Apparatus and method for the treatment of headache
First Claim
1. A method for treating a headache of a patient, the method comprising:
- providing a portable head-band-mounted, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) having;
a first electrode set having a plurality of non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to a common electrode base and each electrically connected to a first signal output of the TENS,a second electrode set having one or more non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to the common electrode base, wherein the first electrode set and the second electrode set are configured to be simultaneously placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s head, and wherein the second electrode set is electrically connected to a second signal output of the TENS, anda headband-type assembly that, after it has been placed on the patient'"'"'s head, provides hands-free operation that does not require further handling and secures the first electrode set and the second electrode set against the patient'"'"'s head, such that the first electrode set is held against a first elongated posterior area of the patient'"'"'s head, and the second electrode set is held against a second elongated posterior area of the patient'"'"'s head, wherein the first area and the second area are in a cranial-caudal relationship to one another;
supporting, using the headband-type assembly, the head-band-mounted TENS on the patient'"'"'s head such that the patient is free to move while stimulation is being applied;
receiving, by the TENS, an activation indication; and
based on the activation indication, providing a plurality of electrical pulses between the first signal output of the TENS and the second signal output of the TENS such that the electrical pulses are applied between the first area and the second area in a vertical caudal-cranial direction transcutaneously to the patient'"'"'s head, wherein the plurality of electrical pulses are configured to be charge-balancing and short enough in duration to stimulate nerves of the patient while minimizing stimulation of muscle contraction, in order to treat headache pain.
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Abstract
A battery-operated transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) to treat headache pain in an abortive and/or preventive manner. The TENS unit and its electrodes are built into a unitary device which facilitates a self-administered treatment. In some embodiments, the pulses are monophasic. In other embodiments, pairs of biphasic pulses are provided, wherein each pair of biphasic pulses includes a first pulse having a first polarity separated by a gap in time from a second pulsed having an opposite polarity. In some embodiments, each pulse in each biphasic pair is of a duration equal to that of the other pulse of the pair. In some embodiments, the duration of each pulse is between about 50 microseconds and about 400 microseconds, and the gap in time between pulses of a pair is between about 50 and 100 microseconds.
68 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for treating a headache of a patient, the method comprising:
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providing a portable head-band-mounted, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) having; a first electrode set having a plurality of non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to a common electrode base and each electrically connected to a first signal output of the TENS, a second electrode set having one or more non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to the common electrode base, wherein the first electrode set and the second electrode set are configured to be simultaneously placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s head, and wherein the second electrode set is electrically connected to a second signal output of the TENS, and a headband-type assembly that, after it has been placed on the patient'"'"'s head, provides hands-free operation that does not require further handling and secures the first electrode set and the second electrode set against the patient'"'"'s head, such that the first electrode set is held against a first elongated posterior area of the patient'"'"'s head, and the second electrode set is held against a second elongated posterior area of the patient'"'"'s head, wherein the first area and the second area are in a cranial-caudal relationship to one another; supporting, using the headband-type assembly, the head-band-mounted TENS on the patient'"'"'s head such that the patient is free to move while stimulation is being applied; receiving, by the TENS, an activation indication; and based on the activation indication, providing a plurality of electrical pulses between the first signal output of the TENS and the second signal output of the TENS such that the electrical pulses are applied between the first area and the second area in a vertical caudal-cranial direction transcutaneously to the patient'"'"'s head, wherein the plurality of electrical pulses are configured to be charge-balancing and short enough in duration to stimulate nerves of the patient while minimizing stimulation of muscle contraction, in order to treat headache pain. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for treating a headache of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
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a portable head-band-mounted, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) having a common electrode base; a first electrode set having a plurality of non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to the common electrode base and each electrically connected to a first signal output of the TENS, a second electrode set having one or more non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to the common electrode base, wherein the first electrode set and the second electrode set are configured to be simultaneously placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s head, and wherein the second electrode set is electrically connected to a second signal output of the TENS, and a headband-type assembly that, after it has been placed on the patient'"'"'s head, supports the head-band-mounted TENS on the patient'"'"'s head such that the patient is free to move while stimulation is being applied, provides hands-free operation that does not require further handling, and secures the first electrode set and the second electrode set against the patient'"'"'s head, such that the first electrode set is held against a first elongated posterior area of the patient'"'"'s head, and the second electrode set is held against a second elongated posterior area of the patient'"'"'s head, wherein the first area and the second area are in a cranial-caudal relationship to one another, wherein the TENS presents a plurality of electrical pulses between the first signal output of the TENS and the second signal output of the TENS such that the electrical pulses are applied between the first area and the second area in a vertical caudal-cranial direction transcutaneously to the patient'"'"'s head, wherein the pulses are configured to be charge-balancing and short enough in duration to stimulate nerves of the patient while minimizing stimulation of muscle contraction, in order to treat headache pain. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. An apparatus for treating a headache of a patient, the apparatus comprising:
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a portable head-band-mounted, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulator (TENS) having; a first electrode set having a plurality of non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to a common electrode base and each electrically connected to a first signal output of the TENS, a second electrode set having one or more non-invasive comb-like electrodes physically connected to the common electrode base, wherein the first electrode set and the second electrode set are configured to be simultaneously placed in contact with the patient'"'"'s head, and wherein the second electrode set is electrically connected to a second signal output of the TENS, and a headband-type assembly that, after it has been placed on the patient'"'"'s head, provides hands-free operation that secures the first electrode set and the second electrode set against the patient'"'"'s head, such that the first electrode set is held against a first elongated posterior area of the patient'"'"'s head, and the second electrode set is held against a second elongated posterior area of the patient'"'"'s head, wherein the first area and the second area are in a cranial-caudal relationship to one another; means for supporting, using the headband-type assembly, the head-band-mounted TENS on the patient'"'"'s head such that the patient is free to move while stimulation is being applied; means for receiving, by the TENS, an activation indication; and means, based on the activation indication, for providing a plurality of electrical pulses between the first signal output of the TENS and the second signal output of the TENS such that the electrical pulses are charge-balancing and are short enough in duration, when applied between the first area and the second area in a vertical caudal-cranial direction transcutaneously to the patient head, to stimulate nerves of the patient while minimizing stimulation of muscle contraction, in order to treat headache pain. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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Specification