Patent ID: 8473058

Claim:
An apnea preventing stimulation apparatus for applying a stimulus to a patient by a conductor unit for allowing electric pulses to flow from the conductor unit through a mental region of the patient, comprising: a first operation device for starting output of said stimulation signals; and a stimulus generating device for outputting stimulation signals to said conductor unit as soon as the start of output thereof is directed regardless of whether the patient is in a sleep apnea or not at that moment, said stimulation signal repeating, for a given length of time, alternately a conduction period during which an electric pulse group comprising a plurality of said electric pulses is generated and a pause period during which no said electric pulse group is generated, the plurality of said electric pulses having a constant amplitude over the conduction period in the electric pulse group, wherein said stimulus generating device outputs the stimulation signals in such a manner that the constant amplitude of the plurality of said electric pulses gradually increases every time said electric pulse group is output from the start of output of said stimulation signals until the lapse of a first time width, which is defined as a time width from the start of output until the gradually increasing constant amplitudes of the plurality of said electric a pulses constituting said electric pulse group repeatedly output are finally stabilized so that for a short period from the output start of the stimulation signals, the constant amplitude of said electric pulse in said electric pulse group is small and then increases as time goes by for the patient to fall asleep, and wherein when said first time width is defined as T and a time from the output start of said stimulation signals is defined as t, a rate of an output level R of the constant amplitude in the plurality of said electric pulses until the lapse of said first time width is increased according to the following formula: R= 1−((1− t/T )) N , where 1.5≦N≦3.