US 12,453,856 B2
External auditory canal therapy device
Christopher R. Brown, Greensburg, IN (US)
Assigned to Neuraxis, Inc., Carmel, IN (US)
Filed by Neuraxis, Inc., Versailles, IN (US)
Filed on Jul. 11, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/861,646.
Application 17/861,646 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/589,082, filed on Jan. 31, 2022.
Application 17/589,082 is a continuation in part of application No. 17/617,364, previously published as PCT/US2020/039040, filed on Jun. 23, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/866,763, filed on Jun. 26, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0347474 A1, Nov. 3, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61N 1/36 (2006.01); A61N 1/04 (2006.01); A61N 5/06 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 1/36036 (2017.08) [A61N 1/0456 (2013.01); A61N 5/0603 (2013.01); A61N 2005/0605 (2013.01); A61N 2005/0647 (2013.01); A61N 2005/0662 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An external auditory canal therapy device, comprising:
a housing including a first portion configured to be inserted into an external auditory canal of a human ear and a second portion,
a plurality of electrically conductive electrodes coupled to the housing such that, with the housing inserted into the external auditory canal, at least a portion of each of the plurality of electrically conductive electrodes non-percutaneously contacts at least a portion of dermis of the external auditory canal beneath which at least one of an arterial branch and a peripheral nerve branch of at least one cranial nerve is located, the plurality of electrically conductive electrodes disposed radially about the housing in spaced apart relation to one another around the housing and circumferentially aligned with one another,
at least one irradiation source coupled to the housing such that, with the housing inserted into the external auditory canal, at least a portion of a radiation emitting surface of the at least one irradiation source faces at least another portion of dermis of the external auditory canal beneath which the at least one of the arterial branch and the peripheral nerve branch of the at least one cranial nerve is located,
at least one speaker carried by the housing such that, with the housing inserted into the external auditory canal, acoustic waves exiting the at least one speaker pass through at least one opening defined through the housing and move through the external auditory canal toward a tympanic membrane of the human ear, and
an electrical circuit carried by the housing, the electrical circuit including at least a first circuit component configured to control the plurality of electrically conductive electrodes to electrically stimulate the at least one of the arterial branch and the peripheral nerve branch of the at least one cranial nerve through the at least a portion of dermis of the external auditory canal, and at least a second circuit component configured to control the at least one irradiation source to irradiate the at least one of the arterial branch and the peripheral nerve branch of the at least one cranial nerve through the at least another portion of dermis of the external auditory canal,
wherein the at least one irradiation source includes light sources arrayed circumferentially on the first portion of the housing, thereby positioning each of the light sources opposite to, and facing, the at least one of the arterial branch and peripheral nerve branch of the at least one cranial nerve.