Transcutaneous electrically amplified cognitive enhancement system

Abstract

Embodiments may stimulate nerve activity using transcutaneous nerve stimulation, as well as monitor nerve activity through the skin. Various branches of the nervous system may be accessed at various points on the body. For example, system for monitoring and stimulating human body activity and conditions may comprise at least one transcutaneous nerve stimulation circuitry comprising a circuitry adapted to generate a nerve stimulation signal and at least one electrode or contact adapted to apply the nerve stimulation signal to a nerve of a human through a skin of the human, transcutaneous electrical nerve monitoring circuitry comprising a circuitry adapted to monitor at least one nerve signal received from at least one sensor adapted to obtain the at least one nerve signal from a human through the skin of the human, and control circuitry adapted to control signal generation and signal application of the transcutaneous nerve stimulation circuitry

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for monitoring and stimulating human body activity and conditions comprising:
 at least one transcutaneous nerve stimulation circuitry comprising a circuitry adapted to generate a nerve stimulation signal and at least one electrode or contact adapted to apply the nerve stimulation signal to a nerve of a human through a skin of the human;   transcutaneous electrical nerve monitoring circuitry comprising a circuitry adapted to monitor at least one nerve signal received from at least one sensor adapted to obtain the at least one nerve signal from a human through the skin of the human; and   control circuitry adapted to control signal generation and signal application of the transcutaneous nerve stimulation circuitry.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein there are a plurality of transcutaneous nerve stimulation circuitries. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein a first transcutaneous nerve stimulation circuitry comprises transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation circuitry comprising circuitry adapted to generate a vagal nerve stimulation signal and at least one electrode or contact adapted to apply the vagal nerve stimulation signal to a vagal nerve of a human through the skin of the human;
 a second transcutaneous nerve stimulation circuitry comprises transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation circuitry comprising a circuitry adapted to generate a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation signal and at least one electrode or contact adapted to apply the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to a human through the skin of the human; and   the control circuitry is adapted to control signal generation and signal application of the transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation circuitry and the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation circuitry.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the at least one electrode or contact adapted to apply the vagal nerve stimulation signal to a vagal nerve of a human is adapted to apply the vagal nerve stimulation signal to an auricular branch of a vagus nerve in a cymba conchae of an ear of the human. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein at least the transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation circuitry and the at least one vagal nerve stimulation electrode or contact are included in an ear-mounted device adapted to be at least partially inserted in the ear of the human. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the system further comprises wireless communication circuitry adapted to provide communication with the control circuitry. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation circuitry and the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation electrode or contact are included in a device adapted to be attached to a body of the human and the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation circuitry is adapted to communicate with the control circuitry using the wireless communication circuitry. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the transcutaneous electrical nerve monitoring circuitry and electrode or contact comprise at least one circuitry and associated electrode selected from a group comprising: audio sensors, video sensors, EEG sensors, ECG sensors, heart rate sensors, breathing rate sensors, blood pressure sensors, body temperature sensors, head movement sensors, body posture sensors, and blood oxygenation levels sensors. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising a computing device adapted to wirelessly communicate with the control circuitry via the wireless communication circuitry. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising at least one server computer system adapted to communicate with the computing device. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 6 , further comprising a helmet adapted to be worn on a head of the human, the helmet comprising:
 at least one sensor selected from a group comprising: audio sensors, video sensors, EEG sensors, ECG sensors, heart rate sensors, breathing rate sensors, blood pressure sensors, body temperature sensors, head movement sensors, body posture sensors, and blood oxygenation levels sensors; and   wireless communications circuitry adapted to provide communications with at least one ear-mounted device and at least one computing device.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the electrode or contact comprises at least one of a carbon nanotube or graphene. 
     
     
         13 . A method for monitoring and stimulating human body activity and conditions comprising:
 generating, at control circuitry, control signals to control signal generation and signal application of at least one transcutaneous nerve stimulation signal and control signals to control monitoring of at least one nerve signal;   generating, at at least one transcutaneous nerve stimulation circuitry, under control of the controls signals, at least one nerve stimulation signal and transmitting the generated at least one nerve stimulation signal to at least one electrode or contact adapted to apply the nerve stimulation signal to a nerve of a human through the skin of the human; and   monitoring, at transcutaneous electrical nerve monitoring circuitry, under control of the controls signals, at least one nerve signal received from at least one sensor adapted to obtain the at least one nerve signal from a human through the skin of the human.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein there are a plurality of transcutaneous nerve stimulation circuitries. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising
 generating, at the control circuitry, control signals to control signal generation and signal application of the transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation signals and the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation signals;   generating, at a first transcutaneous nerve stimulation circuitry comprising transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation circuitry, under control of the controls signals, a vagal nerve stimulation signal and transmitting the generated vagal nerve stimulation signal to at least one electrode or contact adapted to apply the vagal nerve stimulation signal to a vagal nerve of a human through the skin of the human; and   generating, at a second transcutaneous nerve stimulation circuitry comprising transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation circuitry, under control of the controls signals, a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation signal and transmitting the generated transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation signal to at least one electrode or contact adapted to apply the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to a human through the skin of the human.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the at least one electrode or contact adapted to apply the vagal nerve stimulation signal to a vagal nerve of a human is adapted to apply the vagal nerve stimulation signal to an auricular branch of a vagus nerve in a cymba conchae of an ear of the human. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein at least the transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation circuitry and the at least one vagal nerve stimulation electrode or contact are included in an ear-mounted device adapted to be at least partially inserted in the ear of the human. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising communicating with the control circuitry using wireless communication circuitry. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation circuitry and the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation electrode or contact are included in a device adapted to be attached to a body of the human and the transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation circuitry is adapted to communicate with the control circuitry using the wireless communication circuitry. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising monitoring, using the transcutaneous electrical nerve monitoring circuitry, at least one physical or physiological condition of the human using at least one sensor selected from a group comprising: audio sensors, video sensors, EEG sensors, ECG sensors, heart rate sensors, breathing rate sensors, blood pressure sensors, body temperature sensors, head movement sensors, body posture sensors, and blood oxygenation levels sensors.