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

• US 9,265,663 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2014
• 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:
  US14/527,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20150051656A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 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 method of treating tinnitus comprising:

determining the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency;

programming a clinical controller with the determined tinnitus frequency;

selecting a plurality of therapeutic tones;

setting an appropriate volume for each of the plurality of therapeutic tones;

repetitively playing each of the plurality of therapeutic tones; and

providing a vagus nerve stimulation pulse train with each playing of a therapeutic tone, thereby reducing the patient'"'"'s perception of tinnitus, wherein

the respective therapeutic tones of the plurality of therapeutic tones are outside the range of the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein respective tones of the plurality of therapeutic tones are respectively at one discrete tone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some respective tones of the plurality of therapeutic tones are respectively at two or more different tones.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is implemented using a sound generator that respectively operates as a tone generator when generating at least some respective tones of the plurality of tones.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the action of playing each of the plurality of therapeutic tones includes:

exposing the patient to a respective tone at a volume different from that of another respective tone.

6. A method of treating tinnitus comprising:

determining the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency;

selecting a plurality of therapeutic tones;

setting an appropriate volume for each of the plurality of tones;

repetitively playing each of the plurality of therapeutic tones; and

associating an electrical vagus nerve stimulation pulse train, with each playing of a therapeutic tone so that the stimulation pulse train occurs during the playing of a therapeutic tone, thereby reducing the patient'"'"'s perception of tinnitus, wherein

the respective therapeutic tones of the plurality of therapeutic tones are outside the range of the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the action of repetitively playing each of the plurality of therapeutic tones includes:

exposing the patient to a respective tone at a volume different from that of another respective tone.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the action of repetitively playing each of the plurality of therapeutic tones includes:

playing the tones of the plurality of therapeutic tones at the same volume.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

at least one of determining a patient'"'"'s hearing loss or measuring a patient'"'"'s hearing.

10. A method of treating tinnitus comprising:

determining the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency;

selecting a plurality of therapeutic tones;

setting an appropriate volume for each of the plurality of tones;

repetitively playing each of the plurality of therapeutic tones; and

timing an electrical vagus nerve stimulation pulse train with each playing of a therapeutic tone so that the stimulation pulse train occurs before the playing of a therapeutic tone, thereby reducing the patient'"'"'s perception of tinnitus, wherein

the respective therapeutic tones of the plurality of therapeutic tones are outside the range of the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the therapeutic tones are selected to be at least a half-octave below the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selecting a plurality of therapeutic tones is performed based on the determined tinnitus frequency.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

setting respective volumes for respective tones of the plurality of therapeutic tones exposed to the patient, wherein the respective tones exposed to the patient are exposed at the respective set volumes.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein:

at least some tones of the plurality tones are at one discrete tone.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the selected therapeutic tones are either a half-octave above or below of the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency.

16. A method of treating tinnitus comprising:

determining the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency;

selecting a plurality of therapeutic tones;

setting an appropriate volume for each of the plurality of tones;

repetitively playing each of the plurality of therapeutic tones; and

pairing an electrical vagus nerve stimulation pulse train with each playing of a therapeutic tone so that the stimulation pulse train occurs after the playing of a therapeutic tone, thereby reducing the patient'"'"'s perception of tinnitus, wherein

the respective therapeutic tones of the plurality of therapeutic tones are outside the range of the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

setting respective volumes for the plurality of therapeutic tones exposed to the patient, wherein respective therapeutic tones of the plurality of therapeutic tones exposed to the patient are exposed at the respective set volumes.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

measuring a patient'"'"'s hearing; and

determining the patient'"'"'s hearing loss and the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency using the measurements of the patient'"'"'s hearing.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

programming a clinical controller with the measurements of the patient'"'"'s hearing.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the programmed clinical controller controls the pairing of the vagus nerve stimulation pulse train.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

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.

22. The method of claim 16, wherein:

the therapeutic tones are selected to be at least a half-octave above the patient'"'"'s tinnitus frequency.