Treatment of obesity by sub-diaphragmatic nerve stimulation

Abstract

A method and apparatus for treating obese or other patients with compulsive overeating disorder includes unilaterally or bilaterally stimulating one or both of the left and right branches of a patient's vagus nerve directly or indirectly with an electrical pulse signal generated by an implantable neurostimulator with at least one operatively coupled nerve electrode to apply the pulse signal to the selected nerve branch at a location below the patient's diaphragm. The implantable neurostimulator is programmable to enable physician programming of electrical and timing parameters of the pulse signal, to induce weight loss of the patient.

1 . A method of treating an obese patient, comprising:
 surgically implanting in the abdomen of the patient an electrical signal generator and at least one electrode operatively coupled thereto;   coupling said at least one electrode directly to a selected one of the left vagus nerve and the right vagus nerve of the patient;   generating an electrical signal with said electrical signal generator;   applying said electrical signal, using said at least one electrode, directly and unilaterally to said selected one of the left vagus nerve and the right vagus nerve internally in the abdomen at a location below the patient's diaphragm; and,   programming electrical and timing parameters of said electrical signal, to induce weight loss of the patient.   
   
   
       2 - 5 . (canceled) 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said stimulating electrical signal comprises a sequence of electrical pulses. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of stimulating comprises applying said electrical signal to the vagus nerve at a location in a range of from about two to about three inches below the patient's diaphragm. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of stimulating includes applying said electrical signal intermittently, in alternating on and off intervals according to a predetermined duty cycle. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the step of stimulating includes applying said electrical signal continuously. 
   
   
       10 - 28 . (canceled) 
   
   
       29 . A method of treating an obese patient, comprising:
 surgically implanting in the abdomen of the patient an electrical signal generator and at least a first and a second electrode operatively coupled thereto;   coupling said first electrode directly to a left vagus nerve of the patient and said second electrode directly to a right vagus nerve of the patient;   generating an electrical signal with said electrical signal generator;   applying said electrical signal, using said first and second electrodes, directly and bilaterally to said left vagus nerve and said right vagus nerve internally in the abdomen at a location below the patient's diaphragm; and   programming electrical and timing parameters of said electrical signal, to induce weight loss of the patient.