Methods and apparatuses for reducing bleeding via coordinated trigeminal and vagal nerve stimulation
View Patent ↗Disclosed are apparatuses and methods for reducing or limiting blood loss and reducing bleed time in a subject by combined vagus and trigeminal stimulation. The apparatuses and methods may activate (e.g., electrically) one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve and may concurrently (at overlapping or near-overlapping time) independently activate the vagus nerve. This activation may be invasive or non-invasive.
1. A method of reducing bleed time in a bleeding subject by combined vagus nerve and trigeminal nerve stimulation, the method comprising:
applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation to the bleeding subject's trigeminal nerve and vagus nerve; and
reducing bleed time of the bleeding subject by at least 20%.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying comprises non-invasively applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the bleeding subject is human.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying comprises applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation to one or more of an ophthalmic, maxillary and/or mandibular branch of the bleeding subject's trigeminal nerve and applying stimulation to the auricular vagus nerve.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein reducing bleeding time comprises reducing bleeding time of one or more of an internal hemorrhage or an external hemorrhage.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying comprises applying electrical stimulation.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying comprises applying electrical stimulation to both the vagus nerve and the trigeminal nerve at between 1-50 Hz and between 0.5-15V having a pulse width of between 0.5 ms and 10 ms.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying comprises applying for between 1 minute and 45 minutes.
9. A method of reducing or limiting blood loss in a hemorrhaging subject the method comprising:
applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation to the hemorrhaging subject's trigeminal nerve;
concurrently applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation to the hemorrhaging subject's vagus nerve; and
reducing blood loss from the hemorrhage by at least 10%.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein applying comprises non-invasively applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation comprises applying electrical stimulation.
12. The method of claim 9 , wherein applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation comprises applying electrical stimulation to both the vagus nerve and the trigeminal nerve at between 1-50 Hz and between 0.5-15V having a pulse width of between 0.5 ms and 10 ms.
13. The method of claim 9 , wherein applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation to the hemorrhaging subject's trigeminal nerve comprises applying for between 1 minute and 45 minutes.
14. A method of treating a hemophiliac subject by combined trigeminal and vagus nerve stimulation, the method comprising:
determining when the subject is bleeding; and
applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation to the subject's trigeminal nerve and the subject's vagus nerve to reduce the blood loss and/or bleeding volume.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation comprises non-invasively applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation comprises applying electrical stimulation.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation comprises applying electrical stimulation to both the subject's vagus nerve and the subject's trigeminal nerve at between 1-50 Hz and between 0.5-15V having a pulse width of between 0.5 ms and 10 ms.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation to the subject's trigeminal nerve and the subject's vagus nerve comprises applying for between 1 minute and 45 minutes.
19. A method of reducing bleed time in a subject that has been treated with an anticoagulant by combined trigeminal and vagus nerve stimulation, the method comprising:
applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation to the subject's trigeminal nerve after the subject has been treated with the anticoagulant;
concurrently applying one or more of mechanical or electrical activation to the subject's vagus nerve; and
reducing bleed time of the bleeding by at least 20%.