NERVE STIMULATION METHODS FOR AVERTING IMMINENT ONSET OR EPISODE OF A DISEASE

• US 20120184801A1
• Filed: 01/24/2012
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electrocore, Llc
• Original Assignee: Electrocore, Llc
• Inventors: Simon, Bruce J., Errico, Joseph P., Raffle, John T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,286,212 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36025 for treating a mental or cerebral condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36034 specified by the stimulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36064 Epilepsy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/006 for magnetic stimulation of nerve tissue

Abstract

Transcutaneous electrical and magnetic nerve stimulation devices are disclosed, along with methods of averting imminent medical attacks using energy that is delivered noninvasively by the devices. In particular, the devices and methods involve handheld devices designed to stimulate the vagus nerve of a patient with a signal sufficient to minimize or avert epileptic seizures.

Claims

1. A method of treating a patient with epilepsy, comprising:

positioning a device adjacent to an outer skin surface of the patient;

generating one or more electrical impulses with the device; and

transmitting the electrical impulses to selected nerve fibers at a target region in the patient, the electrical impulses being sufficient to minimize or avert a seizure in the patient.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical impulses are transmitted transcutaneously through the outer skin surface of the patient to generate an electrical impulse at or near the selected nerve fibers.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the transmitting step is carried out by transcutaneously passing an electrical current through the outer skin surface of the patient to the selected nerve fibers within the patient.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating an electrical field at or near the device and shaping the electrical field such that the electrical field is sufficient to modulate the selected nerve fibers at the target region;

and wherein the electric field is not sufficient to substantially modulate a nerve or muscle between the outer skin surface and the target region.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the transmitting step is carried out by generating a magnetic field exterior to the patient sufficient to induce an electrical impulse at or near the selected nerve within the patient.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the selected nerve fibers are associated with a vagus nerve of the patient.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical impulses comprise bursts of pulses with a frequency of between about 5 to 100 bursts per second (Hz).

8. The method of claim 7 wherein each bursts contains between 1 and 20 pulses.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the pulses are full sinusoidal waves.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein each pulse is about 50-1000 microseconds in duration.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting step has a duration of less than 5 minutes.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the transmitting step has a duration of less than 2 minutes.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the positioning step is carried out by contacting a surface of the device to a right side of the patient'"'"'s neck.

14. A device for treating a patient with epilepsy comprising:

a housing having an electrically permeable contact surface for contacting an outer skin surface of a patient;

an energy source within the housing configured to generate an electric field sufficient to transmit an electric impulse through the outer skin surface of the patient to a nerve at a target region within the patient; and

wherein the electric impulse is sufficient to avert or at least partially ameliorate a seizure in the patient.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the energy source comprises a signal generator and one or more electrodes coupled to the signal generator within the housing.

16. The device of claim 15 further comprising a conducting medium within the housing between the electrodes and the electrically permeable contact surface.

17. The device of claim 14 wherein the energy source comprises a battery.

18. The device of claim 15 wherein the signal generator is configured to generate an electric field comprising bursts of pulses with a frequency of about 5 to about 100 bursts per second.

19. The device of claim 18 wherein the electric field comprises bursts of between 1 and 20 pulses with each pulse about 50-1000 microseconds in duration.

20. The device of claim 14 wherein the energy source comprises one or more toroids within the housing configured to generate a magnetic field sufficient to induce the electric field.

21. The device of claim 20 further comprising a conduction medium within the housing between the toroids and the electrically permeable contact surface.

22. The device of claim 14 wherein the electric impulse is sufficient to stimulate a vagus nerve of the patient.

23. The device of claim 14 wherein the housing is a handheld device configured for contacting a surface of a neck of a patient.

24. The device of claim 14 wherein electrically permeable contact surface comprises a pair of stainless steel discs situated on a side of the housing.