Head apparatus and assistant device for the treatment of BPPV

• US 20030116166A1
• Filed: 10/25/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Philip F. Anthony
• Original Assignee: Philip F. Anthony
• Inventors: Anthony, Philip F.
• Granted Patent: US 6,758,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 128/897
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• 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 5/1116 Determining posture transitions
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1122 of movement trajectories
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1126 using a particular sensing technique
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4023 Evaluating sense of balance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles

Abstract

The apparatus includes a fluid suspended, inner member, which has printed upon it a series of position bull'"'"'s eyes, which are connected by a path printed on the inner member. The inner member is contained within a transparent, watertight outer housing, which has a sighting marking printed upon it. The device is attached to the user'"'"'s head in a manner such that when the user moves his head, the outer member can move relative to the inner member. This allows the user to follow the path to visually track his correct head position through the posterior canalith repositioning maneuver sequence. Also attached to the user apparatus is an assistant apparatus which includes a hollow ball containing a liquid sufficient to form a small bubble which allows an assistant to follow a second path which corresponds to that seen by the user when he follows the user path.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use for treating benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in a person, comprising:

a user means sensitive to different spatial positions for displaying user information sufficient to allow the person to follow a first path with the person'"'"'s head when said device is coupled to the person'"'"'s head;

support means for supporting said user means,

coupling means for coupling said user means to the person'"'"'s head to allow the person to move the person'"'"'s head and hence said user means and to see, with an eye of the person, the information displayed to allow the person to progressively move said user means and hence the person'"'"'s head to positions to follow said given path;

an assistant means coupled to said support and having a second path thereon such that an assistant may see said second path when the person sees said first path;

said assistant means being sensitive to different spatial positions for displaying information along said second path corresponding to that seen by the person when the person follows said first path.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said user means comprises:

a housing having located therein a inner member supported such that said inner member and said housing can move relative to each other;

said first path being formed on said inner member.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said assistant means comprises:

a transparent wall having an interior cavity;

a liquid located in said cavity sufficient to define a bubble in said cavity which can be moved to different positions as said wall is rotated,

said observer path being formed on said wall.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said observer means comprises;

a transparent wall having an interior cavity;

a liquid located in said cavity sufficient to define a bubble in said cavity which can be moved to different positions as said wall is rotated,

said second path being formed on said wall.

5. An apparatus for treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in a person, comprising:

a support adapted to be coupled to a person'"'"'s head;

an assistant member having a transparent wall defining an interior cavity coupled to said support;

a liquid located in said cavity sufficient to define a bubble in said cavity which can be moved to different positions as said assistant member is rotated;

a path formed on said wall

a support for coupling said member to a person'"'"'s head such that said bubble may be seen by an assistant, and said assistant member may be moved by the person as the person moves the person'"'"'s head to different spatial positions to cause said bubble to be moved along said path and to be seen by an assistant.

6. An apparatus for use for treating benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in a person, comprising:

spatial position sensitive means sensitive to different spatial positions for displaying information sufficient to allow the person to follow a path with the persons head when said spatial position sensitive means is coupled to the person'"'"'s head;

support means for coupling said spatial position sensitive means to the person'"'"'s head to allow the person to move the person'"'"'s head and hence said spatial position sensitive means to see the information displayed to allow the person to progressively move said spatial position sensitive means and hence the person'"'"'s head to positions to follow said path;

said support means comprising structure adapted to be coupled to a person'"'"'s head with an eye opening to be located in front of a person'"'"'s eye and with spatial position sensitive means located to the side of said eye opening away from the other eye of the person;

a lens and a mirror located between spatial position sensitive means and said eye opening such that an optical path is provided between said opening and said spatial position sensitive means by way of said lens and said mirror.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said support means may be coupled to a person'"'"'s head to locate said eye opening next to either eye of the person.

8. An apparatus for use for treating benign paroxysmal position vertigo in a person, comprising:

a spatial position sensitive means sensitive to different spatial positions for displaying information sufficient to allow the person to follow a given path with the person'"'"'s head when said spatial position sensitive means is coupled to the person'"'"'s head;

support means for coupling said spatial position sensitive means to the person'"'"'s head to allow the person to move the person'"'"'s head and hence said spatial position sensitive means and to see the information displayed to allow the person to progressively move said spatial position sensitive means and hence the person'"'"'s head to positions to follow said given path;

said support means comprises a wall defining a cavity with a first end adapted to be coupled to a person'"'"'s head and a second end having an outer opening for receiving and holding said spatial position sensitive means.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

said spatial position sensitive means is removably located in said cavity.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein:

said first end of said support means has an eye opening to be located in front of a person'"'"'s eye and with spatial position sensitive means located to the side of said eye opening away from the other eye of the person;

a lens and a mirror located between spatial position sensitive means and said eye opening such that an optical path is provided between said eye opening and said spatial position sensitive means by way of said lens and said mirror.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

said spatial position sensitive means is removably located in said cavity.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein:

said spatial position sensitive means can be located at different positions between said outer opening and said eye opening for focusing purposes.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, whereon:

said spatial position sensitive means is removably located in said cavity.

14. The apparatus of any one of claims 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 comprising:

an assistant means coupled to said support means and having a second path thereon such that an assistant may see said second path when the person sees said given path,

said assistant means being sensitive to different spatial positions for displaying information along said second path corresponding to that seen by the person when the person follows said given path.

15. The apparatus of any one of claims 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, comprising:

an assistant means coupled to said support means and having a second path thereon such that an assistant may see said second path when the person sees said given path,

said assistant means being sensitive to different spatial positions for displaying information along said second path corresponding to that seen by the person when the person follows said given path,

an assistant member having a transparent wall defining an interior cavity coupled to said support member;

a liquid located in said cavity sufficient to define a bubble in said cavity which can be moved to different positions as said observer member is rotated;

said second path being formed on said wall which may be followed by said bubble and seen by an assistant as the person moves the person'"'"'s head;

said bubble being sensitive to different spatial positions for displaying information along said second path corresponding to that seen by the person when the person follows said given path.