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The device stimulates the vagus nerve, signaling the body to tamp down the inflammation that contributes to the disease.
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved a medical device that offers new hope to patients incapacitated by rheumatoid arthritis, a chronic condition that afflicts 1.5 million Americans and is often resistant to treatment.
The condition is usually managed with medications. The device represents a radical departure from standard care, tapping the power of the brain and nervous system to tamp down the uncontrolled inflammation that leads to the debilitating autoimmune disease.
The SetPoint System is an inch-long device that is surgically implanted into the neck, where it sits in a pod wrapped around the vagus nerve, the largest nerve in the body. The device electrically stimulates the nerve, a sort of information freeway through the body, for one minute each day.
The stimulation can turn off crippling inflammation and “reset” the immune system, research has shown. Most drugs used to treat rheumatoid arthritis suppress the immune system, leaving patients vulnerable to serious infections.
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A fan of PEMF, this interests me a great deal. If the Set Point device can - for practical purposes - reset unnecessary immune system over response, this could help a great many things.
If this new device works as stated, also resetting adaptive immune system over response, e. g. psoriasis would be a thing of the past. Crossing fingers here but … too good to be true.
Some of us use Pulsetto to stimulate vagus nerve. Looks like it’s not that efficient and an implant is needed to do the real job. I do not notice any benefits from using Pulsetto.
…biphasic square-wave pulses at ~0.75 mA** to stimulate the vagus nerve
I followed up asking:
Could one deliver biphasic square-wave pulses at approximately 0.75 mA to stimulate the vagus nerve with surface electrodes?
Response follows
Delivering biphasic square-wave pulses at ~0.75 mA to stimulate the vagus nerve with surface electrodes (non-invasive approach) is technically possible , but presents important limitations and considerations :
1. Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation (tVNS)
Yes, a non-invasive method called tVNS (transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation) uses surface electrodes to stimulate auricular or cervical branches of the vagus nerve:
Auricular tVNS (taVNS):
Targets the auricular branch of the vagus nerve (ABVN) via electrodes placed on the tragus or cymba conchae of the ear.
Often uses biphasic square pulses in the range of 0.2–6 mA , at frequencies like 20–30 Hz , and pulse widths of 200–500 µs .
Widely used in research and some consumer medical devices (e.g., gammaCore, Parasym, Nemos, tVNS Technologies).
Cervical tVNS:
Surface electrodes placed on the neck over the cervical vagus nerve path.
Harder to target accurately without high current or specialized waveform shaping.
Commercial example: gammaCore Sapphire (for cluster headaches and migraines).
2. Challenges of Surface Vagus Nerve Stimulation at 0.75 mA
Current Intensity: While 0.75 mA seems modest, skin impedance (especially over the neck) requires higher voltages to reach nerve thresholds.
Depth of Nerve: The cervical vagus nerve lies deep under skin, fat, and muscle. Surface stimulation often cannot penetrate deep enough unless aided by specialized waveforms or high-voltage pulses.
Selectivity: Surface stimulation may activate surrounding nerves and muscles, leading to side effects (e.g., throat twitching, coughing, discomfort).
Conclusion:
One can use surface electrodes to attempt vagus nerve stimulation at ~0.75 mA using biphasic square-wave pulses, but this typically works best when applied to the ear (auricular tVNS), not the neck. Most cervical vagus stimulation via skin requires higher current or voltage, and lacks the precision and reliability of implanted electrodes.