Acute and chronic electrical signal therapy for obesity

Apparatus for treating a condition, comprising:

• a set of one or more electrodes, adapted to be applied to one or more respective sites in a vicinity of a pyloric sphincter of a stomach of a patient;
• and
• a control unit, adapted to drive the electrode set to apply an Excitable-Tissue Control (ETC) signal to the sites, configured such that application thereof increases a contraction force of the sphincter and extends a period of time in which partially-digested food remains in the stomach.

Apparatus for treating a condition, comprising:

• a set of one or more electrodes, adapted to be applied to one or more respective sites in a vicinity of a body of a stomach of a patient;
• and
• a control unit, adapted to drive the electrode set to apply to the body of the stomach a signal configured such that application thereof increases a level of contraction of muscle tissue of the body of the stomach, and decreases a cross-sectional area of a portion of the body of the stomach for a substantially continuous period greater than about 3 seconds.

Apparatus for treating a condition, comprising:

• a set of one or more electrodes, adapted to be applied to one or more respective sites in a vicinity of a first portion of a stomach of a patient;
• and
• a control unit, adapted to drive the electrode set to apply to the portion of the stomach a signal configured such that application thereof increases a level of contraction of muscle tissue of the portion, and configured such that ingestion of food by the patient in conjunction with application of the signal induces stretching of a stretch-receptor in a second portion of the stomach.

Apparatus for treating a condition, comprising:

• a set of one or more electrodes, adapted to be applied to one or more respective sites on an arterial supply of small intestine of a patient;
• and
• a control unit, adapted to drive the electrode set to apply a signal to the sites, configured such that application thereof induces constriction of one or more arteries in the arterial supply and decreases a quantity of digestion products which are absorbed into blood of the patient from the small intestine.

Apparatus for treating a condition, comprising:

• a set of one or more electrodes, adapted to be applied to one or more respective sites of a stomach of a patient;
• and
• a control unit, adapted to drive the electrode set to apply to the stomach, over a sufficient time period, a sequence of pulses configured so as to engender a long-term structural change of the stomach.

A method for treating a condition, comprising:

• applying an Excitable-Tissue Control (ETC) signal to one or more sites in a vicinity of a stomach of a patient;
• and
• configuring the ETC signal such that application thereof to the one or more sites decreases a cross-sectional area of at least a portion of the stomach.

A method for treating a condition, comprising:

• applying an Excitable-Tissue Control (ETC) signal to one or more sites in a vicinity of a pyloric sphincter of a stomach of a patient;
• and
• configuring the ETC signal such that application thereof to the one or more sites increases a contraction force of the sphincter and extends a period of time in which partially-digested food remains in the stomach.

A method for treating a condition, comprising:

• applying a signal to one or more sites in a vicinity of a body of a stomach of a patient;
• and
• configuring the signal such that application thereof to the one or more sites increases a level of contraction of muscle tissue of a portion of the body of the stomach, and decreases a cross-sectional area of the portion for a substantially continuous period greater than about 3 seconds.

A method for treating a condition, comprising:

• applying a signal to one or more sites in a vicinity of a first portion of a stomach of a patient;
• and
• configuring the signal such that the application thereof increases a level of contraction of muscle tissue of the portion and stretches a stretch-receptor in a second portion of the stomach.

A method for treating a condition, comprising:

• applying a signal to one or more sites on an arterial supply of small intestine of a patient;
• and
• configuring the signal such that application thereof to the sites induces constriction of one or more arteries in the arterial supply and decreases a quantity of digestion products which are absorbed into blood of the patient from the small intestine.

A method for treating a condition, comprising:

• applying a sequence of pulses over a time period to one or more sites of a stomach of a patient;
• and
• configuring the sequence of pulses such that application thereof to the one or more sites engenders a long-term structural change of the stomach.