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

摘要

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.