US 12,220,373 B2
Systems for vibrationally exciting a laryngeal nerve
Alex Jolly, Newport Beach, CA (US); Cameron Jolly, Newport Beach, CA (US); Kristin King, Littleton, NC (US); Jose Comino, Irvine, CA (US); Daniel Carrillo, Irvine, CA (US); Wayne Fong, Irvine, CA (US); and Kenneth Green, La Habra Heights, CA (US)
Assigned to Passy-Muir, Inc., Irvine, CA (US)
Filed by Passy-Muir, Inc., Irvine, CA (US)
Filed on Nov. 30, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/524,927.
Application 18/524,927 is a continuation of application No. 17/887,299, filed on Aug. 12, 2022, granted, now 11,850,205.
Application 17/887,299 is a continuation of application No. 17/305,282, filed on Jul. 2, 2021, granted, now 11,413,214, issued on Aug. 16, 2022.
Application 17/305,282 is a continuation of application No. 16/853,477, filed on Apr. 20, 2020, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/836,195, filed on Apr. 19, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0091098 A1, Mar. 21, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61H 23/02 (2006.01)
CPC A61H 23/02 (2013.01) [A61H 2201/1611 (2013.01); A61H 2201/165 (2013.01); A61H 2201/501 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5071 (2013.01); A61H 2205/04 (2013.01)] 17 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A laryngeal nerve exciter system for vibrationally exciting a laryngeal nerve to treat at least one of a swallow disorder, a voice disorder, or chronic cough, the system comprising:
a neckband, the neckband comprising a first free end and a second free end opposing each other to form an open front, the first free end and the second free end spaced apart by a distance, the neckband being flexible to accommodate necks of different sizes, the neckband further comprising a center portion facing the open front, a first side portion and a second side portion disposed on opposite sides of the center portion;
a first exciter extending from the first free end of the neckband, the first exciter disposed between the first free end and the first side portion, the first exciter comprising a first surface coupled to the first free end of the neckband and a second surface opposing the first surface;
a second exciter extending from the second free end of the neckband, the second exciter disposed between the second free end and the second side portion, the second exciter comprising a first surface coupled to the second free end of the neckband and a second surface opposing the first surface of the second exciter;
a first electrical circuit and a second electrical circuit configured to respectively control the first exciter and the second exciter,
wherein each of the first side portion and the second side portion comprises a first region and a second region closer to the center portion than the first region, wherein each first region comprises a housing mounted thereon and respectively accommodating either the first electrical circuit or the second electrical circuit, and wherein each first region is larger in size than each second region due to the housing; and
a first adhesive pad and a second adhesive pad respectively coupled to the first exciter and the second exciter, each of the first adhesive pad and the second adhesive pad comprising a first surface respectively coupled to the second surface of each of the first exciter or the second exciter and a second surface opposing the first surface of each of the first adhesive pad or the second adhesive pad, the second surfaces of the first adhesive pad and the second adhesive pad being adhesive,
wherein the first adhesive pad and the second adhesive pad are respectively positioned against a first portion and a second portion of a patient's neck different from each other,
wherein the open front of the neckband is configured to expose the patient's throat,
wherein the respective second surfaces of the first adhesive pad and the second adhesive pad are configured to fix positions of the neckband by adhering to the patient's skin, and
wherein the first exciter and the second exciter are configured to vibrationally excite the laryngeal nerve of the patient to treat at least one of the swallow disorder, the voice disorder, or chronic cough, by generating vibration and conducting the generated vibration to the patient's neck.