| 摘要 |
Apparatus and methods are provided, including a bladder stimulator that includes an elongate element adapted to pass through a urethra or adapted to pass through another opening in the bladder, an expandable body coupled to said elongate element, and an array of one or more stimulator contacts coupled to the expandable body, the array including at least one contact adapted to contact a portion of a bladder of a subject when the expandable body is inserted in the bladder and expanded. A controller stimulates the portion of the bladder by driving a pulse into the bladder via the contact, the pulse having a frequency of 5 Hz-1 kHz. Other applications are also described. |
| 主权项 |
1. Apparatus for use with a subject who has a bladder, the apparatus comprising:
a bladder stimulator that comprises:
an elongate element adapted to pass through an opening selected from the group consisting of: a urethra of the subject, and an opening in the subject's bladder other than the subject's urethra;an expandable body coupled to the elongate element;an array of one or more stimulator contacts coupled to the expandable body, the one or more stimulator contacts adapted to contact a portion of a body of the subject when the expandable body is inserted in the bladder and expanded, the portion of the subject's body being selected from the group consisting of: a distal area of a ureter of the subject, and a portion of the subject's bladder; anda controller configured to stimulate the selected portion of the subject's body, by driving an electrical pulse into the selected portion via the one or more stimulator contacts, the electrical pulse having a frequency of 5 Hz-1 kHz,
the controller, by driving the electrical pulse into the selected portion of the subject's body, being configured to cause a therapeutic change in a value of at least one parameter, relative to a value of the parameter in an absence of the electrical pulse being driven into the selected portion of the subject's body, the parameter being selected from the group consisting of: glomerular filtration rate, renal sympathetic activity, renal blood flow, diuresis, and natriuresis. |
