Control system for an implantable stimulating device for stimulating a vagus nerve

A kit of parts for the control of a delivery of an electric or electromagnetic pulse to a vagus nerve by an implanted stimulating device, said kit of parts comprising:

• (a) An implantable stimulating device (10) comprising;
• a vagus nerve coupling unit (60) comprising electrodes (61) and/or an optrode (62) mounted on an insulating support (64) forming a cuff suitable for being coupled directly to a vagus nerve (Vn) of a patient to be treated,
• an encapsulation unit (50) suitable for being subcutaneously implanted at a location separated from the vagus nerve coupling unit (60), and comprising a housing (50h) enclosing,
• an energy pulse generator (51s), for delivering energy pulses including electrical or optical energy,
• a source of power (52) for activating the energy pulse generator (51s),
• an implanted controller (54) configured for instructing the energy pulse generator to deliver energy pulses to the vagus nerve coupling unit, and
• an implanted receiver (53r) for receiving signals from an external emitter (153e),
• an implanted energy transfer unit (41) comprising one or more electrical conductors (41e) and/or optical fibres (41f) for transferring electrical and/or optical energy between the energy pulse generator (51s) of the encapsulation unit and the vagus nerve coupling unit (60),
• (b) An external controller device (100) comprising;
• a laryngeal electrode unit (160) comprising laryngeal electrodes (161) suitable for being coupled to a skin of a neck of a patient at the level of a laryngeal region (Lx) and suitable for measuring a laryngeal electrical activity at the laryngeal region,
• an external energy transfer unit (141) comprising one or more electrical conductors or optical fibres for transferring an electrical or optical signal from the laryngeal electrode unit to an external control unit (150) or to an intermediate controller (150a) in communication with the external control unit (150), said electrical or optical signal being representative of a laryngeal electrical activity measured at the laryngeal region, wherein
• the external control unit (150) comprises,
• a setting unit (151) for entering control pulse parameters of a control energy pulse
• an external emitter (153e) configured for sending a signal to the implanted receiver (53r) instructing the implanted controller (54) to instruct the energy pulse generator (51s) to deliver to the vagus nerve coupling unit (60) one or more control energy pulses defined by the control pulse parameters entered in the setting unit, and
• a converter converting electrical or optical signals transferred by the external energy transfer unit into a visual (155) or acoustic (157) display indicative of the intensity of the laryngeal electrical activity measured at the laryngeal region.