Stimulating cranial nerve to treat pulmonary disorder

Abstract

A method for stimulating a portion of a vagus nerve of a patient to treat a pulmonary disorder is provided. At least one electrode is coupled to at least one portion of a left vagus nerve and/or a right vagus nerve of the patient. An electrical signal is applied to the portion of the vagus nerve using the electrode to treat the pulmonary disorder. The electrical signal may perform a blocking of an intrinsic neural activity on said at least one portion of the left vagus nerve and said right vagus nerve.

1 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A method of treating bronchoconstriction in a patient comprising modulating activity in a region at the right branch of the vagus nerve to stimulate a nervous response to relax bronchial smooth muscle and reduce a magnitude of constriction of the bronchial smooth muscle of the patient. 
     
     
         23 . The method set forth in  claim 22  wherein the region of the vagus nerve is proximal to at least one of the cardiac branch and the bronchial branch of the vagus nerve. 
     
     
         24 . The method set forth in  claim 22  wherein the modulating step is carried out by applying at least one electrical impulse to the vagus nerve. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24  wherein the electrical impulse does not substantially increase a heart rate of the patient. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , further comprising:
 implanting one or more electrodes to the region of the right branch of the vagus nerve; and   applying one or more electrical stimulation signals to the electrodes to produce the at least one electrical impulse.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24  further comprising percutaneously introducing one or more electrodes to the region of the right branch of the vagus nerve. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the bronchoconstriction is associated with anaphylaxis, anaphylactic shock, bronchial constriction, and/or asthma. 
     
     
         29 . A method of treating bronchoconstriction in a patient comprising applying energy to one or more selected nerve(s) in a parasympathetic nervous system of the patient, the energy being sufficient to relax bronchial smooth muscle and reduce a magnitude of constriction of the bronchial smooth muscle of the patient. 
     
     
         30 . The method set forth in  claim 29  wherein the one or more selected nerve(s) comprise a region of the right branch of the vagus nerve. 
     
     
         31 . The method set forth in  claim 29  wherein the applying energy step is carried out by applying at least one electrical impulse to the one or more selected nerve(s). 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the energy does not substantially increase a heart rate of the patient. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising implanting one or more electrodes adjacent to or near the one or more selected nerve(s) and applying one or more electrical stimulation signals to the electrodes to produce the at least one electrical impulse. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 31  further comprising percutaneously introducing one or more electrodes adjacent to or near the one or more selected nerve(s). 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 29  wherein the bronchoconstriction is associated with anaphylaxis, anaphylactic shock, bronchial constriction, and/or asthma. 
     
     
         36 . A method of treating bronchial constriction in a patient comprising blocking an intrinsic neural activity in a region at the right branch of the vagus nerve to stimulate a nervous response to treat a pulmonary disorder and reduce constriction of muscles that encircle airways of the lungs of the patient. 
     
     
         37 . The method set forth in  claim 36  wherein the region of the vagus nerve is proximal to a bronchial branch of the vagus nerve. 
     
     
         38 . The method set forth in  claim 36  wherein the blocking step is carried out by applying at least one electrical impulse to the vagus nerve. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 38 , further comprising:
 implanting one or more electrodes to the region of the right branch of the vagus nerve; and   applying one or more electrical stimulation signals to the electrodes to produce the at least one electrical impulse.   
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 38  further comprising introducing one or more electrodes below the skin to the region of the right branch of the vagus nerve. 
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 38  wherein the electrical impulse has a frequency of between about 0.5 Hz to 250 Hz. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the frequency is between about 10 Hz to 100 Hz. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the electrical impulse is in the range of 15 volts at about 3 milliamperes. 
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the electrical impulse has a pulsed on-time of between about 250 to 500 microseconds. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 41  wherein the electrical impulse has a frequency in a range of about 20-250 Hz and a pulsed on-time of about 250-500 microseconds. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 36  wherein the bronchial constriction is associated with asthma triggered by allergies, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive bronchitis, or emphysema. 
     
     
         47 . A method of treating bronchial constriction in a patient comprising applying energy to one or more selected nerve(s) in a parasympathetic nervous system of the patient, the energy being sufficient to reduce constriction of muscles that encircle airways of the lungs of the patient. 
     
     
         48 . The method set forth in  claim 47  wherein the one or more selected nerve(s) comprise a region of the right branch of the vagus nerve. 
     
     
         49 . The method set forth in  claim 47  wherein the applying energy step is carried out by applying at least one electrical impulse to the one or more selected nerve(s). 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 49  further comprising implanting one or more electrodes adjacent to or near the one or more selected nerve(s) and applying one or more electrical stimulation signals to the electrodes to produce the at least one electrical impulse. 
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 49  further comprising introducing one or more electrodes below the skin adjacent to or near the one or more selected nerve(s). 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 49  wherein the electrical impulse has a frequency of between about 0.5 Hz to 250 Hz. 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52  wherein the frequency is between about 10 Hz to 100 Hz. 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 52  wherein the electrical impulse is in the range of 15 volts at about 3 milliamperes. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 52  wherein the electrical impulse has a pulsed on-time of between about 250-500 microseconds. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 52  wherein the electrical impulse has a frequency in a range of about 20-250 Hz and a pulsed on-time of about 250-500 microseconds. 
     
     
         57 . The method of  claim 47  wherein the bronchial constriction is associated with asthma triggered by allergies, chronic bronchitis, chronic obstructive bronchitis, or emphysema.