Systems and methods for smoking cessation.

• US 20120053648A1
• Filed: 11/07/2011
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Boris Breivogel, Heinz Schade, Rolf Neher
• Original Assignee: Boris Breivogel, Heinz Schade, Rolf Neher
• Inventors: Neher, Rolf, Schade, Heinz, Breivogel, Boris
• Application Number:
  US13/291,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20120053648A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/3
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2039/005 by means of electromagnetic waves, e.g. I.R., U.V. rays
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/65 Impedance, e.g. skin conductivity; capacitance, e.g. galvanic skin response [GSR]
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/002 Using electric currents electrotherapy A61N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/20 continuous direct currents
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36014 External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes external pacemakers A61N1/3625
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0605 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0607 Nose
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0662 Visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2005/0663 Coloured light
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/0619 Acupuncture
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 5/067 using laser light

Abstract

Addiction treatment, specifically smoking cessation, can be effectively treated utilizing stimulation of low resistance skin locations by employing a combination of an electrical current and a laser beam. In a preferred stimulation treatment, pulsed stimulation is used, stimulating skin locations in the ear and nose areas. The present stimulation treatment is simple and cost effective, lasting about 10-20 minutes per treatment session, with an average of 1 to 2 repeated treatment sessions per person. The present stimulation treatment is proven to be effective in assisting in smoking cessation, showing high percentage of long term smoking abstinence in just one treatment session.

Claims

1. A method to assist in smoking cessation, comprising

exhibiting skin points that showed in trials to be useful for smoking cessation in many individuals;

and

stimulating the skin points by an electrical current in combination with a laser light.

2. A method of claim 1, wherein the skin points comprise skin points located in ear area.

3. A method of claim 1, wherein the skin points are located in ear and nose areas.

4. A method of claim 3, wherein skin points on ear area are selected for stimulation before skin point on nose area.

5. A method of claim 1, wherein the electrical current comprises a pulsed DC current having frequency between 0.5 and 2 Hz with a voltage less than 160V.

6. A method of claim 1, wherein the electrical current comprises a pulsed DC current having a peak pulse between 1 and 3 mA for less than 0.2 second, followed by a constant current between 0.5 and 3 mA for less than 1 second, and followed by a zero current for less than 1 second.

7. A method of claim 1, wherein the laser light comprises a pulsed red laser light having frequency less than 10 Hz and having power less than 5 mW.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein the skin points are identified by anatomy landmark.

9. A method of claim 1, further comprising

determining a degree of nicotine dependence;

setting a stimulation time for the skin points based on the degree of nicotine dependence.

10. A method of claim 1, further comprising

displaying multiple skin points on a display monitor;

identifying a next skin point to be stimulated.

11. A method of claim 1, further comprising

determining a degree of nicotine dependence;

prescribing a number of treatment sessions based on the degree of nicotine dependence.

12. A method of claim 1, further comprising

applying an illumination in a vicinity of the skin point.

13. A method to assist in smoking cessation, comprising

identifying multiple skin points on ear and nose locations that showed in trials to be useful for smoking cessation in many individuals;

and

sequentially stimulating the multiple skin points by an electrical current in combination with a laser light.

14. A method of claim 13, further comprising

displaying the multiple skin points on a display monitor;

automatically identifying a next skin point to be stimulated.

15. A method of claim 13, further comprising

determining a degree of nicotine dependence;

automatically prescribing a number of treatment sessions and a stimulation length for the skin points based on the degree of nicotine dependence.

16. A method of claim 15,

wherein the electrical current comprises a pulsed DC current having frequency between 0.5 and 2 Hz with a voltage less than 160V;

wherein the electrical current comprises a pulsed DC current having a peak pulse between 1 and 3 mA for less than 0.2 second, followed by a constant current between 0.5 and 3 mA for less than 1 second, and followed by a zero current for less than 1 second;

wherein the laser light comprises a pulsed red laser light having frequency less than 10 Hz and having power less than 5 mW;

wherein the electrical current and laser light are automatically determined based on the degree of nicotine dependence.

17. A method of claim 13, further comprising providing counseling to reduce smoking relapse.

18. A method of claim 13, wherein 2 year smoking abstinence is achieved after 1 or 2 treatment sessions.

19. A method to assist in smoking cessation, comprising

exhibiting multiple skin points on ear and nose locations that showed in trials to be useful for smoking cessation in many individuals, wherein the multiple skin points are displayed on a monitor;

automatically identifying, by a controller, a skin point to be stimulated on the monitor;

stimulating, by an operator, the identified skin point by an electrical current;

repeating the sequence of identifying and stimulating for the multiple skin points.

20. A method of claim 19, wherein the electrical current comprises a pulsed DC current having frequency between 0.5 and 2 Hz with a voltage less than 160V, and having a peak pulse between 1 and 3 mA for less than 0.2 second, followed by a constant current between 0.5 and 3 mA for less than 1 second, and followed by a zero current for less than 1 second.