Devices, Systems and Methods for Treating Urological and Gastrointestinal Disorders by Electrical Stimulation of the Foot
AssigneeUniversity of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
InventorChangfeng Tai
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Provided herein are devices, systems, and methods for treating urological and gastrointestinal disorders, including bedwetting, through stimulation of the dorsal or plantar surface of the foot, including the superficial peroneal nerve and branches thereof, such as the dorsal intermediate and medial cutaneous nerves, or the medial and/or and lateral plantar nerves. The device facilitates placement of electrodes on the foot. Also provided herein is a system including the device, a pulse generator, and a controller, and methods of manufacturing and using the same.
Claims16
A method of treating a urological or gastrointestinal disorder in a patient, comprising:
- stimulating, through an electrode-containing device configured to be applied to a plantar surface of the patient's foot and configured to cover at least a portion of the patient's forefoot overlaying a plurality of branches of the medial and lateral plantar nerves and a portion of the patient's hindfoot overlaying the medial and lateral plantar nerves, the patient's foot with electrical pulses having a pulsewidth of 0.01-3 ms, at between 1-100 V and 1-100 mA, at a frequency of 1-50 Hz, thereby stimulating either the lateral and/or medial plantar nerves or the dorsal intermediate and medial cutaneous nerves, deep peroneal nerve, sural nerve, and/or saphenous nerves of the patient;
- and
- administering to the patient one or more of:
- an anti-muscarinic compound;
- a serotonin reuptake inhibitor;
- a serotonin receptor antagonist;
- and
- an opioid drug.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.