Respiratory-gated Auricular Vagal Afferent Nerve Stimulation (RAVANS) Study in Ulcerative Colitis

Exclusion Criteria

• •1. Expectation to increase corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive treatment
• •2. Presence of bowel stricture
• •3. History of intra-abdominal or perirectal abscess
• •4. Disease limited to only rectum (ulcerative proctitis)
• •5. Active treatment with antibiotics
• •6. Presence of active intestinal infection or documented infection by stool PCR or culture analysis in the previous 6 weeks
• •7. Continuous treatment with an anticholinergic medication, including over the counter medications (See appendix)
• •8. Implantable electronic devices such as pacemakers, defibrillators, hearing aids, cochlear implants or deep brain stimulators.
• •9. Current tobacco or nicotine user including nicotine patches, gum and vaping (to limit potential confounding effects of exposure to nicotine)
• •10. Bowel resection surgery within past 90 days prior to study enrollment, or planned surgery within the course of the study
• •11. Any planned surgical procedure requiring general anesthesia within the course of the study
• •12. Participation in any other Investigational drug and/or treatment currently or planned during the length of the study
• •13. Any condition which, in the opinion of the investigator, would jeopardize the subject's safety following exposure to a study intervention
• •14. Pregnancy or Lactation
• •15. Comorbid disease with high likelihood of requiring corticosteroid use
• •16. Inability to comply with study and follow-up procedures
• •17. Individuals with prior medical history of significant arrhythmias, including but not limited to, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, sick sinus syndrome, and AV blocks
• •18. Individuals with existing skin lesions on the left ear