Vagal obesity treatment
At least one of a plurality of disorders of a patient characterized at least in part by vagal activity innervating at least one of a plurality of organs of the patient is treated by a method that includes positioning a neurostimulator carrier around a body organ of the patient where the organ is innervated by at least a vagal trunk. An electrode is disposed on the carrier and positioned at the vagal trunk. An electrical signal is applied to the electrode to modulate vagal activity by an amount selected to treat the disorder. The signal may be a blocking or a stimulation signal.
1 . A method for treating obesity comprising:
positioning an electrode on or near a vagus nerve of an obese patient at a location of the vagus nerve defining an innervation pathway between the brain and at least one of a plurality of alimentary tract organs; and
treating the patient's obesity by applying an electrical signal to the electrode with the signal selected to, at least in part, down-regulate neural activity on the vagus nerve.
2 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the electrical signal is applied at a frequency selected for the signal to create a neural conduction block on the nerve at a blocking site with the neural conduction block selected to at least partially block nerve impulses on the nerve at the blocking site.
3 . A method according to claim 2 wherein application of the neural conduction block is variable by a controller to alter a characteristic of the block.
4 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the signal is regulated to reduce a pancreatic output of the patient.
5 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the electrode is placed at the vagus nerve at an esophagus of the patient.
6 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the signal is selected for activity of the nerve to be restored following discontinuance of the signal.
7 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the signal has a frequency of about 500 Hz.
8 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the signal has a frequency of about 5,000 Hz.
9 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the signal is intermittently applied.
10 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the signal is applied to a trunk of the vagus nerve.
11 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the signal is applied to a branch of the vagus nerve.
12 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the signal is applied to both an anterior vagus nerve and a posterior vagus nerve of the patient.
13 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the signal is applied to the vagus nerve at a location near or distal to a diaphragm of the patient.
14 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the signal is applied to an organ of the patient in proximity to the vagus nerve.
15 . A method according to claim 14 wherein the organ is an esophagus of the patient.
16 . A method according to claim 14 wherein the organ is a stomach of the patient.
17 . A method according to claim 14 wherein signal is applied to an internal surface of the organ.
18 . A method according to claim 14 wherein the electrode is imbedded within a tissue of the organ.
19 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the signal is selected to at least partially block afferent nerve signals.
20 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the signal is selected to at least partially block efferent nerve signals.
21 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the signal is selected to at least partially block both afferent and efferent nerve signals.
22 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the down-regulating signal is applied directly to the nerve.
23 . A method according to claim 1 wherein the down-regulating signal is applied in a vicinity of the nerve.