Controlling ear stimulation in response to a status of a subject

• Main Authors: Leuthardt, Eric C, Whitmer, Charles, Tegreene, Clarence T, Sharadin, Katherine E, Malaska, Stephen L, Wood, Jr., Lowell L, Kare, Jordin T, Scheid, Brittany, Malamud, Mark A, Ishikawa, Muriel Y, Myhrvold, Nathan P, Wood, Victoria Y. H, Goodall, Eleanor V, Hyde, Roderick A, Sweeney, Elizabeth A, Kitzan, Melanie K
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 21.05.2019
• Subjects: AMUSEMENTS; ARTIFICIAL RESPIRATION; BATHING DEVICES FOR SPECIAL THERAPEUTIC OR HYGIENIC PURPOSESOR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE BODY; CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; DEAF-AID SETS; DIAGNOSIS; ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE; ELECTRICITY; ELECTROTHERAPY; GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONTECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING ORPROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; IDENTIFICATION; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTEDFOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION FIELDS; LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKEACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; MAGNETOTHERAPY; MASSAGE; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; PHYSICAL THERAPY APPARATUS, e.g. DEVICES FOR LOCATING ORSTIMULATING REFLEX POINTS IN THE BODY; PHYSICS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS; RADIATION THERAPY; SPORTS; SURGERY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY; VIDEO GAMES

Systems and related methods for controlling an ear stimulation device with a personal computing device, in response to determination of electrical contact of an electrode in a stimulator earpiece with an ear of a user of the personal computing device, are described. If the electrode is not in good electrical contact with the ear of the user, delivery of the stimulus is prevented and the user is notified of the status of the electrode. In various aspects, the user is instructed to reposition the earpiece or replace, clean, moisten, or apply gel to at least a portion of the electrode.