US 11,918,809 B2
System and method for automatic vagus nerve stimulation for post-stroke rehabilitation
Vishvak Rangarajan, Peoria, AZ (US); Devin Dhooge, Tempe, AZ (US); Kiryl Sheleg, Scottsdale, AZ (US); Nicholas Holmes, Tempe, AZ (US); Jeffrey Kleim, Scottsdale, AZ (US); Bradley Greger, Phoenix, AZ (US); and Shivanshi Shukla, Chandler, AZ (US)
Assigned to Arizona Board of Regents on Behalf of Arizona State University, Scottsdale, AZ (US)
Filed by ARIZONA BOARD OF REGENTS ON BEHALF OF ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY, Scottsdale, AZ (US)
Filed on Apr. 28, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/243,564.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/018,106, filed on Apr. 30, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0339023 A1, Nov. 4, 2021
Int. Cl. A61N 1/36 (2006.01); A61N 1/04 (2006.01); A61N 5/06 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 1/36067 (2013.01) [A61N 1/0456 (2013.01); A61N 1/36025 (2013.01); A61N 1/3603 (2017.08); A61N 5/0613 (2013.01); A61N 2005/0626 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for the automatic stimulation of a vagus nerve for post-stroke rehabilitation, comprising:
an application subsystem comprising an electrode positioned to stimulate the vagus nerve of a user, the coupling of the electrode to the user performed outside of a surgical setting;
a signal subsystem comprising a waveform generator communicatively coupled to an amplifier, the amplifier communicatively coupled to the electrode of the application subsystem and configured to amplify a waveform generated by the waveform generator; and
a triggering subsystem comprising a receiver configured to detect the presence of a tag within a threshold distance, the triggering subsystem communicatively coupled to the signal subsystem and configured to automatically trigger the generation and amplification of the waveform by the signal subsystem upon detecting the presence of the tag within the threshold distance, the waveform driving the electrode of the application subsystem to stimulate the vagus nerve of the user;
wherein the tag is located proximate a rehabilitation context such that the tag is within the threshold distance from the triggering subsystem when the user is using the rehabilitation context for post-stroke rehabilitation training, resulting in the vagus nerve of the user being automatically stimulated by the application subsystem in response to the user's post-stroke rehabilitation training.