Electrical stimulation of the sympathetic nerve chain
AssigneeThe Cleveland Clinic Foundation
InventorAli Rezai
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present invention provides a method of affecting physiological disorders by stimulating a specific location along the sympathetic nerve chain. Preferably, the present invention provides a method of affecting a variety of physiological disorders or pathological conditions by placing an electrode adjacent to or in communication with at least one ganglion along the sympathetic nerve chain and stimulating the at least one ganglion until the physiological disorder or pathological condition has been affected.
Claims13
A method of treating heart disease in a patient comprising:
- placing an electrode on at least one T-2 to T-4 ganglion along the sympathetic nerve chain of the patient;
- applying an electric signal to the electrode on the at least one ganglion;
- and
- adjusting at least one parameter of the electric signal based on at least one sensed parameter associated with the heart disease of the patient until the heart disease has been treated, wherein the heart disease is selected from the group consisting of heart failure, angina and hypertension, wherein adjusting at least one parameter of the electric signal until the heart disease has been affected comprises adjusting at least one parameter of the electric signal to mimic the effect of beta blockers.
A method of treating heart disease in a patient comprising:
- placing an electrode on at least one T-2 to T-4 ganglion along the sympathetic nerve chain of the patient;
- applying an electric signal to the electrode on the at least one ganglion;
- and
- adjusting at least one parameter of the electric signal based on at least one sensed parameter associated with the heart disease of the patient until the heart disease has been treated, wherein the heart disease is selected from the group consisting of heart failure, angina and hypertension, wherein adjusting at least one parameter of the electric signal until the heart disease has been affected comprises adjusting at least one parameter of the electric signal to release tissue plasminogen activator.
A method of treating heart disease in a patient comprising:
- placing an electrode on at least one T-2 to T-4 ganglion along the sympathetic nerve chain of the patient;
- applying an electric signal to the electrode on the at least one ganglion;
- and
- adjusting at least one parameter of the electric signal based on at least one sensed parameter associated with the heart disease of the patient until the heart disease has been treated, wherein the heart disease is selected from the group consisting of heart failure, angina and hypertension, wherein adjusting at least one parameter of the electric signal until the heart disease has been affected comprises adjusting at least one parameter of the electric signal to modulate angiotensin.
A method of establishing or complementing a pattern in a patient's neuro-endocrinological system in order to treat heart disease comprising:
- placing an electrode in communication with at least one ganglion along the sympathetic nerve chain of the patient, said at least one ganglion being associated with the patient's endocrinological system;
- and
- applying an electric signal to the electrode to stimulate the at least one ganglion to thereby establish or complement a pattern in the patient's endocrinological system,
- wherein the step of applying the electric signal results in an up-regulation of a receptor of an endogenous chemical associated with the patient's endocrinological system.
A method for complementing or establishing a pattern in a neuro-endocrinological system in a patient in need thereof comprising:
- placing one or more electrodes in communication with at least one ganglion along the sympathetic nerve chain of the patient;
- supplying an electric signal to the one or more electrodes to stimulate at least one ganglion to complement or establish a pattern in the patient's neuro-endocrinological system;
- monitoring levels of endogenous chemicals in the patient;
- and
- adjusting, based on the monitoring, the application of the electric signal to the one or more electrodes to modulate levels of the endogenous chemicals in the patient.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.