Device for Mitigating Motion Sickness and Other Responses to Inconsistent Sensory Information

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention can mitigate motion sickness by disrupting, controlling, or influencing anatomy of the vestibular system, including, for example, otoliths, endolymph, and hair follicles. An embodiment of the invention may induce vibrations in the vestibular system, including otoliths and / or semicircular canals of the inner ear, thereby causing noisy or unreliable sensory information in signals sent to the brain from the vestibular system. Due to this noisy or unreliable sensory information, the brain, as part of a normal physiological response, may rely less on signals received from vestibular system and rely more heavily on other sources, thereby mitigating the motion sickness response, vertigo, vestibular migraines, and other physiological responses to inconsistent sensory information. Vibrations in the vestibular system may be induced by an agitator placed on an individual's head near the vestibular system. Vibrations in the vestibular system may also be induced by a transducer placed near the eardrum or directly on an individual's head. Embodiments of the invention may optionally include implantable components in addition to extracorporeal components.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 179,682, entitled “Device for Mitigating Motion Sickness,” filed May 15, 2015. This application also claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 071,636, entitled “Device to Manipulate the Otolith Organ Using Sound Waves,” filed Sep. 29, 2014.COPYRIGHT NOTICE[0002]This disclosure is protected under United States and International Copyright Laws. © 2014-2015 Samuel Owen. All Rights Reserved. The disclosure of this patent document incorporates material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the files or records of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, for the limited purposes required by law, but the copyright owner otherwise reserves all copyrigh...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent is about a device or method that can reduce motion sickness and other physiological responses caused by inconsistent sensory information. It does this by inducing vibrations in the vestibular system, which can cause noisy or unreliable sensory information in signals sent to the brain. This noisy information can then be used by the brain to determine orientation, balance, position, movement, and other factors, reducing the likelihood of negative side effects. The device can be controlled to induce specific vibrations and can be used in a variety of applications, such as in vehicles or sports equipment.

Problems solved by technology

A “noisy” signal from the vestibular system cannot be properly interpreted by the brain, prompting the brain to instead rely on signals from other sources, such as the eyes and muscles.

Consequently, this reduces the likelihood that an individual may experience resulting detrimental physiological effects.

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