Methods and devices for treating primary headache
First Claim
1. A device for treating a headache in a patient, the device comprising:
- a housing comprising an electrically permeable contact surface for contacting an outer skin surface of the patient; and
an energy source housed within the housing, wherein the energy source comprising one or more toroids configured to generate a magnetic field sufficient to induce electrical signal at a nerve at a target region within the patient, wherein the electrical signal is sufficient to modulate serotonergic neurons in a raphe nucleus of the patient and to at least partially relieve a pain associated with the headache.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Non-invasive electrical nerve stimulation devices and magnetic stimulation devices are disclosed, along with methods of treating medical disorders using energy that is delivered noninvasively by such devices. The disorders comprise migraine and other primary headaches such as cluster headaches, including sinus symptoms that resemble an immune-mediated response (“sinus” headaches), irrespective of whether those symptoms arise from an allergy that is co-morbid with the headache. The disclosed methods may also be used to treat other disorders that may be co-morbid with migraine headaches, such as anxiety disorders. In preferred embodiments of the disclosed methods, one or both of the patient'"'"'s vagus nerves are stimulated non-invasively. In other embodiments, parts of the sympathetic nervous system and/or the adrenal glands are stimulated.
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Citations
55 Claims
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1. A device for treating a headache in a patient, the device comprising:
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a housing comprising an electrically permeable contact surface for contacting an outer skin surface of the patient; and an energy source housed within the housing, wherein the energy source comprising one or more toroids configured to generate a magnetic field sufficient to induce electrical signal at a nerve at a target region within the patient, wherein the electrical signal is sufficient to modulate serotonergic neurons in a raphe nucleus of the patient and to at least partially relieve a pain associated with the headache. - 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)
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27. A device for treating a headache in a patient, the device comprising:
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a housing comprising an electrically permeable contact surface for contacting an outer skin surface of the patient; and an energy source housed within the housing and configured to generate an electric field sufficient to transmit an electric current through the outer skin surface of the patient to a nerve at a target region within the patient, wherein the electric current is above a threshold for generating action potentials within fibers of a vagus nerve of the patient responsible for activating neural pathways causing release of inhibitory neurotransmitters within a brain of the patient sufficient to modulate serotonergic neurons in a raphe nucleus of the patient, and wherein a sufficient level of the inhibitory neurotransmitters are released in the brain of the patient to reduce a level of glutamate in the brain of the patient and to at least partially relieve a pain associated with the headache in the patient. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A device for treating a headache in a patient, the device comprising:
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a housing comprising an electrically permeable contact surface for contacting an outer skin surface of the patient; and an energy source housed within the housing and configured to generate an electric field sufficient to transmit an electric current through the outer skin surface of the patient to a nerve at a target region within the patient, wherein the electric current is above a threshold for generating action potentials within fibers of a vagus nerve of the patient responsible for activating neural pathways causing release of GABA within a brain of the patient sufficient to modulate serotonergic neurons in a raphe nucleus of the patient and to at least partially relieve a pain associated with the headache.
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Specification