Patent ID: 7962214

Claim:
An implantable medical device (IMD) for providing a trans-esophageal electrical signal to a target portion of the vagus nerve, comprising: a generally elongated outer shell comprising an upper surface configured in a generally convex shape, a lower surface opposite the upper surface, a leading end, and a trailing end opposite the leading end, wherein the leading end is substantially narrower than the trailing end, wherein the lower surface is configured in a generally flat shape for conforming to a portion of an inner wall of an esophagus of a patient, and wherein the outer shell is configured to be affixable to the inner wall of the esophagus with the substantially narrower leading end pointing up; at least one electrode protruding from said outer shell and extending past the lower surface of the outer shell, said electrode capable of being electrically coupled to a portion of said inner wall of the esophagus of a patient; a power supply to provide power for an operation performed by said IMD; and a signal generation unit operatively coupled to said power supply and to said at least one electrode, said signal generation unit to generate said electrical signal to provide a therapeutic electrical signal to a vagus nerve through at least a portion of the wall of the esophagus of said patient.