Nerve stimulation and conduction block therapy
AssigneeBeta Medical, Inc.
InventorsMark B. Knudson, Richard R. Wilson, Katherine S. Tweden, Timothy R. Conrad
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Abstract
A treatment apparatus and method have a stimulation electrode adapted for placement on a nerve of a patient at a stimulation site and a stimulation signal generator for generating a stimulation signal at the stimulation electrode and selected to electrically stimulate a nerve to induce bi-directional propagation of nervous impulses in a stimulated nerve. The apparatus includes a blocking member for placement on the nerve at a blocking site and creating localized conditions at the blocking site that at least partially diminish transmission of nerve impulses past the blocking site.
Claims19
An apparatus for treating at least one of a plurality of disorders of a patient attributable at least in part to neural activity, said apparatus comprising:
- a stimulation electrode adapted for placement on a nerve of a patient at a stimulation site;
- a stimulation signal generator for generating a stimulation signal at said stimulation electrode and selected to electrically stimulate a nerve to induce bi-directional propagation of nervous impulses in a stimulated nerve;
- a blocking member for placement on said nerve at a blocking site and creating localized conditions at said blocking site that at least partially diminish transmission of nerve impulses past said blocking site.
A method for treating at least one of a plurality of disorders of a patient, said method comprising:
- electrically stimulating a vagus nerve of said patient at a stimulation site with a stimulation signal selected to have a therapeutic effect on a target organ;
- applying an electrical blocking signal to said vagus nerve at a blocking site on a side of said stimulation site opposite said target organ;
- said blocking signal selected to at least partially block nerve impulses to a second organ on a side of said blocking site opposite said stimulation site.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.