METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR TREATING OBESITY BY ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF THE GASTROINTESTINAL TRACT USING SENSED ACTIVITY

摘要

A sensor based gastric stimulator system and method for gastric stimulation of a patient employing an implantable gastric stimulator ("SINGLE CHAMBER/SWITCHABLE ELECTRODE IGS"), which includes an information processor ("MICROPROCESSOR"), an electrical stimulator circuit ("STIMULATION CIRCUIT"), and telemetry circuitry ("TELEMETRY TRANSCEIVER"). The implantable stimulator senses gastric electrical activity (slow waves and/or peristaltic waves) and delivers electrical stimulation to intentionally disrupt or disorganize a programmed percentage of the normal gastric activity. The stimulation is triggered by (tracks) normal gastric electrical activity and can be delivered with a spatial offset to anticipate the propagating gastric electrical activity or may be delayed temporally to anticipate the next propagating slow or peristaltic wave. The programmer (not shown - via radio frequency data link) may non-invasively program stimulation parameters and intervals. The stimulator may provide stimulation to one or a plurality of stimulation sites and may incorporate one or a plurality of independently programmable sensing and/or stimulation channels (see "ELECTRODE SWITCHING CIRCUIT" and "OUTPUT/INPUT ELECTRODES"). The information processor of the implantable gastric stimulator uses the gastric stimulation information from the non-electrode sensor for determining periods or windows of susceptibility for application of the electrical stimulation signals to the patient's stomach wall.