Auricular electrical stimulator

• US 5,514,175 A
• Filed: 11/09/1994
• Issued: 05/07/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cerebral Stimulation, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cerebral Stimulation, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Ki Ho, Liss, Saul, Liss, Bernard
• Primary Examiner(s): Sykes, Angela D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUANG, STEPHEN D
• Application Number:
  US08/336,762
• Time in Patent Office: 545 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/4, 607/5, 607/55, 607/58, 607/118, 607/123, 607/136, 607/137, 607/115, 607/46, 607/72, 607/73, 607/74, 128/734, 128/741
• US Class Current: 607/136
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/027 Ears
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/002 Using electric currents electrotherapy A61N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36036 of the outer, middle or inner ear

Abstract

Described is a low voltage, multipoint auricular stimulator which is lightweight, portable and unobtrusive for use by a patient to reduce or eliminate sensations of pain and anxiety and for correcting other neural dysfunctions, and a treatment method incorporating the pain reducing and neural dysfunction correcting apparatus.

Claims

1. A portable apparatus for treating dysfunctions in neural pathways by acting upon multiple auricular points, comprising:

miniaturized stimuli generating means for generating stimulating treatment signal patterns, said generating means being capable of generating patterns of varying duration;

stimuli transmitting means adapted to be placed on at least two auricular points for transmitting said patterns to said points;

first connection means for connecting said generating and transmitting means to allow said patterns to pass from said generating means to said transmitting means;

miniaturized control means for controlling generation and duration of said patterns;

a reference terminal placed on a reference point and electrically connected to said generating means; and

miniaturized indicating means for indicating various times of transmission of said patterns, wherein said indicating means further comprises audible indicating means for audibly indicating beginning, termination and interim point or points of the transmission duration patterns.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said generating means generates treatment signal patterns having durations of less than 1 minute up to 60 minutes or more.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said generating means generates bipolar signals having various discrete frequencies such as 15 hz, 500 hz, and 15,000 hz.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said transmitting means further comprises two adjustable, connected sections.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an impedance or resistance detector circuit integrated into said portable apparatus.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said impedance or resistance detector circuit further comprises a sensing probe connected to said circuit, said probe having a tip diameter from about 0.04 inches to about 0.09 inches.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said impedance detector circuit has connected thereto a means for announcing impedance levels selected from the group consisting of a meter, an LED display, an LCD display and a sonic annunciator.