Implantable Electroacupuncture System for Treating Cardiovascular Disease

摘要

An Implantable ElectroAcupuncture Device (IEAD) treats cardiovascular disease through application of stimulation pulses applied at at least one of acupoints EX-HN1, BL14, HT7, HT5, PC6, ST36, LI11, LU7, and LU2. The IEAD comprises an implantable, coin-sized, self-contained, leadless electroacupuncture device having at least two electrodes attached to an outside surface of its housing. The device generates stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Power management circuitry within the device allows a primary battery, having a high internal impedance, to be used to power the device. The stimulation regimen generates stimulation pulses during a stimulation session of duration T3 minutes applied every T4 minutes. The duty cycle, or ratio T3/T4 is very low, no greater than 0.05. The low duty cycle and careful power management allow the IEAD to perform its intended function for several years.

主权项

1. An Implantable ElectroAcupuncture System (IEAS) for treating cardiovascular disease through application of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation pulses applied at a specified tissue location of a patient, comprising:
an implantable electroacupuncture (EA) device comprising
a small, hermetically-sealed housing containing a primary power source, pulse generation circuitry powered by the primary power source, and a sensor that wirelessly senses operating commands generated external to the housing, wherein the pulse generation circuitry generates stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen as controlled at least in part by the operating commands sensed through the sensor; a plurality of electrode arrays, where an electrode array comprises an array of n conductive contacts electrically joined together to function jointly as one electrode, where n is an integer, on the outside of the EA device housing electrically coupled to the pulse generation circuitry on the inside of the EA device housing through at least one feed-through terminal passing through a wall of the hermetically-sealed housing, whereby the stimulation pulses generated by the pulse generation circuitry are directed to the electrode arrays on the outside of the EA device housing, where the electrical pulses are applied at the specified tissue location through the plurality of electrode arrays in accordance with the specified stimulation regimen; wherein the specified stimulation regimen defines how often a stimulation session comprising a stream of stimulation pulses is applied to the patient, the stimulation regimen requiring that the stimulation session have a duration of T3 minutes and a rate of occurrence of once every T4 minutes, wherein the ratio of T3/T4 is no greater than 0.05.