Treatment of disorders by unidirectional nerve stimulation
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for treating a condition of a subject, comprising:
- a plurality of electrode devices, configured to be coupled to respective longitudinal sites of longitudinal nervous tissue of the subject having first and second types of nerve fibers, through which body-generated action potentials propagate at first and second velocities, respectively, wherein two of the plurality of electrode devices are configured to be coupled at adjacent ones of the longitudinal sites that are separated by at least 2 mm; and
a control unit, configured to;
sequentially drive the electrode devices to apply to the nervous tissue respective currents, with delays between driving each of the electrode devices that are timed to the first velocity of the propagation of the body-generated action potentials so as to minimize undesired blocking of the body-generated action potentials propagating through the first type of nerve fibers,configure the currents to induce respective first orthodromic electrode-generated action potentials that propagate in the nervous tissue in a first direction, so as to treat the condition,configure the currents to suppress respective second electrode-generated action potentials from propagating in the nervous tissue in a second direction opposite to the first direction, repeatedly, during a series of temporally non-contiguous periods, induce the first orthodromic electrode-generated action potentials and suppress the second electrode-generated action potentials, andsubstantially withhold, during respective times between the non-contiguous periods, the inducing of the first orthodromic electrode-generated action potentials and the suppressing of the second electrode-generated action potentials.
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Abstract
Apparatus for treating a condition of a subject is provided. An electrode device is adapted to be coupled to longitudinal nervous tissue of the subject, and a control unit is adapted to drive the electrode device to apply to the nervous tissue a current which is capable of inducing action potentials that propagate in the nervous tissue in a first direction, so as to treat the condition. The control unit is further adapted to suppress action potentials from propagating in the nervous tissue in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
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Citations
74 Claims
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1. Apparatus for treating a condition of a subject, comprising:
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a plurality of electrode devices, configured to be coupled to respective longitudinal sites of longitudinal nervous tissue of the subject having first and second types of nerve fibers, through which body-generated action potentials propagate at first and second velocities, respectively, wherein two of the plurality of electrode devices are configured to be coupled at adjacent ones of the longitudinal sites that are separated by at least 2 mm; and a control unit, configured to; sequentially drive the electrode devices to apply to the nervous tissue respective currents, with delays between driving each of the electrode devices that are timed to the first velocity of the propagation of the body-generated action potentials so as to minimize undesired blocking of the body-generated action potentials propagating through the first type of nerve fibers, configure the currents to induce respective first orthodromic electrode-generated action potentials that propagate in the nervous tissue in a first direction, so as to treat the condition, configure the currents to suppress respective second electrode-generated action potentials from propagating in the nervous tissue in a second direction opposite to the first direction, repeatedly, during a series of temporally non-contiguous periods, induce the first orthodromic electrode-generated action potentials and suppress the second electrode-generated action potentials, and substantially withhold, during respective times between the non-contiguous periods, the inducing of the first orthodromic electrode-generated action potentials and the suppressing of the second electrode-generated action potentials. - 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, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. Apparatus for treating a condition of a subject, comprising:
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a plurality of electrode devices, configured to be coupled to respective longitudinal sites of longitudinal nervous tissue of the subject having first and second types of nerve fibers, through which body-generated action potentials propagate at first and second velocities, respectively; a sensor, configured to sense an indication of a presence of the condition and to generate a sensor signal responsive thereto; and a control unit, configured to receive the sensor signal, and, responsive thereto, to; sequentially drive the electrode devices to apply to the nervous tissue respective currents, with delays between driving each of the electrode devices that are timed to the first velocity of the propagation of the body-generated action potentials so as to minimize undesired blocking of the body-generated action potentials propagating through the first type of the nerve fibers, configure the currents to induce respective first orthodromic electrode-generated action potentials that propagate in the nervous tissue in a first direction, so as to treat the condition, and configure the currents to suppress respective second electrode-generated action potentials from propagating in the nervous tissue in a second direction opposite the first direction. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67)
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68. A method for treating a condition of a subject, comprising:
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identifying that the subject suffers from the condition; and treating the condition by; sequentially driving currents into respective longitudinal sites of a vagus nerve of the subject having a first set of fibers and a second set of fibers, through which first body-generated action potential propagate at a first velocity, and second body-generated action potentials propagate at a second velocity, respectively, the first set of fibers having diameters generally different from diameters of the second set of fibers, with delays between driving each of the currents that are timed to the first velocity so as to minimize undesired blocking of the first body-generated action potentials propagating through the first set of fibers; configuring the currents to induce respective first orthodromic electrode-generated action potentials that propagate in the vagus nerve in a first direction, so as to treat the condition, and to suppress respective second electrode-generated action potentials from propagating in the vagus nerve in a second direction opposite to the first direction. - View Dependent Claims (69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74)
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Specification