Method, Device and System for Modulating an Activity of Brown Adipose Tissue in a Vertebrate Subject

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods are disclosed herein for treatment of a disease, disorder, or condition in a vertebrate subject. A device is provided that includes one or more cooling elements configured to be applied to one or more tissues of a vertebrate subject to modulate at least one activity of brown adipose tissue of the vertebrate subject, and a programmable controller configured to provide instructions to the one or more cooling elements in response to information regarding one or more physiological conditions of the vertebrate subject.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 .- 144 . (canceled) 
     
     
         145 . A system comprising:
 one or more cooling elements configured for application to an external surface of a subject to modulate at least one activity of brown adipose tissue of the subject;   at least one neurostimulator configured to stimulate at least one nerve of the subject; and   a programmable controller operably coupled to the one or more cooling elements and the at least one neurostimulator, the programmable controller configured to provide instructions to the one or more cooling elements and the at least one neurostimulator in response to information regarding at least one of a number of calories ingested by the subject or a type and quantity of food ingested by the subject.   
     
     
         146 . The system of  claim 145 , further comprising programming designed to induce weight loss. 
     
     
         147 . The system of  claim 145 , further comprising a digital processing unit operably connected to the programmable controller, the digital processing unit configured to receive information from at least one of a sensor, a timekeeping device, a user interface, and an outside operating source, to process the information into at least one resulting instruction, and to provide the at least one resulting instruction to the programmable controller. 
     
     
         148 . The system of  claim 145 , further comprising an outside operating source operably connected to the programmable computer, wherein the outside operating source is configured to transmit information to the programmable computer regarding the at least one of the number of calories ingested by the subject or the type and the quantity of food ingested by the subject. 
     
     
         149 . The system of  claim 148 , wherein the outside operating source comprises a smart phone. 
     
     
         150 . The system of  claim 148 , wherein the outside operating source comprises a wearable device. 
     
     
         151 . The system of  claim 148 , wherein the outside operating source comprises an electronic food detector configured to determine at least one of mass, volume, weight, or caloric content of the food ingested by the subject. 
     
     
         152 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the programmable controller is incorporated into a smart phone. 
     
     
         153 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the programmable controller is incorporated into a wearable device. 
     
     
         154 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the one or more cooling elements are attached to a substrate sized for placement on the external surface of the subject. 
     
     
         155 . The system of  claim 154 , wherein at least one surface of the substrate includes an adhesive material for attachment of the substrate to the external surface of the subject. 
     
     
         156 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the one or more cooling elements are attached to a substrate sized for placement on the external surface of the subject in proximity to thermoresponsive tissue of the subject, wherein the thermoresponsive tissue includes at least one of nervous tissue or brown adipose tissue of the subject. 
     
     
         157 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the one or more cooling elements are attached to a substrate sized for placement on the external surface of the subject in proximity to one or more blood vessels or lymph vessels of the subject. 
     
     
         158 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the one or more cooling elements and the at least one neurostimulator are attached to a substrate sized for placement on the external surface of the subject. 
     
     
         159 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the one or more cooling elements are sized for incorporation into bedding, furniture, or upholstery and positioned to come in contact with the external surface of the subject to modulate the at least one activity of the brown adipose tissue of the subject. 
     
     
         160 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the one or more cooling elements are sized for incorporation into an article of clothing. 
     
     
         161 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the at least one neurostimulator comprises an implanted neurostimulator. 
     
     
         162 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the at least one neurostimulator comprises a cutaneous neurostimulator 
     
     
         163 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the at least one neurostimulator is sized to stimulate a portion of the vagus nerve to suppress appetite. 
     
     
         164 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the at least one neurostimulator is sized and positioned to stimulate nerves involved in inducing thermogenesis. 
     
     
         165 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the at least one neurostimulator comprises at least one of an electric neurostimulator, a magnetic neurostimulator, an ultrasound neurostimulator, or a microwave neurostimulator. 
     
     
         166 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the one or more cooling elements and the at least one neurostimulator are contained in a single packaged unit sized for application to the external surface of the subject. 
     
     
         167 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the one or more cooling elements are sized to cool a first portion of the subject and the at least one neurostimulator is sized to stimulate a second portion of the subject. 
     
     
         168 . The system of  claim 145 , wherein the one or more cooling elements and the at least one neurostimulator are sized to respectively cool and stimulate the same portion of the subject. 
     
     
         169 . The system of  claim 145 , further comprising one or more sensors operably connected to the programmable controller, wherein the programmable controller is configured to provide instructions to at least one of the one or more cooling elements and the at least one neurostimulator in response to information from the one or more sensors, wherein the one or more sensors are configured to sense one or more physiological conditions of the subject. 
     
     
         170 . The system of  claim 169 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more analyte sensors configured to sense a plasma level of one or more of a metabolic analyte, a sugar, a lipoprotein, or a fatty acid in the subject. 
     
     
         171 . The system of  claim 169 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more temperature sensors configured to sense a temperature of the subject. 
     
     
         172 . The system of  claim 169 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more activity sensors configured to sense a physical activity level of the subject. 
     
     
         173 . A system comprising:
 one or more cooling elements configured for application to an external surface of a subject to modulate at least one activity of brown adipose tissue of the subject;   at least one neurostimulator configured to stimulate at least one nerve of the subject;   at least one physiological sensor incorporated into a wearable device; and   a programmable controller operably coupled to the one or more cooling elements, the at least one neurostimulator, and the at least one physiological sensor incorporated into the wearable device, the programmable controller configured to receive information from the at least one physiological sensor regarding a physiological condition of the subject and to provide instructions to the one or more cooling elements and the at least one neurostimulator in response to information regarding the physiological condition of the subject.   
     
     
         174 . The system of  claim 173 , wherein the at least one physiological sensor incorporated into the wearable device comprises at least one analyte sensor configured to sense a plasma level of one or more of a metabolic analyte, a sugar, a lipoprotein, or a fatty acid of a subject; and wherein the programmable controller is configured to receive information from the at least one analyte sensor regarding the plasma level of the one or more of the metabolic analyte, the sugar, the lipoprotein, or the fatty acid in the subject and to provide instructions to the one or more cooling elements and to the at least one neurostimulator in response to the received information from the at least one analyte sensor. 
     
     
         175 . The system of  claim 173 , wherein the at least one physiological sensor incorporated into the wearable device comprises at least one temperature sensor positioned to measure a temperature of the subject; and wherein the programmable controller is configured to receive information from the at least one temperature sensor regarding the measured temperature of the subject and to provide instructions to the one or more cooling elements and to the at least one neurostimulator in response to the received information from the at least one temperature sensor. 
     
     
         176 . The system of  claim 173 , wherein the at least one physiological sensor incorporated into the wearable device comprises at least one physical activity sensor configured to measure a physical activity level of the subject; and wherein the programmable controller is configured to receive information from the at least one physical activity sensor regarding the measured physical activity level of the subject and to provide instructions to the one or more cooling elements and to the at least one neurostimulator in response to the received information from the at least one physical activity sensor. 
     
     
         177 . The system of  claim 173 , wherein the wearable device comprises a wrist watch-like device. 
     
     
         178 . The system of  claim 173 , wherein the programmable controller is incorporated into the wearable device, and wherein the programmable controller is in wireless communication with the one or more cooling elements and the at least one neurostimulator. 
     
     
         179 . The system of  claim 173 , wherein at least one of the one or more cooling elements and the at least one neurostimulator are attached to a substrate sized for application to the external surface of the subject, wherein at least one surface of the substrate includes an adhesive for attachment of the substrate to the external surface of the subject. 
     
     
         180 . The system of  claim 173 , wherein the at least one of the one or more cooling elements and the at least one neurostimulator are sized for incorporation into bedding, upholstery, or furniture and positioned to come into contact with the external surface of the subject. 
     
     
         181 . The system of  claim 173 , wherein the one or more cooling elements and the at least one neurostimulator are contained in a single packaged unit sized for application to the external surface of the subject; wherein the programmable controller is incorporated into the wearable device including the at least one physiological sensor; and wherein the programmable controller wirelessly provides the instructions to the at least one of the one or more cooling elements and the at least one neurostimulator in response to the information received from the at least one physiological sensor regarding the physiological condition of the subject.