APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR THE TREATMENT OF HEADACHE

• US 20100030299A1
• Filed: 10/13/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alejandro Covalin
• Original Assignee: Alejandro Covalin
• Inventors: Covalin, Alejandro
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,075 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 18/00 Surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body eye surgery A61F9/007; ear surgery A61F11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain

Abstract

A battery-operated transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) to treat headache pain in an abortive and/or preventive manner. The TENS unit and its electrodes are built into a unitary device which facilitates a self-administered treatment. In some embodiments, the pulses are monophasic. In other embodiments, pairs of biphasic pulses are provided, wherein each pair of biphasic pulses includes a first pulse having a first polarity separated by a gap in time from a second pulsed having an opposite polarity. In some embodiments, each pulse in each biphasic pair is of a duration equal to that of the other pulse of the pair. In some embodiments, the duration of each pulse is between about 50 microseconds and about 400 microseconds, and the gap in time between pulses of a pair is between about 50 and 100 microseconds.

Claims

1. A method for treating a headache of a patient, the method comprising:

providing a portable, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) having;

a first plurality of non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to a common electrode base and each electrically connected to a first signal output of the TENS, and

a second plurality of non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to the common electrode base, wherein the TENS is configured such that the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes can be simultaneously placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s head, and wherein the second plurality of electrodes each electrically connected to a second signal output of the TENS;

receiving, by the TENS, an activation indication; and

based on the activation indication, providing a plurality of electrical pulses between the first signal output of the TENS and the second signal output of the TENS such that the electrical pulses are applied from both the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes transcutaneously to the patient'"'"'s head to stimulate nerves of the patient in order to treat headache pain.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the TENS includes housing the TENS and the first and second plurality of electrodes in a unitary device, and wherein the device facilitates a self-administered treatment by the patient.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the plurality of electrical pulses treats headache pain in an abortive manner.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the plurality of electrical pulses treats headache pain in a preventive manner.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the plurality of electrical pulses includes providing biphasic substantially square pulses including a first plurality of pulses having a first polarity and a duration of no more than 400 microseconds and a second plurality of pulses having a second polarity, opposite the first polarity, and a duration of no more than 400 microseconds.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes are grouped into a first group, wherein the electrodes of the second plurality of electrodes are grouped into a second group, wherein the first group is located at a distance from the second group that is greater than a distance between any two adjacent electrodes in each group.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the plurality of electrical pulses includes providing electrical pulses having a non-zero pulse width that is equal or less than 400 microseconds.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the plurality of electrical pulses includes stimulating one or more of the nerve structures selected from the group consisting of the right greater occipital nerve, the left greater occipital nerve, the right least (third) occipital nerve, the left least (third) occipital nerve, the right lesser occipital nerve, the left lesser occipital nerve, the right great auricular nerve, and the left great auricular nerve.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising disabling power to the first and second plurality of electrodes if no pressure is applied to the head of the device, and enabling pulsed power to the first and second plurality of electrodes if pressure is applied.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each one of the first and second plurality of electrodes is hollow, the method further comprising:

dispensing a conductive gel through each one of the first and second plurality of hollow electrodes; and

disabling power to each one of the first and second plurality of hollow electrodes if no pressure is applied to the head of the device.

11. An apparatus for treating a headache of a patient, the apparatus comprising:

a portable, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) having

a common electrode base;

a first plurality of non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to the common electrode base and each electrically connected to a first signal output of the TENS, and

a second plurality of non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to the common electrode base, wherein the TENS is configured such that the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes can be simultaneously placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s head, and wherein the second plurality of electrodes are each electrically connected to a second signal output of the TENS,

wherein the TENS presents a plurality of electrical pulses between the first signal output of the TENS and the second signal output of the TENS such that the electrical pulses are applied from both the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes transcutaneously to the patient'"'"'s head to stimulate nerves of the patient, in order to treat headache pain.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the TENS unit and the first and second plurality of electrodes are housed in a unitary device, wherein the device has no exposed wiring, and wherein the device facilitates a self-administered treatment by the patient.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the TENS includes a circuit configured to output a plurality of electrical biphasic substantially square pulses including a first plurality of pulses having a first polarity and a duration of no more than 400 microseconds and a second plurality of pulses having a second polarity, opposite the first polarity, and a duration of no more than 400 microseconds.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the electrodes of the first plurality of electrodes are grouped into a first group, wherein the electrodes of the second plurality of electrodes are grouped into a second group, wherein the first group and the second group are located at a distance from one another that is greater than a distance between any two adjacent electrodes in each group.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a conductive gel applicator that selectively dispenses gel from a reservoir within the handheld device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising one or more delivery channels built into at least one of the second plurality of electrodes and operatively connected to the reservoir.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the first and second plurality of electrodes are shaped and configured to facilitate contact between the first and second plurality of electrodes and skin of the patient in bodily locations where hair would otherwise impede such contact.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein each one of the first and second plurality of electrodes has a comb-tooth shape to ensure that hair is combed out of the way as the patient moves the plurality of electrodes over the skin.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the device is small enough that a person can carry it around comfortably.

20. An apparatus for treating a headache of a patient, the method comprising:

a portable, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) having;

a first plurality of non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to a common electrode base and each electrically connected to a first signal output of the TENS, and

a second plurality of non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to the common electrode base, wherein the TENS is configured such that the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes can be simultaneously placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s head, and wherein the second plurality of electrodes each electrically connected to a second signal output of the TENS;

means for receiving, by the TENS, an activation indication; and

means, based on the activation indication, for providing a plurality of electrical pulses between the first signal output of the TENS and the second signal output of the TENS such that the electrical pulses are applied from both the first plurality of electrodes and the second plurality of electrodes transcutaneously to the patient'"'"'s head to stimulate nerves of the patient in order to treat headache pain.