Method and apparatus for intentional impairment of gastric motility and/or efficiency by triggered electrical stimulation of the gastrointestinal tract with respect to the intrinsic gastric electrical activity
First Claim
1. A system for gastric stimulation of a patient comprising:
- a plurality of sensing electrodes for sensing intrinsic gastric activity from a stomach wall of a patient;
an implantable gastric stimulator coupled to the plurality of sensing electrodes, the implantable gastric stimulator configured to receive the sensed intrinsic gastric activity and perform an analysis of the sensed intrinsic gastric activity to classify the activity as normal or abnormal, and determine whether to create an electrical stimulation based at least in part upon the classification of the sensed intrinsic gastric activity as normal or abnormal, wherein the implantable gastric stimulator delivers the electrical stimulation when the sensed intrinsic gastric activity is classified as normal;
a plurality of stimulation electrodes configured to convey the electrical stimulation from the implantable gastric stimulator to the stomach wall of the patient, wherein the plurality of stimulation electrodes defines a plurality of stimulation vectors, wherein;
the electrical stimulation is configured to disrupt normal gastric activity of the stomach, andthe implantable gastric stimulator is configured to switch between any of the plurality of stimulation vectors depending upon the sensed intrinsic gastric activity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A sensor based gastric stimulator system and method for gastric stimulation of a patient employing an implantable gastric stimulator, which includes an information processor, an electrical stimulator circuit, and telemetry circuitry. The implantable stimulator senses intrinsic, gastric electrical activity (slow waves and/or peristaltic waves) and delivers electrical stimulation to intentionally disrupt or disorganize that activity. The stimulation is triggered by (tracks) normal gastric electrical activity and can be delivered with a spatial offset to anticipate the propagating gastric electrical activity or may be delayed temporally to anticipate the next propagating slow or peristaltic wave. The stimulator may be programmed to disrupt/disorganize all or a percentage of the intrinsic, normal gastric electrical activity. The programmer (via radio frequency data link) may non-invasively program stimulation parameters and intervals. The stimulator may provide stimulation to one or a plurality of stimulation sites and may incorporate one or a plurality of independently programmable sensing and/or stimulation channels. The information processor of the implantable gastric stimulator uses the gastric stimulation information from the non-electrode sensor for determining periods or windows of susceptibility for application of the electrical signals conveyed with the stimulation electrode for conveying electrical signals from the electrical stimulator circuit to the stomach wall of the patient.
108 Citations
35 Claims
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1. A system for gastric stimulation of a patient comprising:
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a plurality of sensing electrodes for sensing intrinsic gastric activity from a stomach wall of a patient; an implantable gastric stimulator coupled to the plurality of sensing electrodes, the implantable gastric stimulator configured to receive the sensed intrinsic gastric activity and perform an analysis of the sensed intrinsic gastric activity to classify the activity as normal or abnormal, and determine whether to create an electrical stimulation based at least in part upon the classification of the sensed intrinsic gastric activity as normal or abnormal, wherein the implantable gastric stimulator delivers the electrical stimulation when the sensed intrinsic gastric activity is classified as normal; a plurality of stimulation electrodes configured to convey the electrical stimulation from the implantable gastric stimulator to the stomach wall of the patient, wherein the plurality of stimulation electrodes defines a plurality of stimulation vectors, wherein; the electrical stimulation is configured to disrupt normal gastric activity of the stomach, and the implantable gastric stimulator is configured to switch between any of the plurality of stimulation vectors depending upon the sensed intrinsic gastric activity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A system for gastric stimulation of a patient comprising:
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a plurality of sensing electrodes for sensing intrinsic gastric activity from a stomach wall of a patient; an implantable gastric stimulator coupled to the plurality of sensing electrodes, the implantable gastric stimulator configured to receive the sensed intrinsic gastric activity and perform an analysis of the sensed intrinsic gastric activity to classify the activity as normal or abnormal, and determine whether to create an electrical stimulation based at least in part upon the classification of the sensed intrinsic gastric activity as normal or abnormal, wherein the implantable gastric stimulator delivers the electrical stimulation when the sensed intrinsic gastric activity is classified as normal; and a plurality of stimulation electrodes configured to convey the electrical stimulation from the implantable gastric stimulator to the stomach wall of the patient, wherein the electrical stimulation is configured to disrupt normal gastric activity of the stomach, wherein; the stimulator temporarily reverts to a power conserve condition in the absence of a programmable threshold of normal electrical activity, delivers the electrical stimulation when the stimulator classifies sensed electrical activity as a plurality of normal events, is programmed to deliver electrical stimulation on all or a percentage of the plurality of normal events, and is configured to adapt temporal delivery of electrical stimulation based upon an algorithm considering a running history of recent predecessor electrical activity events. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A method for gastric stimulation of a patient comprising:
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sensing intrinsic gastric activity on the stomach wall of a patient; classifying the sensed intrinsic gastric activity as normal or abnormal; determining when to apply electrical stimulation to the stomach wall of the patient based upon the classification of the sensed intrinsic gastric activity as normal or abnormal; selecting at least one of a plurality of stimulation vectors across the stomach wall for application of electrical stimulation based upon the sensed intrinsic gastric activity; forming an electrical signal in response to the determining when the sensed intrinsic gastric activity is classified as normal; and applying the electrical signal via the at least one selected stimulation vector to disrupt normal gastric activity of the stomach. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. A system comprising:
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a plurality of sensing electrodes for sensing intrinsic electrical gastric activity from a stomach wall of a patient; an implantable gastric stimulator coupled to the sensing electrodes, wherein the implantable gastric stimulator receives the sensed intrinsic electrical gastric activity and classifies the activity as normal or abnormal, and wherein the stimulator creates electrical stimulation when the sensed intrinsic electrical gastric activity is classified as normal; and a plurality of stimulation electrodes for conveying the electrical stimulation from the implantable gastric stimulator to the stomach wall of the patient, wherein the plurality of stimulation electrodes defines a plurality of stimulation vectors, wherein; the electrical stimulation is configured to disrupt normal gastric activity of the stomach; and the implantable gastric stimulator is configured to switch between any of the plurality of stimulation vectors based on the sensed intrinsic electrical gastric activity.
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35. A method comprising:
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sensing intrinsic electrical gastric activity from a stomach wall of a patient; classifying the intrinsic electrical gastric activity as normal or abnormal; selecting at least one of a plurality of stimulation vectors across the stomach wall for application of electrical stimulation to the patient based upon the sensed intrinsic electrical gastric activity; applying electrical stimulation to the patient via the at least one selected stimulation vector when the intrinsic electrical gastric activity is classified as normal, wherein the electrical stimulation is configured to disrupt normal gastric activity of the stomach; and withholding application of electrical stimulation to the patient when the intrinsic electrical gastric activity is classified as abnormal.
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Specification