NOSE STIMULATOR FOR PRODUCING A STIMULATION SIGNAL TO A NOSE

• US 20110313481A1
• Filed: 06/18/2009
• Published: 12/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NasoPhlex B.V.
• Original Assignee: NasoPhlex B.V.
• Inventors: De Vos, Gerrit Johannis
• Granted Patent: US 8,914,116 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4076 Diagnosing or monitoring particular conditions of the nervous system A61B5/4821, A61B5/4824 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4818 Sleep apnoea
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7217 of noise originating from a therapeutic or surgical apparatus, e.g. from a pacemaker
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/003 Detecting lung or respiration noise
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1604 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1607 Holding means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/022 Face
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/023 Nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/06 Heartbeat rate
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/40 Respiratory characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/002 Using electric currents electrotherapy A61N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0546 Nasal electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 of respiratory organs

Abstract

An electronic stimulation system has ?a casing (11); electronics (12) inside the casing (11) a first detector (16(1)) arranged to sense whether a human being is breathing or not, a stimulation device (17) arranged to receive a control signal from said electronics (12) and to provide stimuli to a nasal philtre or a human nasopharynx. The electronics (12) generate the control signal in dependence on the breathing signal and the system has a holding device for attaching the stimulation device to the nose.

Claims

1. An electronic stimulation system arranged to be worn in or on a human nose comprising:

a casing (11;

11′

);

a detection device (16(1);

16(2)) arranged to sense at least breathing activity from a human being and to generate a detection signal accordingly,

electronics (12;

12′

) arranged within said casing (11;

11′

) and comprising a controller (20) connected to said detection device and arranged to process said detection signal and to generate a control signal when said controller has determined that said human being is in a state of developing apnoea;

a stimulation device (17;

17′

) arranged to receive said control signal from said electronics (12;

12′

) and to provide stimuli;

characterized in that said electronic stimulation system is arranged such that, when worn in or on said human nose said stimulation device (17) is arranged to provide said stimuli to at least one of a nasal philtre and a human nasopharynx.

2. The electronic stimulation system according to claim 1, wherein the system is arranged such that when worn in or on said human nose said stimulation device (17) is pressed against a predetermined portion of the nasal philtre.

3. The electronic stimulation system according to claim 1, wherein the casing (11;

11′

) is designed as a nose plug to be inserted in a nostril, the casing (11;

11′

) comprising said detection device and said stimulation device, the system comprising one of a thread, a wire and a fibre (58) extending from the casing (11;

11′

) and arranged to stimulate a nasopharyngeal area.

4. The electrical stimulation system according to claim 3, wherein said casing (11;

11′

) is connected to one of a brace and bracket (56) to clamp said casing in said nostril when said system is in use.

5. The electronic stimulation system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said holding device is at least one of a nose plug, a nose cap, a piercing, a screw, a nail, a bolt, a click system, a rivet, a staple and a bayonet.

6. The electronic stimulation system according any of the preceding claims, wherein the system comprises a second detection device (16(2)) arranged to sense a heartbeat of the human being, to generate a heartbeat signal to that effect and to transmit said heartbeat signal to said electronics (12), the electronics (12) being arranged to generate said control signal in dependence on said heartbeat signal too.

7. The electronic system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the system comprises a third detection device arranged to sense electrical signals from the brain of the human being and to generate an electro encephalogram (EEG) signal from the electrical signals, the electronics (12;

12′

) being arranged to generate said control signal also in dependence on said electro encephalogram signal.

8. The electronic stimulation system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first detection device (16(1)) is arranged to sense airflow caused by breathing through the nose or the mouth.

9. The electronic stimulation system according to claim 6, wherein said second detection device (16(2)) is arranged to sense the heartbeat in at least one of a human carotid, vein and artery.

10. The electronic stimulation system according to claim 6, wherein said second detection device (16(2) is arranged to generate the heartbeat signal from a portion of a human body in, on or near the nose.

11. The electronic stimulation system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said casing (11) is made from a flexible material, like silicone.

12. The electronic stimulation system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the electronic stimulation system comprises a plurality of stimulation units (43(i)) arranged in a two dimensional matrix form.

13. The electronic stimulation system according to claim 12, wherein said stimulation system is arranged as an auto-optimizing system.

14. The electronic stimulation system according to claim 13, wherein said stimulation system is arranged to identify a best location to provide a stimulus based on feedback signals from the detection device (16(1);

16(2)).

15. The electronic stimulation system according to any of the claims 12 to 14, wherein the stimulation units (43(i)) are either arranged as at least one of electrical stimulation units and mechanical stimulation units.

16. The electronic stimulation system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the stimulation device (17;

17′

) is arranged to generate a plurality of stimulation signals during a stimulation time divided by a waiting time.

17. The electronic system according to claim 16, wherein the plurality of stimulation signals each have a form of one of a plurality of pulses, a plurality of triangular signals, a plurality of sinusoidal signals, a plurality of block signals.

18. The electronic system according to any of the claim 16 or 17, wherein at least one of the waiting time and stimulation time is variable.

19. The electronic system according to any of the claims 16 to 18, wherein the waiting time is between 0 and 10 seconds, preferably between 0 and 5 seconds, more preferably between 0.5 and 2 seconds.

20. The electronic system according to any of the claims 16 to 19, wherein the stimulation time is between 0 and 10 seconds, preferably between 0 and 5 seconds, more preferably between 0.5 and 2 seconds.

21. The electronic system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the system comprises a sensor to measure oxygen saturation in the blood of the subject within a nostril.

22. A method of providing stimuli to a human body comprising

detecting at least breathing activity from a human being and generating a detection signal accordingly,

processing said detection signal and generating a control signal when said human being is in a state of developing apnoea;

receiving said control signal and providing stimuli to said human body;

characterized by providing said stimuli to a predetermined portion of the nasal philtre.

23. An electronic stimulation system arranged to be worn in or on a human nose comprising

a casing (11;

11′

);

a detection device (16(1);

16(2)) arranged to sense at least breathing activity from a human being and to generate a detection signal accordingly,

electronics (12;

12′

) arranged within said casing (11;

11′

) and comprising a controller (20) connected to said detection device and arranged to process said detection signal and to generate a control signal when said controller has determined that said human being is in a state of one of transient ischemic attacks (TIA), hypotension, syncope, haemorhagic shock (loss of blood), bronchospasm, laryngospasm, hiccup, tremor associated with Parkinson'"'"'s disease, epileptic seizure, absence type epilepsy, migraine, alternating hemiplegia, Alzheimers disease, depression, anorexia nervosa, bulimia, autism, psychiatric disorders, insomnia, sleep paralysis, and comatose states;

a stimulation device (17;

17′

) arranged to receive said control signal from said electronics (12;

12′

) and to provide stimuli;

characterized in that said electronic stimulation system is arranged such that, when worn in or on said human nose said stimulation device (17) is arranged to provide said stimuli to at least one of a nasal philtre and a human nasopharynx.