Implantable electroacupuncture system and method for treating dyslipidemia and obesity
First Claim
1. A method of treating obesity or dyslipidemia of a patient using a small implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) powered by a small disc primary battery having a specified nominal output voltage of about 3 volts, and having an internal impedance of at least 5 ohms, the IEAD being configured, using electronic circuitry within the IEAD, to generate stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen and apply the stimulation pulses through at least two electrodes located on an outside of a housing of the IEAD at a selected tissue location, the at least two electrodes comprising at least one cathode electrode and at least one anode electrode, the method comprising:
- implanting the IEAD below the skin surface of the patient at or near a target tissue location selected from the group of target tissue locations comprising acupoints ST36, SP4, ST37, ST40, SP6, SP9, K16, LR8 and their underlying nerves, the saphenous nerve and the peroneal nerve; and
enabling the IEAD to provide EA stimulation pulses by way of the at least two electrodes located on the outside of the housing of the IEAD in accordance with a stimulation regimen that provides a stimulation session having a duration of T3 minutes at a rate of once every T4 minutes, where the ratio of T3/T4 is no greater than 0.05, and wherein T3 is at least 10 minutes and no greater than 60 minutes.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An exemplary method of treating obesity or dyslipidemia of a patient using a small implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) includes 1) implanting the IEAD below the skin surface of the patient at or near a target tissue location selected from the group of target tissue locations comprising acupoints ST36, SP4, ST37, ST40, SP6, SP9, K16, LR8 and their underlying nerves, the saphenous nerve and the peroneal nerve, and 2) enabling the IEAD to provide EA stimulation pulses in accordance with a stimulation regimen that provides a stimulation session having a duration of T3 minutes at a rate of once every T4 minutes, where the ratio of T3/T4 is no greater than 0.05, and wherein T3 is at least 10 minutes and no greater than 60 minutes.
80 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of treating obesity or dyslipidemia of a patient using a small implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) powered by a small disc primary battery having a specified nominal output voltage of about 3 volts, and having an internal impedance of at least 5 ohms, the IEAD being configured, using electronic circuitry within the IEAD, to generate stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen and apply the stimulation pulses through at least two electrodes located on an outside of a housing of the IEAD at a selected tissue location, the at least two electrodes comprising at least one cathode electrode and at least one anode electrode, the method comprising:
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implanting the IEAD below the skin surface of the patient at or near a target tissue location selected from the group of target tissue locations comprising acupoints ST36, SP4, ST37, ST40, SP6, SP9, K16, LR8 and their underlying nerves, the saphenous nerve and the peroneal nerve; and enabling the IEAD to provide EA stimulation pulses by way of the at least two electrodes located on the outside of the housing of the IEAD in accordance with a stimulation regimen that provides a stimulation session having a duration of T3 minutes at a rate of once every T4 minutes, where the ratio of T3/T4 is no greater than 0.05, and wherein T3 is at least 10 minutes and no greater than 60 minutes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An electroacupuncture device (IEAD) for treating obesity or dyslipidemia of a patient, comprising:
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a housing configured to be implanted beneath a skin surface of the patient at or near a target tissue location selected from the group of target tissue locations comprising acupoints ST36, SP4, ST37, ST40, SP6, SP9, K16, LR8 and their underlying nerves, the saphenous nerve and the peroneal nerve; a central electrode of a first polarity and centrally located on a first surface of the housing; an annular electrode of a second polarity and that surrounds the central electrode on the first surface of the housing, the annular electrode being spaced apart from the central electrode; and pulse generation circuitry located within the housing and electrically coupled to the annular and central electrodes, wherein the pulse generation circuitry generates stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than 0.05, and applies the stimulation sessions to the target tissue location by way of the central electrode and the annular electrode in accordance with the duty cycle, wherein each stimulation session included in the plurality of stimulation sessions comprises a series of stimulation pulses, the duty cycle is a ratio of T3 to T4, and each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions has a duration of T3 minutes and occurs at a rate of once every T4 minutes. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A system for treating obesity or dyslipidemia of a patient, the system comprising:
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means for implanting a coin-sized electroacupuncture device (IEAD) in the patient below the patient'"'"'s skin at at least one specified stimulation site; means for enabling the IEAD to generate stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than 0.05, each stimulation session comprising a series of stimulation pulses, wherein the duty cycle is the ratio of T3/T4, where T3 is the time or duration of each stimulation session, and T4 is the time between stimulation sessions; and means for delivering the stimulation pulses of each stimulation session to the at least one specified stimulation site through a plurality of electrodes attached to an outside surface of the EA device. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification