# US 11,027,140 B2 · Self-powered, auto-responsive implanted vagal nerve stimulator for weight control > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,027,140 B2 - Document ID: US11027140B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/009,553 - Filed: 2018-06-15 - Published: 2019-12-19 - Granted: 2021-06-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-06-15 - Assignees: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation - Applicants: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation - Inventors: Xudong Wang; Weibo Cai; Guang Yao; Lei Kang - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11027140B2 ## CPC - A61N 1/3785: {generated by biological activity or substance, e.g. body movement} - A61N 1/36007: {of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control} - A61N 1/36053: {adapted for vagal stimulation (A61N1/36114 takes precedence)} - A61N 1/36085: {Eating disorders or obesity} - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) ## Abstract The invention provides an implantable vagal nerve stimulator having a “passive” generating power source that harvests the stomach's movements to transform kinetic energy to electrical charge without the need for a battery. In this regard, the invention is self-powering and is automatically timed to stomach peristalsis. While sporadic stimulation to the vagal nerve would seem too infrequent to cause weight loss effects, electrical stimulation delivered at the optimal time (e.g., during food consumption) has been found to optimize the effects of vagal nerve stimulation, giving the user's brain a “full stomach” signal before the user over-consumes food. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A nerve stimulation device comprising: a generator providing a pair of triboelectric materials and a first and second attachment point adapted to attach to two different locations on a stomach so that peristalsis of the stomach provides relative movement between the attachment points and corresponding relative movement between the pair of triboelectric materials to convert mechanical energy harvested during a peristalsis of the stomach into electrical energy; and a first and second electrode adapted to electrically communicate the electrical energy from the generator to a vagal nerve wherein the pair of triboelectric materials are connected to the first and second electrode, respectively, and have divergent electron affinities operable to produce an operative amount of electrical energy to stimulate the vagal nerve by movably contacting each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the nerve stimulation device is comprised exclusively of passive electrical components incapable of controlling current by means of another electrical signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the nerve stimulation device operates using power only from the generator. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the nerve stimulation device operates without batteries. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein movement of the pair of triboelectric materials creates a voltage across the pair of triboelectric materials. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the pair of triboelectric materials of the generator is comprised of two metal layer electrodes separated by a dielectric film. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The device of claim 6 wherein the dielectric film is attached to one layer electrode and the other layer electrode may move with respect to the dielectric film. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The device of claim 7 wherein the generator material is comprised of a copper (Cu) film and a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film with a back layer electrode attached to it. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein movement between the pair of triboelectric materials is separation and abutment of plates. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein movement between the pair of triboelectric materials is a sliding motion. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the generator is carried by a housing attachable to a surface of the stomach. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the nerve stimulation device has a switch preventing electrical communication between the vagal nerve and the generator. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The device of claim 12 wherein the electrical switch is a reed switch. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second electrode are biodegradable such that the first and second electrode disintegrate harmlessly within a body over a certain amount of time. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second electrode are insulated copper wires. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1 wherein the first and second attachment points are at opposite ends of the generator. ### Claim 17 A nerve stimulation device comprising: a generator providing a pair of triboelectric materials and a first and second attachment point adapted to attach to two different locations on a stomach so that peristalsis of the stomach provides relative movement between the attachment points and corresponding relative movement between the pair of triboelectric materials to convert mechanical energy harvested during a peristalsis of the stomach into electrical energy; and a first and second electrode electrically communicating the electrical energy from the generator to a vagal nerve; wherein the generator is carried by a housing attachable to a surface of the stomach; wherein the housing is a compressible tube and the pair of triboelectric materials are held within the compressible tube, wherein the pair of triboelectric materials are separated by an inner lumen of the tube extending along a longitudinal axis of the tube in a first state and the pair of triboelectric materials are in contact in a second state. ### Claim 18 A method of vagal nerve stimulation device comprising: providing a nerve stimulation device having a generator providing a pair of triboelectric materials and a first and second attachment point adapted to attach to two different locations on a stomach so that peristalsis of the stomach provides relative movement between the attachment points and corresponding relative movement between the pair of triboelectric materials to convert mechanical energy harvested during a peristalsis of the stomach into electrical energy, and a first and second electrode electrically communicating the electrical energy from the generator to a vagal nerve wherein the pair of triboelectric materials are connected to the first and second electrode, respectively, and have divergent electron affinities operable to produce an operative amount of electrical energy to stimulate the vagal nerve by movably contacting each other; implanting the nerve stimulation device on the stomach; and attaching the first and second electrode to the vagal nerve. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of implanting multiple nerve stimulation devices on a surface of the stomach. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of suturing the generator at opposite ends at the first and second attachment points to the two different locations on the stomach.