Device and method for inducing bradycardia
First Claim
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1. A device for inducing dive reflex in a person for medical treatment purposes comprising:
- cheek-engaging means;
means for mounting said cheek-engaging means against a portion of at least one of the cheeks of said person, said cheek portion including an area where a portion of the facial nerve surfaces; and
means for controlling the temperature of said cheek-engaging means in a range sufficiently low to induce dive reflex by the application of cold stimulus to said facial nerve, said temperature-controlling means including means for monitoring the pulse-rate of said person, said temperature-controlling means further including means responsive to said pulse-rate means for lowering the temperature of said cheek-engaging means when said pulse-rate exceeds a preselected value and for raising the temperature of said cheek-engaging means when said pulse-rate falls below said preselected value to maintain said pulse-rate at or near said preselected value.
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Abstract
The specification discloses a device for inducing dive reflex, and the associated bradycardia and vasoconstriction in the human through the application of cold stimulus to the facial nerve, which communicates with the parasympathetic nervous system. The device comprises a pair of opposed temperature-controllable, face-engaging members and a tension member interconnecting and biasing the face-engaging members toward one another to secure the face-engaging members on the face over a portion of the area in which the facial nerve surfaces. A method of inducing dive reflex using the device is also disclosed.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A device for inducing dive reflex in a person for medical treatment purposes comprising:
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cheek-engaging means; means for mounting said cheek-engaging means against a portion of at least one of the cheeks of said person, said cheek portion including an area where a portion of the facial nerve surfaces; and means for controlling the temperature of said cheek-engaging means in a range sufficiently low to induce dive reflex by the application of cold stimulus to said facial nerve, said temperature-controlling means including means for monitoring the pulse-rate of said person, said temperature-controlling means further including means responsive to said pulse-rate means for lowering the temperature of said cheek-engaging means when said pulse-rate exceeds a preselected value and for raising the temperature of said cheek-engaging means when said pulse-rate falls below said preselected value to maintain said pulse-rate at or near said preselected value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A device for inducing dive reflex in a person for medical treatment purposes comprising:
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cheek-engaging means; means for mounting said cheek-engaging means against a portion of at least one of the cheeks of said person, said cheek portion including an area where a portion of the facial nerve surfaces; and means for controlling the temperature of said cheek-engaging means in a range sufficiently low to induce dive reflex by the application of cold stimulus to said facial nerve, said temperature-controlling means including heat pump means for removing heat from said cheek-engaging means, said temperature-controlling means further including heat sink means operably connected to said heat pump means for dissipating said heat to said ambient air. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. A device for inducing dive reflex in a person for medical treatment purposes to reduce said person'"'"'s pulse-rate or to reduce the circulation to said person'"'"'s extremeties, said device comprising:
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a pair of opposed cheek-engaging members; means for securing said cheek-engaging members on the cheeks of said person over a portion of the region where the facial nerve, which communicates with the parasympathetic nervous system, surfaces; and means for controlling the temperature of said members in a range sufficiently low to induce dive reflex by the application of cold stimulus to said facial nerve, said temperature-controlling means including means for monitoring the pulse-rate of said person, said temperature-controlling means further including means responsive to said pulse-rate monitoring means for lowering the temperature of said cheek-engaging members when said pulse-rate exceeds a preselected value and for raising the temperature of said cheek-engaging members when said pulse-rate falls below said preselected value to maintain said heartbeat at or near said preselected value. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
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10. A method for inducing dive reflex to slow the pulse-rate of a person for medical treatment purposes comprising the steps of:
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providing a device having temperature-controllable, face-engaging means; mounting said device on said person with said face-engaging means in engagement with a portion of the face of said person, said face portion including a portion of the area in which the facial nerve, which communicates with the parasympathetic nervous system, surfaces; and controlling the temperature of said face-engaging means within a range sufficiently low to induce dive reflex in said person. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of slowing the pulse-rate of a person for medical treatment purposes comprising the steps of:
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providing a device having temperature-controllable, cheek-engaging members; mounting said device on said person with said members engaging a portion of the cheeks of said person, said cheek portion including a portion of the area in which the facial nerve, which communicates with the parasympathetic nervous system, surfaces; and controlling the temperature of said members in a range sufficiently low to induce bradycardia through said parasympathetic nervous system. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification