Headband that contracts in synchrony with inspiration during sleep

Abstract

The present invention discloses a head piece, such as a headband or helmet, that fits around the cranium and includes one or more contractile elements which contract in synchrony with inspiration during sleep. The head piece is connected to a breath sensor which signals the timing of inspiration and software which incorporates the generated timing signals from the breath sensor to control the timing and release of the contraction of the head piece to coordinate with the user's breath. The breath sensor may comprise a variety of mechanisms such as a flow valve in the tubing of a CPAP or other type of automated breathing machine, an anemometer such as a hot wire anemometer to directly detect airflow in front of the nose or mouth, acoustic sensors to record breathing sounds, or a radar detector that monitors chest or abdomen movements from above the bed. In the illustrated embodiments, the breath sensor is a chest band that signals inspiration by recording an increase in tension produced by expansion of the chest. Coupling expansion of the chest with compression of the cranium is advantageous, because these movements occur simultaneously and because the expansion of the chest occurs with much greater force than the compression of the cranium, therefore the natural expansion of the chest can power the compressive forces which are desirably applied to the cranium. The chest band and head piece can be coupled to provide such a self powered head pumping mechanism by an electrical connection or a tube that permits flow of a liquid or air between the two areas.

Claims

1. An apparatus for facilitating circulation of cerebrospinal fluid in a person's cranium, the apparatus comprising: a breath sensor for monitoring a person's respiration and for signaling when the person is inhaling and when the person is exhaling; a compressor configured to compress the person's cranium; and a regulator configured to control the compressor based on signals from the breath sensor; wherein the compressor is configured to compress the person's cranium upon the regulator receiving a first signal from the breath sensor that the person is inhaling, and to decompress the person's cranium upon the regulator receiving a second signal from the breath sensor that the person is exhaling.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the breath sensor comprises a chestband configured to be worn on the person's chest and a tension sensor attached to the chestband for sensing tension in the chestband; wherein the compressor is configured to compress the person's cranium upon the regulator receiving the first signal from the breath sensor that the tension in the chestband is increasing and to decompress the person's cranium upon the regulator receiving the second signal from the breath sensor that the tension in the chestband is decreasing.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the tension sensor comprises a piezoelectric element which produces a signal indicating a magnitude of tension in the chestband; and wherein the compressor is configured to compress the person's cranium upon the regulator receiving the first signal from the breath sensor that the magnitude of the tension in the chestband is increasing and to decompress the person's cranium upon the regulator receiving the second signal from the breath sensor that the magnitude of the tension in the chestband is decreasing.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the compressor comprises a piezoelectric motor.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the breath sensor comprises a chestband configured to be worn on the person's chest and a piezoelectric generator attached to the chestband for generating electrical signals in response to changes in tension in the chestband; wherein the chestband is configured such that as the person inhales the tension in the chestband increases and as the person exhales the tension in the chestband decreases; and wherein the compressor is configured to compress and decompress the person's cranium upon the regulator receiving the first signal from the breath sensor that the tension in the chestband is increasing and to decompress the person's cranium upon the regulator receiving the second signal from the breath sensor that the tension in the chestband is decreasing.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the compressor comprises a headpiece configured to be worn on the person's cranium.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the headpiece comprises a headband configured to be worn on the person's cranium, and a contractile element attached to the headband for contracting the headband to compress at least a portion of the person's cranium when the breath sensor signals to the regulator that the person is inhaling and for refraining from contracting the headband in order to decompress the at least a portion of the person's cranium when the breath sensor signals to the regulator that the person is exhaling.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the contractile element comprises a piezoelectric step motor.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: tubing; and a fluid; wherein the breath sensor comprises a chestband configured to be worn on the person's chest, the chestband comprises a first bladder; wherein the compressor comprises a headpiece configured to be worn on the person's cranium, the headpiece comprises a second bladder; wherein the tubing couples the first bladder and the second bladder; wherein the fluid resides in the tubing, the first bladder and the second bladder; wherein the chestband is configured to compress the first bladder to force the fluid from the first bladder and into the second bladder via the tubing to cause the second bladder to expand when the person inhales, thereby compressing the person's cranium; and wherein the chestband is configured to decompress the first bladder to allow the fluid to flow from the second bladder and into the first bladder via the tubing to cause the second bladder to shrink when the person exhales, thereby decompressing the person's cranium.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: tubing; and a gas; wherein the breath sensor comprises a chestband configured to be worn on the person's chest, the chestband comprises a first bladder; wherein the compressor comprises a headpiece configured to be worn on the person's cranium, the headpiece comprises a second bladder; wherein the tubing couples the first bladder and the second bladder; wherein the gas resides in the tubing, the first bladder and the second bladder; wherein the chestband is configured to compress the first bladder to force the gas from the first bladder and into the second bladder via the tubing to cause the second bladder to expand when the person inhales, thereby compressing the person's cranium; and wherein the chestband is configured to decompress the first bladder to allow the gas to flow from the second bladder and into the first bladder via the tubing to cause the second bladder to shrink when the person exhales, thereby decompressing the person's cranium.

11. A method for facilitating drainage of cerebrospinal fluid from a person's cranium, the method comprising the steps of: monitoring the person's respiration with a breath sensor to determine when the person is inhaling and when the person is exhaling; compressing with a compressor at least a portion of the person's cranium upon a regulator receiving a first signal from the breath sensor that the person is inhaling; and decompressing the at least a portion of the person's cranium upon the regulator receiving a second signal from the breath sensor that the person is exhaling.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the step of monitoring the person's respiration comprises sensing when the person's chest is expanding and contracting.

13. The method in accordance with claim 12 wherein the step of monitoring the person's respiration comprises monitoring air flow in and out of the person's lungs.

14. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the at least a portion of the person's cranium that is compressed includes at least half of the circumference of the person's cranium.

15. The method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the step of monitoring the person's respiration comprises monitoring movement out of the person's chest.

16. The method in accordance with claim 11, wherein the compressor comprises a headpiece and the steps of compressing and decompressing the at least a portion of the person's cranium comprise mounting the headpiece on the person's cranium.

17. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the first signal and the second signal are variable electronic signals.

18. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the first signal and the second signal are conveyed by a liquid of a variable pressure indicating when the person is inhaling and when the person is exhaling.

19. The method in accordance with claim 16, wherein the first signal and the second signal are conveyed by a gas of a variable pressure indicating when the person is inhaling and when the person is exhaling.

20. A device for compressing and releasing portions of the cranium rhythmically in synchrony with a person's respiration, the device comprising: a headband that is configured to encircle at least half of the circumference of the person's cranium; and a breath sensor that is connected with said headband; wherein said headband contains at least one contractile portion that is activated by a regulator based on a signal from the breath sensor, the signal configured to indicate whether the person is inhaling or exhaling.

Description

ILLUSTRATIONS

(1) FIG. 1 shows a side view of a first embodiment in which headband and chest band are connected electrically.

(2) FIG. 2 shows a top view of the headband of the first embodiment.

(3) FIG. 3 shows a side view of a second embodiment in which headpiece and chest band are connected by a tube.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(4) FIGS. 1 and 2 shows a first embodiment wherein the head piece is headband 1, which contains contractile elements 14, 15, 7, 8, 17 and 19; which are electrically connected via regulator 2 and line 3 to chest band 4. Headband 1 encircles at least half of the user's cranium. Headband 1 contains contractile element 14. Headband 1 also includes occipital extension 20, which includes contractile element 17; parietal extension 21, which includes contractile element 15; and chinstrap 6, which includes contractile element 19. The contractile elements shown on one side of the user's cranium have symmetrical elements (not shown) that are located on the other side of the user's cranium. Chinstrap 6 contributes to the compression of the user's cranium by squeezing the mandible up against the temporal bone and the underside of the front of the cranium.

(5) Piezoelectric elements in the illustrations are designated by wiggly lines. Piezoelectric elements such as step motors are advantageous for contractile elements, because they are capable of very small and precise contractions. Also, there are other electroactive polymer materials, such as ionic polymer-metal composites, that could be substituted for piezoelectric elements to power the contraction of the headband without changing the spirit of the invention.

(6) Regulator 2 controls the precise timing and force of the contractions of the piezoelectric elements by regulating the signals sent through wires to contractile elements 14, 15, 17, and 19. Regulator 2 may fire all the contractile elements simultaneously or may stagger them to produce a wave of contraction to optimize the drainage of cerebrospinal fluid from the user's cranium.

(7) To apply contractile forces selectively to certain areas of the user's cranium, adhesive patches can be placed on the skin of the cranium to create additional attachment means for the contractile elements. These can be temporarily affixed to the skin of the user with conventional adhesives, such as band-aids, and they contain a metal electrically conductive engagement means for engaging a connecting electrical wire, such as the adhesive pads used for EEG. In FIG. 1, adhesive patches 18 and 5 are adhered directly to the skin and connected by contractile element 7 in order to apply localized pressures to the suture between the frontal and temporal bones. Adhesive patch 5 is also connected to headband 1 by contractile element 8 that connects to headband 1 at anchor 10. By employing headband 1 as an anchor, contractile element 8 is able to deliver strong forces directed upward and forward to adhesive patch 5.

(8) Chestband 4 in the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2 contains a piezoelectric generator 20, which harvests sufficient electrical energy to power the contraction of headband 1 from expansion during inhalation and then sends it through line 3 to regulator 2. Chest bands are commonly used to detect respiratory effort in home sleep testing devices used for detecting breathing effort in monitoring and diagnosing sleep apnea, and some use piezoelectric technology like the described embodiment. The advantage of using a piezoelectric chest band is that the expansive movement of the chest during inspiration is so much greater than the contractile movement of the cranium during inspiration that the chest band produces more than enough electricity to power the headband without any added power source. Also, an abdomen band employing the same technology could be substituted for a chest band without changing the spirit of the invention.

(9) Other types of chest bands that do not produce electricity may also be suitable for detecting inspiration in the present invention. For one example, some chest bands currently used to detect inspiration in home sleep testing devices employ interference plesmythography. For another example, knitted Schoeller wool undergoes increased resistance when stretched, therefore a chest band made of that material would show an increase in electrical resistance which could be used to mark the onset and extent of inspiration. In addition, a variety of electroactive polymers could also be incorporated into a chest band to serve as a breath sensor without departing from the spirit of the invention.

(10) Also, other types of breath sensors that are not embedded in a chest band could be used to signal the onset of inspiration. For example, airflow sensors used in CPAP machines, such as Honeywell Zephyr HAF series, are reliable breath sensors. Many breath sensors can quantify the amount of breath and thereby maintain a proportional contraction in the headband. They can also detect the direction of airflow and use that information to time the contraction of the contractile elements in the headband to alternate forces placed on the cranium during inspiration and expiration. Alternatively, the breath sensor can also be located remotely, such as a radar device that detects movement of the user's chest, from where it sends a signal to regulator 2 to proportionally activate the contractile elements to compress the cranium as needed.

(11) If the current invention is used with a breath sensor that does not generate electricity, the needed power can be supplied by a battery attached to regulator 2 at the front of the headband or in the chestband. Very little electrical current is needed to produce the tiny forces needed to enhance drainage of cerebrospinal fluid from the cranium during sleep, because the movements required are so small, therefore batteries can supply plenty of power. Even if a power generating chest band is used, a small battery or condenser may be added to momentarily store and regulate the flow of electric current to the headband if the timing of the power supply from the chest band does not provide optimal timing of the contraction of the contractile elements.

(12) The timing of the contraction of some of the piezoelectric elements in the headband can also be controlled to provide expansion of certain areas of the cranium in synchrony with expiration alternating with the contraction of those or other areas of the cranium during inspiration. For example, strap 21 contains contractile element 15 which is positioned to apply a pulling force that is directed across the parietal suture that runs from front to back along the top of the cranium, thereby pulling upwards and outwards on the parietal and temporal bones and producing an outward movement of the sides of the cranium alternating with the contraction of contractile elements 14, 17, and 19 to produce a movement of the cranium that is characterized by alternately expanding laterally to become shorter and wider during the contraction of contractile element 15, and then contracting laterally while expanding in length to become longer and narrower as contractile elements 14, 17, and 19 contract.

(13) FIG. 2 shows a top view of the headband of the first embodiment. The head piece includes rigid areas 11 and 12 that serve as attachment points for the contractile elements, for example to pull the frontal and occipital bones toward each other. Relatively rigid elements and relatively elastic elements may be combined with the piezoelectric elements in various ways in the construction of the headband or helmet in order to induce specific movements such as rotations or twisting of certain cranial bones rather than simply compressing the entire cranium. For example, in patients with certain neurodegenerative pathologies, it may be desirable to maximize cerebrospinal fluid circulation in one area of the brain, and the headband may be designed to apply alternating pressure to that one area.

(14) Frontal segment 12 and rear segment 11 generally span the frontal bones and occipital bones respectively, and they may be contoured to better fit those areas for the individual user. Segments 11 and 12 may have more rigidity than other areas of the headband. They are connected by contractile elements 14 and 16 so that the contraction of these two generally parallel and simultaneously contracting contractile elements serves to bring the occipital and frontal bones closer to each other and thereby compress the cranium between its front and back portions.

(15) FIG. 3 shows an embodiment wherein the head piece 30 and chestband 32 are connected by a length of tubing 34 that communicates gas or liquid such as air or water. In this embodiment, head piece 30 covers a large portion of the cranium, like a helmet, that comprises a more rigid outer layer enclosing an inner layer comprising a flexible bladder 40; and chestband 32 comprises a more rigid outer layer that encircles an inner layer comprising a flexible bladder 42. In the figure, the gas or liquid is shaded (gray), as seen in the bladders and tubing 34.

(16) In this embodiment, the tightness of head piece 30 and the tightness of chestband 32 can be controlled by adjusters 44 and 46 respectively to control the pressures in the bladders by either tightening the outer rigid layer covering the bladder to increase the pressure in the bladder or loosening the outer rigid layer covering the bladder to decrease pressure in the bladder.

(17) Adjusters can be as simple as Velcro straps without changing the spirit of the invention.

(18) In FIG. 3, the hydraulic or pneumatic forces generated by the expansion of the chest during inspiration and transferred to the bladder in the headband through tubing 34 can also be controlled by regulator 36. Regulator 36 may contain a micro proportional valve that opens and closes in synchrony with breathing to allow gas or liquids to pass in one direction during inspiration and in the opposite direction during expiration. Regulator 36 may also contain a logic circuit and electronic controls that are powered by electronic elements in the chestband 32 and also which may provide signals in proportion to the amount of movement of the chestband to regulate the flow or gas or liquid through tubing 34 to optimize pressures in the bladders to improve the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the cranium.