Abstract: An implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) treats a disease or medical condition of a patient through application of stimulation pulses applied at a specified acupoint or other target tissue location. In a preferred implementation, the IEAD is an implantable, coin-sized, self-contained, leadless electroacupuncture device having at least two electrodes attached to an outside surface of its housing. The device generates stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Power management circuitry within the device allows a primary battery, having a high internal impedance, to be used to power the device. The stimulation regimen generates stimulation pulses during a stimulation session of duration T3 minutes applied every T4 minutes. The duty cycle, or ratio T3/T4, is very low, no greater than 0.05. The low duty cycle and careful power management allow the IEAD to perform its intended function for several years.

Abstract: An implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) treats Parkinson's disease or Essential Tremor through application of stimulation pulses applied at at least one of acupoints GB34 and GV20. The IEAD includes an hermetically-sealed implantable electroacupuncture (EA) device having at least two electrodes located outside of its housing. The housing contains a primary power source, pulse generation circuitry, and a sensor that wirelessly senses externally-generated operating commands. The pulse generation circuitry generates stimulation pulses as controlled, at least in part, by the operating commands sensed through the sensor. The stimulation pulses are applied to the specified acupoint or nerve through the electrodes in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Such stimulation regimen requires that the stimulation session be applied at a very low duty cycle not greater than 0.05.

Abstract: A coin-sized implantable electroacupuncture (EA) device defines a stimulation paradigm, or stimulation regimen, that controls when EA stimulation pulses are applied to a selected acupoint, or other specified tissue location, to treat hypertension or nondipping. The stimulation regimen is applied when the patient is sleeping in order to minimize or mitigate the occurrence of nondipping or reverse dipping of the patient's blood pressure. In one embodiment, medical personnel, set a timing reference marker at the time of implant that defines how much time should elapse before a nighttime stimulation window opens that allows an EA stimulation session to be applied to the patient. In another embodiment, the patient sets the time when the nighttime stimulation window opens or when the EA stimulation session begins. Typically, an EA stimulation session is applied to the patient at a low duty cycle, e.g., only once a week during the nighttime.

Abstract: An implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) treats cardiovascular disease through application of stimulation pulses applied at at least one of acupoints EX-HN1, BL14, HT7, HT5, PC6, ST36, LI11, LU7 and LU2. The IEAD comprises an implantable, coin-sized, self-contained, leadless electroacupuncture device having at least two electrodes attached to an outside surface of its housing. The device generates stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Power management circuitry within the device allows a primary battery, having a high internal impedance, to be used to power the device. The stimulation regimen generates stimulation pulses during a stimulation session of duration T3 minutes applied every T4 minutes. The duty cycle, or ratio T3/T4 is very low, no greater than 0.05. The low duty cycle and careful power management allow the IEAD to perform its intended function for several years.

Abstract: An implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) treats mental illness through application of stimulation pulses applied at a specified tissue location, including at least one of acupoints GV20 and EXHN3, or their underlying nerves. In one embodiment, the IEAD comprises an implantable, coin-sized, self-contained, leadless electroacupuncture device having at least two electrodes attached to an outside surface of its housing. The device generates stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Power management circuitry within the device allows a primary battery, having a high internal impedance, to be used to power the device. The stimulation regimen generates stimulation pulses during a stimulation session of duration T3 minutes applied every T4 minutes. The duty cycle, or ratio T3/T4 is very low, no greater than 0.05. The low duty cycle and careful power management allow the IEAD to perform its intended function for several years.

Abstract: An implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) treats a disease or medical condition of a patient through application of stimulation pulses applied at a specified acupoint or other target tissue location. In a preferred implementation, the IEAD is an implantable, coin-sized, self-contained, leadless electroacupuncture device having at least two electrodes attached to an outside surface of its housing. The device generates stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Power management circuitry within the device allows a primary battery, having a high internal impedance, to be used to power the device. The stimulation regimen generates stimulation pulses during a stimulation session of duration T3 minutes applied every T4 minutes. The duty cycle, or ratio T3/T4, is very low, no greater than 0.05. The low duty cycle and careful power management allow the IEAD to perform its intended function for several years.

Abstract: An implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) treats depression, bipolar disorder or Anxiety through application of stimulation pulses applied at acupoints GV20 and/or EXHN3. The IEAD comprises an implantable, coin-sized, self-contained, leadless electroacupuncture device having at least two electrodes attached to an outside surface of its housing. The device generates stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Power management circuitry within the device allows a primary battery, having a high internal impedance, to be used to power the device. The stimulation regimen generates stimulation pulses during a stimulation session of duration T3 minutes applied every T4 minutes. The duty cycle, or ratio T3/T4, is very low, no greater than 0.05. The low duty cycle and careful power management allow the IEAD to perform its intended function for several years.

Abstract: An implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) treats heart failure, coronary artery disease, myocardial ischemia or angina through application of stimulation pulses applied at acupoints GV20 and/or EXHN3. The IEAD comprises an implantable, coin-sized, self-contained, leadless electroacupuncture device having at least two electrodes attached to an outside surface of its housing. The device generates stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Power management circuitry within the device allows a primary battery, having a high internal impedance, to be used to power the device. The stimulation regimen generates stimulation pulses during a stimulation session of duration T3 minutes applied every T4 minutes. The duty cycle, or ratio of T3/T4, is very low, no greater than 0.05. The low duty cycle and careful power management allow the IEAD to perform its intended function for several years.

Abstract: A closed loop electroacupuncture (EA) system monitors any change in sympathetic drive within the body of a patient undergoing EA stimulation. The sensed change in sympathetic drive is then used to adjust at least one parameter of the EA stimulation regimen in an appropriate manner that assists regulation of the patient's autonomic nervous system (ANS). One manner of determining an increase in sympathetic drive is to monitor the body temperature at the skin. A decrease in skin temperature is indicative of increased sympathetic drive and/or exercise stress due to vasoconstriction in the subcutaneous vascular bed. An adjunct to monitoring skin temperature is to monitor subcutaneous tissue impedance. Subcutaneous tissue impedance increases during vasoconstriction. Thus, a sensed change in tissue impedance may be used by itself, or as a compliment to sensed changes in temperature, to provide feedback within the closed loop EA system to adjust the stimulation regimen.

Abstract: An Implantable ElectroAcupuncture Device (IEAD) treats dyslipidemia conditions of a patient through application of stimulation pulses applied at acupoint ST40, or its underlying nerves saphenous and peroneal. The IEAD comprises an implantable, coin-sized, self-contained, leadless electroacupuncture device having at least two electrodes attached to an outside surface of its housing. The device generates stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Power management circuitry within the device allows a primary battery, having a high internal impedance, to be used to power the device. The stimulation regimen generates stimulation pulses during a stimulation session of duration T3 minutes applied every T4 minutes. The duty cycle, or ratio T3/T4, is very low, no greater than 0.05. The low duty cycle and careful power management allow the IEAD to perform its intended function for several years.

Abstract: An implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) treats a disease or medical condition of a patient through application of stimulation pulses applied at a specified acupoint or other target tissue location at a very low duty cycle. In a preferred implementation, the IEAD is an implantable, coin-sized, self-contained, leadless device having at least two electrodes attached to an outside surface of its housing, with at least one electrode on the top or bottom surface of the housing functioning as a cathode, and at least one electrode on the perimeter edge of the housing functioning as an anode. The electrodes may be segmented to include an array of smaller cathodic or anodic electrodes, each of which may be selectively turned ON or OFF so as to provide a convenient mechanism for adjusting the density of the stimulus current flowing through the cathodic electrode surface area.

Abstract: An implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) treats obese conditions of a patient through application of stimulation pulses applied at acupoints SP4, LR8 or ST40, or their underlying nerves saphenous and peroneal. The IEAD comprises an implantable, coin-sized, self-contained, leadless electroacupuncture device having at least two electrodes attached to an outside surface of its housing. The device generates stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Power management circuitry within the device allows a primary battery, having a high internal impedance, to be used to power the device. The stimulation regimen generates stimulation pulses during a stimulation session of duration T3 minutes applied every T4 minutes. The duty cycle, or ratio T3/T4, is very low, no greater than 0.05. The low duty cycle and careful power management allow the IEAD to perform its intended function for several years.

Abstract: An Implantable ElectroAcupuncture System (IEAS) treats dyslipidemia or obesity through application of stimulation pulses applied at at least one of acupoints ST36, SP4, ST37, ST40, SP6, SP9, K16, or LR8, or underlying nerves saphenous or peroneal. The IEAS includes an hermetically-sealed implantable electroacupuncture (EA) device having at least two electrodes located outside of its housing. The housing contains a primary power source, pulse generation circuitry, and a sensor that wirelessly senses externally-generated operating commands. The pulse generation circuitry generates stimulation pulses as controlled, at least in part, by the operating commands sensed through the sensor. The stimulation pulses are applied to the specified acupoint or nerve through the electrodes in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Such stimulation regimen requires that the stimulation session be applied at a very low duty cycle not greater than 0.05.

Abstract: An implantable electroacupuncture device (IEAD) treats an erectile dysfunction condition of a patient through application of stimulation pulses applied at a target tissue location underlying, or in the vicinity of, at least one of acupoints BL52, BL23 or GV4. The IEAD comprises an implantable, coin-sized, self-contained, leadless electroacupuncture device having at least two electrodes attached to an outside surface of its housing. The device generates stimulation pulses in accordance with a specified stimulation regimen. Power management circuitry within the device allows a primary battery, having a high internal impedance, to be used to power the device. The stimulation regimen generates stimulation pulses during a stimulation session of duration T3 minutes applied every T4 minutes. The duty cycle, or ratio T3/T4, is very low, no greater than 0.05. The low duty cycle and careful power management allow the IEAD to perform its intended function for several years.