Changeable electrode polarity stimulation by an implantable medical device
First Claim
1. A method of treating one or more medical conditions in a patient, the method comprising:
- applying a first electrical signal in a first stimulation mode to a cranial nerve of the patient, via at least first and second electrodes coupled to an electrical signal generator of an implantable medical device and to the cranial nerve, wherein the first electrode operates as a cathode and is proximal to a brain relative to the second electrode that operates as an anode and is distal to the brain, wherein the first stimulation mode performs single polarity stimulation;
receiving an output from a sensor configured to detect one or more bodily parameters of the patient;
entering a second stimulation mode based on the output received from the sensor, wherein the second stimulation mode performs changeable electrode polarity stimulation;
applying a second electrical signal in the second stimulation mode to the cranial nerve of the patient, via the first and second electrodes, wherein the first and second electrodes are configured to switch between a first electrode configuration and a second electrode configuration in the second stimulation mode, wherein the first electrode operates as the cathode and the second electrode operates as the anode in the first electrode configuration, wherein the first electrode operates as the anode and the second electrode operates as the cathode in the second electrode configuration.
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Abstract
We disclose a method of treating a medical condition in a patient using an implantable medical device including coupling at least a first electrode and a second electrode to a cranial nerve of the patient, providing a programmable electrical signal generator coupled to the first electrode and the second electrode, generating a first electrical signal with the electrical signal generator, applying the first electrical signal to the electrodes, wherein the first electrode is a cathode and the second electrode is an anode, reversing the polarity of the first electrode and the second electrode, yielding a configuration wherein the first electrode is an anode and the second electrode is a cathode, generating a second electrical signal with the electrical signal generator, applying the second electrical signal to the electrodes, reversing the polarity of the first electrode and the second electrode, yielding a configuration wherein the first electrode is a cathode and the second electrode is an anode, generating a third electrical signal with the electrical signal generator, and applying the third electrical signal to the electrodes. Each of the electrical signals can independently contain one or more pulses or one or more bursts. The number of pulses need not be equal between any two of the electrical signals.
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Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method of treating one or more medical conditions in a patient, the method comprising:
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applying a first electrical signal in a first stimulation mode to a cranial nerve of the patient, via at least first and second electrodes coupled to an electrical signal generator of an implantable medical device and to the cranial nerve, wherein the first electrode operates as a cathode and is proximal to a brain relative to the second electrode that operates as an anode and is distal to the brain, wherein the first stimulation mode performs single polarity stimulation; receiving an output from a sensor configured to detect one or more bodily parameters of the patient; entering a second stimulation mode based on the output received from the sensor, wherein the second stimulation mode performs changeable electrode polarity stimulation; applying a second electrical signal in the second stimulation mode to the cranial nerve of the patient, via the first and second electrodes, wherein the first and second electrodes are configured to switch between a first electrode configuration and a second electrode configuration in the second stimulation mode, wherein the first electrode operates as the cathode and the second electrode operates as the anode in the first electrode configuration, wherein the first electrode operates as the anode and the second electrode operates as the cathode in the second electrode configuration. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An implantable medical device to treat medical conditions in a patient, the implantable medical device comprising:
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a controller configured to receive an output from a sensor configured to detect one or more bodily parameters of the patient; a stimulation unit coupled to the controller, the stimulation unit configured to generate and deliver electrical signals to a cranial nerve of the patient via first and second electrodes coupled to the cranial nerve, wherein the stimulation unit is configured to deliver a first electrical signal in a first stimulation mode to the cranial nerve via the first electrode and the second electrode, the first electrode operating as a cathode and proximal to a brain relative to the second electrode, the second electrode operating as an anode and distal to the brain, wherein the first stimulation mode performs single polarity stimulation; wherein the controller is configured to enter a second stimulation mode based on the output received from the sensor, wherein the second stimulation mode performs changeable electrode polarity stimulation; wherein the stimulation unit is configured to deliver a second electrical signal to the cranial nerve, via the first and second electrodes, wherein the first and second electrodes are configured to switch between a first electrode configuration and a second electrode configuration in the second stimulation mode, wherein the first electrode operates as the cathode and the second electrode operates as the anode in the first electrode configuration, wherein the first electrode operates as the anode and the second electrode operates as the cathode in the second electrode configuration. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of treating at least one medical condition in a patient, the method comprising:
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applying a first electrical signal in a first stimulation mode to a cranial nerve of the patient, via at least first and second electrodes coupled to an electrical signal generator of an implantable medical device and to the cranial nerve, wherein the first electrode operates as a cathode and is proximal to a brain relative to the second electrode that operates as an anode and is distal to the brain, wherein the first stimulation mode performs single polarity stimulation; receiving an output from a sensor configured to detect one or more bodily parameters of the patient, the one or more bodily parameters including at least one of heart rate, respiration rate, blood pressure, and blood glucose; entering a second stimulation mode based on the output received from the sensor, wherein the second stimulation mode performs changeable electrode polarity stimulation; applying a second electrical signal in the second stimulation mode to the cranial nerve of the patient, via the first and second electrodes coupled to the electrical signal generator and to the cranial nerve, wherein the first and second electrodes are configured to switch between a first electrode configuration and a second electrode configuration in the second stimulation mode, wherein the first electrode operates as the cathode and the second electrode operates as the anode in the first electrode configuration, wherein the first electrode operates as the anode and the second electrode operates as the cathode in the second electrode configuration.
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Specification