Patents by Inventor Eric A. Nofzinger

Eric A. Nofzinger has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11684510
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for treating neurological and/or neuropsychiatric disorders are by application of thermal energy to the patient's forehead region, for example, by maintaining a target temperature or temperature range to the forehead of a patient for a time period. In particular, described herein are regional brain cooling mechanisms to treat neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and autism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventor: Eric A. Nofzinger
  • Publication number: 20230046024
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for treating neurological and/or neuropsychiatric disorders are by application of thermal energy to the patient's forehead region, for example, by maintaining a target temperature or temperature range to the forehead of a patient for a time period. In particular, described herein are regional brain cooling mechanisms to treat neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and autism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventor: Eric A. Nofzinger
  • Publication number: 20230050908
    Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for reducing anxiety, including increasing relaxation and/or calm. In some variations these methods may include reducing anxiety, increase relaxation and/or calm by non-invasive temperature regulation of the frontal cortex prior to and/or during sleep. The subject may have an anxiety disorder, or may not have a diagnosed anxiety disorder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 1, 2022
    Publication date: February 16, 2023
    Inventor: Eric A. Nofzinger
  • Publication number: 20220280748
    Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for enhancing sleep, including enhancing the quality of sleep, reducing sleep onset time, increasing total sleep time, treating insomnia, and/or treating other neurological disorders by non-invasive temperature regulation of the frontal cortex prior to and/or during sleep. Described herein are thermal applicators that include phase change materials and/or evaporative cooling, as well as headgear for securing the applicators comfortably against the appropriate region of the user's head.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Applicant: Sleepme Inc.
    Inventors: Robert E. TUCKER, Jeffrey J. Schirm, Eric A. Nofzinger
  • Patent number: 10610661
    Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for treating headaches, including migraines. In some variations these methods may include enhancing sleep, including enhancing the quality of sleep, reducing sleep onset time, increasing total sleep time, treating insomnia, and/or treating other neurological disorders by non-invasive temperature regulation of the frontal cortex prior to and/or during sleep.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventor: Eric A. Nofzinger
  • Publication number: 20200046936
    Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for reducing anxiety, including increasing relaxation and/or calm. In some variations these methods may include reducing anxiety, increase relaxation and/or calm by non-invasive temperature regulation of the frontal cortex prior to and/or during sleep. The subject may have an anxiety disorder, or may not have a diagnosed anxiety disorder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 22, 2019
    Publication date: February 13, 2020
    Inventors: Eric A. NOFZINGER, Jeffrey J. SCHIRM
  • Publication number: 20190275287
    Abstract: Methods, systems and devices for treating headaches, including migraines. In some variations these methods may include enhancing sleep, including enhancing the quality of sleep, reducing sleep onset time, increasing total sleep time, treating insomnia, and/or treating other neurological disorders by non-invasive temperature regulation of the frontal cortex prior to and/or during sleep.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Publication date: September 12, 2019
    Inventor: Eric A. NOFZINGER
  • Publication number: 20190133815
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for treating neurological and/or neuropsychiatric disorders are by application of thermal energy to the patient's forehead region, for example, by maintaining a target temperature or temperature range to the forehead of a patient for a time period. In particular, described herein are regional brain cooling mechanisms to treat neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety, and autism.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Publication date: May 9, 2019
    Inventor: Eric A. NOFZINGER
  • Patent number: 10213334
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods to enhance sleep, reduce sleep onset latency, extend sleep duration and/or increasing the duration of deeper sleep stages relative to stage 1 sleep. In general, these apparatuses and methods apply and maintain one or more target “warm” temperatures to a subject's forehead for a time period. The target temperature may be between 25° C. and 42° C. The target temperature may be a fixed amount greater than ambient temperature. The time period may be a fixed time period or a variable time period. These methods and apparatuses may limit the application of thermal energy to the subject's forehead region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignees: Ebb Therapeutics, Inc., University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventors: Eric A. Nofzinger, Jeffrey J. Schirm, Damian F. Rippole, Craig B. Reynolds, Robert E. Tucker
  • Publication number: 20180344517
    Abstract: Method and apparatuses for applying region cooling to modulate the autonomic nervous system (and particularly the parasympathetic nervous systems) to treat a medical disorder. Described herein are methods and apparatuses for modulating a patient's parasympathetic nervous system by simulating a diving reflex using localized cooling.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2018
    Publication date: December 6, 2018
    Inventor: Eric A. NOFZINGER
  • Publication number: 20170319815
    Abstract: Apparatuses (including devices, kits, and systems) and methods to non-invasively and chemically (rather than thermally) activate thermoreceptors to modulate sleep. For example, described herein are apparatuses including topical compositions that stimulate thermoreceptors on the subject's skin (e.g., forehead, hands, and/or feet) for a period of time to induce a sensation of temperature (heat or cold) without significantly altering the person's actual skin temperature to improve sleep quality, including reducing sleep-onset latency, enhancing depth of sleep, and/or extending the amount of time a subject sleeps. The subject may be suffering from insomnia or some other sleep disorder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2016
    Publication date: November 9, 2017
    Inventors: Eric A. NOFZINGER, Jeffrey J. SCHIRM, Damian F. RIPPOLE, Craig B. REYNOLDS, Robert E. TUCKER
  • Patent number: 9669185
    Abstract: Method, systems and devices for treating insomnia by non-invasive hypothermic treatment are described. In general, these devices, systems and method enable cooling of the frontal cortex prior to and/or during sleep to enhance sleep, which may be particularly beneficial to treat insomnia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignee: University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventor: Eric A. Nofzinger
  • Patent number: 9492313
    Abstract: A method and device for treating neurological disorders involving the application of noninvasive, regional brain thermal stimulation to a region of a patient's head associated with a subject neurological disorder. The brain thermal stimulation method and device alters the brain function in the region of the brain underlying the region of the patient's head to which the brain cooling is applied. The method can also include the steps of adjusting the temperature and timing of the thermal stimulation process to optimize the impact on the subject disorder. The brain thermal stimulation device is comprised of a localized means for cooling or warming a desired region of a patient's brain.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2016
    Assignee: University of Pittsburgh - Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventor: Eric A. Nofzinger
  • Publication number: 20160128864
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods to enhance sleep, reduce sleep onset latency, extend sleep duration and/or increasing the duration of deeper sleep stages relative to stage 1 sleep. In general, these apparatuses and methods apply and maintain one or more target “warm” temperatures to a subject's forehead for a time period. The target temperature may be between 25° C. and 42° C. The target temperature may be a fixed amount greater than ambient temperature. The time period may be a fixed time period or a variable time period. These methods and apparatuses may limit the application of thermal energy to the subject's forehead region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2015
    Publication date: May 12, 2016
    Inventors: Eric A. NOFZINGER, Jeffrey J. SCHIRM, Damian F. RIPPOLE, Craig B. REYNOLDS, Robert E. TUCKER
  • Patent number: 9211212
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods to enhance sleep, reduce sleep onset latency, extend sleep duration and/or increasing the duration of deeper sleep stages relative to stage 1 sleep. In general, these apparatuses and methods apply and maintain one or more target “warm” temperatures to a subject's forehead for a time period. The target temperature may be between 25° C. and 42° C. The target temperature may be a fixed amount greater than ambient temperature. The time period may be a fixed time period or a variable time period. These methods and apparatuses may limit the application of thermal energy to the subject's forehead region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 15, 2015
    Assignees: Cerêve, Inc., University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventors: Eric A. Nofzinger, Jeffrey J. Schirm, Damian F. Rippole, Craig B. Reynolds, Robert E. Tucker
  • Publication number: 20150290420
    Abstract: Method, systems and devices for treating insomnia by non-invasive hypothermic treatment are described. In general, these devices, systems and method enable cooling of the frontal cortex prior to and/or during sleep to enhance sleep, which may be particularly beneficial to treat insomnia.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2015
    Publication date: October 15, 2015
    Inventor: Eric A. NOFZINGER
  • Patent number: 9089400
    Abstract: Method, systems and devices for treating insomnia by non-invasive hypothermic treatment are described. In general, these devices, systems and method enable cooling of the frontal cortex prior to and/or during sleep to enhance sleep, which may be particularly beneficial to treat insomnia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventor: Eric A. Nofzinger
  • Publication number: 20150018905
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods to enhance sleep, reduce sleep onset latency, extend sleep duration and/or increasing the duration of deeper sleep stages relative to stage 1 sleep. In general, these apparatuses and methods apply and maintain one or more target “warm” temperatures to a subject's forehead for a time period. The target temperature may be between 25° C. and 42° C. The target temperature may be a fixed amount greater than ambient temperature. The time period may be a fixed time period or a variable time period. These methods and apparatuses may limit the application of thermal energy to the subject's forehead region.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2014
    Publication date: January 15, 2015
    Inventors: Eric A. NOFZINGER, Jeffrey J. SCHIRM, Damian F. RIPPOLE, Craig B. REYNOLDS, Robert E. TUCKER
  • Publication number: 20130238063
    Abstract: Method, systems and devices for treating insomnia by non-invasive hypothermic treatment are described. In general, these devices, systems and method enable cooling of the frontal cortex prior to and/or during sleep to enhance sleep, which may be particularly beneficial to treat insomnia.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 22, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Inventor: Eric A. NOFZINGER
  • Patent number: 8425583
    Abstract: Method, systems and devices for treating insomnia by non-invasive hypothermic treatment are described. In general, these devices, systems and method enable cooling of the frontal cortex prior to and/or during sleep to enhance sleep, which may be particularly beneficial to treat insomnia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: University of Pittsburgh—Of the Commonwealth System of Higher Education
    Inventor: Eric A. Nofzinger