Transcutaneous electrostimulator and methods for electric stimulation

• US 10,130,809 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neuvana LLC
• Original Assignee: Nervana, LLC
• Inventors: Cartledge, Richard, Cartledge, Daniel, Brannon, Ami, Falk, Kermit, Mayback, Gregory L.
• Primary Examiner(s): FAIRCHILD, MALLIKA DIPAYAN
• Application Number:
  US15/371,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20170087364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 713 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/00 Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor A61N2/00 takes precedence; irradiation apparatus A61N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/04 Electrodes electrosurgical electrodes A61B18/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0472 Structure-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0476 Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities)
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/05 for implantation or insertion into the body, e.g. heart electrode A61N1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0526 Head electrodes A61N1/0551 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/18 Applying electric currents by contact electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/32 alternating or intermittent currents applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling A61N1/40; microwave apparatus A61N5/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3603 Control systems
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36034 specified by the stimulation parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36036 of the outer, middle or inner ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/372 Arrangements in connection with the implantation of stimulators
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/10 Earpieces; Attachments therefor ; Earphones; Monophonic headphones H04R1/28 takes precedence; stereophonic headphones H04R5/033
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1008 Earpieces of the supra-aural or circum-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type

Abstract

An electrostimulation device includes a computer generating an electrostimulation generator control signal and outputting a music signal, a transcutaneous electrostimulation generator, an electronic signal conduit, and an electrode coupler. The generator receives the generator control signal and the music signal, generates a nerve electrostimulation signal dependent upon the generator control signal, and outputs the nerve electrostimulation signal at the stimulation output and the music signal at an audio output. The coupler fits in an ear canal, has a speaker connected to the audio output to output the music signal into the ear canal when worn, and has electrostimulation electrodes conductively connected to the stimulation output through the electronic signal conduit to receive the nerve electrostimulation signal and positioned to contact tissue within the canal to transcutaneously apply the nerve electrostimulation signal thereto. The coupler supplies the nerve electrostimulation signal while music outputs from the speaker.

Claims

1. An electrostimulation device, comprising:

a computer generating an electrostimulation generator control signal;

a transcutaneous electrostimulation generator having a stimulation output and;

receiving the electrostimulation generator control signal;

generating a nerve electrostimulation signal dependent upon the electrostimulation generator control signal; and

outputting the nerve electrostimulation signal at the stimulation output;

an electronic signal conduit conductively connected to the stimulation output; and

a tragus-canal electrode clamp having;

a tragus boom comprising as a first electrostimulation electrode having a first tragus contact that is conductively connected to the electronic signal conduit to receive the nerve electrostimulation signal;

a canal boom longer than the first tragus boom, including a hinge for pivotally connecting the canal boom to the tragus boom, and comprising;

a second electrostimulation electrode having a canal contact conductively connected to the electronic signal conduit to receive the nerve electrostimulation signal;

a second tragus contact;

a first stiff proximal portion connected to the hinge and formed of a material that retains its shape when the first tragus contact of the tragus boom and the second tragus contact of the canal boom are adapted to be secured on the tragus; and

a flexible distal portion integral with the first stiff proximal portion and formed of a material that deforms when the first tragus contact of the tragus boom and the second tragus contact of the canal boom are adapted to be secured on the tragus;

the canal boom, the tragus boom, and the hinge together forming a shape such that, when adapted to be placed about a user'"'"'s tragus;

the tragus boom is adapted to place the first tragus contact on an outer surface of the tragus; and

the canal boom is adapted to place the second tragus contact on an inner surface of the tragus opposite the first tragus contact and adapted to place the canal contact on a surface of the ear canal adjacent the tragus and within the ear canal further from the hinge than the second tragus contact.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

the computer outputs a music signal;

the transcutaneous electrostimulation generator has an audio output, receives the music signal, and outputs the music signal at the audio output;

the electronic signal conduit is conductively connected to the audio output; and

the tragus-canal electrode clamp;

has at least one audio speaker connected to the audio output through the electronic signal conduit and outputs the music signal into the ear canal when worn; and

supplies the nerve electrostimulation signal while the music signal is output from the at least one audio speaker.

3. The device according to claim 2, further comprising a wired connection between the computer and the electrostimulation generator, wherein the computer transmits the electrostimulation generator control signal and the music signal to the electrostimulation generator through the wired connection.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein the computer transmits the electrostimulation generator control signal and the music signal to the electrostimulation generator wirelessly.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein:

the audio output of the electrostimulation generator is an audio output port; and

the electronic signal conduit comprises;

a speaker conductively connected to the at least one speaker and having an audio jack shaped to be inserted into the audio output to receive therefrom the music signal; and

an electrostimulation conduit conductively connecting the nerve electrostimulation signal to at least one of the first and second electrostimulation electrodes.

6. The device according to claim 2, wherein the computer modulates the nerve electrostimulation signal based upon the music signal.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the nerve electrostimulation signal is configured to stimulate at least one of a vagus nerve, a trigeminal nerve, a peripheral nerve, and a cranial nerve.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein the computer is one of a smartphone, a tablet, and a personal computer.

9. The device according to claim 1, wherein, when the tragus-canal electrode clamp is adapted to be placed on the tragus:

the first and second tragus contacts provide a tragus clamping force that is adapted to retain the tragus-canal electrode clamp on the tragus; and

the distal portion flexes from the proximal portion independently of the tragus clamping force, which flexing provides a surface-to-surface contact force that is adapted to press the canal contact against the surface of the ear canal to establish electrical contact therebetween.

10. The device according to claim 1, wherein:

the electronic signal conduit has conductive leads; and

each of the first tragus contact and the canal contact has an electrically conductive exterior portion conductively connected to a respective one of the conductive leads.

11. The device according to claim 1, wherein the first tragus contact and the canal contact are formed of a conductive material and/or coated with a conductive material.

12. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second tragus contact comprising as a third electrostimulation electrode has an electrically conductive exterior portion that is conductively connected to the electronic signal conduit to receive the nerve electrostimulation signal.

13. The device according to claim 1, wherein the hinge is a spring hinge.

14. The device according to claim 1, wherein the hinge is a bi-modal hinge.

15. The device according to claim 1, further comprising a wired connection between the computer and the transcutaneous electrostimulation generator, wherein the computer and the transcutaneous electrostimulation generator are separate and are connected by the wired connection.

16. The device according to claim 1, wherein the computer and the transcutaneous electrostimulation generator are separate and are connected wirelessly.