US 11,229,576 B2Granted

Vibratory nerve exciter

AssigneePassy-Muir, Inc.

InventorsAlex Jolly, Cameron Jolly, Kristin King, Jose Comino, Daniel Carrillo, Wayne Fong, Kenneth Green

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A laryngeal nerve exciting system includes a collar holding a bridge, or a neckband, pressing soft tissue nerve exciters against a patient's neck providing a source of vibrations to stimulate the laryngeal nerve through the larynx. At least one exciter, and preferably two exciters, provide vibrations at preferably 70 Hz to 110 Hz and sufficiently strong to penetrate to the laryngeal nerve. The exciters may be held by the collar circling the neck, or by the neck band partially circling the neck. The therapy system includes a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA) and software which wirelessly connects, monitors, and triggers the device. The system may be used to treat dysphagia, chronic cough, and spasmodic dysphonia.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A laryngeal nerve exciter system, comprising:

a neckband configured to wrap at least partially around a neck of a patient, the neckband comprising a first circumferential end and a second circumferential end opposing each other;
a bridge comprising a middle portion, a first side portion and a second side portion, the first side portion and the second side portion respectively extending from opposing ends of the middle portion to form an obtuse angle with respect to the middle portion, the first side portion coupled to the first circumferential end of the neckband, the second side portion coupled to the second circumferential end of the neckband, each of the middle portion, and the first side portion and the second side portion comprising a first surface configured to face the patient's neck and a second surface opposing the first surface;
a first sleeve extending from the first surface of the first side portion of the bridge, the first sleeve including a first opening;
a second sleeve extending from the first surface of the second side portion of the bridge, the second sleeve including a second opening;
an exciter configured to generate vibration, wherein the exciter comprises a single exciter disposed on the second surface of the middle portion of the bridge, the first nerve effector and the second nerve effector arranged substantially symmetric with respect to the single exciter;
a first nerve effector operatively coupled to the exciter and configured to conduct the vibration to the patient's neck to stimulate a laryngeal nerve of the patient, the first nerve effector comprising a first end disposed inside the first opening of the first sleeve and a second end disposed outside the first opening and configured to directly contact a first portion of the patient's neck;
a second nerve effector operatively coupled to the exciter and configured to conduct the vibration to the patient's neck to stimulate the laryngeal nerve, the second nerve effector comprising a first end disposed inside the second opening of the second sleeve and a second end disposed outside the second opening and configured to directly contact a second portion of the patient's neck different from the first portion of the patient's neck;
a first force sensor disposed inside the first opening of the first sleeve and configured to measure force of the first nerve effector against the first portion of the patient's neck to allow for adjustment of the first circumferential end of the neckband;
and a second force sensor disposed inside the second opening of the second sleeve and configured to measure force of the second nerve effector against the second portion of the patient's neck to allow for adjustment of the second circumferential end of the neckband.

6 more elements

A laryngeal nerve exciter system, comprising:

a neckband configured to wrap at least partially around a patient's neck, the neckband comprising a first end and a second end opposing each other;
a bridge comprising a middle portion, a first side portion and a second side portion, the first side portion and the second side portion respectively non-linearly extending from opposing ends of the middle portion, the first side portion coupled to the first end of the neckband, the second side portion coupled to the second end of the neckband, each of the middle portion, and the first and second side portions comprising a first surface configured to face the patient's neck and a second surface opposing the first surface;
a first sleeve extending from the first surface of the first side portion of the bridge, the first sleeve including a first opening;
a second sleeve extending from the first surface of the second side portion of the bridge, the second sleeve including a second opening;
a first nerve effector configured to conduct vibration to the patient's neck to stimulate a laryngeal nerve of the patient, the first nerve effector comprising a first end disposed inside the first opening of the first sleeve and a second end disposed outside the first opening and configured to directly contact a first portion of the patient's neck;
a second nerve effector configured to conduct the vibration to the patient's neck to stimulate the laryngeal nerve, the second nerve effector comprising a first end disposed inside the second opening of the second sleeve and a second end disposed outside the second opening and configured to directly contact a second portion of the patient's neck different from the first portion of the patient's neck;
an exciter operatively coupled to the first nerve effector and the second nerve effector and configured to generate the vibration, wherein the exciter comprises a first transducer and a second transducer respectively operatively coupled to the first nerve effector and the second nerve effector, the first transducer and the second transducer respectively disposed inside the first opening and the second opening of the first sleeve and the second sleeve, and further comprising a first resilient member accommodated inside the first opening of the first sleeve and configured to hold the first nerve effector against the first transducer;
and
a second resilient member accommodated inside the second opening of the second sleeve and configured to hold the second nerve effector against the second transducer.

6 more elements

A laryngeal nerve exciter system, comprising:

a neckband configured to wrap at least partially around a patient's neck, the neckband comprising a first end and a second end opposing each other;
a bridge comprising a middle portion, a first side portion and a second side portion, the first side portion and the second side portion respectively extending from opposing ends of the middle portion, the first side portion coupled to the first end of the neckband, the second side portion coupled to the second end of the neckband, each of the middle portion, and the first side portion and the second side portion comprising a first surface configured to face the patient's neck and a second surface opposing the first surface;
a first sleeve extending from the first surface of the first side portion of the bridge;
a second sleeve extending from the first surface of the second side portion of the bridge;
a first nerve effector configured to conduct vibration to the patient's neck to stimulate a laryngeal nerve of the patient, the first nerve effector further configured to directly contact a first portion of the patient's neck;
a second nerve effector configured to conduct the vibration to the patient's neck to stimulate the laryngeal nerve, the second nerve effector further configured to directly contact a second portion of the patient's neck different from the first portion of the patient's neck, each of the first nerve effector and the second nerve effector partially disposed inside and movable with respect to the first sleeve or the second sleeve;
and an exciter operatively coupled to the first nerve effector and the second nerve effector and configured to generate the vibration, wherein the exciter comprises a first transducer and a second transducer respectively operatively coupled to the first nerve effector and the second nerve effector, the first transducer and the second transducer respectively disposed inside a first opening and a second opening of the first sleeve and the second sleeve, and further comprising a first resilient member accommodated inside the first opening of the first sleeve and configured to hold the first nerve effector against the first transducer;
and a second resilient member accommodated inside the second opening of the second sleeve and configured to hold the second nerve effector against the second transducer.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/305,268Filed 2 Jul 2021 · continuation
Priority: 19 Apr 2019
Published: US 2021/0322261 A121 Oct 2021
Granted: 25 Jan 2022
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification12 codes

A61H 1/00
Apparatus for passive exercising
A61H 23/02
Percussion or vibration massage, e.g. using supersonic vibration; Suction-vibration massage; Massage with moving diaphragms: with electric or…
A61H 23/0236
With alternating magnetic fields producing a translating or oscillating movement: using sonic waves, e.g. using loudspeakers
A61H 2201/1207
Driving means: with electric or magnetic drive

Family

Application62/836,195Us provisional application · filed 19 Apr 2019
Application16/853,477Parent of this continuation · filed 20 Apr 2020
US 2021/0322261 A1Pre-grant publication · published 21 Oct 2021
US 2020/0330323 A1Published application
US 11,229,576 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.