Life Saving Bio-Electric Medicine Holds Potential to Defeat COVID-19 Cytokine Storm

Electronic Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS) May Mitigate the Deadly Immune Response in COVID-19 Patients.

Overland Park, Kansas – May 4, 2020 – Dr. Patrick Nemechek, founder of Nemechek Technologies, has submitted a proposal to use vagus nerve stimulation as an immune-suppressing therapy for hospitalized COVID-19 patients, potentially avoiding respiratory failure and saving countless lives. The proposal was submitted to the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA). BARDA is tasked with seeking innovative vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics to combat COVID-19.

Dr. Nemechek notes that patients hospitalized with COVID-19 are predominantly dying of respiratory failure due to a surge of pro-inflammatory cytokines triggering acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).  ARDS is the reason such a high percentage of patients require mechanical ventilation. Watch a brief video discussing how VNS might save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Known as a cytokine storm, the surge of inflammation-signaling molecules released by the immune system is the excessive inflammatory reaction associated with septic shock.  While anti-viral agents will be required to reduce the molecular viral burden in COVID-19 patients, another approach is needed to control the damaging cytokine release.  Targeting the inflammatory response with immunosuppressant drugs might inhibit the body’s natural anti-viral immune response, thereby delaying virus clearance and potentially increasing the risk of secondary infection and death.

A solution to this excessive inflammatory reaction may be electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve.  The vagus nerve provides control signals to many organs in the body including the immune system, heart, lungs, digestive track, spleen, liver, etc. 

Known as the vagus inflammatory reflex, stimulating the vagus nerve with a mild electrical current improves the body’s natural ability to regulate damaging inflammation. Nemechek Technologies hopes to show that transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS) can suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines enough to prevent the need for mechanical ventilation and death in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Download a copy of our VNS for COVID-19 Infection White Paper.

In fact, a recent case study highlights the ability of VNS to improve the clinical course of patients recovering from COVID-19 infection. 

Nemechek Technologies proposes to use the Vitality Smartcable as a tVNS immunoregulating therapy, transmitting the stimulation through a specially designed electrode clip that fits comfortably on the ear.  This mode of vagus stimulation is safe, inexpensive, does not require surgery, and requires little training. Importantly, a single unit can be shared among many patients with minimum sterilization.

The combination of effectiveness, low cost, safety and simplicity make tVNS an important candidate therapy to be evaluated in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.  Bioelectrical stimulation of the vagus nerve is an unexplored avenue that could fill the urgent need for improving a patient’s immune regulation.

Dr. Patrick Nemechek stated, “Our tVNS device has the potential to be an ideal therapy for healthcare systems struggling to treat hospitalized patients.  If successful, Vitality Smartcables can be made in large numbers and can quickly and easily be re-used from patient to patient after a simple sterilization process.”

Nemechek Technologies has offered to donate devices for use in studies to evaluate its potential for mitigating the progress of COVID-19 disease including decreasing ICU admissions, patient intubations, and mortality.

About Nemechek Technologies, LLC

Founded by Patrick Nemechek, D.O. and Jean Nemechek in 2019, Nemechek Technologies, LLC is a privately held company that produces and markets the Vitality Smartcable, the first transcutaneous neuromodulator that runs off your smartphone.  Two versions are available, one for Apple iOS devices and another for Android phones.  The smartphone, tablet or iPod provides the power and becomes the user interface for controlling Smartcable settings.  The Vitality Smartcable is designed to be a convenient and portable neuromodulation device in accordance with the FDA’s General Wellness Policy for Low Risk Devices to be self-administered by the user easily and safely to maintain optimal health.

With 20 years’ experience as an HIV physician and researcher, Dr. Nemechek was awarded U.S. Patent No. 10,335,396 for his method of using vagus nerve stimulation to lower inflammation and reversing autonomic nervous system damage. The Nemechek Protocol^®, which focuses on the reduction of chronic inflammation, includes the use of transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation. Dr. Nemechek has treated more than 1,000 patients with vagus nerve stimulation therapy over the past ten years at his clinic in Verrado, Ariz.  Nemechek Technologies, LLC is headquartered in Overland Park, Kan.

More information about Dr. Nemechek’s extensive research and clinical experience is available online: https://www.nemechekconsultativemedicine.com/dr-nemechek-resume/

Video Link: http://player.vimeo.com/video/414039432

Media Contact
Company Name: Nemechek Technologies, LLC
Contact Person: Michael Nemechek
Email: Send Email
Phone: 9132191239
City: Overland Park
State: Kansas
Country: United States
Website: www.nemechektechnologies.com