US 12,453,865 B2
External auditory canal photobiomodulation and audio therapy device
Christopher R. Brown, Greensburg, IN (US); and Mark T. Volz, Batesville, IN (US)
Assigned to Neuraxis, Inc., Carmel, IN (US)
Filed by Neuraxis, Inc., Versailles, IN (US)
Filed on Jan. 31, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/589,082.
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 2022/0176151 A1, Jun. 9, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A61N 5/06 (2006.01); H04R 1/02 (2006.01); H04R 1/10 (2006.01)
CPC A61N 5/0622 (2013.01) [A61N 5/0603 (2013.01); H04R 1/02 (2013.01); H04R 1/1016 (2013.01); H04R 1/1041 (2013.01); A61N 2005/0605 (2013.01); A61N 2005/0626 (2013.01); A61N 2005/0647 (2013.01); A61N 2005/0651 (2013.01); A61N 2005/0663 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A photobiomodulation and audio therapy device, comprising:
a housing including a first portion configured to be inserted into an external auditory meatus of a human ear and defining at least one opening at one end thereof and a second portion,
at least one irradiation source coupled to the housing such that, with the housing inserted into the external auditory meatus, at least a portion of a radiation emitting surface thereof faces at least a portion of dermis of the external auditory meatus beneath which at least one of an arterial branch and a peripheral nerve branch of at least one cranial nerve is located, wherein the at least the portion of the radiation emitting surface of the at least one irradiation source directs radiation radially outwardly from the housing,
at least one speaker carried by the housing such that, with the housing inserted into the external auditory meatus, acoustic waves exiting the at least one speaker pass axially through the at least one opening of the housing and move through the external auditory meatus toward a tympanic membrane of the human ear, and
an electrical circuit carried by the housing and electrically connected to the at least one irradiation source and to the at least one speaker, the electrical circuit including at least a first circuit component 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 a portion of dermis of the external auditory meatus and at least a second circuit component to control the at least one speaker to produce acoustic waves,
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.