Patent ID: 9327109
Filing Date: 2016-05-03
CPC Classification: A61H,A61N,Y10S

Claim Text:
1. An Implantable ElectroAcupuncture Device (IEAD) for treating hypertension through application of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation pulses applied at a specified acupoint of a patient, wherein the specified acupoint is selected from the group of acupoints that includes: PC5, PC6, ST36, and ST37, the IEAD comprising: a small, coin-shaped IEAD housing having an electrode configuration thereon that includes at least two electrodes/arrays, the longest linear dimension of the small, coin-shaped IEAD housing being no greater than about 25 mm, wherein at least one of said at least two electrodes/arrays comprises a central electrode/array located about at the center of a first surface of the IEAD housing, and wherein at least another of said at least two electrodes/arrays comprises a circumferential electrode/array located around and at least about 5 mm distant from the center of the central electrode/array, wherein the first surface of the IEAD housing when implanted is adapted to face into the patient's tissue at the specified acupoint, and wherein a second surface of the IEAD housing, on the opposite side of the housing from the first surface, when implanted, is adapted to be closest to the patient's skin; pulse generation circuitry located within the IEAD housing and electrically coupled to the at least two electrodes/arrays, wherein said pulse generation circuitry is adapted to deliver EA stimulation pulses to the patient's body tissue at the specified acupoint in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen, said stimulation regimen defining the duration and rate at which a stimulation session is applied to the patient, said stimulation regimen requiring that the stimulation session have a duration of T3 minutes and a rate of occurrence of once every T4 minutes, wherein the ratio of T3/T4 is no greater than 0.05, and wherein during each stimulation session EA stimulation pulses having one or more specified widths and amplitudes are generated at one or more specified rates; a primary battery contained within the IEAD housing and electrically coupled to the pulse generation circuitry, said primary battery having a nominal output voltage of 3 volts, and an internal impedance greater than 5 ohms; and a sensor contained within the IEAD housing responsive to operating commands wirelessly sensed within the IEAD from a non-implanted location, said operating commands allowing the IEAD to be turned ON or OFF, and the amplitude of the stimulation pulses to be adjusted within lower and upper limits, and the values of T3 and T4 to be adjusted within lower and upper limits.