Patent ID: 8483831

Claim:
A system, comprising: an implantable signal generator configured to generate a cough inhibiting blocking signal to be delivered to at least a portion of nerve tissue positioned along a bronchus or trachea of a subject, wherein the cough inhibiting blocking signal is configured to inhibit at least one of nerve traffic to or from a lung of the subject to relieve bronchial smooth muscle contraction and to inhibit cough; an electrode operatively coupled to the signal generator and configured to be coupled to tissue proximate the bronchus or trachea to deliver energy from the implantable signal generator directly to a pulmonary nerve near the bronchus or trachea; and a processor, communicatively coupled to the implantable signal generator, the processor configured to receive information about an indication of cough and, using the received information about the indication of cough, to cause the implantable signal generator to deliver the cough inhibiting blocking signal through the electrode to the pulmonary nerve to inhibit cough.