Vestibular stimulation system and method

• US 6,314,324 B1
• Filed: 05/03/2000
• Issued: 11/06/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: RIC INVESTMENTS LLC (Respironics Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Respironics Incorporated
• Inventors: Mechlenburg, Douglas M., Lattner, Stefanie
• Primary Examiner(s): Jastrzab, Jeffrey R.
• Application Number:
  US09/563,522
• Time in Patent Office: 552 Days
• Field of Search: 600/26-28, 607/1-3, 607/42, 607/72
• US Class Current: 607/42
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/3601 of respiratory organs
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36036 of the outer, middle or inner ear

Abstract

An apparatus and method in which the portions of the labyrinth associated with the labyrinthine sense and/or the nerves associated therewith are stimulated to perform at least one of the following functions: augment or control a patient'"'"'s respiratory function, open the patient'"'"'s airway, induce sleep, and/or counteract vertigo. In one embodiment, the vestibular stimulating system of the present invention includes 1) a stimulation element that performs the actual stimulation of the tissue, 2) a sensor to detect a physiological condition of the patient, and 3) a power/control unit that receives the signals provided by the sensor and causes stimulation energy to be provided to the stimulation element at an appropriate timing, level, pattern, and/or frequency to achieve the desired function. However, the present invention also contemplates eliminating the sensor in favor of applying a predetermined pattern of stimulation to the patient.

Claims

1. A vestibular stimulation system comprising:

a power supply;

a stimulation element operatively coupled to the power supply and adapted to provide a stimulation energy to at least a portion of a vestibular system of a patient; and

a control unit operatively coupled to at least one of the power supply and the stimulation element so as to control an application of the stimulation energy to at least a portion of a vestibular system of such a patient so as to induce a rocking sensation in such a patient.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein the stimulation element is one of:

an electrode, a mechanism that generates a mechanical motion as the stimulation energy, a sonic emitter, an ultrasonic emitter, a magnetic field generator, a thermal generating element, a chemical injector, an rf emitter and an infrared emitter.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the stimulation element is a surface electrode adapted to be disposed on a surface of such a patient'"'"'s skull behind such a patient'"'"'s ear.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls a characteristic of the stimulation energy applied to at least a portion of a vestibular system of such a patient, including at least one of an amplitude, a waveform shape, a frequency, and a duration of the stimulation energy.

5. A system according to claim 1, wherein the stimulating element includes a first stimulating electrode disposed proximate to a left vestibular system of a patient, and a second stimulating electrode disposed proximate to a right vestibular system of a patient, and wherein the control unit applies an alternating polarity waveform between the first and the second electrodes to induce the rocking sensation.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit terminates the application of the stimulation energy responsive to at least one of (1) an elapse of a predetermined period of time and (2) an occurrence of a predetermined event.

7. A vestibular stimulation system comprising:

stimulating means for providing a stimulation energy to at least a portion of a vestibular system of a patient; and

controlling means for controlling an application of the stimulation energy to at least a portion of a vestibular system of such a patient so as to induce a rocking sensation in such a patient.

8. A system according to claim 7, further comprising positioning means for locating the stimulating means proximate to a vestibular system of a patient.

9. A system according to claim 7, wherein the controlling means also terminates the application of the stimulation energy responsive to at least one of (1) an elapse of a predetermined period of time and (2) an occurrence of a predetermined event.

10. A system according to claim 7, wherein the controlling means also controls a characteristic of the stimulation energy applied to at least a portion of a vestibular system of such a patient, including at least one of an amplitude, a waveform shape, a frequency, and a duration of the stimulation energy applied to a patient.

11. A vestibular stimulation method comprising:

providing a stimulation energy to at least a portion of a vestibular system of a patient; and

controlling an application of the stimulation energy to at least a portion of a vestibular system of such a patient so as to induce a rocking sensation in such a patient.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein providing the stimulation energy includes locating a stimulation element proximate to a vestibular system of a patient.

13. A method according to claim 11, wherein providing the stimulation energy includes locating a first stimulating electrode proximate to a left vestibular system of a patient, and locating a second stimulating electrode disposed proximate to a right vestibular system of a patient, and wherein the controlling the application of stimulation energy includes providing an alternating polarity waveform between the first and the second electrodes to induce the rocking sensation.

14. A method according to claim 11, wherein controlling the application of stimulation energy includes termination the application of the stimulation energy responsive to at least one of (1) an elapse of a predetermined period of time and (2) an occurrence of a predetermined event.

15. A method according to claim 11, wherein controlling the application of stimulation energy includes controlling a characteristic of the stimulation energy applied to at least a portion of a vestibular system of such a patient, including at least one of an amplitude, a waveform shape, a frequency, and a duration of the stimulation energy applied to a patient.

16. A vestibular stimulation system comprising:

a power supply;

a stimulation element operatively coupled to the power supply and adapted to provide a stimulation energy to at least a portion of a vestibular system of a patient so as to induce contraction of such a patient'"'"'s respiratory muscles; and

a control unit operatively coupled to at least one of the power supply and the stimulation element so as to control an application of the stimulation energy to at least a portion of a vestibular system of such a patient.

17. A system according to claim 16, wherein the control unit causes the stimulation element to deliver the stimulation energy in a continuous manner according to a predetermined pattern.

18. A system according to claim 16, wherein the control unit causes the stimulation element to deliver the stimulation energy in a manner so as to augment such a patient'"'"'s respiratory effort.

19. A system according to claim 16, further comprising a sensor adapted to detect a physiological characteristic of such a patient and to output a signal indicative thereof to the control unit, and wherein the control unit controls the application of stimulation energy to such a patient based on the output of the sensor.

20. A system according to claim 19, wherein the sensor is adapted to detect a physiological characteristic associated with respiration, and wherein the control unit determines, from the signal from the sensor, whether such a patient is in one of an inspiratory phase and an expiratory phase of a breathing cycle, and controls the application of stimulation energy to a patient so that stimulation energy is provided at least during at least one of:

(1) a period of time just prior to an onset of the inspiratory phase, (2) a period of time encompassing the onset of the inspiratory phase, and (3) a period of during the inspiratory phase following the onset of the inspiratory phase.

21. A system according to claim 16, wherein the control unit causes the stimulation element to deliver the stimulation energy in a manner so as to induce contraction of such a patient'"'"'s upper airway muscles to maintain airway patency.

22. A system according to claim 21, further comprising a sensor adapted to detect a physiological characteristic of such a patient associated with respiration and to output a signal indicative thereof to the control unit, and wherein the control unit determines, from the signal from the sensor, whether such a patient is experiencing a breathing disorder, and controls the application of stimulation energy so that the stimulation energy is provided responsive to such a patient experiencing a breathing disorder.

23. A system according to claim 16, wherein the stimulation element is one of:

an electrode, a mechanism that generates a mechanical motion as the stimulation energy, a sonic emitter, an ultrasonic emitter, a magnetic field generator, a thermal generating element, a chemical injector, an rf emitter and an infrared emitter.

24. A system according to claim 16, wherein the stimulation element is a surface electrode adapted to be disposed on a surface of such a patient'"'"'s skull behind such a patient'"'"'s ear.

25. A system according to claim 16, wherein the control unit controls a characteristic of the stimulation energy applied to at least a portion of a vestibular system of such a patient, including at least one of an amplitude, a waveform shape, a frequency, and a duration of the stimulation energy.

26. A vestibular stimulation system comprising:

stimulating means for providing a stimulation energy to at least a portion of a vestibular system of a patient so as to induce contraction of such a patient'"'"'s respiratory muscles;

energy means for providing energy to power the stimulating means; and

controlling means, associated with at least one of the stimulating means and the energy means, for controlling an application of the stimulation energy to such a patient by the stimulating means.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein the controlling means controls the application of the stimulation energy in a continuous manner according to a predetermined pattern.

28. A system according to claim 26, wherein the controlling means controls the application of the stimulation energy in a manner so as to augment such a patient'"'"'s respiratory effort.

29. A system according to claim 26, further comprising a sensing means for detecting a physiological characteristic of such a patient, and wherein the controlling means controls the application of stimulation energy to such a patient based on an output of the sensing means.

30. A system according to claim 26, wherein the controlling means also controls a characteristic of the stimulation energy applied to at least a portion of a vestibular system of such a patient, including at least one of an amplitude, a waveform shape, a frequency, and a duration of the stimulation energy applied to a patient.

31. A system according to claim 26, further comprising positioning means for locating the stimulating means on a surface of such a patient'"'"'s skull behind such a patient'"'"'s ear.

32. A system according to claim 26, wherein the controlling means controls the application of the stimulation energy in a manner so as to induce contraction of such a patient'"'"'s upper airway muscles to maintain airway patency.

33. A vestibular stimulation method comprising:

providing a stimulation energy to at least a portion of a vestibular system of a patient so as to induce contraction of such a patient'"'"'s respiratory muscles; and

controlling the application of the stimulation energy to such a patient.

34. A method according to claim 33, wherein providing stimulation energy includes:

locating a stimulating electrode proximate to a vestibular system of a patient; and

providing electrical energy to the stimulating electrode from a power source.

35. A method according to claim 33, wherein controlling the application of the stimulation energy includes providing the stimulation energy in a continuous manner according to a predetermined pattern.

36. A method according to claim 33, wherein controlling the application of the stimulation energy includes providing the stimulation energy in a manner so as to augment such a patient'"'"'s respiratory effort.

37. A method according to claim 33, further comprising detecting a physiological characteristic of such a patient, and wherein controlling the application of the stimulation energy is done based on an output of the detecting step.

38. A method according to claim 37, wherein detecting a physiological characteristic includes detecting a physiological characteristic associated with respiration, and further comprising determining, from the detected physiological characteristic associated with respiration, whether such a patient is in one of an inspiratory phase and an expiratory phase of a breathing cycle, and wherein controlling the application of stimulation energy includes applying the stimulation energy at least during at least one of:

(1) a period of time just prior to an onset of the inspiratory phase, (2) a period of time encompassing the onset of the inspiratory phase, and (3) a period of during the inspiratory phase following the onset of the inspiratory phase.

39. A method according to claim 33, further comprising detecting a physiological characteristic of such a patient associated with respiration, further comprising determining, from the detected physiological characteristic associated with respiration, whether such a patient is experiencing a breathing disorder, and wherein controlling the application of stimulation energy includes applying the stimulation energy responsive to such a patient experiencing a breathing disorder.

40. A method according to claim 33, wherein controlling the application of the stimulation energy also includes controlling a characteristic of the stimulation energy applied to at least a portion of a vestibular system of such a patient, including controlling at least one of an amplitude, a waveform shape, a frequency, and a duration of the stimulation energy applied to such a patient.