Electrical treatment of bronchial constriction

• US 8,812,112 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2009
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: electroCore, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Electrocore, Llc
• Inventors: Errico, Joseph P., Pastena, James R., Mendez, Steven, Hu, Hecheng, Ross, Arthur, Simon, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Carl H
• Assistant Examiner(s): ANTHONY, JESSICA LYNN
• Application Number:
  US12/408,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20090187231A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,978 Days
• Field of Search: 607/42, 607/61, 607/72
• US Class Current: 607/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0517 Esophageal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0519 Endotracheal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0526 Head electrodes A61N1/0551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 of respiratory organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36017 with leads or electrodes penetrating the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36053 adapted for vagal stimulation A61N1/36114 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3611 Respiration control stimulating respiratory organs A61N1/3601
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36146 specified by the stimulation parameters

Abstract

Devices, systems and methods for treating bronchial constriction related to asthma, anaphylaxis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease wherein the treatment includes stimulating selected nerve fibers responsible for smooth muscle dilation at a selected region within a patient'"'"'s neck, thereby reducing the magnitude of constriction of bronchial smooth muscle.

Claims

1. A method of treating bronchial constriction in a patient comprising:

advancing an introducer through a percutaneous penetration in a neck of a patient to a target site at or near a vagus nerve of a patient;

introducing one or more electrodes through the introducer to the target site;

positioning the one or more electrodes adjacent the vagus nerve exterior to a carotid sheath;

generating an electrical impulse from a location exterior to the patient; and

transmitting the electrical impulse through the neck of the patient to the one or more electrodes such that the electrical impulse is applied to the vagus nerve, wherein the electrical impulse has a frequency of 15 to 50 Hz and is sufficient to stimulate afferent parasympathetic nerve fibers responsible for smooth muscle dilation to increase activity of said nerve fibers.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical impulse is insufficient to simulate a second set of nerve fibers responsible for increasing a magnitude of constriction of smooth muscle.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the second set of nerve fibers are efferent fibers of the vagus nerve.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical impulse is of an amplitude of 1 to 12 volts.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical impulse has a pulsed on-time of 50 to 500 microseconds.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical impulse has a pulsed on-time of 200-400 microseconds and an amplitude of 6-12 volts.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the bronchial constriction is associated with an acute symptom of asthma.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the bronchial constriction is associated with an acute symptom of anaphylaxis.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the bronchial constriction is associated with an acute symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical impulse is sufficient to reduce a magnitude of bronchial constriction in the patient in less than 2 hours.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical impulse is sufficient to reduce a magnitude of bronchial constriction in the patient in less than 1 hour.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical impulse is sufficient to reduce a magnitude of bronchial constriction in the patient in less than 15 minutes.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical impulse is sufficient to increase an FEV1 of the patient by a clinically significant amount in a period of time less than about 6 hours.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the electrical impulse is sufficient to increase an FEV1 of the patient by at least 12% in a period of time less than about 3 hours.