Controlling ear stimulation in response to a status of a subject

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10293158-B2
Application number	US-201815996621-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2018
Priority date	Mar 27, 2015
Publication date	May 21, 2019
Grant date	May 21, 2019

Abstract

Systems and related methods for controlling an ear stimulation device with a personal computing device, in response to determination of electrical contact of an electrode in a stimulator earpiece with an ear of a user of the personal computing device, are described. If the electrode is not in good electrical contact with the ear of the user, delivery of the stimulus is prevented and the user is notified of the status of the electrode. In various aspects, the user is instructed to reposition the earpiece or replace, clean, moisten, or apply gel to at least a portion of the electrode.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of controlling an ear stimulation device with a personal computing device, comprising:
receiving at least one first signal at a personal computing device used by a subject, wherein the at least one first signal is indicative of at least one of delivery of a pharmaceutical to the subject, delivery of a nutraceutical to the subject, an event in a game played by the subject, a user input to a game by the subject, a user input provided to a virtual reality system by the subject, an event experienced by the subject in a virtual reality system, a user input to the computing device by the subject indicative of a mental or emotional state of the subject, a user input to a computing device by the subject in response to a query or prompt, genome information of the subject, or microbiome information of the subject;
determining a neural stimulus control signal based at least in part on the at least one first signal with stimulation control circuitry in the personal computing device, the neural stimulus control signal configured to control delivery by an external neural stimulator of a neural stimulus configured to stimulate at least one nerve innervating a pinna of the subject;
outputting the neural stimulus control signal from the personal computing device to an ear stimulation device including the external neural stimulator carried on the pinna of the subject;
determining a secondary stimulus control signal adapted to control delivery of a secondary stimulus to the subject; and
delivering the secondary stimulus control signal to a secondary stimulator to control delivery of the secondary stimulus to the subject, wherein the secondary stimulus includes at least one of music, an auditory stimulus, a video, a virtual reality experience, a game experience, a virtual therapy experience, or an interactive activity delivered via the personal computing device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first signal is indicative of at least one of delivery of a pharmaceutical to the subject or delivery of a nutraceutical to the subject.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first signal is indicative of at least one of a user input to a game by the subject, a user input provided to a virtual reality system by the subject, a user input to the computing device by the subject indicative of a mental or emotional state of the subject, or a user input to a computing device by the subject in response to a query or prompt.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising receiving at least one second signal at the personal computing device, wherein the at least one second signal is indicative of at least one of delivery of a pharmaceutical to the subject or delivery of a nutraceutical to the subject.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the at least one first signal at the personal computing device includes receiving a user input from the subject via an ecological momentary assessment module.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the neural stimulus control signal includes determining at least one of amplitude, frequency, waveform, pattern, or duration of the neural stimulus.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the neural stimulus control signal includes selecting a stimulation pattern stored in a memory of the personal computing device.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the personal computing device includes a phone, watch, wearable device, tablet computer, laptop computer, or desktop computer.

9. The method of claim 1 , including receiving, at handshake circuitry on the personal computing device, a handshake signal from ear stimulation device control circuitry associated with the ear stimulation device.

10. The method of claim 1 , including receiving, at handshake circuitry on the personal computing device, a handshake signal from ear stimulation device control circuitry associated with the ear stimulation device.

11. A computer program product comprising:
a non-transitory signal-bearing medium bearing
one or more instructions for receiving at least one first signal at a personal computing device used by a subject, wherein the at least one first signal is indicative of at least one of delivery of a pharmaceutical to the subject, delivery of a nutraceutical to the subject, an event in a game played by the subject, a user input to a game by the subject, a user input provided to a virtual reality system by the subject, an event experienced by the subject in a virtual reality system, a user input to the computing device by the subject indicative of a mental or emotional state of the subject, a user input to a computing device by the subject in response to a query or prompt, genome information of the subject, or microbiome information of the subject;
one or more instructions for determining a neural stimulus control signal based at least in part on the at least one first signal with stimulation control circuitry in the personal computing device, the neural stimulus control signal configured to control delivery by an external neural stimulator of a neural stimulus configured to stimulate at least one nerve innervating a pinna of the subject;
one or more instructions for outputting the neural stimulus control signal from the personal computing device to an ear stimulation device including the external neural stimulator carried on the pinna of the subject;
one or more instructions for determining a secondary stimulus control signal adapted to control delivery of a secondary stimulus to the subject; and
one or more instructions for delivering the secondary stimulus control signal to a secondary stimulator to control delivery of the secondary stimulus to the subject, wherein the secondary stimulus includes at least one of music, an auditory stimulus, a video, a virtual reality experience, a game experience, a virtual therapy experience, or an interactive activity delivered via the personal computing device.

12. An ear stimulation device control system, comprising:
a personal computing device configured to control delivery of a stimulus to at least one nerve innervating an ear of a subject using the personal computing device, via an ear stimulation device including an external neural stimulator carried on a pinna of the subject, the personal computing device including
at least one signal input configured to receive at least one first signal indicative of at least one of delivery of a pharmaceutical to the subject, delivery of a nutraceutical to the subject, an event in a game played by the subject, a user input to a game by the subject, a user input provided to a virtual reality system by the subject, an event experienced by the subject in a virtual reality system, a user input to the computing device by the subject indicative of a mental or emotional state of the subject, a user input to a computing device by the subject in response to a query or prompt, genome information of the subject, or microbiome information of the subject;
control signal determination circuitry configured to determine a neural stimulus control signal based at least in part on the at least one first signal;
neural control signal output circuitry for outputting the neural stimulus control signal to the ear stimulation device;
secondary stimulus determination circuitry configured to determine, based at least in part on the at least one first signal, a secondary stimulus control signal adapted to control delivery of a secondary stimulus to the subject, wherein the secondary stimulus includes at least one of music, an auditory stimulus, a video, a virtual reality experience, a game experience, a virtual therapy experience, or an interactive activity delivere

Assignees

• Elwha Llc
• Equility Llc

Inventors

• Goodall Eleanor V
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Kitzan Melanie K
• Leuthardt Eric C
• Malamud Mark A
• Malaska Stephen L
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Scheid Brittany
• Sharadin Katherine E
• Sweeney Elizabeth A
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• A61N1/36036 Primary

  of the outer, middle or inner ear · CPC title

• A61H2230/605

  used as a control parameter for the apparatus · CPC title

• A61H2230/00

  Measuring physical parameters of the user · CPC title

• A61N1/0456

  Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS] · CPC title

• A61H2230/655

  used as a control parameter for the apparatus · CPC title