Implantable Electroacupuncture System and Method for Treating Depression and Similar Mental Conditions

• US 20160051442A1
• Filed: 10/30/2015
• Published: 02/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Valencia Bioscience, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Valencia Technologies Corporation
• Inventors: Greiner, Jeffrey H., Peterson, David K. L., Thenuwara, Chuladatta, Greiner, Stacy O.
• Granted Patent: US 10,307,331 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5005 for controlling frequency distribution, modulation or interference of a driving signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5038 freely programmable by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/002 Using electric currents electrotherapy A61N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36096 Mood disorders, e.g. depression, anxiety or panic disorder
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36125 Details of circuitry or electric components
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36153 Voltage A61N1/3616 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36157 Current A61N1/3616 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36175 Pulse width or duty cycle
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37205 Microstimulators, e.g. implantable through a cannula
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37223 Circuits for electromagnetic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3756 Casings with electrodes thereon, e.g. leadless stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3758 Packaging of the components within the casing
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3782 producing a voltage above the power source level
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing

Abstract

A method of treating a mental disorder of a patient includes 1) generating, by an electroacupuncture device implanted beneath a skin surface of the patient at or near an acupoint corresponding to at least one of a trigeminal nerve and an occipital nerve of the patient, stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than 0.05, and 2) applying, by the electroacupuncture device, the stimulation sessions to at least one of the trigeminal nerve and the occipital nerve by way a central electrode and an annular electrode located on the electroacupuncture device in accordance with the duty cycle.

Claims

1. A method of treating a mental disorder of a patient, comprising:

generating, by an electroacupuncture device implanted beneath a skin surface of the patient at or near an acupoint corresponding to at least one of a trigeminal nerve and an occipital nerve of the patient, stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than 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

the electroacupuncture device comprises a central electrode of a first polarity centrally located on a first surface of a housing of the electroacupuncture device and an annular electrode of a second polarity and that is spaced apart from the central electrode; and

applying, by the electroacupuncture device, the stimulation sessions to at least one of the trigeminal nerve and the occipital nerve by way of the central electrode and the annular electrode in accordance with the duty cycle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the acupoint comprises at least one of acupoints GV20 and EXHN3.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein T3 is at least 10 minutes and less than 40 minutes, and wherein T4 is at least 1440 minutes.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the electroacupuncture device from a device external to the electroacupuncture device, a control command that sets the times T3 and T4 to appropriate values configured to treat the mental disorder;

wherein the generating of the stimulation sessions is performed in accordance with the control command.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the receiving of the control command comprises detecting, with an electromagnetic field sensor included in the electroacupuncture device, a magnetic field generated by the device external to the electroacupuncture device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the housing is coin-sized and coin-shaped.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the annular electrode is located on the first surface of the housing.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the annular electrode comprises a ring electrode located around a perimeter edge of the housing.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the applying of the stimulation sessions to at least one of the trigeminal nerve and the occipital nerve further comprises applying the stimulation sessions by way an electrode included on a lead connected to the electroacupuncture device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising powering electronic circuits within the electroacupuncture device with a battery having an internal impedance of at least 5 ohms.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mental disorder comprises at least one of a major depression disorder (MDD), a generalized anxiety disorder (anxiety), bipolar disorder, a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, and an obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

12. An electroacupuncture device for treating a mental disorder of a patient, comprising:

a housing configured to be implanted beneath a skin surface of the patient at an acupoint corresponding to at least one of a trigeminal nerve and an occipital nerve of the patient;

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 at least one of the saphenous nerve and the peroneal nerve by way of the central electrode and the annular electrode in accordance with the duty cycle,

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, 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.

13. The electroacupuncture device of claim 12, wherein the acupoint comprises at least one of acupoints GV20 and EXHN3.

14. The electroacupuncture device of claim 12, wherein T3 is at least 10 minutes and less than 60 minutes, and wherein T4 is at least 1440 minutes.

15. The electroacupuncture device of claim 12, further comprising:

an electromagnetic field sensor that receives, from a device external to the electroacupuncture device, a control command that sets the times T3 and T4 to appropriate values configured to treat the mental disorder;

wherein the pulse generation circuitry generates the stimulation sessions in accordance with the control command.

16. The electroacupuncture device of claim 12, wherein the housing is coin-sized and coin-shaped.

17. The electroacupuncture device of claim 12, wherein the annular electrode is located on the first surface of the housing.

18. The electroacupuncture device of claim 12, wherein the annular electrode comprises a ring electrode located around a perimeter edge of the housing.

19. The electroacupuncture device of claim 12, wherein the mental disorder comprises at least one of a major depression disorder (MDD), a generalized anxiety disorder (anxiety), bipolar disorder, a post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), schizophrenia, and an obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

20. A system for treating a mental disorder of a patient, comprising:

means for generating, within an electroacupuncture device implanted beneath a skin surface of the patient at a location near at least one of a trigeminal nerve and an occipital nerve of the patient, stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than 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

the electroacupuncture device comprises a central electrode of a first polarity centrally located on a first surface of a housing of the electroacupuncture device and an annular electrode of a second polarity and that is spaced apart from the central electrode; and

means for applying the stimulation sessions to at least one of the trigeminal nerve and the occipital nerve by way of the central electrode and the annular electrode in accordance with the duty cycle.