Systems and methods are provided for modulating one or more nerves within patients. A method comprises generating a signal comprising an electrical impulse and contacting an interface with an outer skin surface of a patient. The electrical impulse is delivered from one or more electrode(s) through the interface and the outer skin surface of the patient to a vagus nerve, thereby modulating the vagus nerve sufficiently to treat a medical condition. The one or more electrode(s) are spaced from the interface by a distance of about 0.25 to about 4 times an outer dimension of the interface.

A kit of parts and method for the control of a delivery of an electric or electromagnetic pulse to a vagus nerve by an implanted stimulating device is provided. The kit of parts includes an implantable stimulating device (10) that includes a cuff electrode/optrode for being coupled to a vagus nerve (Vn) of a patient to be treated, and an encapsulation unit (50) suitable for being subcutaneously implanted at a location separated from the vagus nerve coupling unit (60), and enclosing an energy pulse generator (51s), for delivering electrical or optical energy pulses, and coupled to the cuff electrode/optrode by one or more electrical conductors (41e) and/or optical fibres (41f), an external controller device (100) of the kit includes laryngeal electrodes (161) suitable for being coupled to a laryngeal region (Lx) of a patient for measuring a laryngeal electrical activity at the laryngeal region, the laryngeal electrodes being coupled to an external control unit (150). The unit includes a setting unit (151) for entering control pulse parameters of a control energy pulse an external emitter (153e) configured for sending a signal to the implanted controller (54) to deliver to the cuff electrode/optrode one or more control energy pulses defined by the control pulse parameters entered in the setting unit, and a visual (155) or acoustic (157) display indicative of the intensity of the laryngeal electrical activity.

The present disclosure relates to a peripheral nerve electrode array that includes a first, second and third pair of electrodes spaced from each other along a longitudinal axis of the electrode array, the second pair of electrodes being located between the first and third pairs of electrodes. The present disclosure further relates to method for treating or preventing a chronic inflammatory condition in a human subject in need thereof, comprising providing to the human subject a therapeutically effective electrical stimulation of the anterior central abdominal vagus nerve or the posterior central abdominal vagus nerve, wherein the electrical stimulation is provided through two or more previously implanted electrodes at a site below the cardiac branches and above the hepatic-celiac branches of the nerve; and whereby the chronic inflammatory condition is prevented or treated in the human subject. In addition, the present disclosure relates to a method for treating or preventing a chronic inflammatory condition in a human subject in need thereof.

An implantable neurostimulation system comprises at least one neural interface device for stimulating and/or inhibiting neural activity in a nerve such as the cervical vagus nerve. The device comprises first and second electrodes and at least one signal generator configured to generate first and second electrical signals that stimulate and/or inhibit neural activity in the nerve via the first and second electrodes. The first electrical signal is configured to stimulate neural activity in the nerve to cause at least one pre-determined physiological response; and the second electrical signal is configured to inhibit neural activity in the nerve to at least partially suppress the least one pre-determined physiological response.

A method for stimulating vagal neurons as demonstrated by generation of action potentials on these same neurons, wherein electrical pulse trains are periodically applied to electrodes implanted on the anterior and posterior vagus nerve at an entrance of a diaphragm, wherein each electrical pulse train is formed by a plurality of monophasic pulses having a frequency of at least 13.0 kHz.

An implantable pulse generator system includes a nerve stimulation unit providing vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) pulses; an autonomic tone sensor which determines the patient's autonomic status; and a control unit connected to the nerve stimulation unit and the autonomic tone sensor. The control unit controls the nerve stimulation unit to generate VNS with varying intensity, depending on the autonomic status (which is evaluated in a moving window). The control unit gradually increases VNS intensity when the autonomic status indicates a shift toward more sympathetic dominance, and it gradually decreases VNS intensity when the autonomic status indicates a shift toward more parasympathetic dominance, wherein the gradual increase and the gradual decrease of the VNS intensity follow two different paths.

A method includes applying, by an implantable medical device (IMD), stimulation to a cranial nerve of a patient responsive to a determination that a level of synchrony between neural activity of one or more regions of an autonomic nervous system of the patient and one or more regions of a central nervous system of the patient falls below a first threshold and discontinuing the application of stimulation by the IMD when the level of synchrony exceeds a second threshold.

Devices, systems and methods for treating bronchial constriction related to asthma, anaphylaxis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease wherein the treatment includes stimulating selected nerve fibers responsible for smooth muscle dilation at a selected region within a patient's neck, thereby reducing the magnitude of constriction of bronchial smooth muscle.

Systems and methods are provided for delivering neurostimulation therapies to patients for treating chronic heart failure. A neural fulcrum zone is identified and ongoing neurostimulation therapy is delivered within the neural fulcrum zone. The implanted stimulation device includes a physiological sensor for recording the patient's response to the neurostimulation therapy on an ambulatory basis over extended periods of time.

An intravascular electrode lead and an intravascular stimulation device including the same. The intravascular electrode lead includes an electrode shaft; a plurality of filaments being made of a conductive, non-biodegradable material, running in longitudinal direction within the electrode shaft and protruding distally beyond a distal end of the electrode shaft, each filament terminating in at least one electrically active area; and a support member being arranged distally from the distal end of the electrode shaft and being dilatable from a compressed state to an radially expanded state, wherein the support member is attached to the filaments and made of a biodegradable material.