Contingent cardio-protection for epilepsy patients
First Claim
1. A method of treating a patient having epilepsy via an implantable medical device which includes an electrical signal generator coupled to a first electrode and a second electrode where the first electrode is coupled to a main trunk of a vagus nerve of the patient and a second electrode is coupled to a cardiac branch of the vagus nerve of the patient, the method comprising:
- receiving at least one body data stream;
analyzing the at least one body data stream using a seizure detection algorithm to determine an epileptic seizure state;
applying a first electrical signal from the electrical signal generator to the main trunk of the vagus nerve using the first electrode as a cathode, based on a determination that the epileptic seizure state of the patient is a first state where an epileptic seizure is not detected; and
applying a second electrical signal from the electrical signal generator to the cardiac branch of the vagus nerve using the second electrode as the cathode, based on a determination that the epileptic seizure state of the patient is a second state where the epileptic seizure is detected.
8 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Disclosed are methods and systems for treating epilepsy by stimulating a main trunk of a vagus nerve, or a left vagus nerve, when the patient has had no seizure or a seizure that is not characterized by cardiac changes such as an increase in heart rate, and stimulating a cardiac branch of a vagus nerve, or a right vagus nerve, when the patient has had a seizure characterized by cardiac changes such as a heart rate increase.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method of treating a patient having epilepsy via an implantable medical device which includes an electrical signal generator coupled to a first electrode and a second electrode where the first electrode is coupled to a main trunk of a vagus nerve of the patient and a second electrode is coupled to a cardiac branch of the vagus nerve of the patient, the method comprising:
-
receiving at least one body data stream; analyzing the at least one body data stream using a seizure detection algorithm to determine an epileptic seizure state; applying a first electrical signal from the electrical signal generator to the main trunk of the vagus nerve using the first electrode as a cathode, based on a determination that the epileptic seizure state of the patient is a first state where an epileptic seizure is not detected; and applying a second electrical signal from the electrical signal generator to the cardiac branch of the vagus nerve using the second electrode as the cathode, based on a determination that the epileptic seizure state of the patient is a second state where the epileptic seizure is detected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A method of treating a patient having epilepsy comprising:
-
sensing a cardiac signal and a kinetic signal of the patient;
analyzing at least one of the cardiac signal and the kinetic signal;determining whether or not the patient has had an epileptic seizure based on the analyzing; in response to a determination that the patient has had the epileptic seizure, determining whether or not the epileptic seizure is characterized by an increase in a patient'"'"'s heart rate; applying a first electrical signal to a main trunk of a vagus nerve of the patient using a first electrode as a cathode based on one of;
a) a determination that the patient has not had the epileptic seizure, and b) a determination that the patient has had the epileptic seizure that is not characterized by the increase in the patient'"'"'s heart rate, wherein the first electrode is coupled to the main trunk; andapplying a second electrical signal to a cardiac branch of the vagus nerve of the patient using a second electrode as the cathode based on a determination that the patient has had the epileptic seizure characterized by the increase in the patient'"'"'s heart rate, wherein the second electrode is coupled to the cardiac branch. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A method of treating a patient having epilepsy comprising:
-
applying a first electrical signal to a main trunk of a vagus nerve of the patient, wherein the first electrical signal is an open-loop electrical signal having a programmed on-time and a programmed off-time; sensing at least one body signal of the patient, determining a start of an epileptic seizure based on the at least one body signal, determining whether or not the epileptic seizure is characterized by an increase in a patient'"'"'s heart rate; applying a second, closed-loop electrical signal to the main trunk of the vagus nerve based on a determination that the epileptic seizure is not characterized by the increase in the patient'"'"'s heart rate; and applying a third, closed-loop electrical signal to a cardiac branch of the vagus nerve based on a determination that the epileptic seizure is characterized by the increase in the patient'"'"'s heart rate, wherein the third electrical signal is applied to reduce the patient'"'"'s heart rate.
-
-
20. A method of treating a patient having epilepsy comprising:
-
sensing at least one body signal of the patient; determining whether or not the patient has had an epileptic seizure based on the at least one body signal; sensing a cardiac signal of the patient; in response to a determination that the patient has had the epileptic seizure, determining whether or not the epileptic seizure is characterized by an increase in a patient'"'"'s heart rate; applying a first electrical signal to a left vagus nerve of the patient using a first electrode as a cathode based on one of a) a determination that the patient has not had the epileptic seizure, and b) a determination that the patient has had the epileptic seizure that is not characterized by the increase in the patient'"'"'s heart rate, wherein the first electrode is coupled to the left vagus nerve; and applying a second electrical signal to a right vagus nerve of the patient using a second electrode as the cathode based on a determination that the patient has had the epileptic seizure characterized by the increase in the patient'"'"'s heart rate, wherein the second electrode is coupled to the right vagus nerve.
-
Specification