Vagal nerve stimulation to avert or treat stroke or transient ischemic attack
First Claim
1. A method of at least one of treating or preventing at least one of a stroke or a transient ischemic attack in a patient, the method comprising:
- contacting a contact surface of a housing against an outer skin surface of a neck of the patient, wherein the housing includes a power source coupled to the contact surface;
generating, with the power source, at least one or more electrical impulse; and
transmitting the at least one electrical impulse transcutaneously and non-invasively from the contact surface through the outer skin surface of the neck to a selected nerve fiber in the patient during the contacting, wherein the at least one electrical impulse comprises bursts of pulses with each burst having a frequency of about 1 to about 100 bursts per second and each pulse having a duration of about 100 to about 1000 microseconds in duration, and wherein the at least one electrical impulse is sufficient to modify the nerve fiber, such that at least one of the stroke or the transient ischemic attack in the patient is at least one of treated or prevented.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Devices, systems and methods are disclosed for treating or preventing a stroke and/or a transient ischemic attack in a patient. The methods comprise transmitting impulses of energy non-invasively to selected nerve fibers, particularly those in a vagus nerve. Vagus nerve stimulation is used to modulate the release of GABA, norepinephrine, and/or serotonin, thereby providing neuroprotection to the patient; to modulate the activity of resting state neuronal networks, particularly the sensory-motor network or resting state networks containing the insula; and to avert a stroke or transient ischemic attack that has been forecasted.
87 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of at least one of treating or preventing at least one of a stroke or a transient ischemic attack in a patient, the method comprising:
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contacting a contact surface of a housing against an outer skin surface of a neck of the patient, wherein the housing includes a power source coupled to the contact surface; generating, with the power source, at least one or more electrical impulse; and transmitting the at least one electrical impulse transcutaneously and non-invasively from the contact surface through the outer skin surface of the neck to a selected nerve fiber in the patient during the contacting, wherein the at least one electrical impulse comprises bursts of pulses with each burst having a frequency of about 1 to about 100 bursts per second and each pulse having a duration of about 100 to about 1000 microseconds in duration, and wherein the at least one electrical impulse is sufficient to modify the nerve fiber, such that at least one of the stroke or the transient ischemic attack in the patient is at least one of treated or prevented. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of at least one of treating or preventing at least one of a stroke or a transient ischemic attack in a patient, the method comprising:
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contacting a contact surface of a housing against an outer skin surface of a neck of the patient, wherein the housing comprises a generator coupled to the contact surface and an energy source coupled to the generator; generating an electrical impulse via the generator; and transmitting the electrical impulse transcutaneously and non-invasively from the contact surface through the outer skin surface of the neck of the patient to a nerve fiber in the patient during the contacting, wherein the electrical impulse comprises bursts of about 2 to 20 pulses with each of the bursts having a frequency from about 1 burst per second to about 100 bursts per second and with each of the pulses having a duration from about 100 microseconds to about 1000 microseconds, and wherein the electrical impulse is sufficient to modify the nerve fiber such that at least one of the stroke or the transient ischemic attack is at least one of treated or prevented.
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Specification