembly supporting a plurality of electrode pairs thereon for attachment to the tissue such that the plurality of electrode pairs are positionable at substantially different locations thereon;
laparoscopically inserting the electrode attachment assembly through a surgical access opening in the patient;
attaching the electrode attachment assembly to the neuromuscular tissue such that the plurality of electrode pairs are spaced apart, thereby forming an electrical interface between each of the plurality of electrode pairs and the neuromuscular tissue; and
electrically stimulating the tissue in a time-varying manner with selectable individual pairs of the plurality of electrode pairs with a pulse generator. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
applying electrical stimulation across the first diagonally-oriented electrode pair during a first time period; and
independently applying electrical stimulation across the second diagonally-oriented electrode pair during a second time period.
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4. Method defined in claim 3, further comprising:
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applying electrical stimulation across the first diagonally-oriented electrode pair during a third time period such that the polarity of each of the electrodes comprising the first diagonally-oriented electrode pair is reversed from the polarity of the respective electrodes during the first time period; and
independently applying electrical stimulation across the second diagonally-oriented electrode pair during a fourth time period such that the polarity of each of the electrodes comprising the second diagonally-oriented electrode pair is reversed from the polarity of the respective electrodes during the second time period.
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5. Method defined in claim 2, wherein the plurality of electrode pairs comprise a first, second, third and fourth adjacent electrode pairs, and wherein electrically stimulating the tissue comprises:
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applying electrical stimulation across the first adjacent electrode pair during a first time period;
applying electrical stimulation across the second adjacent electrode pair during a second time period;
applying electrical stimulation across the third adjacent electrode pair during a third time period; and
applying electrical stimulation across the fourth adjacent electrode pair during a fourth time period, said first, second, third, and fourth time periods being triggered in an independent non-phased relationship to one another.
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6. Method defined in claim 1, wherein the providing an electrode attachment assembly comprises providing an electrode attachment member supporting the plurality of electrode pairs on a distal surface thereon spaced substantially equidistantly apart;
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wherein the attaching the electrode attachment member to the neuromuscular tissue comprises attaching the distal surface of the electrode attachment member to the surface of the viscera, thereby forming an electrical interface between each of the first, second, third, and fourth electrodes and the neuromuscular tissue.
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7. Apparatus for electrically stimulating neuromuscular tissue of the viscera of the organ structure, including the gastrointestinal tract by applying electrical pulses to the neuromuscular tissue, the electrical pulses supplied by a pulse generator, comprising:
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first and second electrodes electrically connected with the pulse generator;
first electrode-pair attachment member having a body portion configured to penetrate through the tissue and supporting the first and second electrodes thereon spaced a first distance apart;
third and fourth electrodes electrically connected with the pulse generator;
second electrode-pair attachment member having a body portion configured to penetrate through the tissue and supporting the third and fourth electrodes thereon spaced a second distance apart;
bridging portion attached to the first and second electrode-pair attachment members and configured to allow relative positioning of the first and second electrode-pair attachment members in the tissue such that the first, second, third and fourth electrodes may be substantially equidistantly spaced apart; and
a pulse generator configured to supply electrical pulses to the first, second, third, and fourth electrodes in a time-varying manner with selectable pairs of the electrodes in an independent non-phased relationship to one another. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for electrically stimulating neuromuscular tissue of the viscera of the organ structure, including the gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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connecting a plurality of electrodes to at least one organ in the gastrointestinal tract of a patient along a peristaltic flow path, each of said plurality of electrodes being connected at a different location along said peristaltic flow path;
providing electrical pulses to said organ from a first set of said plurality of electrodes; and
providing second electrical pulses to said organ from a second set of said plurality of electrodes, said electrical pulses provided by said plurality of electrodes being in an independent non-phased relationship for maintaining therapeutic regulation of peristaltic flow through said at least one organ in said gastrointestinal tract while defeating the body'"'"'s natural tendency for adaption. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A gastric pacemaker for controlling the peristaltic pace of digestive organs by electrically stimulating neuromuscular tissue of the viscera of the organ structure, including the gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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a plurality of stimulation electrodes sequentially positionable on at least one digestive organ along a peristaltic flow path;
controller for controlling electrical pulse parameters for a first set of said plurality of stimulation electrodes;
said controller controlling electrical pulse parameters for a second set of said plurality of stimulation electrodes in an independent non-phased relationship according to a desired peristaltic flow; and
circuitry for providing electrical pulses to each of the first set and the second set of said plurality of stimulation electrodes in accordance with a real-time clock function. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method for electrically stimulating neuromuscular tissue of the viscera of the organ structure, including the gastrointestinal tract, comprising:
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connecting a plurality of electrodes to at least one organ in the gastrointestinal tract of a patient along a peristaltic flow path, each of said plurality of electrodes being connected at a different location along said peristaltic flow path;
providing electrical pulses to said organ from a first set of said plurality of electrodes; and
providing second electrical pulses to said organ from a second set of said plurality of electrodes for maintaining therapeutic regulation of peristaltic flow through said at least one organ in said gastrointestinal tract while defeating the body'"'"'s natural tendency for adaption. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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Specification