A neurostimulation system provides for capture verification and stimulation intensity adjustment to ensure effectiveness of vagus nerve stimulation in modulating one or more target functions in a patient. In various embodiments, stimulation is applied to the vagus nerve, and evoked responses are detected to verify that the stimulation captures the vagus nerve and to adjust one or more stimulation parameters that control the stimulation intensity.

An implantable vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) system includes a sensor configured to measure ECG data for a patient, a stimulation subsystem configured to deliver VNS to the patient, and a control system configured to perform a heart rate variability analysis with the ECG data. In some aspects, performing the heart rate variability analysis includes measuring R-R intervals between successive R-waves for the ECG data measured during a stimulation period and a baseline period, plotting each R-R interval against an immediately preceding R-R interval for each of the stimulation period and the baseline period, and determining at least one of a standard deviation from an axis of a line perpendicular to an identity line for each of the stimulation period plot and the baseline period plot or a centroid of each of the stimulation period plot and the baseline period plot.

The present disclosure relates to methods, devices and systems used for the treatment of medical disorders via stimulation of the superficial elements of the trigeminal nerve. More specifically, cutaneous methods of stimulation of the superficial branches of the trigeminal nerve located extracranially in the face, namely the supraorbital, supratrochlear, infraorbital, auriculotemporal, zygomaticotemporal, zygomaticoorbital, zygomaticofacial, infraorbital, nasal and mentalis nerves (also referred to collectively as the superficial trigeminal nerve) are disclosed herein.

An implantable neurostimulator-implemented method for managing tachyarrhythmias through vagus nerve stimulation is provided. An implantable neurostimulator, including a pulse generator, is configured to deliver electrical therapeutic stimulation in a manner that results in creation and propagation (in both afferent and efferent directions) of action potentials within neuronal fibers of a patient's cervical vagus nerve. Operating modes of the pulse generator are stored. A maintenance dose of the electrical therapeutic stimulation is delivered to the vagus nerve via the pulse generator to restore cardiac autonomic balance through continuously-cycling, intermittent and periodic electrical pulses. A restorative dose of the electrical therapeutic stimulation is delivered to prevent initiation of or disrupt tachyarrhythmia through periodic electrical pulses delivered at higher intensity than the maintenance dose. The patient's normative physiology is monitored via a physiological sensor, and upon sensing a condition indicative of tachyarrhythmia, is switched to delivering the restorative dose to the vagus nerve.

A method of treating cardiovascular disease in a patient includes generating, by an implantable stimulator configured to be implanted beneath a skin surface of the patient, stimulation sessions at a duty cycle that is less than 0.05 and applying, by the implantable stimulator in accordance with the duty cycle, the stimulation sessions to a location, within the patient, that is associated with the cardiovascular disease. The duty cycle is a ratio of T3 to T4. Each stimulation session included in the stimulation sessions has a duration of T3 minutes and occurs at a rate of once every T4 minutes.

Techniques are disclosed for using a cardiac signal sensed via a plurality of electrodes disposed on one or more leads implanted within an epidural space of a patient to control spinal cord stimulation (SCS) therapy. In one example, an implantable medical device (IMD) senses an electrical signal via a plurality of electrodes disposed on one or more leads implanted within an epidural space of a patient. Processing circuitry determines, from the electrical signal, one or more cardiac features indicative of activity of a heart of the patient. The processing circuitry controls, based on the one or more cardiac features, delivery of SCS therapy to the patient.

A system and method for improving heart contractions during a heart function cycle (heartbeat) of a patient requires detecting a local electrical event (depolarization) during the cycle. This local electrical event is then used to trigger a stimulation interval Δt at a time t.sub.0. Importantly, the stimulation interval Δt is set to end at a time t.sub.1 during the absolute refractory period of the heart function cycle. At the time t.sub.1, a stimulator is triggered to stimulate a local sympathetic nerve on the epicardial surface of the heart. With this stimulation the sympathetic nerve secretes norepinephrine to improve a subsequent contraction of the heart.

The present invention relates to an auricular neurostimulation device wearable by a user and configured to stimulate the Auricular Branch of Vagus Nerve (ABVN) on the user’s ear: the device comprises at least two electrodes designed to be located in the cymba and in the cavity of the cavum conchae respectively; the electrodes stimulate the nerve ramifications of the cymba and the cavum conchae, respectively, when an electrical voltage difference is applied between them. The invention further refers to an auricular neurostimulation system comprising an auricular neurostimulation device as described and a charging case where the device can charge an internal battery and where the device discharges into this case the data captured by the photoplethysmographic or biosensor during stimulation and sends them to a dedicated platform in the cloud. The invention also refers to a method of operation of an auricular neurostimulation system as described.

One or more antennas are electrically coupled to one or more switches of an implantable medical device (IMD) in which the one or more switches are additionally electrically coupled to one or more lead wires of an IMD lead. The one or more switches also are electrically coupled to one or more electrodes or electrical circuitry of the IMD's implantable pulse generator (IPG). In response to exposure of the IMD to an energetic electromagnetic field, a voltage signal is induced in the one or more antennas and provided, possibly via one more filters, as a control signal to the one or more switches. Receipt of the control signal by the one or more switches automatically configures the one or more switches into a non-conductive state, thereby electrically isolating the one or more lead wires from the one or more electrodes or the IPG electrical circuitry.

A method, system, and apparatus for temporarily modifying an impedance of a neural stimulator. The apparatus includes an antenna comprising a first pole and a second pole, a switching circuit configured to output switched signals, a rectifier configured to receive switched signals from the switching circuit, a plurality of electrodes, and a controller, wherein the switching circuit, based on the control signal, modifies one or more of a first pole signal or a second pole signal. The impedance may be modified via one or more switches in a switching circuit of the neural stimulator. The impedance change may be sensed by an external circuit. Also, an electrode-tissue impedance of the neural stimulator may be determined and an impedance of an external circuit modified based on the electrode-tissue impedance of the neural stimulator.