FACIAL NERVE STIMULATOR

• US 3,620,219 A
• Filed: 05/07/1969
• Issued: 11/16/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Donald E. Barker, 15225 Vanowen St.
• Original Assignee: Donald E. Barker, 15225 Vanowen St.
• Inventors: Donald E. Barker, 15225 Vanowen St.
• Primary Examiner(s): Richard A. Gaudet
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kyle L. Howell
• Application Number:
  US04/822,594
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 128/10,24.1,404,410,416,362,380
• US Class Current: 607/139
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0472 Structure-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/321 Electromedical belts

Abstract

A facial nerve stimulator including a number of electrode structures which are to contact the face of the user and electrically stimulate certain facial nerves and the related muscles, and a frame carrying the electrode structures on the face and adapted to be supported by engagement of a forward portion of the frame with the bridge of the nose, and by engagement of two side portions of the frame with the ears of the user.

Claims

1. A facial stimulator including a frame to be worn on the face of a user and including a forward section adapted to extend across the front of the face and forming a bridge adapted to rest on and be supported by the bridge of the nose, said frame including two side sections adapted to project rearwardly at opposite sides of the user'"'"''"'"'s head and adapted to rest on and be supported by the two ears respectively of the user, said frame including hinges connecting forward ends of said two side sections to opposite ends respectively of said forward section of the frame for relative swinging movement of the two side sections between rearwardly projecting active positions and forwardly and inwardly swung inactive positions, a plurality of electrode structures carried by said side sections of the frame and adapted to engage different portions of the user'"'"''"'"'s face and to electrically stimulate different facial nerves and the muscles controlled thereby, means for delivering a series of intermittent electrical impulses to said electrode structures of a value to cause substantial intermittent movements of the facial muscles, a plurality of mounting arms connected at first locations to said side sections of the frame and projecting to outer free ends of the arms and carrying said electrode structures at locations on the arms spaced from said first locations in the direction of said free ends, said arms being formed of material which is stiff but deformable to different conditions in a relation adapted to locate the individual electrode structures at any of a plurality of different positions relative to said side sections and on the face of a user, and which material is of a composition to remain by its own stiffness in said different conditions to which it may be deformed, and to thereby hold said electrode structures in any of said different positions thereof until the arms are again forcibly deformed, and fixed connections securing said arms rigidly and essentially nonadjustably to said side sections of the frame at said first locations so that the primary adjustment for relocating said electrode structures is by said bending of said arms.

2. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1 in which said side sections of said frame have rear portions extending downwardly and adapted to extend behind the ears of the wearer.

3. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1 in which said side sections have two projections extending downwardly therefrom and carrying certain of said deformable mounting arms.

4. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1 in which said side sections of said frame have rear portions extending downwardly and adapted to extend behind the ears of the wearer, and have two projections extending downwardly at locations spaced forwardly of said rear portions and adapted to be received in front of the ears of the wearer and carrying certain of said deformable mounting arms.

5. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1 in which said electrode structures include a first pair of said structures carried by a first pair of said deformable arms and adapted to contact the forehead of the user at a level above said bridge formed by said forward section of the frame, and two additional pairs of electrode structures carried by two additional pairs of said deformable arms and adapted to engage lower portions of the face at a level beneath said bridge formed by said forward section of the frame.

6. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1 in which said mounting arms are formed of malleable wire.

7. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 1, in which said means for delivering said electrical impulses to said electrode structures include flexible wires leading from said electrode structures and generally along said deformable arms.

8. A facial stimulator including a frame to be worn on the face of a user and including a forward section adapted to extend across the front of the face and forming a bridge adaPted to rest on and be supported by the bridge of the nose, said frame including two side sections adapted to project rearwardly at opposite sides of the user'"'"''"'"'s head and adapted to rest on and be supported by the two ears respectively of the user, said frame including hinges connecting forward ends of said two side sections to opposite ends respectively of said forward section of the frame for relative swinging movement of the two side sections between rearwardly projecting active positions and forwardly and inwardly swung inactive positions, a plurality of electrode structures carried by said side sections of the frame and adapted to engage different portions of the user'"'"''"'"'s face and to electrically stimulate different facial nerves and the muscles controlled thereby, means for delivering a series of intermittent electrical impulses to said electrode structures of a value to cause substantial intermittent movements of the facial muscles, and a plurality of mounting arms connected at first locations to said side sections of the frame and projecting to outer free ends of the arms and carrying said electrode structures at locations on the arms spaced from said first locations in the direction of said free ends, said arms being formed of material which is stiff but deformable to different conditions in a relation adapted to locate the individual electrode structures at any of a plurality of different positions relative to said side sections and on the face of a user, and which material is of a composition to remain by its own stiffness in said different conditions to which it may be deformed, and to thereby hold said electrode structures in any of said different positions thereof until the arms are again forcibly deformed, at least one of said electrode structures including a pair of oppositely energized electrodes mounted to the same one of said deformable arms in close proximity to one another for movement together to different positions by deformation of said arm.

9. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 8 in which said side sections of said frame have rear portions extending downwardly and adapted to extend behind the ears of the wearer.

10. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 8, in which said side sections of said frame have rear portions extending downwardly and adapted to extend behind the ears of the wearer, and have two projections extending downwardly at locations spaced forwardly of said rear portions and adapted to be received in front of the ears of the wearer and carrying certain of said deformable mounting arms.

11. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 8, in which said mounting arms are formed of malleable wire.

12. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 8, in which said means for delivering said electrical impulses to said electrode structures include flexible wires leading from said electrode structures and generally along said deformable arms.

13. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 8, in which there are two of said electrode structures carried by each of said side sections beneath the level of said bridge and adapted for relative adjusting movement to positions to stimulate the maxillary and mandibular branches respectively of the facial nerve.

14. A facial stimulator as recited in claim 13, including additional electrode structures carried by said side sections and located above the level of said bridge of said forward section and adapted to stimulate the frontal branch of the facial nerve.

15. A facial stimulator including a frame to be worn on the face of a user and including a forward section adapted to extend across the front of the face and forming a bridge adapted to rest on and be supported by the bridge of the nose, said frame including two side sections adapted to project rearwardly at opposite sides of the user'"'"''"'"'s head and adapted to rest on and be supported by the two ears respectively of the user, said frame including hinges connecting forward ends of said two side sections to opposite ends respectively of saId forward section of the frame for relative swinging movement of the two side sections between rearwardly projecting active positions and forwardly and inwardly swung inactive positions, a plurality of electrode structures carried by said side sections of the frame and adapted to engage different portions of the user'"'"''"'"'s face and to electrically stimulate different facial nerves and the muscles controlled thereby, means for delivering a series of intermittent electrical impulses to said electrode structures of a value to cause substantial intermittent movements of the facial muscles, and a plurality of mounting arms connected at first locations to said side sections of the frame and projecting to outer free ends of the arms and carrying said electrode structures at locations on the arms spaced from said first locations in the direction of said free ends, said arms being formed of material which is stiff but deformable to different conditions in a relation adapted to locate the individual electrode structures at any of a plurality of different positions relative to said side sections and on the face of a user, and which material is of a composition to remain by its own stiffness in said different conditions to which it may be deformed, and to thereby hold said electrode structures in any of said different positions thereof until the arms are again forcibly deformed, said side sections of said frame having rear extremities adapted to extend downwardly behind the ears of the wearer, said side sections having two projections extending downwardly therefrom at locations spaced forwardly of said rear extremities and adapted to be received near but in front of the ears of the wearer and which carry some of said deformable arms, said electrode structures including a first pair of said structures carried by a first pair of said deformable arms and positioned above the level of said bridge formed by said forward section of the frame and adapted to contact the forehead of a user, said electrode structures including a second pair thereof carried by a second pair of said deformable arms which are in turn carried by said projections respectively of the two side sections of the frame and project forwardly therefrom, and a third pair of electrode structures carried by a third pair of said deformable arms which are in turn carried by said two projections respectively of the side sections of the frame and project forwardly therefrom at locations spaced beneath said second pair of electrode structures.