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US 5,299,569 AGranted
Treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders by nerve stimulation
AssigneeCyberonics, Inc.
InventorsJoachim F. Wernicke, Reese S. Terry, Jr., Jacob Zabara
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AssigneeCyberonics, Inc.
InventorsJoachim F. Wernicke, Reese S. Terry, Jr., Jacob Zabara
Estimating the term…
Method and apparatus for treating and controlling neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia, depression, and borderline personality disorder by selectively applying a predetermined electrical signal to the patient's vagus nerve for stimulation thereof to alleviate the symptoms of the disorder being treated. The electrical signal may be applied continuously, periodically, or intermittently to the vagus nerve depending, in part, on the nature of the disorder being treated. In certain instances, the electrical signal is applied upon detection of an event indicative of onset of the disorder. In other instances, the electrical signal is selectively applied at will to the vagus nerve, such as by patient activation of the signal generator. Parameter values of the electrical signal including pulse width, output current, frequency, on time and off time, are selectively programmable.
A method of treating patients with neuopsychiatric disorders, which includes
A new use for a neurostimulator device adapted to be implanted in a human patient, in which the device comprises an electrical signal generator which is programmable to generate an electrical output signal having selected signal parameters, and an electrical lead adapted to be connected at a proximal end thereof to the signal generator, the lead including an electrode electrically connected to a distal end of the lead and having a configuration for encompassing a portion of the length of a nerve so that the electrode is adapted to be implanted on the patient's vagus nerve to modulate the electrical activity of the nerve in response to application of the programmed electrical output signal from the signal generator to the lead, the new use of the neurostimulator device comprising the steps of:
A method for use in advancing the treatment and control of neuropsychiatric disorders, including the steps of
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.