The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 20, 2015
Filed:
Jun. 27, 2014
Med-el Elektromedizinische Geraete Gmbh, Innsbruck, AT;
Werner Lindenthaler, Oberperfuss, AT;
MED-EL Elektromedizinische Geraete GmbH, Innsbruck, AT;
Abstract
A method for stimulating facial nerves in a subject includes providing an electrode having a plurality of contacts, stimulating a central part of a facial nerve with the plurality of contacts in order to improve at least some muscle volume and/or strength in a facial region, and stimulating one or more of the plurality of contacts in order to maintain the muscle volume and/or strength in a desired facial muscle. Another method for stimulating facial nerves in a subject includes providing an electrode having a plurality of contacts in an ear of the subject, stimulating one or more of the plurality of contacts separately in order to determine which contacts activate which facial muscles, identifying one or more contacts from the plurality of contacts that cause one or more nerve branches to activate a desired facial muscle, and selecting the identified contacts to stimulate the one or more nerve branches.