Glucose regulation via electrical stimulation of nerves innervating the liver
First Claim
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1. A method for causing a perturbation of blood glucose level in a subject, comprising:
- selectively inhibiting neural activity of at least one of a hepatic branch of the subject'"'"'s vagus nerve or the subject'"'"'s greater splanchnic nerve using electrical stimulation having a frequency about 50 kHz or greater, wherein the selective inhibition of neural activity causes the subject'"'"'s blood glucose level to increase or decrease as compared to a baseline level.
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Abstract
An example method for causing a perturbation of blood glucose level in a subject is described herein. The method can include selectively inhibiting neural activity of at least one of a hepatic branch of the subject'"'"'s vagus nerve or the subject'"'"'s greater splanchnic nerve using electrical stimulation having a frequency greater than about 5 kHz. The selective inhibition of neural activity causes the subject'"'"'s blood glucose level to increase or decrease as compared to a baseline level.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for causing a perturbation of blood glucose level in a subject, comprising:
selectively inhibiting neural activity of at least one of a hepatic branch of the subject'"'"'s vagus nerve or the subject'"'"'s greater splanchnic nerve using electrical stimulation having a frequency about 50 kHz or greater, wherein the selective inhibition of neural activity causes the subject'"'"'s blood glucose level to increase or decrease as compared to a baseline level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. A device for causing a perturbation of blood glucose level in a subject, comprising:
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a first electrode configured to attach to a portion of a hepatic branch of the subject'"'"'s vagus nerve; a second electrode configured to attach to a portion of the subject'"'"'s greater splanchnic nerve; a stimulus generator operably coupled with the first electrode and the second electrode, the stimulus generator being configured to provide stimulus signals to at least one of the first electrode and the second electrode; and a control unit operably coupled with the stimulus generator, the control unit comprising a processor and memory operably coupled to the processor, wherein the control unit is configured to control the stimulus generator to; provide a first stimulus signal configured to selectively excite neural activity of at least one of the hepatic branch of the subject'"'"'s vagus nerve or the subject'"'"'s greater splanchnic nerve; and provide a second stimulus signal having a frequency about 50 kHz or greater and configured to selectively inhibit neural activity of at least one of the hepatic branch of the subject'"'"'s vagus nerve or the subject'"'"'s greater splanchnic nerve, wherein the selective excitation and inhibition of neural activity causes the subject'"'"'s blood glucose level to increase or decrease as compared to a baseline level.
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Specification