Patent Application
20100222858
The invention generally relates to communication of neural activity between participants during a sexual experience, and more particularly relates to a method and system for permitting one person to physically sense neural sensations being experienced by a partner during sexual activity, and when desired, to artificially augment a person's sexual function during such sexual activity.
Electrical spinal cord stimulation is known for treating persons with chronic pain. Such a procedure typically involves inserting electrodes into the epidural space of a person's spinal column, and applying electrical impulses to the spinal cord with the electrode. Implantable pulse generators (IPGs) are known for use in such treatment. A typical IPG generally includes a battery-powered current generator connected by wires or leads to one or more electrodes placed within a selected portion of a person's spinal cord. An internal controller within the IPG controls the transmission of electrical impulses to the electrodes, including the frequencies and amplitudes of the transmitted electrical impulses. The IPG also can include an electronic communication device for wirelessly communicating data and control signals between the IPG and an external device, such as an external controller. The IPG can also include a memory which permits the IPG to be programmed to generate a particular pattern, series or sequence of electrical impulses. As used herein the terms pattern of electrical impulses, series of electrical impulses or sequence of electrical impulses may refer to a single electrical impulse having a particular amplitude and duration, or a plurality of sequential electrical impulses having a particular frequency or particular frequencies, a particular amplitude or particular amplitudes, and a particular duration or particular durations. Typical IPGs are sufficiently small to be implanted subcutaneously in a person. The batteries of an implanted IPG can be recharged wirelessly via radio frequency energy produced by a nearby radio frequency transmitter and received by charging circuitry within the IPGs. Such IPGs and neuro-stimulation systems are commercially available from Medtronics, St. Judes and Boston Scientific, for example.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,924 to Meloy et al., electrical spinal cord stimulation can also be used to produce sexual arousal and an orgasmic response in a person. Stimulating electrodes can be placed in the epidural space within a selected portion of the spine and in parallel with the spinal cord. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,924, preferred selected areas of the spine include T8 to S3, inclusive of the lumbar, and more preferably, T11 to L2. Other sites along the spinal cord are also possible. The electrodes can be coupled to a power source. By providing electrical impulses to the selected portion of a person's spinal cord via the power source and electrodes, a person can be sexually aroused to the point of orgasm. Such a procedure can be used to treat persons with orgasmic dysfunction, for example. An IPG like that described above can be used to generate and deliver the desired electrical impulses to the implanted electrodes. The disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 6,169,924 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Sexual activity between two persons can be more satisfying and fulfilling when both persons achieve a similarly high degree of physical and emotional arousal and pleasure. In particular, sexual partners may attain greater satisfaction and fulfillment when both partners achieve orgasm during sexual intercourse or another sexual activity. Even more preferably, sexual partners may prefer that both or all partners achieve orgasm substantially simultaneously during a sexual activity. As used herein, the terms sexual activity, sexual act and similar terms refer to any activity involving two or more persons which is capable of sexually arousing one or more persons involved in the sexual activity or act, including without limitation: sexual intercourse, cunnilingus, fellatio, fondling, intimate touching, observing an erotic act or performance, viewing a sexually explicit film or photograph, listening to erotic speech or sounds, conduct associated with a person's fetish, and any other form of sexually arousing activity or event.
In some instances, one sexual partner may achieve a higher degree of sexual arousal and fulfillment than another sexual partner achieves during a particular sexual activity. For example, only one sexual partner may achieve orgasm during a sexual activity. Because not all persons respond the same way to a particular type or style of sexual stimulation or inducement, a person may not know how to best physically or otherwise sexually arouse a particular sex partner. For example, a person may not understand how to physically stimulate a particular partner's genitalia or other sensitive body part in a way that will produce a high degree of sexual arousal or orgasm. In addition, a person may not know which particular portion of a partner's genitalia or another body part is most likely to provide pleasure to the partner when properly stimulated or manipulated.
Because a person cannot physically feel the neural sensations being experienced by a partner during a sexual act, the person may not know when or how to adjust their own sexual performance or behavior in a way that will increase or maximize the degree or quality of sensual pleasure being experienced by their partner. Conversely, a person may not realize that they are arousing their sexual partner too intensely or too quickly, and that they may need to adjust their performance or behavior in order to prolong sexual activity. In addition, a person may be unsure how a specific change in their own performance or behavior actually affects their partner's sensual response to the altered performance or behavior.
Accordingly, it would be beneficial for a person to be able to physically sense the sensations being experienced by a sex partner during sexual activity such that the person can better understand when or how to adjust their behavior or performance in a way that will increase or decrease the degree of sensual arousal being experienced by their partner. In particular, it would be useful for a person to be able to physically sense a partner's sensual response in real time during a sexual activity. In addition, it would be beneficial to be able to artificially augment a person's sexual function or state of sexual arousal during a sexual activity based on a sex partner's arousal response to the sexual activity.
The first neuromodulation device 110 can be configured to receive the communicated electrical impulse characteristics from the second neuromodulation device 210, and to respond by generating a second pattern of electrical impulses. The generated second pattern of electrical impulses can be transmitted from the first neuromodulation device 110 to the selected portion of the first person's spine 102 via the first lead 114 and first electrode 112. The second pattern of electrical impulses can be substantially identical to the first pattern of electrical neural impulses, or can include one or more modifications to the first pattern of electrical impulses. In one embodiment, the second pattern of electrical impulses substantially duplicates or mimics the first pattern of electrical neural impulses, and is substantially contemporaneous with the first pattern of electrical neural impulses. When the second pattern of electrical impulses is applied to the first person's spine 102, the first person 100 may physically sense, feel or experience sensations which substantially duplicate or mimic at least some physical sensations being experienced by the second person 200. In particular, when the first pattern of electrical neural impulses is associated with neural activity related to sexual arousal of the second person 200, the first person 100 may experience a substantially similar state of sexual arousal. Accordingly, the system 10 can be used to augment the sexual function of the first person 100 by applying a pattern of electrical impulses to the first person's spine 102 which substantially duplicates or mimics a pattern of electrical neural activity being contemporaneously experienced by the second person 200.
Because the first person 100 can sense the degree of neural excitation and associated sexual arousal in the second person during the sexual activity, the first person 100 can determine when and whether to modify his or her own performance or behavior to maintain or alter the arousal response of the second person. For example, the first person 100 can sense whether their partner 200 is or is not being sexually aroused by the first person's present actions or behavior, and accordingly, can determine whether to continue or discontinue a particular action or behavior.
In the neural augmentation system 10 and method depicted in
The second neuromodulation device 210 can be configured to receive the communicated electrical impulse characteristics from the first neuromodulation device 110, and to respond by generating a fourth pattern of electrical impulses. The generated fourth pattern of electrical impulses can be transmitted from the second neuromodulation device 210 to the selected portion of the second person's spine 202 via the second lead 214 and second electrode 212. The generated fourth pattern of electrical impulses can be substantially identical to the detected third pattern of electrical neural impulses, or can include one or more modifications to the third pattern of electrical impulses. In one embodiment, the fourth pattern of electrical impulses substantially duplicates the third pattern of electrical neural impulses, and is substantially contemporaneous with the third pattern of electrical neural impulses. When the fourth pattern of electrical impulses is applied to the second person's spine 202, the second person 200 may sense or feel sensations which substantially duplicate or mimic nervous sensations being experienced by the first person 100. In particular, when the third pattern of electrical neural impulses is associated with sexual arousal of the first person 100, the second person 200 may experience a substantially similar state of sexual arousal. Accordingly, the system 300 can be used to substantially simultaneously augment the sexual function of both the first person 100 and the second person 200 by applying a pattern of electrical impulses to each person's spine 102, 202 which substantially duplicates a pattern of electrical neural activity being contemporaneously experienced by the other person 100, 200. Because both the first person 100 and second person can sense the degree of sexual arousal being experienced by the other during sexual activity, each person 100, 200 can separately determine when and whether to modify his or her own performance to alter the arousal response of the other person.
As will become evident, the communication of neural activity between the two persons 100, 200 can enhance the sexual experience to new heights previously unattainable. This technique can be used by a person who experiences atypically low levels of sexual responsiveness during sexual activity, such as person with orgasmic dysfunction, for example. Alternatively, the technique can be used by persons with typical or high levels of sexual responsiveness in order to enhance their sexual experience, for example.
One type of device for use as the first neuromodulation device 110 and/or the second neuromodulation device 210 described above is shown in
Each IPG 110, 210 can be adapted to generate a desired pattern of electrical impulses to be applied to a portion of a person's spinal cord 103, 203 via its associated lead 114, 214 and electrode 112, 212. Each IPG 110, 210 can also be adapted to detect a pattern of electrical nerve impulses in a person's spinal cord 103, 203 via its associated lead 114, 214 and electrode 112, 212. For example, one or both of the of the IPGs 110, 210 could be adapted to sense a series or pattern of electrical neural impulses in a person's spinal cord resulting from sexual arousal during a sexual activity, and to contemporaneously communicate characteristic information relating to the sensed series or pattern of electrical neural impulses to another device.
Details of one embodiment of a neural augmentation system 500 similar to that generally described above are shown schematically in
In the embodiment shown in
Alternatively, the IPGs 110, 210 can generate a series of electrical impulses that includes one or more modifications to a pattern of electrical impulses detected and communicated by the other IPG 210, 110. As discussed above, internal control processors 115, 215 control operation of the IPGs 110, 210 and are coupled to their respective memories 117, 217. One or both of the control processors 115, 215 can be programmed to cause their associated pulse generator 111 or 112 to generate a particular pattern of electrical impulses in response to receipt of certain commands or information from the other IPG 210, 110 or another device. For example, the first IPG 110 can be programmed to produce an enhanced pattern of electrical impulses when a series of electrical impulses communicated from the second IPG 210 includes certain characteristics. In one embodiment, the first IPG 110 is programmed to generate a particular pattern of electrical impulses that will stimulate the first person 100 to or near orgasm when the first IPG 110 detects that the second person 200 is experiencing or nearing orgasm based on information transmitted from the second IPG 210 to the first IPG 110. Similarly, the second IPG 210 can be programmed to generate a pattern of electrical impulses that will stimulate the second person 200 to or near orgasm when the second IPG 210 detects that the first person 100 is having or nearing orgasm based on information transmitted from the first IPG 110 to the first IPG 210. Alternatively, an intermediate device 302 like that shown in
In the above descriptions, the sexual activities involved only two persons 100, 200. As shown in
As shown in
The devices can be set with discrete digital codes if desired. This allows user's discretion as to whom is receiving transmitted information. This is analgous to having discrete codes on other devices, such as garage door openers. Only the person intended can receive the transmission.
Referring again to
The above descriptions of various embodiments of the invention are intended to illustrate and highlight various aspects of the invention, and not to limit the invention to the specifically described embodiments. Persons of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that certain changes or modifications can be made to the described embodiments without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, though the pulse sensing and pulse generating devices are preferably implanted within participants in a sexual activity, it is possible for the implanted spinal cord electrodes to be connected to an external pulse generating and/or pulse sensing device by wires or the like. In addition, its possible for multiple implanted electrodes to be connected to a single external pulse generating and/or pulse sensing device by wires or the like. All such changes and modifications are intended to be within the scope of the appended claims.
