Patents by Inventor Steven Thomas Kent
Steven Thomas Kent 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).
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Publication number: 20210321939Abstract: A device is disclosed that can detect and treat disordered breathing in a patient. The device can include at least one contact adapted to make contact with a portion of an oral cavity of a patient, and a control circuit configured to: in a first mode, detect a presence of disordered breathing in the patient based, at least in part, on a first signal received from the at least one contact; and in a second mode, provide electrical stimulation via the at least one contact to a portion of the patient's upper airway based on a detection of the presence of disordered breathing.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2021Publication date: October 21, 2021Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Harold Byron Kent, Christopher Fisher, Ronald W. Young, Karena Yadira Puldon, Robert Douglas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter
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Publication number: 20210322767Abstract: An oral appliance is disclosed that provides electrical stimulation to a patient's tongue in a manner that prevents collapse of the tongue and/or soft palate during sleep. More specifically, the appliance may induce a reversible current or currents in a lateral direction across the tongue in a manner that shortens the patient's Palatoglossus muscle, which in turn pulls the patient's soft palate downward towards a base of the tongue and/or decreases a volume of the tongue.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2021Publication date: October 21, 2021Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter, Harold Byron Kent, Karena Yadira Puldon
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Publication number: 20200001077Abstract: An oral appliance is disclosed that provides electrical stimulation to a patient's tongue in a manner that prevents collapse of the tongue and/or soft palate during sleep. More specifically, the appliance may induce a reversible current or currents in a lateral direction across the tongue in a manner that shortens the patient's Palatoglossus muscle, which in turn pulls the patient's soft palate downward towards a base of the tongue and/or decreases a volume of the tongue.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 7, 2019Publication date: January 2, 2020Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter, Harold Byron Kent, Karena Yadira Puldon
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Publication number: 20190358449Abstract: An oral appliance is disclosed that provides electrical stimulation to a patient's tongue in a manner that prevents collapse of the tongue and/or soft palate during sleep. More specifically, the appliance may induce a reversible current or currents in a lateral direction across the tongue in a manner that shortens the patient's Palatoglossus muscle, which in turn pulls the patient's soft palate downward towards a base of the tongue and/or decreases a volume of the tongue.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 8, 2019Publication date: November 28, 2019Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter, Harold Byron Kent, Karena Yadira Puldon
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Publication number: 20190057700Abstract: A communication device that can fit within an oral cavity of a person includes a number of contacts and a control circuit adapted to be positioned within the oral cavity. The number of contacts are configured to obtain one or more signals indicative of activity in at least an upper airway of the person. The control circuit is configured to interpret a communication provided by the person based at least in part on the one or more obtained signals.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 31, 2018Publication date: February 21, 2019Inventors: Harold Byron Kent, Robert Douglas Kent, Karena Yadira Puldon, Steven Thomas Kent
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Patent number: 10195426Abstract: An oral appliance provides electrical stimulation to a patient's tongue in a manner that prevents collapse of the tongue and/or soft palate during sleep. More specifically, the appliance may induce a reversible current or currents in a lateral direction across the tongue in a manner that shortens the patient's Palatoglossus muscle, which in turn pulls the patient's soft palate downward towards a base of the tongue, and/or decreases a volume of the tongue.Type: GrantFiled: January 7, 2014Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: INVICTA MEDICAL, INC.Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter, Harold Byron Kent, Karena Yadira Puldon
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Patent number: 10195427Abstract: An oral appliance is disclosed that provides electrical stimulation to a patient's tongue in a manner that prevents collapse of the tongue and/or soft palate during sleep. More specifically, the appliance may induce a reversible current or currents in a lateral direction across the tongue in a manner that shortens the patient's Palatoglossus muscle, which in turn pulls the patient's soft palate downward towards a base of the tongue and/or decreases a volume of the tongue.Type: GrantFiled: December 29, 2015Date of Patent: February 5, 2019Assignee: INVICTA MEDICAL, INC.Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter, Harold Byron Kent, Karena Yadira Puldon
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Patent number: 9808620Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed that may be used to treat one or more restless leg syndrome (RLS) symptoms of a patient. One example method may include generating first and second stimulation waveforms using a waveform generator; electrically stimulating at least a portion of a sacral region of the patient, based on the first and second stimulation waveforms, using a number of electrodes; damping or interfering with electrical signals transmitted from the patient's brain to the patient's legs via a femoral nerve of the patient using the electrical stimulation; and reducing the one or more symptoms of RLS based on damping or interfering with the electrical signals transmitted from the patient's brain.Type: GrantFiled: April 19, 2017Date of Patent: November 7, 2017Assignee: INVICTA MEDICAL, INC.Inventor: Steven Thomas Kent
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Publication number: 20170224987Abstract: An oral appliance is disclosed that provides electrical stimulation to a patient's tongue in a manner that prevents collapse of the tongue and/or soft palate during sleep. More specifically, the appliance may induce a reversible current or currents in a lateral direction across the tongue in a manner that shortens the patient's Palatoglossus muscle and/or Styloglossus muscle SGM, which in turn elevates the base of the tongue toward the roof of the oral cavity, changes the shape of the tongue, pulls the patient's soft palate downward towards a base of the tongue, and/or decreases a volume of the tongue.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 26, 2017Publication date: August 10, 2017Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Karena Yadira Puldon, Harold Byron Kent
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Publication number: 20170216586Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed that may be used to treat one or more restless leg syndrome (RLS) symptoms of a patient. One example method may include generating first and second stimulation waveforms using a waveform generator; electrically stimulating at least a portion of a sacral region of the patient, based on the first and second stimulation waveforms, using a number of electrodes; damping or interfering with electrical signals transmitted from the patient's brain to the patient's legs via a femoral nerve of the patient using the electrical stimulation; and reducing the one or more symptoms of RLS based on damping or interfering with the electrical signals transmitted from the patient's brain.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 19, 2017Publication date: August 3, 2017Inventor: Steven Thomas Kent
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Publication number: 20170143259Abstract: A device is disclosed that can detect and treat disordered breathing in a patient. The device can include at least one contact adapted to make contact with a portion of an oral cavity of a patient, and a control circuit configured to: in a first mode, detect a presence of disordered breathing in the patient based, at least in part, on a first signal received from the at least one contact; and in a second mode, provide electrical stimulation via the at least one contact to a portion of the patient's upper airway based on a detection of the presence of disordered breathing.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2016Publication date: May 25, 2017Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Harold Byron Kent, Christopher Fisher, Ronald W. Young, Karena Yadira Puldon, Robert Douglas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter
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Publication number: 20170143960Abstract: A device is disclosed that can predict an onset of an apnea or disordered breathing in a patient. The device can include a number of contacts adapted to make contact with the patient's tongue, and a control circuit configured to receive a first signal from the number of contacts, and predict an onset of an apnea or disordered breathing in the patient based, at least in part, on one or more characteristics of the first signal at a first time.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2016Publication date: May 25, 2017Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Harold Byron Kent, Christopher Fisher, Ronald W. Young, Karena Yadira Puldon, Robert Douglas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter
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Publication number: 20170143257Abstract: A device is disclosed that can include a number of contacts to provide a first signal indicative of one or more states of the patient's upper airway, and can include a control circuit configured to determine a presence of disordered breathing in the patient, provide electrical stimulation to a portion of the patient's upper airway based on the presence of disordered breathing, and determine a level of compliance of the patient's use of the device based.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2016Publication date: May 25, 2017Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Harold Byron Kent, Christopher Fisher, Ronald W. Young, Karena Yadira Puldon, Robert Douglas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter
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Publication number: 20170143280Abstract: A device is disclosed that can determine a type of disordered breathing in a patient. The device can include a number of contacts adapted to make contact with portions of an oral cavity of a patient and configured to provide a first signal indicative of one or more states of the patient's upper airway. The device can also include a control circuit configured to determine a type of disordered breathing in the patient based, at least in part, on the first signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2016Publication date: May 25, 2017Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Harold Byron Kent, Christopher Fisher, Ronald W. Young, Karena Yadira Puldon, Robert Douglas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter
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Publication number: 20170135604Abstract: A device is disclosed that can detect a change in respiration of a patient. The device can include a number of contacts adapted to make contact with portions of an oral cavity of a patient, and can include a control circuit configured to detect a change in respiration of the patient based, at least in part, on the first signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2016Publication date: May 18, 2017Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Harold Byron Kent, Christopher Fisher, Ronald W. Young, Karena Yadira Puldon, Robert Douglas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter
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Publication number: 20170135629Abstract: A device is disclosed that can include a number of contacts to provide a first signal indicative of one or more states of the patient's upper airway, and can include a control circuit configured to determine a level of sleep or a level of consciousness in the patient based, at least in part, on the first signal.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 23, 2016Publication date: May 18, 2017Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Harold Byron Kent, Christopher Fisher, Ronald W. Young, Karena Yadira Puldon, Robert Douglas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter
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Publication number: 20160354604Abstract: Apparatuses and methods are disclosed that may be used to treat one or more restless leg syndrome (RLS) symptoms of a patient. One example method may include generating first and second stimulation waveforms using a waveform generator; electrically stimulating at least a portion of a sacral region of the patient, based on the first and second stimulation waveforms, using a number of electrodes; damping or interfering with electrical signals transmitted from the patient's brain to the patient's legs via a femoral nerve of the patient using the electrical stimulation; and reducing the one or more symptoms of RLS based on damping or interfering with the electrical signals transmitted from the patient's brain.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 4, 2016Publication date: December 8, 2016Inventor: Steven Thomas Kent
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Publication number: 20160114159Abstract: An oral appliance is disclosed that provides electrical stimulation to a patient's tongue in a manner that prevents collapse of the tongue and/or soft palate during sleep. More specifically, the appliance may induce a reversible current or currents in a lateral direction across the tongue in a manner that shortens the patient's Palatoglossus muscle, which in turn pulls the patient's soft palate downward towards a base of the tongue and/or decreases a volume of the tongue.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 28, 2015Publication date: April 28, 2016Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter, Harold Byron Kent, Karena Yadira Puldon
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Publication number: 20160106977Abstract: An oral appliance is disclosed that provides electrical stimulation to a patient's tongue in a manner that prevents collapse of the tongue and/or soft palate during sleep. More specifically, the appliance may induce a reversible current or currents in a lateral direction across the tongue in a manner that shortens the patient's Palatoglossus muscle, which in turn pulls the patient's soft palate downward towards a base of the tongue and/or decreases a volume of the tongue.Type: ApplicationFiled: December 29, 2015Publication date: April 21, 2016Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter, Harold Byron Kent, Karena Yadira Puldon
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Publication number: 20150190630Abstract: An oral appliance is disclosed that provides electrical stimulation to a patient's tongue in a manner that prevents collapse of the tongue and/or soft palate during sleep. More specifically, the appliance may induce a reversible current or currents in a lateral direction across the tongue in a manner that shortens the patient's Palatoglossus muscle, which in turn pulls the patient's soft palate downward towards a base of the tongue and/or decreases a volume of the tongue.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 7, 2014Publication date: July 9, 2015Applicant: Invicta Medical, Inc.Inventors: Steven Thomas Kent, Laurence Wylie Harter, Harold Byron Kent, Karena Yadira Puldon