Method for stimulating pelvic floor muscles for regulating pelvic viscera

Claim 1

A method for modulating symptoms resulting from a loss of coordination between the normally synchronized functions of organs and for treatment of incontinence by increasing sphincter tonus either by direct stimulation of a sphincter muscle or by modulating reflex control mechanisms so that more effective sphincter tonus results, said organs including a bladder, a rectum and associated sphincters, in an anatomical system of a selected human, said system including S2 and S3 and S4 sacral segments of a spinal cord and a sacral nerve originating at each of said sacral segments, said sacral nerves forming a pelvic nerve when they leave the sacral canal, connected to said bladder to control contractions of a detrusor muscle thereof, and somatic components that subdivide into (1) a superior somatic nerve and (2) a pudendal nerve, including (a) an inferior somatic nerve connected to muscles controlling the external sphincter of said bladder, (b) an anal branch connected to an anal sphincter for said rectum, and (c) a dorsal nerve connected to a penis, the nerve bundle connected to said sphincters being controllable at a lower level of electrical stimulation than that required to control the functions of said bladder and rectum, said method comprising the steps of identifying the anatomical location and functional characteristics of selected nerve bundles controlling the separate function of at least one organ of said organs, positioning electrode means on said nerve bundles for electrically stimulating said nerve bundles while simultaneously isolating adjacent nerve bundles therefrom, and applying pulse trains sequentially to said electrode means to separately control the function of at least said one organ.

Claim 2

A method for modulating symptoms resulting from a loss of coordination between the normally synchronized functions of organs and for treatment of incontinence by increasing sphincter tonus either by direct stimulation of a sphincter muscle or by modulating reflex control mechanisms so that more effective sphincter tonus results, said organs including a bladder, a rectum and associated sphincters, in an anatomical system of a selected human, said system including S2 and S3 and S4 sacral segments of a spinal cord and a sacral nerve originating at each of said sacral segments, said sacral nerves forming a pelvic nerve when they leave the sacral canal, connected to said bladder to control contractions of a detrusor muscle thereof, and somatic components that subdivide into (1) a superior somatic nerve and (2) a pudendal nerve, including (a) an inferior somatic nerve connected to muscles controlling the external sphincter of said bladder, (b) an anal branch connected to an anal sphincter for said rectum, and (c) a dorsal nerve connected to a penis, the nerve bundle connected to said sphincters being controllable at a lower level of electrical stimulation than that required to control the functions of said bladder and rectum, said method comprising the steps of identifying the anatomical location and functional characteristics of selected nerve bundles controlling the separate function of at least one organ of said organs, positioning electrode means on said nerve bundles for electrically stimulating said nerve bundles while simultaneously isolating adjacent nerve bundles therefrom, and applying pulse trains sequentially to said electrode means to separately control the function of at least said one organ.

Claim 36

A method for simultaneously controlling the coordinated and synchronized functions of a bowel and associated sphincter in an anatomical system of a selected human, said system including S2, S3 and S4 sacral segments of a spinal cord and a sacral nerve originating at each of said sacral segments and each of said sacral nerves including a dorsal root and a ventral root in a sacral canal, said sacral nerves forming a pelvic nerve when they leave the sacral canal connected to said bladder to control contractions of a detrusor muscle thereof, a superior somatic nerve and a pudendal nerve including an inferior somatic nerve connected to muscles controlling the external sphincter of said bladder, and an anal branch connected to an urethral said method comprising the steps of identifying the anatomical location and functional characteristics of those nerve bundles controlling the separate functions of said bowel and sphincter, separating motor, sensory and autonomic and somatic nerve fibers controlling the separate functions of the bowel and associated sphincter from other nerve fibers, positioning electrode means on selected ones of said nerve bundles for electrically stimulating such fibers while simultaneously isolating adjacent nerve fibers therefrom, and applying coordinated and synchronized pulse trains sequentially or simultaneously to said electrode means to simultaneously and/or separately control the functions of said bowel and sphincter.

Claim 37

A method for simultaneously controlling the coordinated and synchronized functions of a bowel and associated sphincter in an anatomical system of a selected human, said system including S2, S3 and S4 sacral segments of a spinal cord and a sacral nerve originating at each of said sacral segments and each of said sacral nerves including a dorsal root and a ventral root in a sacral canal, said sacral nerves forming a pelvic nerve when they leave the sacral canal connected to said bladder to control contractions of a detrusor muscle thereof, a superior somatic nerve and a pudendal nerve including an inferior somatic nerve connected to muscles controlling the external sphincter of said bladder, and an anal branch connected to an urethral said method comprising the steps of identifying the anatomical location and functional characteristics of those nerve bundles controlling the separate functions of said bowel and sphincter, separating motor, sensory and autonomic and somatic nerve fibers controlling the separate functions of the bowel and associated sphincter from other nerve fibers, positioning electrode means on selected ones of said nerve bundles for electrically stimulating such fibers while simultaneously isolating adjacent nerve fibers therefrom, and applying coordinated and synchronized pulse trains sequentially or simultaneously to said electrode means to simultaneously and/or separately control the functions of said bowel and sphincter.