Implantable electroacupuncture system and method for treating Parkinson's disease and essential tremor
First Claim
1. A method for treating Parkinson'"'"'s disease or Essential Tremor of a patient, comprising the steps of:
- (a) implanting a leadless, self-contained, coin-sized electroacupuncture (EA) device in the patient below the patient'"'"'s skin at or near a target tissue location, the EA device comprising a coin-shaped hermetically-sealed housing wherein electrical circuitry and a power source are housed, the electrical circuitry and the power source configured to generate stimulation pulses, the EA device further having a central electrode of a first polarity and positioned in a center of a front surface of the housing and an annular electrode of a second polarity and that surrounds the central electrode on the housing, wherein a spacing between a center of the central electrode and the annular electrode comprises at least 5 mm;
(b) enabling the EA device to generate stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than or equal to 0.05, whereineach stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions comprises a series of stimulation pulses,the duty cycle is a ratio of T3 to T4,each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions has a duration of T3 minutes and occurs at a rate of once every T4 minutes, andT3 is at least 10 minutes; and
(c) delivering the stimulation pulses of each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions to the target tissue location through the central electrode and the annular electrode, wherein the stimulation sessions are applied to the target tissue location at the duty cycle, and wherein the delivery of the stimulation sessions at the duty cycle causes, over time, a slow and methodical treatment for Parkinson'"'"'s disease or Essential Tremor at the target tissue location that remodels the central nervous system to produce a desired sustained therapeutic effect.
4 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) treats Parkinson'"'"'s disease or Essential Tremor through application of stimulation pulses applied at at least one of acupoints GB34 and GV20. The IEAD includes an hermetically-sealed implantable electroacupuncture (EA) device having at least two electrodes located outside of its housing. The housing contains a primary power source, pulse generation circuitry, and a sensor that wirelessly senses externally-generated operating commands. The pulse generation circuitry generates stimulation pulses as controlled, at least in part, by the operating commands sensed through the sensor. The stimulation pulses are applied to the specified acupoint or nerve through the electrodes in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Such stimulation regimen requires that the stimulation session be applied at a very low duty cycle not greater than 0.05.
96 Citations
9 Claims
-
1. A method for treating Parkinson'"'"'s disease or Essential Tremor of a patient, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) implanting a leadless, self-contained, coin-sized electroacupuncture (EA) device in the patient below the patient'"'"'s skin at or near a target tissue location, the EA device comprising a coin-shaped hermetically-sealed housing wherein electrical circuitry and a power source are housed, the electrical circuitry and the power source configured to generate stimulation pulses, the EA device further having a central electrode of a first polarity and positioned in a center of a front surface of the housing and an annular electrode of a second polarity and that surrounds the central electrode on the housing, wherein a spacing between a center of the central electrode and the annular electrode comprises at least 5 mm; (b) enabling the EA device to generate stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than or equal to 0.05, wherein each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions comprises a series of stimulation pulses, the duty cycle is a ratio of T3 to T4, each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions has a duration of T3 minutes and occurs at a rate of once every T4 minutes, and T3 is at least 10 minutes; and (c) delivering the stimulation pulses of each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions to the target tissue location through the central electrode and the annular electrode, wherein the stimulation sessions are applied to the target tissue location at the duty cycle, and wherein the delivery of the stimulation sessions at the duty cycle causes, over time, a slow and methodical treatment for Parkinson'"'"'s disease or Essential Tremor at the target tissue location that remodels the central nervous system to produce a desired sustained therapeutic effect. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
-
-
5. A method for treating Parkinson'"'"'s disease or Essential Tremor of a patient, comprising:
-
(a) packaging electrical circuitry and a coin-cell battery, electrically configured in a circuit relationship that causes electrical stimulation pulses to be generated, within a leadless, hermetically-sealed, coin-sized and coin-shaped housing of an electroacupuncture (EA) device, the EA device having a central electrode of a first polarity and positioned in a center of a front surface of the housing and an annular electrode of a second polarity and that surrounds the central electrode on the housing, wherein a spacing between a center of the central electrode and the annular electrode comprises at least 5 mm; (b) implanting the EA device in the patient below the patient'"'"'s skin at or near a target tissue location; (c) enabling the EA device to generate stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than or equal to 0.05, wherein each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions comprises a series of stimulation pulses, the duty cycle is a ratio of T3 to T4, each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions has a duration of T3 minutes and occurs at a rate of once every T4 minutes, and T3 is at least 10 minutes; and (d) delivering the stimulation pulses of each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions to the target tissue location through the central electrode and the annular electrode, wherein the stimulation sessions are applied to the target tissue location at the duty cycle, and wherein the delivery of the stimulation sessions at the duty cycle causes, over time, a slow and methodical treatment for Parkinson'"'"'s disease or Essential Tremor at the target tissue location that remodels the central nervous system so as to create a long term desired therapeutic effect. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
-
Specification