Craving input and support system

• US 10,679,516 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2016
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Chrono Therapeutics Inc.
• Original Assignee: Morningside Venture Investments Ltd. (Morningside Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Darmour, Jennifer A., Hapgood, Jenny E., Roth, David Evans, Overbeck, Ronald A., Levy, Alan Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar A
• Application Number:
  US15/551,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20180033330A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,551 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0425 Ergonomically shaped housings A61B2560/0418 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/021 Measuring pressure in heart or blood vessels A61B5/0205 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/024 Detecting, measuring or recording pulse rate or heart rate A61B5/0205, A61B5/021 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0533 Measuring galvanic skin response
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/082 Evaluation by breath analysis, e.g. determination of the chemical composition of exhaled breath A61B5/083, A61B5/091 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/11 Measuring movement of the entire body or parts thereof, e.g. head or hand tremor, mobility of a limb for measuring pulse A61B5/02 ;A61B5/1038 takes precedence; motion detection to correct for motion artifacts in physiological signals A61B5/721
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7455 characterised by tactile indication, e.g. vibration or electrical stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation

Abstract

A craving control device comprising a housing, a craving input actuator supported by the housing, a wireless communicator supported by the housing, and a controller is provided. The craving input actuator can be configured to obtain information from a user pertaining to a timing, frequency, or intensity of a craving. The controller can be operatively connected to the craving input actuator and the wireless communicator to communicate craving information received by the craving input actuator via the wireless communicator to a device external to the housing. The device external to the housing can be a personal communication device. The housing can be sized and configured to be enclosed in the user'"'"'s hand and or to be placed in a pocket of the user'"'"'s clothing. Methods for using the craving control devices are also provided.

Claims

1. A craving control device comprising:

a housing,

a craving input actuator supported by the housing, the craving input actuator being configured to obtain information from a user pertaining to a timing, frequency, or intensity of a craving,

a wireless communicator supported by the housing,

a controller operatively connected to the craving input actuator and the wireless communicator to communicate craving timing, frequency, or intensity information received by the craving input actuator via the wireless communicator to a device external to the housing, and

a distraction feature comprising a timer adapted to distract the user during a craving episode, the time comprising a vibration source operable by the controller to vibrate for the expected duration of the craving episode.

2. The craving control device of claim 1, wherein the housing is sized and configured to be enclosed in the user'"'"'s hand.

3. The craving control device of claim 1, wherein the housing is sized and configured to be placed in a pocket of the user'"'"'s clothing.

4. The craving control device of claim 1, wherein the housing is sized and configured to be worn on the user'"'"'s clothing.

5. The craving control device of claim 1, wherein the timer starts with actuation of the craving input actuator.

6. The craving control device of claim 1, wherein the timer comprises a visual display configured to change during the expected duration of the craving episode.

7. The craving control device of claim 6, wherein the visual display comprises a plurality of lights.

8. The craving control device of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operate the vibration source to vibrate with an intensity that varies during the expected duration of the craving episode.

9. The craving control device of claim 1, further comprising a user parameter sensor supported by the housing and adapted to obtain user parameter information relevant to the craving, the controller being operatively connected to the user parameter sensor to communicate user parameter information sensed by the sensor via the wireless communicator to the device external to the housing.

10. The craving control device of claim 1, further comprising an environmental parameter sensor supported by the housing and adapted to obtain environmental information relevant to the craving, the controller being operatively connected to the environmental parameter sensor to communicate environmental parameter information sensed by the sensor via the wireless communicator to the device external to the housing.

12. The craving control device of claim 1, further comprising the external device, wherein the external device comprises a personal communication device having a processor programmed to electronically send a message to a support contact provided by the user.

13. The craving control device of claim 1, further comprising the external device, wherein the external device comprises a personal communication device having a processor programmed to provide craving support to the user in response to craving information from the craving input actuator.

14. The craving control device of claim 13, the processor further programmed to provide the craving support proactively to the user based on a past information from the user pertaining to craving occurrence and craving intensity.

15. The craving control device of claim 13, wherein the craving control device further comprises a user parameter sensor, the personal communication device processor being further programmed to provide craving support to the user in response to a user parameter sensed by the sensor.

16. The craving control device of claim 9, wherein the user parameter sensor comprises one or more of a:

humidity sensor, breath sensor, nicotine sensor, carbon monoxide sensor, carbon dioxide sensor, oxygen sensor, inertia sensor, electrocardiogram (ECG) lead, electromyography (EMG) lead, accelerometer, blood pressure sensor, galvanic skin response sensor, temperature sensor, and heart rate sensor.

17. The craving control device of claim 14, wherein the craving control device further comprises an environmental parameter sensor, the personal communication device processor being further programmed to provide craving support to the user in response to environmental parameter information sensed by the sensor.

18. The craving control device of claim 10, wherein the environmental parameter sensor comprises an ambient light sensor, ultraviolet light sensor, air pressure sensor, environmental pollutant sensor, or a temperature sensor.

19. The craving control device of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to determine the intensity of the craving based on a pattern received by the input actuator.

11. A craving control device comprising:

a housing,

a craving input actuator supported by the housing, the craving input actuator being configured to obtain information from a user pertaining to a timing, frequency, or intensity of a craving,

a wireless communicator supported by the housing,

a controller operatively connected to the craving input actuator and the wireless communicator to communicate craving timing, frequency, or intensity information received by the craving input actuator via the wireless communicator to a device external to the housing, and

a breath sensor and a display supported by the housing, the controller being operatively connected to the display to provide a target breathing pattern for the user and to the breath sensor to measure a breathing pattern of the user.

20. A method of receiving a craving input from a user comprising:

receiving information from the user pertaining to a craving occurrence and an intensity of a craving with a craving control device comprising a housing and a craving input actuator supported by the housing, the information from the user pertaining to the craving occurrence and craving intensity of the craving received through the craving input actuator;

wirelessly communicating craving occurrence and craving intensity information received by the craving input actuator to a device external to the housing; and

providing a distraction to the user in response to the craving occurrence and craving intensity information with a distraction feature that is part of the craving control device by starting a timer marking an expected duration of the craving episode after actuation of the craving input actuator, the timer comprising a vibration source operable by the controller, and vibrating the vibration source for the expected duration of the craving episode.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing a visual display with the timer that changes during the expected duration of the craving episode.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein providing the visual display comprises providing a plurality of lights.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising varying an intensity of the vibration source during the expected duration of the craving episode.

24. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving a user parameter information relevant to the craving with a user parameter sensor supported by the housing and wirelessly transmitting data corresponding to the user parameter information to the device external to the housing.

25. The method of claim 20, further comprising receiving an environmental parameter information relevant to the craving with an environmental parameter sensor supported by the housing and wirelessly transmitting data corresponding to the environmental parameter information to the device external to the housing.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing a craving support to the user in response to craving information from the craving input actuator with the external device.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving information from a user parameter sensor supported by the housing and providing a craving support to the user based on a user parameter sensed by the user parameter sensor.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the user parameter sensor comprises one or more of a:

humidity sensor, breath sensor, nicotine sensor, carbon monoxide sensor, carbon dioxide sensor, oxygen sensor, inertia sensor, electrocardiogram (ECG) lead, electromyography (EMG) lead, accelerometer, blood pressure sensor, galvanic skin response sensor, temperature sensor, and heart rate sensor.

30. The method of claim 27, further comprising receiving information from an environmental parameter sensor supported by the housing and providing a craving support to the user based on the environmental parameter sensed by the environmental parameter sensor.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the environmental parameter sensor comprises an ambient light sensor, ultraviolet light sensor, air pressure sensor, environmental pollutant sensor, or a temperature sensor.

32. The method of claim 20, wherein the housing is sized and configured to be enclosed in the user'"'"'s hand.

33. The method of claim 20, wherein the housing is sized and configured to be placed in a pocket of the user'"'"'s clothing.

34. The method of claim 20, wherein the external device comprises a personal communication device comprising a display and further comprising providing information to the user with the display of the personal communication device relating to the timing and intensity of the cravings.

35. The method of claim 20, further comprising determining the intensity of the craving based on a pattern received by the input actuator.

36. The method of claim 20, wherein the external device comprises a personal communication device and further comprising electronically sending a message to a support contact provided by the user upon receiving information from the user pertaining to the occurrence and intensity of the craving.

37. The method of claim 20, further comprising providing a distraction to the user proactively based on a past information from the user pertaining to craving occurrence and craving intensity.

26. A method of receiving a craving input from a user comprising:

receiving information from the user pertaining to a craving occurrence and an intensity of a craving with a craving control device comprising a housing and a craving input actuator supported by the housing, the information from the user pertaining to the craving occurrence and craving intensity of the craving received through the craving input actuator;

wirelessly communicating craving occurrence and craving intensity information received by the craving input actuator to a device external to the housing; and

receiving breathing parameter information relevant to the craving from the user with a breath sensor supported by the housing and providing a target breathing pattern for the user with a display supported by the housing or with a display of the external device.