Obesity treatment with electrically induced vagal down regulation
First Claim
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1. A method for treating obesity comprising:
- positioning an electrode on or near a vagus nerve of an obese patient below a vagal innervation of the heart, with the nerve innervating at least one of a plurality of alimentary tract organs; and
treating the patient'"'"'s obesity by applying an electrical signal to the electrode with the signal selected to, at least in part, down-regulate neural activity on the vagus nerve.
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Abstract
At least one of a plurality of disorders of a patient characterized at least in part by vagal activity innervating at least one of a plurality of organs of the patient is treated by a method that includes positioning a neurostimulator carrier around a body organ of the patient where the organ is innervated by at least a vagal trunk. An electrode is disposed on the carrier and positioned at the vagal trunk. An electrical signal is applied to the electrode to modulate vagal activity by an amount selected to treat the disorder. The signal may be a blocking or a stimulation signal.
594 Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method for treating obesity comprising:
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positioning an electrode on or near a vagus nerve of an obese patient below a vagal innervation of the heart, with the nerve innervating at least one of a plurality of alimentary tract organs; and treating the patient'"'"'s obesity by applying an electrical signal to the electrode with the signal selected to, at least in part, down-regulate neural activity on the vagus nerve. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. An apparatus for treating obesity comprising:
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an electrode band apparatus comprising at least one electrode disposed on a carrier; wherein the carrier is sized to be placed on a gastrointestinal organ with the carrier surrounding the organ; and the at least one electrode is positioned on the carrier for the at least one electrode to electrically couple with a vagus nerve of an obese patient when the carrier is surrounding the organ, with the nerve innervating at least one of a plurality of alimentary tract organs; and a source of an electrical signal electrically coupled to the at least one electrode to apply an electrical signal to the at least one electrode with the signal selected to down-regulate neural activity on the vagus nerve to treat the patient'"'"'s obesity. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification