Vestibular stimulation system and method

• US 6,748,275 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2001
• Issued: 06/08/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• 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:
  US10/003,809
• Publication Number:
  US 20020072781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 607/42, 607/1-3, 607/72, 600/26-28
• 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 first, non-invasive electrode adapted to be disposed on a surface of a patient proximate to such a patient'"'"'s left vestibular system;

a second, non-invasive electrode adapted to be disposed on a surface of such a patient proximate to such a patient'"'"'s right vestibular system;

a control unit operatively coupled to the power supply, the first electrode, and the second electrode, wherein the control unit controls an application of the stimulation energy from the power supply to at least a portion of such a patient'"'"'s left or right vestibular system via the first or second electrodes, so as to induce a rocking sensation in such a patient by causing varying current waveform to be provided between the first and the second electrodes.

2. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a position sensor to detect a position of such a patient, and wherein the control unit controls the application of stimulation energy to the first and the second electrodes based on an output of the position sensor.

3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising sleep detecting means for determining when such a patient is asleep, and wherein the control unit controls the application of stimulation energy to the first and the second electrodes based on an output of the sleep determining means.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein the varying current waveform applied between the first and the second electrodes has a single polarity or an alternating polarity.

5. A vestibular stimulation system comprising:

a power supply;

a first pair of non-invasive electrodes adapted to be disposed on a surface of a patient proximate to a vestibular system on a first side of such a patient;

a control unit operatively coupled to the power supply and the first pair of electrodes, wherein the control unit controls an application of the stimulation energy from the power supply to at least a portion of such a patient'"'"'s vestibular system via the first pair of electrodes so as to induce a rocking sensation in such a patient by causing a first waveform having a varying current to be provided between the electrodes in the first pair of electrodes.

6. A system according to claim 5, wherein the first waveform applied between the electrodes in the first pair of electrodes has a single polarity or an alternating polarity.

7. A system according to claim 5, further comprising a position sensor to detect a position of such a patient, and wherein the control unit controls the application of stimulation energy to the first pair of electrodes based on an output of the position sensor.

8. A system according to claim 5, further comprising sleep detecting means for determining when the patient is asleep, and wherein the control unit controls the application of stimulation energy to the first pair of electrodes based on an output of the sleep determining means.

9. A system according to claim 5, further comprising a second pair of non-invasive electrodes adapted to be disposed on a surface of a patient proximate to a vestibular system on second side of such a patient, and wherein the control unit controls an application of the stimulation energy from the power supply to at least a portion of such a patient'"'"'s vestibular system via the second pair of electrodes so as to induce a rocking sensation in such a patient by causing a second waveform having a varying current to be provided between the electrodes in the second pair of electrodes.

10. A system according to claim 9, wherein the first waveform applied between the electrodes in the first pair of electrodes and the second waveform applied between the electrode in the second pair of electrodes has a single polarity or an alternating polarity.

11. A system according to claim 9, wherein the first waveform and the second waveform are identical so that the first and the second pair of electrode receive identical stimulation energy.

12. A system according to claim 9, wherein the first waveform and the second waveform are different from one another.

13. A system according to claim 9, wherein the control unit causes the system to operate in a first stimulating pattern in which the first waveform is provided between the electrodes in the first pair of electrodes and no stimulation energy is provided to the second pair of electrodes and in a second stimulating pattern in which the second waveform is provided between the electrodes in the second pair of electrodes and no stimulation energy is provided to the first pair of electrodes, and wherein the control unit periodically switches between the first stimulating state and the second stimulating state.

14. A vestibular stimulation method comprising:

providing a first, non-invasive electrode disposed on a surface of a patient proximate to such a patient'"'"'s left vestibular system;

providing a second, non-invasive electrode disposed on a surface of such a patient proximate to such a patient'"'"'s right vestibular system;

applying stimulation energy in the form of varying current waveform provided between the first and the second electrodes so as to induce a rocking sensation in such a patient.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the varying current waveform has a single polarity or an alternating polarity.

16. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

detecting a position of such a patient; and

controlling the application of stimulation energy to the first and the second electrodes based on the position of such a patient.

17. A method according to claim 14, further comprising:

determining when such a patient is asleep; and

controlling the application of stimulation energy to the first and the second electrodes based on an output of the sleep determining means.

18. A vestibular stimulation method comprising:

providing a first pair of non-invasive electrodes on a surface of a patient proximate to a vestibular system on a first side of such a patient;

applying stimulation energy to at least a portion of such a patient'"'"'s vestibular system via the first pair of electrodes, so as to induce a rocking sensation in such a patient, by causing a first waveform having a varying current to be provided between the electrodes in the first pair of electrodes.

19. A method according to claim 18, wherein the first waveform applied between the electrodes in the first pair of electrodes has a single polarity or an alternating polarity.

20. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

detecting a position of such a patient; and

controlling the application of stimulation energy to the first pair of electrodes based on the position of the patient.

21. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

determining when such a patient is asleep; and

controlling the application of stimulation energy to the first and the second electrodes based on an output of the sleep determining means.

22. A method according to claim 18, further comprising:

providing a second pair of non-invasive electrodes disposed on a surface of a patient proximate to a vestibular system on second side of such a patient; and

applying stimulation energy to at least a portion of such a patient'"'"'s vestibular system via the second pair of electrodes, so as to induce a rocking sensation in such a patient, by causing a second waveform having a varying current to be provided between the electrodes in the second pair of electrodes.

23. A method according to claim 22, wherein the first waveform applied between the electrodes in the first pair of electrodes has a single polarity or an alternating polarity and wherein the second waveform applied between the electrodes in the second pair of electrodes has a single polarity or an alternating polarity.

24. A method according to claim 22, wherein the first waveform and the second waveform are identical so that the first and the second pair of electrode receive identical stimulation energy.

25. A method according to claim 22, wherein the first waveform and the second waveform are different from one another.

26. A method according to claim 22, applying stimulation energy to the first and the second pair of electrodes includes:

providing stimulating energy in a first stimulating pattern in which the waveform is provided between the electrodes in the first pair of electrodes and no stimulation energy is provided to the second pair of electrodes;

providing stimulating energy in a second stimulating pattern in which the second waveform is provided between the electrodes in the second pair of electrodes and no stimulation energy is provided to the first pair of electrodes; and

periodically switching between providing the stimulating energy in the first stimulating pattern and in the second stimulating pattern.