Patent ID: 11878160
Assignee: GALVANI BIOELECTRONICS LIMITED
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 11:
12. A method of treating a bronchoconstriction in a patient, wherein the method comprises:
i. applying a signal to a pulmonary branch of a vagal nerve of said patient to selectively stimulate neural activity in afferent A fibers, while not stimulating efferent fibers or afferent Aδ fibers, of the vagal nerve, wherein the signal is applied by a neuromodulation device partially implanted in the patient and positioned in signaling contact with the vagal nerve, the neuromodulation device comprising one or more transducers configured to apply the signal, wherein the signal has a frequency of 50-150 Hz, and wherein the signal has a pulse duration of 0.05-0.1 ms, such that the signal to the vagal nerve produces an improvement in a physiological parameter indicative of treating bronchoconstriction in the patient;
ii. providing a detector for detecting the physiological parameter;
iii. administering a bronchodilator to the patient; and
iv. measuring the physiological parameter, wherein the physiological parameter is airway smooth muscle (ASM) tone, blood oxygen saturation, blood carbon dioxide concentration, tidal mid-expiratory flow, respiratory rate, total lung capacity, or forced expiration volume;
wherein the improvement in the physiological parameter is a decrease in airway smooth muscle tone, an increase in blood oxygen saturation, a decrease in blood carbon dioxide concentration, an increase in tidal mid-expiratory flow, a decrease in respiratory rate, an increase in total lung capacity, or an increase in forced expiration volume, from an initial measurement.