Transcutaneous Vagal Nerve Stimulation Patch
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for treating post-operative symptoms and critical care conditions such as post-operative ileus, stroke, and severe illnesses like COVID-19 are inadequate in effectively managing gastrointestinal motility and reducing opioid-induced and inflammatory-induced dysfunction, leading to prolonged hospital stays and increased healthcare costs.
Innovation Solution
The use of vagal nerve stimulation devices that apply electrical impulses transcutaneously to the vagus nerve, employing electrodes attached to the skin or wearable devices, to reduce inflammatory cytokine production, enhance gastrointestinal motility, and alleviate pain, thereby improving patient outcomes and reducing hospital stay duration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional methods are used to treat post-operative symptoms and critical care conditions, then current standard of care is maintained, but gastrointestinal motility remains impaired and opioid-induced and inflammatory-induced dysfunction is not effectively reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces vagal nerve stimulation as an intermediary therapeutic mechanism to modulate the inflammatory response and gastrointestinal motility. The stimulation acts as a mediator between the nervous system and the inflammatory pathways, activating the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway to reduce cytokine production and improve gut function without directly administering pharmacological agents.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces pharmacological interventions (chemical system) with electrical nerve stimulation (physical system). Instead of using opioids and anti-inflammatory drugs to manage pain and inflammation, the invention uses vagal nerve stimulation to activate endogenous anti-inflammatory pathways and prokinetic effects, thereby reducing gastrointestinal dysfunction and opioid dependence.
2Productivity
If vagal nerve stimulation is applied to enhance gastrointestinal motility and reduce inflammation, then patient recovery is accelerated and healthcare costs are reduced, but additional treatment modality is introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent demonstrates that vagal nerve stimulation serves multiple therapeutic functions simultaneously: it reduces inflammatory cytokine production, enhances gastrointestinal motility, reduces opioid requirements for pain management, and improves overall patient outcomes. This multi-functionality allows a single treatment modality to address multiple aspects of post-operative and critical care conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention leverages the body's own physiological systems to achieve therapeutic effects. By stimulating the vagus nerve, the treatment activates the body's endogenous cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway and intrinsic gastrointestinal motility mechanisms, allowing the patient's own nervous system to perform the therapeutic work rather than relying on external pharmacological agents.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Vagal nerve stimulation effectively mitigates gastrointestinal motility impairment, reduces opioid reliance, and decreases inflammatory cytokines, leading to faster patient recovery and reduced healthcare costs by enhancing intestinal transit and reducing symptoms of post-operative ileus and critical care conditions.
Implementation Method 1
An electrical impulse is applied transcutaneously from the device through the outer skin surface of the patient to a vagus nerve in the patient
Data Source
AI summary
Devices, systems and methods are provided for symptoms in patients, such as postoperative symptoms following major surgery and/or for treating patients in critical or intensive care. A device includes a patch having an adhesive surface for adhering to an outer skin surface of the patient and comprising one or more electrodes. An energy source is wirelessly coupled to the electrodes and configured to generate at least one electrical impulse and to wirelessly transmit the at least one electrical impulse transcutaneously from the electrodes through the outer skin surface of the patient to a selected nerve in the patient according to a stimulation protocol. The stimulation protocol includes administering at least one dose of about sixty seconds to about 5 minutes each day for a plurality of days. The doses may be administered before and after the patient’s surgery, or while the patient is being treating in intensive care.