Methods, systems, and devices for treating tinnitus with VNS pairing

• US 9,265,660 B2
• Filed: 07/03/2013
• Issued: 02/23/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Original Assignee: MicroTransponder Inc., Board of Regents of the University of Texas System (University of Texas System)
• Inventors: Kilgard, Michael P., Engineer, Navzer, Pierce, David Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kahelin, Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAIRCHILD, MALLIKA DIPAYAN
• Application Number:
  US13/934,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20130289653A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 607 55- 57
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/128 evaluating tinnitus
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/00 Methods or devices for treatment of the ears or hearing sense implantable prostheses that substitute or replace internal ear parts, e.g. ear-drums, A61F2/18; methods or devices to cause a change in the state of auditory consciousness A61M21/00; electrotherapy applying electrical stimulation of the auditory system, or circuits therefor A61N1/36; radiotherapy using optical stimulation of the auditory system A61N5/06; electro-acoustic hearing aids H04R25/00; Non-electric hearing aids; Methods or devices for enabling ear patients to achieve auditory perception through physiological senses other than hearing sense; Protective devices for the ears, carried on the body or in the hand headwear, e.g. caps or helmets, with means for protecting the ears A42B1/0188, A42B3/16
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0551 Spinal or peripheral nerve electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36053 adapted for vagal stimulation A61N1/36114 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36092 Mental training
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/361 Phantom sensations, e.g. tinnitus
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36132 using patient feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36167 Timing, e.g. stimulation onset
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36171 Frequency
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36178 Burst or pulse train parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37235 Aspects of the external programmer
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 23/28 for medicine
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/75 Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception

Abstract

A method of treating tinnitus comprising measuring a patient'"'"'s hearing, determining the patient'"'"'s hearing loss and the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency using the measurements of the patient'"'"'s hearing, programming a clinical controller with the measurements of the patient'"'"'s hearing, selecting a plurality of therapeutic tones, where the therapeutic tones are selected to be at least a half-octave above or below of the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency, setting an appropriate volume for each of the plurality of tones, repetitively playing each of the plurality of therapeutic tones, and pairing a vagus nerve stimulation pulse train with each playing of a therapeutic tone, thereby reducing the patient'"'"'s perception of tinnitus.

Claims

1. A system for treating tinnitus comprising:

a clinical controller executing tinnitus therapy software;

a vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) implantable pulse generator (IPG) in communication with the clinical controller and receiving stimulation signals from the clinical controller;

a VNS lead connected to the VNS IPG;

a VNS electrode connected to the VNS lead and receiving stimulation signals through the VNS lead from the VNS IPG; and

a sound generator connected to the clinical controller, wherein the clinical controller plays selected sound files through the sound generator while sending stimulation signals to the VNS IPG such that respective selected sounds of respective selected sound files may be heard by a patient while a stimulation pulse train at the VNS electrode causes the patient'"'"'s vagus nerve to be stimulated, wherein

the system is configured to receive input based on the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency, and

the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and the system is configured to automatically play the therapeutic tones such that they are at least a half-octave above the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the clinical controller is a laptop computer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the VNS IPG receives stimulation parameters from the clinical controller.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to execute a session that automatically applies at least 100 therapeutic tones per day.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to execute a session that automatically applies at least 300 therapeutic tones per day.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to play each therapeutic tone such that each therapeutic tone has a duration of about 500 milliseconds.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to execute a session that repetitively plays each of the plurality of therapeutic tones in a temporally random manner.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to execute a session that repetitively plays each of the plurality of therapeutic tones in a frequency-based random manner.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to execute a session that plays each therapeutic tone such that it is a pure tone.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to shape the therapeutic tones with a ramp function.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to encode the therapeutic tones with location data.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to automatically play the therapeutic tones such that they are at least a half-octave below the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the sound generator is a headphone.

14. A system for treating tinnitus comprising:

a clinical controller executing tinnitus therapy software;

a vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) implantable pulse generator (IPG) in communication with the clinical controller and receiving stimulation signals from the clinical controller;

a VNS lead connected to the VNS IPG;

a VNS electrode connected to the VNS lead and receiving stimulation signals through the VNS lead from the VNS IPG; and

a sound generator connected to the clinical controller, wherein the clinical controller plays selected sound files through the sound generator while sending stimulation signals to the VNS IPG such that respective selected sounds of respective sound files may be heard by a patient while a stimulation pulse train at the VNS electrode causes the patient'"'"'s vagus nerve to be stimulated, wherein

the system is configured to receive input based on the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency, and

the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to automatically play the therapeutic tones such that they are at least a half-octave below the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the clinical controller is a laptop computer.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the VNS IPG receives stimulation parameters from the clinical controller.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to execute a session that automatically applies at least 100 therapeutic tones per day.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to execute a session that automatically applies at least 300 therapeutic tones per day.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to play each therapeutic tone such that each therapeutic tone has a duration of about 500 milliseconds.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to execute a session that repetitively plays each of the plurality of therapeutic tones in a temporally random manner.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to execute a session that repetitively plays each of the plurality of therapeutic tones in a frequency-based random manner.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to execute a session that plays each therapeutic tone such that it is a pure tone.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to shape the therapeutic tones with a ramp function.

24. The system of claim 14, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to encode the therapeutic tones with location data.

25. The system of claim 14, wherein the selected sounds are therapeutic tones, and wherein the system is configured to automatically play the therapeutic tones such that they are at least a half-octave above the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the sound generator is a headphone.