King George’s Medical University (KGMU) and IIT Kanpur have been granted a utility patent for an ear-worn device that uses vagus nerve stimulation to help manage anxiety and panic attacks. The patent was issued under the SIB SHInE programme, a collaborative healthcare initiative between the two institutions.

The device, filed under the title "An Ear Device for Nerve Stimulation," delivers controlled stimulation through the ear to target the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve helps regulate stress responses, emotional balance and autonomic functions. Developers said the system is non‑invasive and designed to reduce anxiety levels and help control panic attacks without surgical procedures.

The device was developed by SIB SHInE Cohort‑2 fellows Mohit, Himank, Darshan and Rishabh under mentorship from Prof. Sujita Kumar Kar and Dr. Amit Kumar of KGMU’s psychiatry department, and Prof. Gowdham Prabhakar of IIT Kanpur’s design department. KGMU and IIT Kanpur described the patent as the third utility patent granted under SIB SHInE for medical device technologies.

"This achievement reflects the growing strength of translational healthcare research and collaboration between clinicians and engineers," said Prof. Dr. Rishi Sethi, executive director of SIB SHInE.

Senior programme manager Sumit Kumar Vaish said several additional patent applications developed under SIB SHInE are currently under examination.

The university statement framed the device as a potential therapeutic option; it did not provide clinical data, trial timelines or regulatory clearances. Developers’ claims about anxiety and panic control therefore remain to be tested in clinical studies.

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Tags: auricular vagus nerve stimulation, wearable neurotech, anxiety, utility patent, SIB SHInE

Topics: Vagus nerve & taVNS, Wearable neurotech, Neuromodulation