Non-Invasive Nerve Stimulation to Delay Urination

Abstract

A method of treatment for an overactive bladder of a user includes affixing a patch externally on a dermis of the user, the patch including a flexible substrate including adhesive on a first side adapted to adhere to the dermis of the user, an electronic package directly coupled to the substrate, the electronic package including a control unit and one or more stimulators, and electrodes directly coupled to the substrate and the electronic package. The method includes detecting an urge of the user to urinate and activating the patch within approximately 10-15 seconds of the detecting, the activating including generating an electrical stimuli via the electrodes.

Description

FIELD

This invention pertains to the activation of nerves by topical stimulators to control or influence muscles, tissues, organs, or sensation, including pain, in humans and mammals.

BACKGROUND

Nerve disorders may result in loss of control of muscle and other body functions, loss of sensation, or pain. Surgical procedures and medications sometimes treat these disorders but have limitations. This invention pertains to a system for offering other options for treatment and improvement of function.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a depiction of a neuron activating a muscle by electrical impulse.

FIG. 2 is a representation of the electrical potential activation time of an electrical impulse in a nerve.

FIG. 3 is a cross section of a penis.

FIG. 4 is an illustration of a Topical Nerve Stimulator/Sensor (TNSS) component configuration including a system on a chip (SOC).

FIG. 5 is an illustration of the upper side of a Smart Band Aid (SBA) implementation of a TNSS showing location of battery, which may be of various types.

FIG. 6 is an illustration of the lower side of the SBA of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is TNSS components incorporated into a SBA.

FIG. 8 is examples of optional neural stimulator and sensor chip sets incorporated into a SBA.

FIG. 9 is examples of optional electrode configurations for a SBA.

FIG. 10 is an example of the use of TNSS with a Control Unit as a System, in a population of Systems and software applications.

FIG. 11 shows a method for forming and steering a beam by the user of a plurality of radiators.

FIG. 12 is an exemplary beam forming and steering mechanism.

FIG. 13 illustrates exemplary Control Units for activating a nerve stimulation device.

FIG. 14 are exemplary software platforms for communicating between the Control Units and the TNSS, gathering data, networking with other TNSSs, and external communications.

FIG. 15 represents TNSS applications for patients with spinal cord injury.

FIG. 16 shows an example TNSS system.

FIG. 17 shows communications among the components of the TNSS system of FIG. 16 and a user.

FIG. 18 shows an example electrode configuration for electric field steering and sensing.

FIG. 19 shows an example of stimulating and sensing patterns of signals in a volume of tissue.

FIG. 20 is a graph showing pulses applied to the skin.

FIG. 21 is a graph showing symmetrical and asymmetrical pulses applied to the skin.

FIG. 22 is a cross-sectional diagram showing a field in underlying tissue produced by application of two electrodes to the skin.

FIG. 23 is a cross-sectional diagram showing a field in underlying tissue produced by application of two electrodes to the skin, with two layers of tissue of different electrical resistivity.

FIG. 24 is a cross-sectional diagram showing a field in underlying tissue when the stimulating pulse is turned off.

FIG. 25A is a system diagram of an example software and hardware components showing an example of a Topical Nerve Stimulator/Sensor (TNSS) interpreting a data stream from a control device in accordance with one example.

FIG. 25B is a flow chart showing an example of a function of a master control program in accordance with one example.

FIG. 26 is a block diagram of an example TNSS component configuration including a system on a chip (SOC) in accordance with one example.

FIG. 27A is a circuit diagram of an example of a boosted voltage circuit that includes feedback.

FIG. 27B is a circuit diagram of an example of a charge application circuit that uses an output of the boosted voltage circuit.

FIG. 28 is a flow diagram of the functionality of the controller of monitoring and controlling the output voltage, including its ramp rate.

FIG. 29 is a flow diagram in accordance with one example of an adaptive protocol.

FIG. 30 is a Differential Integrator Circuit used in the adaptive protocol in accordance with one example.

FIG. 31 is a table relating charge duration vs. frequency to provide feedback to the adaptive protocol in accordance with one example.

FIG. 32 illustrates a spinal cord of a user and surrounding nerves.

FIG. 33 is a tibial patch or TNSS or SmartPad designed in a shape to conform to the skin in accordance with one example.

FIG. 34 is a graph illustrating the unexpected results of using example patches disclosed herein to treat overactive bladder conditions or to otherwise delay the urge to urinate in accordance to examples.

FIG. 35 is flow diagram illustrating functionality for treating an overactive bladder or otherwise delaying an urge to urinate in accordance with one example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A method or system for electrical, mechanical, chemical and/or optical interaction with a human or mammal nervous system to stimulate and/or record body functions using small electronic devices attached to the skin and capable of being wirelessly linked to and controlled by a cellphone, activator or computer network.

The body is controlled by a chemical system and a nervous system. Nerves and muscles produce and respond to electrical voltages and currents. Electrical stimulation of these tissues can restore movement or feeling when these have been lost, or can modify the behavior of the nervous system, a process known as neuro modulation. Recording of the electrical activity of nerves and muscles is widely used for diagnosis, as in the electrocardiogram, electromyogram, electroencephalogram, etc. Electrical stimulation and recording require electrical interfaces for input and output of information. Electrical interfaces between tissues and electronic systems are usually one of three types:

a. Devices implanted surgically into the body, such as pacemakers. These are being developed for a variety of functions, such as restoring movement to paralyzed muscles or restoring hearing, and can potentially be applied to any nerve or muscle. These are typically specialized and somewhat expensive devices.

b. Devices inserted temporarily into the tissues, such as needles or catheters, connected to other equipment outside the body. Health care practitioners use these devices for diagnosis or short-term treatment.

c. Devices that record voltage from the surface of the skin for diagnosis and data collection, or apply electrical stimuli to the surface of the skin using adhesive patches connected to a stimulator. Portable battery-powered stimulators have typically been simple devices operated by a patient, for example for pain relief. Their use has been limited by;

i. The inconvenience of chronically managing wires, patches and stimulator, particularly if there are interfaces to more than one site, and

ii. The difficulty for patients to control a variety of stimulus parameters such as amplitude, frequency, pulse width, duty cycle, etc.

Nerves can also be stimulated mechanically to produce sensation or provoke or alter reflexes; this is the basis of touch sensation and tactile feedback. Nerves can also be affected chemically by medications delivered locally or systemically and sometimes targeted to particular nerves on the basis of location or chemical type. Nerves can also be stimulated or inhibited optically if they have had genes inserted to make them light sensitive like some of the nerves in the eye. The actions of nerves also produce electrical, mechanical and chemical changes that can be sensed.

The topical nerve stimulator/sensor (TNSS) or “patch” in examples is a device to stimulate/activate nerves and sense the actions of the body that can be placed on the skin of a human or mammal to act on and respond to a nerve, muscle or tissue. One implementation of the TNSS is the Smart Band Aid™ (SBA). A system, incorporating a SBA controls neuro modulation and neuro stimulation activities. It includes one or more controllers or Control Units, one or more TNSS modules, software that resides in the Control Units and TNSS modules, wireless communication between these components, and a data managing platform. The controller hosts software that will control the functions of the TNSS. The controller takes inputs from the TNSS of data or image data for analysis by said software. The controller provides a physical user interface for display to and recording from the user, such as activating or disabling the TNSS, logging of data and usage statistics, generating reporting data. Finally, the controller provides communications with other controllers or the Internet cloud.

The controller communicates with modules, also called TNSS module or SBA, and also communicates with the user. In at least one example, both of these communications can go in both directions, so each set of communications is a control loop. Optionally, there may also be a control loop directly between the TNSS module and the body. So the system optionally may be a hierarchical control system with at least four control loops. One loop is between the TNSS and the body; another loop is between the TNSS and the controller; another loop is between the controller and the user; and another loop is between the controller and other users via the cloud. Each control loop has several functions including: (1) sending activation or disablement signals between the controller and the TNSS via a local network such as Bluetooth; (2) driving the user interface, as when the controller receives commands from the user and provides visual, auditory or tactile feedback to the user; (3) analyzing TNSS data, as well as other feedback data such as from the user, within the TNSS, and/or the controller and/or or the cloud; (4) making decisions about the appropriate treatment; (5) system diagnostics for operational correctness; and (6) communications with other controllers or users via the Internet cloud for data transmission or exchange, or to interact with apps residing in the Internet cloud.

The control loop is closed. This is as a result of having both stimulating and sensing. The sensing provides information about the effects of stimulation, allowing the stimulation to be adjusted to a desired level or improved automatically.

Typically, stimulation will be applied. Sensing will be used to measure the effects of stimulation. The measurements sensed will be used to specify the next stimulation. This process can be repeated indefinitely with various durations of each part. For example (where “a” is applying stimulation, “b” is sensing the results of stimulation, and “c” is correcting or revising the stimulation based on the applying and sensing): rapid cycling through the process (a-b-c-a-b-c-a-b-c); prolonged stimulation, occasional sensing (aaaa-b-c-aaaa-b-c-aaaa-b-c); or prolonged sensing, occasional stimulation (a-bbbb-c-a-bbbb-c-a-bbbb). The process may also start with sensing, and when an event in the body is detected this information is used to specify stimulation to treat or correct the event, for example, (bbbbbbbbb-c-a-bbbbbbbb-c-a-bbbbbbbbb). Other patterns are possible and contemplated within the scope of the application.

The same components can be used for stimulating and sensing alternately, by switching their connection between the stimulating circuits and the sensing circuits. The switching can be done by standard electronic components. In the case of electrical stimulating and sensing, the same electrodes can be used for both. An electronic switch is used to connect stimulating circuits to the electrodes and electric stimulation is applied to the tissues. Then the electronic switch disconnects the stimulating circuits from the electrodes and connects the sensing circuits to the electrodes and electrical signals from the tissues are recorded.

In the case of acoustic stimulating and sensing, the same ultrasonic transducers can be used for both (as in ultrasound imaging or radar). An electronic switch is used to connect circuits to the transducers to send acoustic signals (sound waves) into the tissues. Then the electronic switch disconnects these circuits from the transducers and connects other circuits to the transducers (to listen for reflected sound waves) and these acoustic signals from the tissues are recorded.

Other modalities of stimulation and sensing may be used (e.g. light, magnetic fields, etc.). The closed loop control may be implemented autonomously by an individual TNSS or by multiple TNSS modules operating in a system such as that shown below in FIG. 16. Sensing might be carried out by some TNSSs and stimulation by others.

Stimulators are protocol controlled initiators of electrical stimulation, where such protocol may reside in either the TNSS and/or the controller and/or the cloud. Stimulators interact with associated sensors or activators, such as electrodes or Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (“MEMS”) devices.

The protocol, which may be located in the TNSS, the controller or the cloud, has several functions including:

(1) Sending activation or disablement signals between the controller and the TNSS via a local network such as Bluetooth. The protocol sends a signal by Bluetooth radio waves from the smartphone to the TNSS module on the skin, telling it to start or stop stimulating or sensing. Other wireless communication types are possible.

(2) Driving the user interface, as when the controller receives commands from the user and provides visual, auditory or tactile feedback to the user. The protocol receives a command from the user when the user touches an icon on the smartphone screen, and provides feedback to the user by displaying information on the smartphone screen, or causing the smartphone to beep or buzz.

(3) Analyzing TNSS data, as well as other feedback data such as from the user, within the TNSS, and/or the controller and/or or the cloud. The protocol analyzes data sensed by the TNSS, such as the position of a muscle, and data from the user such as the user's desires as expressed when the user touches an icon on the smartphone; this analysis can be done in the TNSS, in the smartphone, and/or in the cloud.

(4) Making decisions about the appropriate treatment. The protocol uses the data it analyzes to decide what stimulation to apply.

(5) System diagnostics for operational correctness. The protocol checks that the TNSS system is operating correctly.

(6) Communications with other controllers or users via the Internet cloud for data transmission or exchange, or to interact with apps residing in the Internet cloud. The protocol communicates with other smartphones or people via the internet wirelessly; this may include sending data over the internet, or using computer programs that are operating elsewhere on the internet.

A neurological control system, method and apparatus are configured in an ecosystem or modular platform that uses potentially disposable topical devices to provide interfaces between electronic computing systems and neural systems. These interfaces may be direct electrical connections via electrodes or may be indirect via transducers (sensors and actuators). It may have the following elements in various configurations: electrodes for sensing or activating electrical events in the body; actuators of various modalities; sensors of various modalities; wireless networking; and protocol applications, e.g. for data processing, recording, control systems. These components are integrated within the disposable topical device. This integration allows the topical device to function autonomously. It also allows the topical device along with a remote control unit (communicating wirelessly via an antenna, transmitter and receiver) to function autonomously.

Referring to FIG. 1, nerve cells are normally electrically polarized with the interior of the nerve being at an electric potential 70 mV negative relative to the exterior of the cell. Application of a suitable electric voltage to a nerve cell (raising the resting potential of the cell from −70 mV to above the firing threshold of −55 mV) can initiate a sequence of events in which this polarization is temporarily reversed in one region of the cell membrane and the change in polarization spreads along the length of the cell to influence other cells at a distance, e.g. to communicate with other nerve cells or to cause or prevent muscle contraction.

Referring to FIG. 2, a nerve impulse is graphically represented from a point of stimulation resulting in a wave of depolarization followed by a repolarization that travels along the membrane of a neuron during the measured period. This spreading action potential is a nerve impulse. It is this phenomenon that allows for external electrical nerve stimulation.

Referring to FIG. 3, the dorsal genital nerve on the back of the penis or clitoris just under the skin is a purely sensory nerve that is involved in normal inhibition of the activity of the bladder during sexual activity, and electrical stimulation of this nerve has been shown to reduce the symptoms of the Over Active Bladder. Stimulation of the underside of the penis may cause sexual arousal, erection, ejaculation and orgasm.

A Topical nerve stimulator/sensor (TNSS) is used to stimulate these nerves and is convenient, unobtrusive, self-powered, controlled from a smartphone or other control device. This has the advantage of being non-invasive, controlled by consumers themselves, and potentially distributed over the counter without a prescription.

Referring to FIG. 4, the TNSS has one or more electronic circuits or chips that perform the functions of: communications with the controller, nerve stimulation via electrodes 408 that produce a wide range of electric field(s) according to treatment regimen, one or more antennae 410 that may also serve as electrodes and communication pathways, and a wide range of sensors 406 such as, but not limited to, mechanical motion and pressure, temperature, humidity, chemical and positioning sensors. One arrangement would be to integrate a wide variety of these functions into an SOC, system on chip 400. Within this is shown a control unit 402 for data processing, communications and storage and one or more stimulators 404 and sensors 406 that are connected to electrodes 408. An antenna 410 is incorporated for external communications by the control unit. Also present is an internal power supply 412, which may be, for example, a battery. An external power supply is another variation of the chip configuration. It may be necessary to include more than one chip to accommodate a wide range of voltages for data processing and stimulation. Electronic circuits and chips will communicate with each other via conductive tracks within the device capable of transferring data and/or power.

In one or more examples, a Smart Band Aid™ incorporating a battery and electronic circuit and electrodes in the form of adhesive conductive pads may be applied to the skin, and electrical stimuli is passed from the adhesive pads into the tissues. Stimuli may typically be trains of voltage-regulated square waves at frequencies between 10 and 50 Hz with currents between 20 and 200 mA peak current. The trains of stimuli are controlled from a smartphone or controller operated by the user. Stimuli may be either initiated by the user when desired, or programmed according to a timed schedule, or initiated in response to an event detected by a sensor on the Smart Band Aid™ or elsewhere. Another implementation for males may be a TNSS incorporated in a ring that locates a stimulator conductively to selected nerves in a penis to be stimulated.

Referring to FIG. 5, limited lifetime battery sources will be employed as internal power supply 412, to power the TNSS deployed in this illustration as a Smart Band Aid™. These may take the form of Lithium Ion technology or traditional non-toxic Mn02 technologies. FIG. 5 illustrates different battery options such as a printable Manganese Oxide battery 516 and a button battery 518. A TNSS of different shapes may require different battery packaging.

FIG. 6 shows an alternate arrangement of these components where the batteries 616-618 are positioned on the bottom side of the SBA between the electrodes 610 and 620. In this example, battery 616 is a lithium ion battery, battery 617 is a Mn02 battery and battery 618 is a button battery. Other types of batteries and other battery configurations are possible within the scope of this application in other examples.

Aside from the controller, the Smart Band Aid™ Packaging Platform consists of an assembly of an adhesive patch capable of being applied to the skin and containing the TNSS Electronics, protocol, and power described above.

FIG. 7 is a TNSS deployed as a Smart Band Aid™ 414. The Smart Band Aid™ has a substrate with adhesive on a side for adherence to skin, the SOC 400 previously described in FIG. 4, or electronic package, and electrodes 408 disposed between the dermis and the adhesive surface. The electrodes provide electrical stimuli through the dermis to nerves and other tissue and in turn may collect electrical signals from the body, such as the electrical signals produced by muscles when they contract (the electromyogram) to provide data about body functions such as muscle actions.

Referring to FIG. 8, different chips may be employed to design requirements. Shown are sample chips for packaging in a TNSS in this instance deployed as a SBA. For example, neural stimulator 800, sensor 802, processor/communications 804 are represented. The chips can be packaged separately on a substrate, including a flexible material, or as a system-on-chip (SOC) 400. The chip connections and electronics package are not shown but are known in the art.

Referring to FIG. 9, SBAs with variations on arrangements of electrodes are shown. Each electrode may consist of a plurality of conductive contacts that give the electrode abilities to adjust the depth, directionality, and spatial distribution of the applied electric field. For all the example electrode configurations shown, 901-904, the depth of the electrical stimulation can be controlled by the voltage and power applied to the electrode contacts. Electric current can be applied to various electrode contacts at opposite end of the SBA, or within a plurality of electrode contacts on a single end of the SBA. The phase relationship of the signals applied to the electrode contacts can vary the directionality of the electric field. For all configurations of electrodes, the applied signals can vary over time and spatial dimensions. The configuration on the left, 901, shows a plurality of concentric electrode contacts at either end of the SBA. This configuration can be used to apply an electric stimulating field at various tissue depths by varying the power introduced to the electrode contacts. The next configuration, 902, shows electrodes 404 that are arranged in a plurality of parallel strips of electrical contacts. This allows the electric field to be oriented perpendicular or parallel to the SBA. The next configuration, 903, shows an example matrix of electrode contacts where the applied signal can generate a stimulating field between any two or more electrode contacts at either end of the SBA, or between two or more electrode contacts within a single matrix at one end of the SBA. Finally, the next configuration on the far right, 904, also shows electrodes that are arranged in a plurality of parallel strips of electrical contacts. As with the second configuration, this allows the electric field to be oriented perpendicular or parallel to the SBA. There may be many other arrangements of electrodes and contacts.

The SBA may be adapted to be attached to the skin using self-adhesive hydrogel electrodes and a band of perimeter adhesive on the edge of the flexible substrate. Use of a self-adhesive hydrogel may eliminate the need to have a separate adhesive to hold the electrodes in place. These dual-purpose types of adhesive materials are relatively tolerant of changes in moisture and effectively attach the electrodes to the skin for long periods of time. The interface between the SBA and the skin may require the use of a water based, relatively non-compressible electrolyte material that can be a semiliquid hydrogel, such as those used in EGG electrodes, or a semi-solid hydrogel, such as those used in TENS electrodes. The hydrogel may or may not cover the entire surface of the electrode.

One or more TNSSs with one or more Controllers form a System. Systems can communicate and interact with each other and with distributed virtualized processing and storage services. This enables the gathering, exchange, and analysis of data among populations of systems for medical and non-medical applications.

Referring to FIG. 10, a system is shown with two TNSS units 1006, with one on the wrist, one on the leg, communicating with its controller, a smartphone 1000 or other control device. The TNSS units can be both sensing and stimulating and can act independently and also work together in a Body Area Network (BAN). Systems communicate with each other over a communication bridge or network such as a cellular network. Systems also communicate with applications running in a distributed virtualized processing and storage environment generally via the Internet 1002. The purpose for communications with the distributed virtualized processing and storage environment is to communicate large amounts of user data for analysis and networking with other third parties such as hospitals, doctors, insurance companies, researchers, and others. There are applications that gather, exchange, and analyze data from multiple Systems 1004. Third party application developers can access TNSS systems and their data to deliver a wide range of applications. These applications can return data or control signals to the individual wearing the TNSS unit 1006. These applications can also send data or control signals to other members of the population who employ systems 1008. This may represent an individual's data, aggregated data from a population of users, data analyses, or supplementary data from other sources.

Referring to FIG. 11, shown is an example of an electrode array to affect beam forming and beam steering. Beam forming and steering allows a more selective application of stimulation energy by a TNSS to nerves and tissue. Beam steering also provides the opportunity for lower power for stimulation of cells including nerves by applying the stimulating mechanism directionally to a target. In the use of an electrical beam lower power demand lengthens battery life and allows for use of low power chip sets. Beam steering may be accomplished in multiple ways for instance by magnetic fields and formed gates. FIG. 11 shows a method for forming and steering a beam by the use of a plurality of radiators 1102 which are activated out of phase with each other by a plurality of phase shifters 1103 that are supplied power from a common source 1104. Because the radiated signals are out of phase they produce an interference pattern 1105 that results in the beam being formed and steered in varying controlled directions 1106. Electromagnetic radiation like light shows some properties of waves and can be focused on certain locations. This provides the opportunity to stimulate tissues such as nerves selectively. It also provides the opportunity to focus the transmission of energy and data on certain objects, including topical or implanted electronic devices, thereby not only improving the selectivity of activating or controlling those objects but also reducing the overall power required to operate them.

FIG. 12 is another example of a gating structure 1200 used for beam shaping and steering 1202. The gating structure 1200 shows an example of an interlocked pair of electrodes that can be used for simple beam forming through the application of time-varying voltages. The steering 1202 shows a generic picture of the main field lobes and how such beam steering works in this example. FIG. 12 is illustrative of a possible example that may be used.

The human and mammal body is an anisotropic medium with multiple layers of tissue of varying electrical properties. Steering of an electric field may be accomplished using multiple electrodes, or multiple SBAs, using the human or mammal body as an anisotropic volume conductor. Electric field steering will discussed below with reference to FIGS. 18 and 19.

Referring to FIG. 13, the controller is an electronics platform that is a smartphone 1300, tablet 1302, personal computer 1304, or dedicated module 1306 that hosts wireless communications capabilities, such as Near Field Communications, Bluetooth, or Wi-Fi technologies as enabled by the current set of communications chips, e.g. Broadcom BCM4334, TI WiLink 8 and others, and a wide range of protocol apps that can communicate with the TNSSs. There may be more than one controller, acting together. This may occur, for example, if the user has both a smartphone control app running, and a key fob controller in his/her pocket/purse.

TNSS protocol performs the functions of communications with the controller including transmitting and receiving of control and data signals, activation and control of the neural stimulation, data gathering from on board sensors, communications and coordination with other TNSSs, and data analysis. Typically the TNSS may receive commands from the controller, generate stimuli and apply these to the tissues, sense signals from the tissues, and transmit these to the controller. It may also analyze the signals sensed and use this information to modify the stimulation applied. In addition to communicating with the controller it may also communicate with other TNSSs using electrical or radio signals via a body area network.

Referring to FIG. 14, controller protocol executed and/or displayed on a smartphone 1400, tablet 1402 or other computing platform or mobile device, will perform the functions of communications with TNSS modules including transmitting and receiving of control and data signals, activation and control of the neuro modulation regimens, data gathering from on board sensors, communications and coordination with other controllers, and data analysis. In some cases local control of the neuro modulation regimens may be conducted by controller protocol without communications with the user.

FIG. 15 shows potential applications of electrical stimulation and sensing for the body, particularly for users who may suffer from paralysis or loss of sensation or altered reflexes such as spasticity or tremor due to neurological disorders and their complications, as well as users suffering from incontinence, pain, immobility and aging. Different example medical uses of the present system are discussed below.

FIG. 16 shows the components of one example of a typical TNSS system 1600. TNSS devices 1610 are responsible for stimulation of nerves and for receiving data in the form of electrical, acoustic, imaging, chemical and other signals which then can be processed locally in the TNSS or passed to the Control Unit 1620. TNSS devices 1610 are also responsible for analysis and action. The TNSS device 1610 may contain a plurality of electrodes for stimulation and for sensing. The same electrodes may be used for both functions, but this is not required. The TNSS device 1610 may contain an imaging device, such as an ultrasonic transducer to create acoustic images of the structure beneath the electrodes or elsewhere in the body that may be affected by the neural stimulation.

In this example TNSS system, most of the data gathering and analysis is performed in the Control Unit 1620. The Control Unit 1620 may be a cellular telephone or a dedicated hardware device. The Control Unit 1620 runs an app that controls the local functions of the TNSS System 1600. The protocol app also communicates via the Internet or wireless networks 1630 with other TNSS systems and/or with 3rd party software applications.

FIG. 17 shows the communications among the components of the TNSS system 1600 and the user. In this example, TNSS 1610 is capable of applying stimuli to nerves 1640 to produce action potentials in the nerves 1640 to produce actions in muscles 1670 or other organs such as the brain 1650. These actions may be sensed by the TNSS 1610, which may act on the information to modify the stimulation it provides. This closed loop constitutes the first level of the system 1600 in this example.

The TNSS 1610 may also be caused to operate by signals received from a Control Unit 1620 such as a cellphone, laptop, key fob, tablet, or other handheld device and may transmit information that it senses back to the Control Unit 1620. This constitutes the second level of the system 1600 in this example.

The Control Unit 1620 is caused to operate by commands from a user, who also receives information from the Control Unit 1620. The user may also receive information about actions of the body via natural senses such as vision or touch via sensory nerves and the spinal cord, and may in some cases cause actions in the body via natural pathways through the spinal cord to the muscles.

The Control Unit 1620 may also communicate information to other users, experts, or application programs via the Internet 1630, and receive information from them via the Internet 1630.

The user may choose to initiate or modify these processes, sometimes using protocol applications residing in the TNSS 1610, the Control Unit 1620, the Internet 1630, or wireless networks. This software may assist the user, for example by processing the stimulation to be delivered to the body to render it more selective or effective for the user, and/or by processing and displaying data received from the body or from the Internet 1630 or wireless networks to make it more intelligible or useful to the user.

FIG. 18 shows an example electrode configuration 1800 for Electric Field Steering. The application of an appropriate electric field to the body can cause a nerve to produce an electrical pulse known as an action potential. The shape of the electric field is influenced by the electrical properties of the different tissue through which it passes and the size, number and position of the electrodes used to apply it. The electrodes can therefore be designed to shape or steer or focus the electric field on some nerves more than on others, thereby providing more selective stimulation.

An example 10×10 matrix of electrical contacts 1860 is shown. By varying the pattern of electrical contacts 1860 employed to cause an electric field 1820 to form and by time varying the applied electrical power to this pattern of contacts 1860, it is possible to steer the field 1820 across different parts of the body, which may include muscle 1870, bone, fat, and other tissue, in three dimensions. This electric field 1820 can activate specific nerves or nerve bundles 1880 while sensing the electrical and mechanical actions produced 1890, and thereby enabling the TNSS to discover more effective or the most effective pattern of stimulation for producing the desired action.

FIG. 19 shows an example of stimulating and sensing patterns of signals in a volume of tissue. Electrodes 1910 as part of a cuff arrangement are placed around limb 1915. The electrodes 1910 are external to a layer of skin 1916 on limb 1915. Internal components of the limb 1915 include muscle 1917, bone 1918, nerves 1919, and other tissues. By using electric field steering for stimulation, as described with reference to FIG. 18, the electrodes 1910 can activate nerves 1919 selectively. An array of sensors (e.g., piezoelectric sensors or micro-electro-mechanical sensors) in a TNSS can act as a phased array antenna for receiving ultrasound signals, to acquire ultrasonic images of body tissues. Electrodes 1910 may act as an array of electrodes sensing voltages at different times and locations on the surface of the body, with software processing this information to display information about the activity in body tissues, e.g., which muscles are activated by different patterns of stimulation.

The SBA's ability to stimulate and collect organic data has multiple applications including bladder control, reflex incontinence, sexual stimulations, pain control and wound healing among others. Examples of SBA's application for medical and other uses follow.

Medical Uses

Bladder Management

Overactive bladder: When the user feels a sensation of needing to empty the bladder urgently, he or she presses a button on the Controller to initiate stimulation via a Smart Band Aid™ applied over the dorsal nerve of the penis or clitoris. Activation of this nerve would inhibit the sensation of needing to empty the bladder urgently, and allow it to be emptied at a convenient time.

Incontinence: A person prone to incontinence of urine because of unwanted contraction of the bladder uses the SBA to activate the dorsal nerve of the penis or clitoris to inhibit contraction of the bladder and reduce incontinence of urine. The nerve could be activated continuously, or intermittently when the user became aware of the risk of incontinence, or in response to a sensor indicating the volume or pressure in the bladder.

Erection, ejaculation and orgasm: Stimulation of the nerves on the underside of the penis by a Smart Band Aid™ (electrical stimulation or mechanical vibration) can cause sexual arousal and might be used to produce or prolong erection and to produce orgasm and ejaculation.

Pain control: A person suffering from chronic pain from a particular region of the body applies a Smart Band Aid™ over that region and activates electrically the nerves conveying the sensation of touch, thereby reducing the sensation of pain from that region. This is based on the gate theory of pain.

Wound care: A person suffering from a chronic wound or ulcer applies a Smart Band Aid™ over the wound and applies electrical stimuli continuously to the tissues surrounding the wound to accelerate healing and reduce infection.

Essential tremor: A sensor on a Smart Band Aid™ detects the tremor and triggers neuro stimulation to the muscles and sensory nerves involved in the tremor with an appropriate frequency and phase relationship to the tremor. The stimulation frequency would typically be at the same frequency as the tremor but shifted in phase in order to cancel the tremor or reset the neural control system for hand position.

Reduction of spasticity: Electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves can reduce spasticity for several hours after stimulation. A Smart Band Aid™ operated by the patient when desired from a smartphone could provide this stimulation.

Restoration of sensation and sensory feedback: People who lack sensation, for example as a result of diabetes or stroke use a Smart Band Aid™ to sense movement or contact, for example of the foot striking the floor, and the SBA provides mechanical or electrical stimulation to another part of the body where the user has sensation, to improve safety or function. Mechanical stimulation is provided by the use of acoustic transducers in the SBA such as small vibrators. Applying a Smart Band Aid™ to the limb or other assistive device provides sensory feedback from artificial limbs. Sensory feedback can also be used to substitute one sense for another, e.g. touch in place of sight.

Recording of mechanical activity of the body: Sensors in a Smart Band Aid™ record position, location and orientation of a person or of body parts and transmit this data to a smartphone for the user and/or to other computer networks for safety monitoring, analysis of function and coordination of stimulation.

Recording of sound from the body or reflections of ultrasound waves generated by a transducer in a Smart Band Aid™ could provide information about body structure, e.g., bladder volume for persons unable to feel their bladder. Acoustic transducers may be piezoelectric devices or MEMS devices that transmit and receive the appropriate acoustic frequencies. Acoustic data may be processed to allow imaging of the interior of the body.

Recording of Electrical Activity of the Body

Electrocardiogram: Recording the electrical activity of the heart is widely used for diagnosing heart attacks and abnormal rhythms. It is sometimes necessary to record this activity for 24 hours or more to detect uncommon rhythms. A Smart Band Aid™ communicating wirelessly with a smartphone or computer network achieves this more simply than present systems.

Electromyogram: Recording the electrical activity of muscles is widely used for diagnosis in neurology and also used for movement analysis. Currently this requires the use of many needles or adhesive pads on the surface of the skin connected to recording equipment by many wires. Multiple Smart Band Aids™ record the electrical activity of many muscles and transmit this information wirelessly to a smartphone.

Recording of optical information from the body: A Smart Band Aid™ incorporating a light source (LED, laser) illuminates tissues and senses the characteristics of the reflected light to measure characteristics of value, e.g., oxygenation of the blood, and transmit this to a cellphone or other computer network.

Recording of chemical information from the body: The levels of chemicals or drugs in the body or body fluids is monitored continuously by a Smart Band Aid™ sensor and transmitted to other computer networks and appropriate feedback provided to the user or to medical staff. Levels of chemicals may be measured by optical methods (reflection of light at particular wavelengths) or by chemical sensors.

Special Populations of Disabled Users

There are many potential applications of electrical stimulation for therapy and restoration of function. However, few of these have been commercialized because of the lack of affordable convenient and easily controllable stimulation systems. Some applications are shown in the FIG. 15.

Limb Muscle stimulation: Lower limb muscles can be exercised by stimulating them electrically, even if they are paralyzed by stroke or spinal cord injury. This is often combined with the use of a stationary exercise cycle for stability. Smart Band Aid™ devices could be applied to the quadriceps muscle of the thigh to stimulate these, extending the knee for cycling, or to other muscles such as those of the calf. Sensors in the Smart Band Aid™ could trigger stimulation at the appropriate time during cycling, using an application on a smartphone, tablet, handheld hardware device such as a key fob, wearable computing device, laptop, or desktop computer, among other possible devices. Upper limb muscles can be exercised by stimulating them electrically, even if they are paralyzed by stroke of spinal cord injury. This is often combined with the use of an arm crank exercise machine for stability. Smart Band Aid™ devices are applied to multiple muscles in the upper limb and triggered by sensors in the Smart Band Aids™ at the appropriate times, using an application on a smartphone.

Prevention of osteoporosis: Exercise can prevent osteoporosis and pathological fractures of bones. This is applied using Smart Band Aids™ in conjunction with exercise machines such as rowing simulators, even for people with paralysis who are particularly prone to osteoporosis.

Prevention of deep vein thrombosis: Electric stimulation of the muscles of the calf can reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis and potentially fatal pulmonary embolus. Electric stimulation of the calf muscles is applied by a Smart Band Aid™ with stimulation programmed from a smartphone, e.g., during a surgical operation, or on a preset schedule during a long plane flight.

Restoration of Function (Functional Electrical Stimulation)

Lower Limb

1) Foot drop: People with stroke often cannot lift their forefoot and drag their toes on the ground. A Smart Band Aid™ is be applied just below the knee over the common peroneal nerve to stimulate the muscles that lift the forefoot at the appropriate time in the gait cycle, triggered by a sensor in the Smart Band Aid™

2) Standing: People with spinal cord injury or some other paralyses can be aided to stand by electrical stimulation of the quadriceps muscles of their thigh. These muscles are stimulated by Smart Band Aids™ applied to the front of the thigh and triggered by sensors or buttons operated by the patient using an application on a smartphone. This may also assist patients to use lower limb muscles when transferring from a bed to a chair or other surface.

3) Walking: Patients with paralysis from spinal cord injury are aided to take simple steps using electrical stimulation of the lower limb muscles and nerves. Stimulation of the sensory nerves in the common peroneal nerve below the knee can cause a triple reflex withdrawal, flexing the ankle, knee and hip to lift the leg, and then stimulation of the quadriceps can extend the knee to bear weight. The process is then repeated on the other leg. Smart Band Aids™ coordinated by an application in a smartphone produce these actions.

Upper Limb

Hand grasp: People with paralysis from stroke or spinal cord injury have simple hand grasp restored by electrical stimulation of the muscles to open or close the hand. This is produced by Smart Band Aids™ applied to the back and front of the forearm and coordinated by sensors in the Smart Band Aids™ and an application in a smartphone.

Reaching: Patients with paralysis from spinal cord injury sometimes cannot extend their elbow to reach above the head. Application of a Smart Band Aid™ to the triceps muscle stimulates this muscle to extend the elbow. This is triggered by a sensor in the Smart Band Aid™ detecting arm movements and coordinating it with an application on a smartphone.

Posture: People whose trunk muscles are paralyzed may have difficulty maintaining their posture even in a wheelchair. They may fall forward unless they wear a seatbelt, and if they lean forward they may be unable to regain upright posture. Electrical stimulation of the muscles of the lower back using a Smart Band Aid™ allows them to maintain and regain upright posture. Sensors in the Smart Band Aid™ trigger this stimulation when a change in posture was detected.

Coughing: People whose abdominal muscles are paralyzed cannot produce a strong cough and are at risk for pneumonia. Stimulation of the muscles of the abdominal wall using a Smart Band Aid™ could produce a more forceful cough and prevent chest infections. The patient using a sensor in a Smart Band Aid™ triggers the stimulation.

Essential Tremor: It has been demonstrated that neuro stimulation can reduce or eliminate the signs of ET. ET may be controlled using a TNSS. A sensor on a Smart Band Aid™ detects the tremor and trigger neuro stimulation to the muscles and sensory nerves involved in the tremor with an appropriate frequency and phase relationship to the tremor. The stimulation frequency is typically be at the same frequency as the tremor but shifted in phase in order to cancel the tremor or reset the neural control system for hand position.

Non-Medical Applications

Sports Training

Sensing the position and orientation of multiple limb segments is used to provide visual feedback on a smartphone of, for example, a golf swing, and also mechanical or electrical feedback to the user at particular times during the swing to show them how to change their actions. The electromyogram of muscles could also be recorded from one or many Smart Band Aids™ and used for more detailed analysis.

Gaming

Sensing the position and orientation of arms, legs and the rest of the body produces a picture of an onscreen player that can interact with other players anywhere on the Internet. Tactile feedback would be provided to players by actuators in Smart Band Aids on various parts of the body to give the sensation of striking a ball, etc.

Motion Capture for Film and Animation

Wireless TNSS capture position, acceleration, and orientation of multiple parts of the body. This data may be used for animation of a human or mammal and has application for human factor analysis and design.

Sample Modes of Operation

A SBA system consists of at least a single Controller and a single SBA. Following application of the SBA to the user's skin, the user controls it via the Controller's app using Near Field Communications. The app appears on a smartphone screen and can be touch controlled by the user; for ‘key fob’ type Controllers. The SBA is controlled by pressing buttons on the key fob.

When the user feels the need to activate the SBA s/he presses the “go” button two or more times to prevent false triggering, thus delivering the neuro stimulation. The neuro stimulation may be delivered in a variety of patterns of frequency, duration, and strength and may continue until a button is pressed by the user or may be delivered for a length of time set in the application.

Sensor capabilities in the TNSS, are enabled to start collecting/analyzing data and communicating with the controller when activated.

The level of functionality in the protocol app, and the protocol embedded in the TNSS, will depend upon the neuro modulation or neuro stimulation regimen being employed.

In some cases there will be multiple TNSSs employed for the neuro modulation or neuro stimulation regimen. The basic activation will be the same for each TNSS.

However, once activated multiple TNSSs will automatically form a network of neuro modulation/stimulation points with communications enabled with the controller.

The need for multiple TNSSs arises from the fact that treatment regimens may need several points of access to be effective.

Controlling the Stimulation

In general, advantages of a wireless TNSS system as disclosed herein over existing transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation devices include: (1) fine control of all stimulation parameters from a remote device such as a smartphone, either directly by the user or by stored programs; (2) multiple electrodes of a TNSS can form an array to shape an electric field in the tissues; (3) multiple TNSS devices can form an array to shape an electric field in the tissues; (4) multiple TNSS devices can stimulate multiple structures, coordinated by a smartphone; (5) selective stimulation of nerves and other structures at different locations and depths in a volume of tissue; (6) mechanical, acoustic or optical stimulation in addition to electrical stimulation; (7) the transmitting antenna of TNSS device can focus a beam of electromagnetic energy within tissues in short bursts to activate nerves directly without implanted devices; (8) inclusion of multiple sensors of multiple modalities, including but not limited to position, orientation, force, distance, acceleration, pressure, temperature, voltage, light and other electromagnetic radiation, sound, ions or chemical compounds, making it possible to sense electrical activities of muscles (EMG, EKG), mechanical effects of muscle contraction, chemical composition of body fluids, location or dimensions or shape of an organ or tissue by transmission and receiving of ultrasound.

Further advantages of the wireless TNSS system include: (1) TNSS devices are expected to have service lifetimes of days to weeks and their disposability places less demand on power sources and battery requirements; (2) the combination of stimulation with feedback from artificial or natural sensors for closed loop control of muscle contraction and force, position or orientation of parts of the body, pressure within organs, and concentrations of ions and chemical compounds in the tissues; (3) multiple TNSS devices can form a network with each other, with remote controllers, with other devices, with the Internet and with other users; (4) a collection of large amounts of data from one or many TNSS devices and one or many users regarding sensing and stimulation, collected and stored locally or through the internet; (5) analysis of large amounts of data to detect patterns of sensing and stimulation, apply machine learning, and improve algorithms and functions; (6) creation of databases and knowledge bases of value; (7) convenience, including the absence of wires to become entangled in clothing, showerproof and sweat proof, low profile, flexible, camouflaged or skin colored, (8) integrated power, communications, sensing and stimulating inexpensive disposable TNSS, consumable electronics; (9) power management that utilizes both hardware and software functions will be critical to the convenience factor and widespread deployment of TNSS device.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a nerve cell normally has a voltage across the cell membrane of 70 millivolts with the interior of the cell at a negative voltage with respect to the exterior of the cell. This is known as the resting potential and it is normally maintained by metabolic reactions which maintain different concentrations of electrical ions in the inside of the cell compared to the outside. Ions can be actively “pumped” across the cell membrane through ion channels in the membrane that are selective for different types of ion, such as sodium and potassium. The channels are voltage sensitive and can be opened or closed depending on the voltage across the membrane. An electric field produced within the tissues by a stimulator can change the normal resting voltage across the membrane, either increasing or decreasing the voltage from its resting voltage.

Referring again to FIG. 2, a decrease in voltage across the cell membrane to about 55 millivolts opens certain ion channels, allowing ions to flow through the membrane in a self-catalyzing but self-limited process which results in a transient decrease of the trans membrane potential to zero, and even positive, known as depolarization followed by a rapid restoration of the resting potential as a result of active pumping of ions across the membrane to restore the resting situation which is known as repolarization. This transient change of voltage is known as an action potential and it typically spreads over the entire surface of the cell. If the shape of the cell is such that it has a long extension known as an axon, the action potential spreads along the length of the axon. Axons that have insulating myelin sheaths propagate action potentials at much higher speeds than those axons without myelin sheaths or with damaged myelin sheaths.

If the action potential reaches a junction, known as a synapse, with another nerve cell, the transient change in membrane voltage results in the release of chemicals known as neuro-transmitters that can initiate an action potential in the other cell. This provides a means of rapid electrical communication between cells, analogous to passing a digital pulse from one cell to another.

If the action potential reaches a synapse with a muscle cell it can initiate an action potential that spreads over the surface of the muscle cell. This voltage change across the membrane of the muscle cell opens ion channels in the membrane that allow ions such as sodium, potassium and calcium to flow across the membrane, and can result in contraction of the muscle cell.

Increasing the voltage across the membrane of a cell below −70 millivolts is known as hyper-polarization and reduces the probability of an action potential being generated in the cell. This can be useful for reducing nerve activity and thereby reducing unwanted symptoms such as pain and spasticity

The voltage across the membrane of a cell can be changed by creating an electric field in the tissues with a stimulator. It is important to note that action potentials are created within the mammalian nervous system by the brain, the sensory nervous system or other internal means. These action potentials travel along the body's nerve “highways”. The TNSS creates an action potential through an externally applied electric field from outside the body. This is very different than how action potentials are naturally created within the body.

Electric Fields that can Cause Action Potentials

Referring to FIG. 2, electric fields capable of causing action potentials can be generated by electronic stimulators connected to electrodes that are implanted surgically in close proximity to the target nerves. To avoid the many issues associated with implanted devices, it is desirable to generate the required electric fields by electronic devices located on the surface of the skin. Such devices typically use square wave pulse trains of the form shown in FIG. 20. Such devices may be used instead of implants and/or with implants such as reflectors, conductors, refractors, or markers for tagging target nerves and the like, so as to shape electric fields to enhance nerve targeting and/or selectivity.

Referring to FIG. 20, the amplitude of the pulses “A”, applied to the skin, may vary between 1 and 100 Volts, pulse width “t”, between 100 microseconds and 20 milliseconds, duty cycle (t/T) between 0.1% and 50%, the frequency of the pulses within a group between 1 and 100/sec, and the number of pulses per group “n”, between 1 and several hundred. Typically, pulses applied to the skin will have an amplitude of up to 90 volts, a pulse width of 200 microseconds and a frequency of 20 per second, resulting in a duty cycle of 0.4%. In some cases balanced-charge biphasic pulses will be used to avoid net current flow. Referring to FIG. 21, these pulses may be symmetrical, with the shape of the first part of the pulse similar to that of the second part of the pulse, or asymmetrical, in which the second part of the pulse has lower amplitude and a longer pulse width in order to avoid canceling the stimulatory effect of the first part of the pulse.

Formation of Electric Fields by Stimulators

The location and magnitude of the electric potential applied to the tissues by electrodes provides a method of shaping the electrical field. For example, applying two electrodes to the skin, one at a positive electrical potential with respect to the other, can produce a field in the underlying tissues such as that shown in the cross-sectional diagram of FIG. 22.

The diagram in FIG. 22 assumes homogeneous tissue. The voltage gradient is highest close to the electrodes and lower at a distance from the electrodes. Nerves are more likely to be activated close to the electrodes than at a distance. For a given voltage gradient, nerves of large diameter are more likely to be activated than nerves of smaller diameter. Nerves whose long axis is aligned with the voltage gradient are more likely to be activated than nerves whose long axis is at right angles to the voltage gradient.

Applying similar electrodes to a part of the body in which there are two layers of tissue of different electrical resistivity, such as fat and muscle, can produce a field such as that shown in FIG. 23. Layers of different tissue may act to refract and direct energy waves and be used for beam aiming and steering. An individual's tissue parameters may be measured and used to characterize the appropriate energy stimulation for a selected nerve.

Referring to FIG. 24, when the stimulating pulse is turned off the electric field will collapse and the fields will be absent as shown. It is the change in electric field that will cause an action potential to be created in a nerve cell, provided sufficient voltage and the correct orientation of the electric field occurs. More complex three-dimensional arrangements of tissues with different electrical properties can result in more complex three-dimensional electric fields, particularly since tissues have different electrical properties and these properties are different along the length of a tissue and across it, as shown in Table 1.

	TABLE 1
	Electrical Conductivity
	(siemens/m)	Direction	Average
	Blood		.65
	Bone	Along	.17
	Bone	Mixed	.095
	Fat		.05
	Muscle	Along	.127
	Muscle	Across	.45
	Muscle	Mixed	.286
	Skin (Dry)		.000125
	Skin (Wet)		.00121

Modification of Electric Fields by Tissue

An important factor in the formation of electric fields used to create action potentials in nerve cells is the medium through which the electric fields must penetrate. For the human body this medium includes various types of tissue including bone, fat, muscle, and skin. Each of these tissues possesses different electrical resistivity or conductivity and different capacitance and these properties are anisotropic. They are not uniform in all directions within the tissues. For example, an axon has lower electrical resistivity along its axis than perpendicular to its axis. The wide range of conductivities is shown in Table 1. The three-dimensional structure and resistivity of the tissues will therefore affect the orientation and magnitude of the electric field at any given point in the body.

Modification of Electric Fields by Multiple Electrodes

Applying a larger number of electrodes to the skin can also produce more complex three-dimensional electrical fields that can be shaped by the location of the electrodes and the potential applied to each of them. Referring to FIG. 20, the pulse trains can differ from one another indicated by A, t/T, n, and f as well as have different phase relationships between the pulse trains. For example with an 8×8 array of electrodes, combinations of electrodes can be utilized ranging from simple dipoles, to quadripoles, to linear arrangements, to approximately circular configurations, to produce desired electric fields within tissues.

Applying multiple electrodes to a part of the body with complex tissue geometry will thus result in an electric field of a complex shape. The interaction of electrode arrangement and tissue geometry can be modeled using Finite Element Modeling, which is a mathematical method of dividing the tissues into many small elements in order to calculate the shape of a complex electric field. This can be used to design an electric field of a desired shape and orientation to a particular nerve.

High frequency techniques known for modifying an electric field, such as the relation between phases of a beam, cancelling and reinforcing by using phase shifts, may not apply to application of electric fields by TNSSs because they use low frequencies. Instead, examples use beam selection to move or shift or shape an electric field, also described as field steering or field shaping, by activating different electrodes, such as from an array of electrodes, to move the field. Selecting different combinations of electrodes from an array may result in beam or field steering. A particular combination of electrodes may shape a beam and/or change the direction of a beam by steering. This may shape the electric field to reach a target nerve selected for stimulation.

Activation of Nerves by Electric Fields

Typically, selectivity in activating nerves has required electrodes to be implanted surgically on or near nerves. Using electrodes on the surface of the skin to focus activation selectively on nerves deep in the tissues, as with examples of the invention, has many advantages. These include avoidance of surgery, avoidance of the cost of developing complex implants and gaining regulatory approval for them, and avoidance of the risks of long-term implants.

The features of the electric field that determine whether a nerve will be activated to produce an action potential can be modeled mathematically by the “Activating Function” disclosed in Rattay F., “The basic mechanism for the electrical stimulation of the nervous system”, Neuroscience Vol. 89, No. 2, pp. 335-346 (1999). The electric field can produce a voltage, or extracellular potential, within the tissues that varies along the length of a nerve. If the voltage is proportional to distance along the nerve, the first order spatial derivative will be constant and the second order spatial derivative will be zero. If the voltage is not proportional to distance along the nerve, the first order spatial derivative will not be constant and the second order spatial derivative will not be zero. The Activating Function is proportional to the second-order spatial derivative of the extracellular potential along the nerve. If it is sufficiently greater than zero at a given point it predicts whether the electric field will produce an action potential in the nerve at that point. This prediction may be input to a nerve signature.

In practice, this means that electric fields that are varying sufficiently greatly in space or time can produce action potentials in nerves. These action potentials are also most likely to be produced where the orientation of the nerves to the fields change, either because the nerve or the field changes direction. The direction of the nerve can be determined from anatomical studies and imaging studies such as MRI scans. The direction of the field can be determined by the positions and configurations of electrodes and the voltages applied to them, together with the electrical properties of the tissues. As a result, it is possible to activate certain nerves at certain tissue locations selectively while not activating others.

To accurately control an organ or muscle, the nerve to be activated must be accurately selected. This selectivity may be improved by using examples disclosed herein as a nerve signature, in several ways, as follows:

(1) Improved algorithms to control the effects when a nerve is stimulated, for example, by measuring the resulting electrical or mechanical activity of muscles and feeding back this information to modify the stimulation and measuring the effects again. Repeated iterations of this process can result in optimizing the selectivity of the stimulation, either by classical closed loop control or by machine learning techniques such as pattern recognition and artificial intelligence;

(2) Improving nerve selectivity by labeling or tagging nerves chemically; for example, introduction of genes into some nerves to render them responsive to light or other electromagnetic radiation can result in the ability to activate these nerves and not others when light or electromagnetic radiation is applied from outside the body;

(3) Improving nerve selectivity by the use of electrical conductors to focus an electric field on a nerve; these conductors might be implanted, but could be passive and much simpler than the active implantable medical devices currently used;

(4) The use of reflectors or refractors, either outside or inside the body, is used to focus a beam of electromagnetic radiation on a nerve to improve nerve selectivity. If these reflectors or refractors are implanted, they may be passive and much simpler than the active implantable medical devices currently used;

(5) Improving nerve selectivity by the use of feedback from the person upon whom the stimulation is being performed; this may be an action taken by the person in response to a physical indication such as a muscle activation or a feeling from one or more nerve activations;

(6) Improving nerve selectivity by the use of feedback from sensors associated with the TNSS, or separately from other sensors, that monitor electrical activity associated with the stimulation; and

(7) Improving nerve selectivity by the combination of feedback from both the person or sensors and the TNSS that may be used to create a unique profile of the user's nerve physiology for selected nerve stimulation.

Potential applications of electrical stimulation to the body, as previously disclosed, are shown in FIG. 15.

Referring to FIG. 25A, a TNSS 934 human and mammalian interface and its method of operation and supporting system are managed by a Master Control Program (“MCP”) 910 represented in function format as block diagrams. It provides the logic for the nerve stimulator system in accordance to one example.

In one example, MCP 910 and other components shown in FIG. 25A are implemented by one or more processors that are executing instructions. The processor may be any type of general or specific purpose processor. Memory is included for storing information and instructions to be executed by the processor. The memory can be comprised of any combination of random access memory (“RAM”), read only memory (“ROM”), static storage such as a magnetic or optical disk, or any other type of computer readable media.

Master Control Program

The primary responsibility of MCP 910 is to coordinate the activities and communications among the various control programs, a Data Manager 920, a User 932, and the external ecosystem and to execute the appropriate response algorithms in each situation. The MCP 910 accomplishes electric field shaping and/or beam steering by providing an electrode activation pattern to TNSS device 934 to selectively stimulate a target nerve. For example, upon notification by a Communications Controller 930 of an external event or request, the MCP 910 is responsible for executing the appropriate response, and working with the Data Manager 920 to formulate the correct response and actions. It integrates data from various sources such as Sensors 938 and external inputs such as TNSS devices 934, and applies the correct security and privacy policies, such as encryption and HIPAA required protocols. It will also manage the User Interface (UI) 912 and the various Application Program Interfaces (APIs) 914 that provide access to external programs.

MCP 910 is also responsible for effectively managing power consumption by TNSS device 934 through a combination of software algorithms and hardware components that may include, among other things: computing, communications, and stimulating electronics, antenna, electrodes, sensors, and power sources in the form of conventional or printed batteries.

Communications Controller

Communications controller 930 is responsible for receiving inputs from the User 932, from a plurality of TNSS devices 934, and from 3rd party apps 936 via communications sources such as the Internet or cellular networks. The format of such inputs will vary by source and must be received, consolidated, possibly reformatted, and packaged for the Data Manager 920.

User inputs may include simple requests for activation of TNSS devices 934 to status and information concerning the User's 932 situation or needs. TNSS devices 934 will provide signaling data that may include voltage readings, TNSS 934 status data, responses to control program inquiries, and other signals.

Communications Controller 930 is also responsible for sending data and control requests to the plurality of TNSS devices 934. 3rd party applications 936 can send data, requests, or instructions for the Master Control Program 910 or User 932 via the Internet or cellular networks. Communications Controller 930 is also responsible for communications via the cloud where various software applications may reside.

In one example, a user can control one or more TNSS devices using a remote fob or other type of remote device and a communication protocol such as Bluetooth. In one example, a mobile phone is also in communication and functions as a central device while the fob and TNSS device function as peripheral devices. In another example, the TNSS device functions as the central device and the fob is a peripheral device that communicates directly with the TNSS device (i.e., a mobile phone or other device is not needed).

Data Manager

The Data Manager (DM) 920 has primary responsibility for the storage and movement of data to and from the Communications Controller 930, Sensors 938, Actuators 940, and the Master Control Program 910. The DM 920 has the capability to analyze and correlate any of the data under its control. It provides logic to select and activate nerves. Examples of such operations upon the data include: statistical analysis and trend identification; machine learning algorithms; signature analysis and pattern recognition, correlations among the data within the Data Warehouse 926, the Therapy Library 922, the Tissue Models 924, and the Electrode Placement Models 928, and other operations. There are several components to the data that is under its control as disclosed below.

The Data Warehouse (DW) 926 is where incoming data is stored; examples of this data can be real-time measurements from TNSS devices 934 or from Sensors (938), data streams from the Internet, or control and instructional data from various sources. The DM 920 will analyze data, as described above, that is held in the DW 926 and cause actions, including the export of data, under MCP 910 control. Certain decision making processes implemented by the DM 920 will identify data patterns both in time, frequency, and spatial domains and store them as signatures for reference by other programs. Techniques such as EMG, or multi-electrode EMG, gather a large amount of data that is the sum of hundreds to thousands of individual motor units and the typical procedure is to perform complex decomposition analysis on the total signal to attempt to tease out individual motor units and their behavior. The DM 920 will perform big data analysis over the total signal and recognize patterns that relate to specific actions or even individual nerves or motor units. This analysis can be performed over data gathered in time from an individual, or over a population of TNSS Users.

The Therapy Library 922 contains various control regimens for the TNSS devices 934. Regimens specify the parameters and patterns of pulses to be applied by the TNSS devices 934. The width and amplitude of individual pulses may be specified to stimulate nerve axons of a particular size selectively without stimulating nerve axons of other sizes. The frequency of pulses applied may be specified to modulate some reflexes selectively without modulating other reflexes. There are preset regimens that may be loaded from the Cloud 942 or 3rd party apps 936. The regimens may be static read-only as well as adaptive with read-write capabilities so they can be modified in real-time responding to control signals or feedback signals or software updates. Referring to FIG. 20, one such example of a regimen has parameters A=40 volts, t=500 microseconds, T=1 Millisecond, n=100 pulses per group, and f=10 per second. Other examples of regimens will vary the parameters within ranges previously specified.

The Tissue Models 924 is specific to the electrical properties of particular body locations where TNSS devices 934 may be placed. As previously disclosed, electric fields for production of action potentials will be affected by the different electrical properties of the various tissues that they encounter. Tissue Models 924 are combined with regimens from the Therapy Library 922 and Electrode Placement Models 928 to produce desired actions. Tissue Models 924 may be developed by MRI, Ultrasound or other imaging or measurement of tissue of a body or particular part of a body. This may be accomplished for a particular User 932 and/or based upon a body norm. One such example of a desired action is the use of a Tissue Model 924 together with a particular Electrode Placement Model 928 to determine how to focus the electric field from electrodes on the surface of the body on a specific deep location corresponding to the pudendal nerve in order to stimulate that nerve selectively to reduce incontinence of urine. Other examples of desired actions may occur when a Tissue Model 924 in combination with regimens from the Therapy Library 22 and Electrode Placement Models 928 produce an electric field that stimulates a sacral nerve. Many other examples of desired actions follow for the stimulation of other nerves.

Electrode Placement Models 928 specify electrode configurations that the TNSS devices 934 may apply and activate in particular locations of the body. For example, a TNSS device 934 may have multiple electrodes and the Electrode Placement Model 928 specifies where these electrodes should be placed on the body and which of these electrodes should be active in order to stimulate a specific structure selectively without stimulating other structures, or to focus an electric field on a deep structure. An example of an electrode configuration is a 4 by 4 set of electrodes within a larger array of multiple electrodes, such as an 8 by 8 array. This 4 by 4 set of electrodes may be specified anywhere within the larger array such as the upper right corner of the 8 by 8 array. Other examples of electrode configurations may be circular electrodes that may even include concentric circular electrodes. The TNSS device 934 may contain a wide range of multiple electrodes of which the Electrode Placement Models 928 will specify which subset will be activated. The Electrode Placement Models 928 complement the regimens in the Therapy Library 922 and the Tissue Models 924 and are used together with these other data components to control the electric fields and their interactions with nerves, muscles, tissues and other organs. Other examples may include TNSS devices 934 having merely one or two electrodes, such as but not limited to those utilizing a closed circuit.

Sensor/Actuator Control

Independent sensors 938 and actuators 940 can be part of the TNSS system. Its functions can complement the electrical stimulation and electrical feedback that the TNSS devices 934 provide. An example of such a sensor 938 and actuator 940 include, but are not limited to, an ultrasonic actuator and an ultrasonic receiver that can provide real-time image data of nerves, muscles, bones, and other tissues. Other examples include electrical sensors that detect signals from stimulated tissues or muscles. The Sensor/Actuator Control module 950 provides the ability to control both the actuation and pickup of such signals, all under control of the MCP 910.

Application Program Interfaces

The MCP 910 is also responsible for supervising the various Application Program Interfaces (APIs) that will be made available for 3rd party developers. There may exist more than one API 914 depending upon the specific developer audience to be enabled. For example many statistical focused apps will desire access to the Data Warehouse 926 and its cumulative store of data recorded from TNSS 934 and User 932 inputs. Another group of healthcare professionals may desire access to the Therapy Library 922 and Tissue Models 924 to construct better regimens for addressing specific diseases or disabilities. In each case a different specific API 914 may be appropriate.

The MCP 910 is responsible for many software functions of the TNSS system including system maintenance, debugging and troubleshooting functions, resource and device management, data preparation, analysis, and communications to external devices or programs that exist on the smart phone or in the cloud, and other functions. However, one of its primary functions is to serve as a global request handler taking inputs from devices handled by the Communications Controller 930, external requests from the Sensor Control Actuator Module (950), and 3rd party requests 936. Examples of High Level Master Control Program (MCP) functions are disclosed below.

The manner in which the MCP handles these requests is shown in FIG. 25B. The Request Handler (RH) 960 accepts all requests/inputs from the User 932, TNSS devices 934, 3rd party apps 936, sensors 938 and other sources. It determines the type of request and dispatches the appropriate response as set forth in the following paragraphs.

User Request: The RH 960 will determine which of the plurality of User Requests 961 is present such as: activation; display status, deactivation, or data input, e.g. specific User condition. Shown in FIG. 25B is the RH's 960 response to an activation request. As shown in block 962, RH 960 will access the Therapy Library 922 and cause the appropriate regimen to be sent to the correct TNSS 934 for execution, as shown at block 964 labeled “Action.”

TNSS/Sensor Inputs: The RH 960 will perform data analysis over TNSS 934 or Sensor inputs 965. As shown at block 966, it employs data analysis, which may include techniques ranging from DSP decision-making processes, image processing algorithms, statistical analysis and other algorithms to analyze the inputs. In FIG. 25B two such analysis results are shown; conditions which cause a User Alarm 970 to be generated and conditions which create an Adaptive Action 980 such as causing a control feedback loop for specific TNSS 934 functions, which can iteratively generate further TNSS 934 or Sensor inputs 965 in a closed feedback loop.

3rd Party Apps: Applications can communicate with the MCP 910, both sending and receiving communications. A typical communication would be to send informational data or commands to a TNSS 934. The RH 960 will analyze the incoming application data, as shown at block 972. FIG. 25B shows two such actions that result. One action, shown at block 974 would be the presentation of the application data, possibly reformatted, to the User 932 through the MCP User Interface 912. Another result would be to perform a User 932 permitted action, as shown at 976, such as requesting a regimen from the Therapy Library 922.

Referring to FIG. 26, an example TNSS or patch in accordance to one example is shown. The TNSS has one or more electronic circuits or chips 2600 that perform the functions of: communications with the controller, nerve stimulation via electrodes 2608 that produce a wide range of electric field(s) according to treatment regimen, one or more antennae 2610 that may also serve as electrodes and communication pathways, and a wide range of sensors 2606 such as, but not limited to, mechanical motion and pressure, temperature, humidity, chemical and positioning sensors. In another example, TNSS interfaces to transducers 2614 to transmit signals to the tissue or to receive signals from the tissue.

One arrangement is to integrate a wide variety of these functions into an SOC, system on chip 2600. Within this is shown a control unit 2602 for data processing, communications, transducer interface and storage and one or more stimulators 2604 and sensors 2606 that are connected to electrodes 2608. An antenna 2610 is incorporated for external communications by the control unit. Also present is an internal power supply 2612, which may be, for example, a battery. An external power supply is another variation of the chip configuration. It may be necessary to include more than one chip to accommodate a wide range of voltages for data processing and stimulation. Electronic circuits and chips will communicate with each other via conductive tracks within the device capable of transferring data and/or power.

The TNSS interprets a data stream from the control device, such as that shown in FIG. 25A, to separate out message headers and delimiters from control instructions. In one example, control instructions contain information such as voltage level and pulse pattern. The TNSS activates the stimulator 2604 to generate a stimulation signal to the electrodes 2608 placed on the tissue according to the control instructions. In another example the TNSS activates a transducer 2614 to send a signal to the tissue. In another example, control instructions cause information such as voltage level and pulse pattern to be retrieved from a library stored in the TNSS.

The TNSS receives sensory signals from the tissue and translates them to a data stream that is recognized by the control device, such as the example in FIG. 25A. Sensory signals include electrical, mechanical, acoustic, optical and chemical signals among others. Sensory signals come to the TNSS through the electrodes 2608 or from other inputs originating from mechanical, acoustic, optical, or chemical transducers. For example, an electrical signal from the tissue is introduced to the TNSS through the electrodes 2608, is converted from an analog signal to a digital signal and then inserted into a data stream that is sent through the antenna 2610 to the control device. In another example an acoustic signal is received by a transducer 2614 in the TNSS, converted from an analog signal to a digital signal and then inserted into a data stream that is sent through the antenna 2610 to the control device. In certain examples sensory signals from the tissue are directly interfaced to the control device for processing.

Adaptive Circuit and Protocol

In examples of the patch disclosed above, when being used for therapeutic treatment such as bladder management for OAB, there is a need to control the voltage by boosting the voltage to a selected level and providing the same level of charge upon activation to a mammalian nerve. Further, there is a need to conserve battery life by selectively using battery power. Further, there is a need to create a compact electronics package to facilitate mounting the electronics package on a relatively small mammalian dermal patch in the range of the size of an ordinary band aid. In general, the disclosed voltage levels are peak-to-peak voltage levels.

To meet the above needs, examples implement a novel boosted voltage circuit that includes a feedback circuit and a charge application circuit. FIG. 27A is a circuit diagram of an example of the boosted voltage circuit 200 that includes feedback. FIG. 27B is a circuit diagram of an example of a charge application circuit 300 that uses an output of boosted voltage circuit 200 and functions as an microcontroller controlled switch of current into the user. Boosted voltage circuit 200 includes both electrical components and a controller/processor 270 that includes a sequence of instructions that together modify the voltage level of activation/stimulation delivered to the external dermis of a user by the patch through electrodes. Controller/processor 270 in examples implements control unit 2602 of FIG. 26.

Boosted voltage circuit 200 can replace an independent analog-controlled boost regulator by using a digital control loop to create a regulated voltage, output voltage 250, from the battery source. Output voltage 250 is provided as an input voltage to charge application circuit 300. In examples, this voltage provides nerve stimulation currents through the dermis/skin to deliver therapy for an overactive bladder. Output voltage 250, or “VB_oost”, at voltage output node 250, uses two digital feedback paths 220, 230, through controller 270. In each of these paths, controller 270 uses sequences of instructions to interpret the measured voltages at voltage monitor 226, or “V_ADC” and current monitor 234, or “I_ADC”, and determines the proper output control for accurate and stable output voltage 250.

Boosted voltage circuit 200 includes an inductor 212, a diode 214, a capacitor 216 that together implement a boosted converter circuit 210. A voltage monitoring circuit 220 includes a resistor divider formed by a top resistor 222, or “R_T”, a bottom resistor 224, or “R_B” and voltage monitor 226. A current monitoring circuit 230 includes a current measuring resistor 232, or “R_I” and current monitor 234. A pulse width modulation (“PWM”) circuit 240 includes a field-effect transistor (“FET”) switch 242, and a PWM driver 244. Output voltage 250 functions as a sink for the electrical energy. An input voltage 260, or “V_BAT”, is the source for the electrical energy, and can be implemented by power 2612 of FIG. 26.

PWM circuit 240 alters the “on” time within a digital square wave, fixed frequency signal to change the ratio of time that a power switch is commanded to be “on” versus “off.” In boosted voltage circuit 200, PWM driver 244 drives FET switch 242 to “on” and “off” states.

In operation, when FET switch 242 is on, i.e., conducting, the drain of FET switch 242 is brought down to Ground/GND or ground node 270. FET switch 242 remains on until its current reaches a level selected by controller 270 acting as a servo controller. This current is measured as a representative voltage on current measuring resistor 232 detected by current monitor 234. Due to the inductance of inductor 212, energy is stored in the magnetic field within inductor 212. The current flows through current measuring resistor 232 to ground until FET switch 242 is opened by PWM driver 244.

When the intended pulse width duration is achieved, controller 270 turns off FET switch 242. The current in inductor 212 reroutes from FET switch 242 to diode 214, causing diode 214 to forward current. Diode 214 charges capacitor 216. Therefore, the voltage level at capacitor 216 is controlled by controller 270.

Output voltage 250 is controlled using an outer servo loop of voltage monitor 226 and controller 270. Output voltage 250 is measured by the resistor divider using top resistor 222, bottom resistor 224, and voltage monitor 226. The values of top resistor 222 and bottom resistor 224 are selected to keep the voltage across bottom resistor 224 within the monitoring range of voltage monitor 226. Controller 270 monitors the output value from voltage monitor 226.

Charge application circuit 300 includes a pulse application circuit 310 that includes an enable switch 314. Controller 270 does not allow enable switch 314 to turn on unless output voltage 250 is within a desired upper and lower range of the desired value of output voltage 250. Pulse application circuit 310 is operated by controller 270 by asserting an enable signal 312, or “VSW”, which turns on enable switch 314 to pass the electrical energy represented by output voltage 250 through electrodes 320. At the same time, controller 270 continues to monitor output voltage 250 and controls PWM driver 244 to switch FET switch 242 on and off and to maintain capacitor 216 to the desired value of output voltage 250.

The stability of output voltage 250 can be increased by an optional inner feedback loop through FET Switch 242, current measuring resistor 232, and current monitor 234. Controller 270 monitors the output value from current monitor 234 at a faster rate than the monitoring on voltage monitor 226 so that the variations in the voltages achieved at the cathode of diode 214 are minimized, thereby improving control of the voltage swing and load sensitivity of output voltage 250.

In one example, a voltage doubler circuit is added to boosted voltage circuit 200 to double the high voltage output or to reduce voltage stress on FET 242. The voltage doubler circuit builds charge in a transfer capacitor when FET 242 is turned on and adds voltage to the output of boosted voltage circuit 200 when FET 242 is turned off.

As described, in examples, controller 270 uses multiple feedback loops to adjust the duty cycle of PWM driver 244 to create a stable output voltage 250 across a range of values. Controller 270 uses multiple feedback loops and monitoring circuit parameters to control output voltage 250 and to evaluate a proper function of the hardware. Controller 270 acts on the feedback and monitoring values in order to provide improved patient safety and reduced electrical hazard by disabling incorrect electrical functions.

In some examples, controller 270 implements the monitoring instructions in firmware or software code. In some examples, controller 270 implements the monitoring instructions in a hardware state machine.

In some examples, voltage monitor 226 is an internal feature of controller 270. In some examples, voltage monitor 226 is an external component, which delivers its digital output value to a digital input port of controller 270.

In some examples, current monitor 234 is an internal feature of controller 270. In some examples, current monitor 234 is an external component, which delivers its digital output value to a digital input port of controller 270.

An advantage of boosted voltage circuit 200 over known circuits is decreased component count which may result in reduced costs, reduced circuit board size and higher reliability. Further, booted voltage circuit 200 provides for centralized processing of all feedback data which leads to faster response to malfunctions. Further, boosted voltage circuit 200 controls outflow current from V_BAT 260, which increases the battery's lifetime and reliability.

FIG. 28 is a flow diagram of the functionality of controller 270 of monitoring and controlling output voltage 250, including its ramp rate. In one example, the functionality of the flow diagram of FIG. 28, and FIGS. 29 and 35 below, is implemented by software stored in memory or other computer readable or tangible medium, and executed by a processor. In other examples, the functionality may be performed by hardware (e.g., through the use of an application-specific integrated circuit (“ASIC”), a programmable gate array (“PGA”), a field programmable gate array (“FPGA”), etc.), or any combination of hardware and software.

The pulse width modulation of FET switch 242 is controlled by one or more pulses for which the setting of each pulse width allows more or less charge to accumulate as a voltage at capacitor 216 through diode 214. This pulse width setting is referred to as the ramp strength and it is initialized at 2810. Controller 270 enables each pulse group in sequence with a pre-determined pulse width, one stage at a time, using a stage index that is initialized at 2812. The desired ramp strength is converted to a pulse width at 2824, which enables and disables FET switch 242 according to the pulse width. During the intervals when FET switch 242 is “on”, the current is measured by current monitor 234 at 2830 and checked against the expected value at 2836. When the current reaches the expected value, the stage is complete and the stage index is incremented at 2840. If the desired number of stages have been applied 2842, then the functionality is complete. Otherwise, the functionality continues to the next stage at 2820.

As a result of the functionality of FIG. 28, V_BAT 260 used in the patch operates for longer periods as the current drawn from the battery ramps at a low rate of increase to reduce the peak current needed to achieve the final voltage level 250 for each activation/stimulation treatment. PWM 244 duty cycle is adjusted by controller 270 to change the ramp strength at 2810 to improve the useful life of the battery.

An open loop protocol to control current to electrodes in known neural stimulation devices does not have feedback controls. It commands a voltage to be set, but does not check the actual current delivered. A stimulation pulse is sent based on preset parameters and cannot be modified based on feedback from the patient's anatomy. When the device is removed and repositioned, the electrode placement varies. Also the humidity and temperature of the anatomy changes throughout the day. All these factors affect the actual charge delivery if the voltage is preset. Charge control is a patient safety feature and facilitates an improvement in patient comfort, treatment consistency and efficacy of treatment.

In contrast, examples of the patch includes features that address these shortcomings using controller 270 to regulate the charge applied by electrodes 320. Controller 270 samples the voltage of the stimulation waveform, providing feedback and impedance calculations for an adaptive protocol to modify the stimulation waveform in real time. The current delivered to the anatomy by the stimulation waveform is integrated using a differential integrator and sampled and then summed to determine the actual charge delivered to the user for a treatment, such as OAB treatment. After every pulse in a stimulation event, this data is analyzed and used to modify, in real time, subsequent pulses.

This hardware adaptation allows a firmware protocol to implement the adaptive protocol. This protocol regulates the charge applied to the body by changing output voltage (“V_BOOST”) 250. A treatment is performed by a sequence of periodic pulses, which deliver charge into the body through electrodes 320. Some of the parameters of the treatment are fixed and some are user adjustable. The strength, duration and frequency may be user adjustable. The user may adjust these parameters as necessary for comfort and efficacy. The strength may be lowered if there is discomfort and raised if nothing is felt. The duration can be increased if the maximum acceptable strength results in an ineffective treatment.

A flow diagram in accordance with one example of the adaptive protocol disclosed above is shown in FIG. 29. The adaptive protocol strives to repeatedly and reliably deliver a target charge (“Q_target”) during a treatment and to account for any environmental changes. Therefore, the functionality of FIG. 29 is to adjust the charge level applied to a user based on feedback, rather than use a constant level.

The mathematical expression of this protocol is as follows: Q_target=Q_target (A*dS+B*dT), where A is the Strength Coefficient—determined empirically, dS is the user change in Strength, B is the Duration Coefficient—determined empirically, and dT is the user change in Duration.

The adaptive protocol includes two phases in one example: Acquisition phase 500 and Reproduction phase 520. Any change in user parameters places the adaptive protocol in the Acquisition phase. When the first treatment is started, a new baseline charge is computed based on the new parameters. At a new acquisition phase at 502, all data from the previous charge application is discarded. In one example, 502 indicates the first time for the current usage where the user places the patch on a portion of the body and manually adjusts the charge level, which is a series of charge pulses, until it feels suitable, or any time the charge level is changed, either manually or automatically. The treatment then starts. The mathematical expression of this function of the application of a charge is as follows:

$\mathrm{The}\mathrm{charge}\mathrm{delivered}\mathrm{in}a\mathrm{treatment}\mathrm{is}Q_{\mathrm{target}}=\sum _{i=1}^{T*f}Q_{\mathrm{pulse}}\left(i\right)$

Where T is the duration; f is the frequency of “Rep Rate”; Q_pulse (i) is the measured charge delivered by Pulse (i) in the treatment pulse train provided as a voltage MON_CURRENT that is the result of a Differential Integrator circuit shown in FIG. 30 (i.e., the average amount of charge per pulse). Differential Integrator circuit 700 of FIG. 30 is an example of a circuit used to integrate current measured over time and quantify the delivered charge and therefore determine the charge output over a treatment pulse. The number of pulses in the treatment is T*f.

As shown in of FIG. 30, MON_CURRENT 760 is the result of the Differential Integrator Circuit 700. Analog to Digital Conversion (“ADC”) 710 functionality is used to quantify voltage into a number representing the delivered charge. The voltage is measured between Electrode A 720 and Electrode B 730, using a Kelvin Connection 740. Electrode A 720 and Electrode B 730 are connected to a header 750. A reference voltage, VREF 770, is included to keep the measurement in range. The digitized value of MON_CURRENT 760 represents the delivered charge.

In some examples, Analog to Digital Conversion 710 is an internal feature of controller 270. In some examples, Analog to Digital Conversion 710 is an external component, which delivers its digital output value to a digital input port on Controller 270.

At 504 and 506, every pulse is sampled. In one example, the functionality of 504 and 506 lasts for 10 seconds with a pulse rate of 20 Hz, which can be considered a full treatment cycle. The result of Acquisition phase 500 is the target pulse charge of Q_target.

FIG. 31 is a table in accordance with one example showing the number of pulses per treatment measured against two parameters, frequency and duration and includes the number of pulses available for modification within the stimulation. Frequency is shown on the Y-axis and duration on the X-axis. The adaptive protocol in general performs better when using more pulses. One example uses a minimum of 100 pulses to provide for solid convergence of charge data feedback, although a less number of pulses can be used in other examples. Referring to the FIG. 31, a frequency setting of 20 Hz and duration of 10 seconds produces 200 pulses.

The reproduction phase 520 begins in one example when the user initiates another subsequent treatment after acquisition phase 500 and the resulting acquisition of the baseline charge, Q_target. For example, a full treatment cycle, as discussed above, may take 10 seconds. After, for example, a two-hour pause as shown at wait period 522, the user may then initiate another treatment. During this phase, the adaptive protocol attempts to deliver Q_target for each subsequent treatment. The functionality of reproduction phase 520 is needed because, during the wait period 522, conditions such as the impedance of the user's body due to sweat or air humidity may have changed. The differential integrator is sampled at the end of each Pulse in the Treatment. At that point, the next treatment is started and the differential integrator is sampled for each pulse at 524 for purposes of comparison to the acquisition phase Q_target. Sampling the pulse includes measuring the output of the pulse in terms of total electric charge. The output of the integrator of FIG. 30 in voltage, referred to as Mon_Current 760, is a direct linear relationship to the delivered charge and provides a reading of how much charge is leaving the device and entering the user. At 526, each single pulse is compared to the charge value determined in Acquisition phase 500 (i.e., the target charge) and the next pulse will be adjusted in the direction of the difference.

NUM_PULSES=(T*f)

After each pulse, the observed charge, Q_pulse(i), is compared to the expected charge per pulse.

Q _pulse(i)>Q_target/NUM_PULSES ?

The output charge or “V_BOOST” is then modified at either 528 (decreasing) or 530 (increasing) for the subsequent pulse by:

dV(i)=G[Q_target/NUM_PULSES−Q_pulse(i)]

where G is the Voltage adjustment Coefficient−determined empirically. The process continues until the last pulse at 532.

A safety feature assures that the VBOOST will never be adjusted higher by more than 10%. If more charge is necessary, then the repetition rate or duration can be increased.

In one example a boosted voltage circuit uses dedicated circuits to servo the boosted voltage. These circuits process voltage and/or current measurements to control the PWM duty cycle of the boosted voltage circuit's switch. The system controller can set the voltage by adjusting the gain of the feedback loop in the boosted voltage circuit. This is done with a digital potentiometer or other digital to analog circuit.

In one example, in general, the current is sampled for every pulse during acquisition phase 500 to establish target charge for reproduction. The voltage is then adjusted via a digital potentiometer, herein referred to as “Pot”, during reproduction phase 520 to achieve the established target_charge.

The digital Pot is calibrated with the actual voltage at startup. A table is generated with sampled voltage for each wiper value. Tables are also precomputed storing the Pot wiper increment needed for 1 v and 5 v output delta at each pot level. This enables quick reference for voltage adjustments during the reproduction phase. The tables may need periodic recalibration due to battery level.

In one example, during acquisition phase 500, the data set=100 pulses and every pulse is sampled and the average is used as the target_charge for reproduction phase 520. In general, fewer pulses provide a weaker data sample to use as a basis for reproduction phase 520.

In one example, during acquisition phase 500, the maximum data set=1000 pulses. The maximum is used to avoid overflow of 32 bit integers in accumulating the sum of samples. Further, 1000 pulses in one example is a sufficiently large data set and collecting more is likely unnecessary.

After 1000 pulses for the above example, the target_charge is computed. Additional pulses beyond 1000 in the acquisition phase do not contribute to the computation of the target charge. In other examples, the maximum data set is greater than 1000 pulses when longer treatment cycle times are desired.

In one example, the first 3-4 pulses are generally higher than the rest so these are not used in acquisition phase 500. This is also accounted for in reproduction phase 520. Using these too high values can result in target charge being set too high and over stimulating on the subsequent treatments in reproduction phase 520. In other examples, more advanced averaging algorithms could be applied to eliminate high and low values.

In an example, there may be a safety concern about automatically increasing the voltage. For example, if there is poor connection between the device and the user's skin, the voltage may auto-adjust at 530 up to the max. The impedance may then be reduced, for example by the user pressing the device firmly, which may result in a sudden high current. Therefore, in one example, if the sample is 500 mv or more higher than the target, it immediately adjusts to the minimum voltage. This example then remains in reproduction phase 520 and should adjust back to the target current/charge level. In another example, the maximum voltage increase is set for a single treatment (e.g., 10y). More than that is not needed to achieve the established target_charge. In another example, a max is set for V_BOOST (e.g., 80V).

In various examples, it is desired to have stability during reproduction phase 520. In one example, this is accomplished by adjusting the voltage by steps. However, a relatively large step adjustment can result in oscillation or over stimulation. Therefore, voltage adjustments may be made in smaller steps. The step size may be based on both the delta between the target and sample current as well as on the actual V_BOOST voltage level. This facilitates a quick and stable/smooth convergence to the target charge and uses a more gradual adjustments at lower voltages for more sensitive users.

The following are the conditions that may be evaluated to determine the adjustment step.

delta-mon_current=abs(sample_mon_current−target_charge)

• • If delta_mon_current>500 mv and V_BOOST>20V then step=5V for increase adjustments
  • (For decrease adjustments a 500 mv delta triggers emergency decrease to minimum Voltage)
  • If delta_mon_current>200 mv then step=1V
  • If delta_mon_current>100 mv and delta_mon_current>5%*sample_mon_current then step=1V

In other examples, new treatments are started with voltage lower than target voltage with a voltage buffer of approximately 10%. The impedance is unknown at the treatment start. These examples save the target_voltage in use at the end of a treatment. If the user has not adjusted the strength parameter manually, it starts a new treatment with saved target_voltage with the 10% buffer. This achieves target current quickly with the 10% buffer to avoid possible over stimulation in case impedance has been reduced. This also compensates for the first 3-4 pulses that are generally higher.

As disclosed, examples apply an initial charge level, and then automatically adjust based on feedback of the amount of current being applied. The charge amount can be varied up or down while being applied. Therefore, rather than setting and then applying a fixed voltage level throughout a treatment cycle, implementations of the invention measure the amount of charge that is being input to the user, and adjust accordingly throughout the treatment to maintain a target charge level that is suitable for the current environment.

The Adaptive Circuit described above provides the means to monitor the charge sent through the electrodes to the user's tissue and to adjust the strength and duration of sending charge so as to adapt to changes in the impedance through the electrode-to-skin interface and through the user's tissue such that the field strength at the target nerve is within the bounds needed to overcome the action potential of that nerve at that location and activate a nerve impulse. These changes in impedance may be caused by environmental changes, such as wetness or dryness of the skin or underlying tissue, or by applied lotion or the like; or by tissue changes, such as skin dryness; or by changes in the device's placement on the user's skin, such as by removing the patch and re-applying it in a different location or orientation relative to the target nerve; or by combinations of the above and other factors.

The combined circuits and circuit controls disclose herein generate a charge that is repeated on subsequent uses. The voltage boost conserves battery power by generating voltage on demand. The result is an effective and compact electronics package suitable for mounting on or in a fabric or similar material for adherence to a dermis that allows electrodes to be placed near selected nerves to be activated.

Application to Bladder Control

Bladder function may be modified directly or indirectly using the principles described above. Referring to FIG. 32, in some cases, electrical stimulation of sacral sensory nerves 3010 causes action potentials that travel to the spinal cord 3000 where they reduce the activity in motor nerves 3060 from the spinal cord back to the bladder 3070, producing relaxation of the bladder. This is known as reflex inhibition of the bladder and is one form of neuromodulation. Reduction of unwanted bladder contraction may provide useful function such as reduced urgency in needing to pass urine, reduced frequency of passing urine and reduced urge incontinence of urine. This pattern of symptoms is sometimes considered as a syndrome called OverActive Bladder.

In other cases, electrical stimulation of these sensory nerves causes action potentials that travel to the spinal cord 3000 where they reduce the activity in motor nerves from the spinal cord to the sphincter, allowing relaxation of the sphincter. This form of neuromodulation can reduce unwanted contraction of the sphincter and provide useful function such as reduced straining to pass urine, an improved stream of urine and more complete bladder emptying, for example in a condition known as Fowler's Syndrome.

In other cases, electrical stimulation of sacral sensory nerves 3020 causes action potentials that travel to the spinal cord 3000 where they increase the activity in nerves from the spinal cord to the internal and external urethral sphincters, producing contraction of these sphincter muscles that surround the exit of the bladder. In other cases, electrical stimulation of motor axons in the pudendal nerve 3030 to the external urethral sphincter muscle can produce contraction of that muscle. Whether the contraction of the sphincters is produced indirectly, as a reflex response to stimulation of sensory nerves, or directly, as a response to stimulation of motor nerves, it can reduce incontinence or leaking of urine, for example during straining, coughing or sneezing. This may benefit some people with stress incontinence.

Electrodes can be applied to the skin on the back of the penis in proximity to the dorsal penile nerve 3040, or to the skin on or near the back of the clitoris in proximity to the dorsal clitoral nerve, at the base of the spine or other sites around the pelvis in proximity to the sacral nerves 3010 or their branches and tributaries or the pudendal nerves 3030 or their branches and tributaries, or the back of the lower leg adjacent to the posterior tibial nerve 3050.

The electrodes are typically used in pairs to apply electrical stimuli in the form of square waves having amplitudes of between 10 and 100 volts, pulse widths of between 100 and 500 microseconds, and a pulse repetition rate of between 3 and 30 pulses per second.

Non-invasive methods of directing or focusing electrical stimulation from electrodes on the surface of the skin towards nerves deeper in the body may also be used to allow selective stimulation of deep nerves such as the sacral nerves 3010 or pudendal nerves 3030 without the need for surgical implantation of electrodes or stimulators.

The electrodes on the surface of the skin are connected to or part of a Topical Nerve Stimulator and Sensor (TNSS) 934 (FIG. 25A).

Operation

The stimulator may be operated voluntarily by the user or may be operated automatically in response to signals from sensors in the TNSS or elsewhere in a TNSS system shown in FIG. 17.

Voluntary Operation by the User for Control of OverActive Bladder or Urge Incontinence

As the bladder fills, there are usually signals transmitted by sensory nerves to the brain 1650 of FIG. 17 resulting in awareness by the user of a sensation of bladder fullness, or an urge to pass urine, or a fear of incontinence; these sensations may or may not be associated with contraction of the bladder.

When these sensations are felt, the user can press a button on the TNSS 934 (FIG. 25A) or a Control Unit/Device 1620 which may be a smartphone or a dedicated device. A dedicated device is a small portable device resembling a key fob and containing electronic circuits for storage and operation of programs and buttons that the user can operate. When the user presses a button on the Control Device this can cause it to transmit wireless signals to the TNSS to control the operation of the TNSS. The Control Device can also receive wireless signals from the TNSS 934 (FIG. 25A).

The TNSS 934 (FIG. 25A) and the Control Device are under software control, responding to actions from the user. There will be safeguards to prevent false activations or unnecessary repetitive activations. The activation by the user causes a stimulator in the TNSS 934 to send electrical stimulation signals to activate nerves 1640 affecting the bladder and sphincter, such as pudendal nerves 3030 (FIG. 32), dorsal genital nerves 3040, posterior tibial nerves 3050 or other nerves, as described above.

The TNSS 934 can stimulate the appropriate nerve(s) to relax the bladder. This stimulation can be with a preset pulse signal, or the user can select from variety of pulse signals, and their intensities; this might be implemented as one or more of a plurality of virtual buttons on the interface of a smartphone or physical buttons on a dedicated device. The user selects from programs to deal with a weak urge, a moderate urge, or a strong urge; the programs may provide an intermittent or a continuous pulse signal and the signal may have a timeout of a duration chosen by the user. The user can reactivate the TNSS 934 either immediately if the urge is not completely abated, or the next time he/she feels the urge to urinate.

Voluntary Operation by the User for Control of Stress Incontinence

When a user becomes aware that they are about to engage in an activity such as straining, coughing or sneezing that may cause stress incontinence, the user can press a button on the TNSS 934 or a control device 1620 to cause electrical stimulation of sacral sensory or motor nerves to produce reflex or direct activation of the urethral sphincters. The contraction of these sphincters may reduce stress incontinence.

Automatic Operation for Control of Over Active Bladder or Urge Incontinence

In some cases it will be possible to control the urge to empty the bladder automatically, without the intervention of the user. The normal feedback to cause the TNSS 934 to be activated for this purpose comes from the user's perception of an urge to urinate, which is communicated to the control device 1620 as described previously. There is a plurality of other non-invasive portable methods of obtaining feedback that can control the bladder in parallel with or separately from this feedback. For example, the TNSS 934 may include an acoustic transceiver that can send an acoustic pulse into the body and detect acoustic echoes from the pelvic region indicating bladder position, shape or volume, or a sensor of bladder pressure may transmit a signal to the TNSS 934 or control device 1620.

The TNSS 934 will then automatically stimulate bladder nerves as described above to inhibit bladder contraction before the user becomes aware of the urge. This automatic mode of operation will make use of the various feedback loops shown in FIG. 17. For example, the state of the bladder may be sensed and transmitted to the TNSS 934, which may act upon the signal to send a signal to stimulate the nerves 1640 that control the bladder. The TNSS 934 may also send signals to a control unit 1620 that can respond with signals to control the TNSS 934. The control device 1620 may also send signals to the user who may respond with signals to modify the actions of the control device 1620. The control device 1620 may also send signals via the Internet 1630 to other users who may respond with signals to modify the actions of the control device 1620.

Automatic Operation for Control of Stress Incontinence

In some cases it will be possible to reduce stress incontinence automatically, without the intervention of the user. The normal feedback to cause the TNSS 934 to be activated for this purpose comes from the user's awareness that they are about the engage in an activity that may cause stress incontinence. There is a plurality of other methods of obtaining feedback that can control the sphincters in parallel with or separately from this feedback. For example, sensors and associated pattern recognition software may detect a pattern of activity indicating an impending sneeze, cough or episode of straining The control device 1620 and TNSS 934 will then automatically stimulate nerves to cause sphincter contraction and reduce stress incontinence.

Adaptive Operation

With training using data from one or many individuals, software in the TNSS 934 or in the control device 1620 or in other computing systems available via the internet may use machine learning to recognize patterns in time or space and improve determination of when incontinence is about to occur.

There may be additional functions in addition to the operations described above. These include logging functions, incorporating data from the cloud, and data from other sensors and sources.

Upon activation of the TNSS 934 one or more of the following functions can occur.

The user's activation profile is recorded by the TNSS 934 and shared with the control device 1620. The activation profile consists of a User ID, stimulation signal identifier and stimulus parameters, date and time of day, and if the user interface permits, user conditions at the time of activation. Historical data can be gathered and analyzed for the user's benefit.

The control device 1620 and/or the TNSS 934 may accept data from other users via the Internet. Types of data may be instructions from a healthcare professional, population data, statistical analyses and trend data relative to the individual user or across populations. This data can be passed through to the user, or cause actions to be taken, such as alarms or notifications.

Data can be gathered from other sensors, from other sensors, which may be located in the TNSS, in the control device, and other patches, or in other devices, on a continuous basis or only when the TNSS 934 is activated. When the TNSS 934 is activated, these data can be used to alter or modify the stimulation signals that the TNSS 934 transmits to the user. An example would be an acoustic transceiver that may be implemented in MEMS that can both transmit and receive acoustic data to create acoustic images of the bladder and pelvic region. This would allow the TNSS 934 to gather image data of the pelvic region over time and learn the state of bladder, as compared to historical conditions.

Delay in Activation of Stimulation

As disclosed above, one type of condition that can be treated by stimulating/activating nerves using example structures is an overactive bladder or otherwise delaying the urge to urinate. As shown in FIG. 33, in one example to treat an overactive bladder or delay the urge to urinate, a tibial patch or TNSS or “SmartPad” 100 (“patch 100”) in accordance with examples disclosed above is designed in a shape to conform to the skin when affixed in the location proximate to the ankle bone 110 of a user, such as slightly below and/or behind ankle bone 110, to be effective at stimulating the tibial nerve. A shape may be of one type for the left ankle, and of a similar but mirrored type for the right ankle. A SmartPad may be more effective when the positive and negative electrodes are placed axially along the path of the nerve in contrast to transversely (as shown in FIG. 33) across the path of the nerve, which may not be as effective. The patch may also be designed in a shape to conform to the skin when affixed in a location at or near the bottom of the foot, at or near the knee, at or near the clitoris, or at or near the penis, although a location proximate to the ankle is preferred to stimulate the tibial nerve. The activation time and/or stimulation duration may vary depending on the location where the patch is affixed.

Patch 100 in one example can include a flexible substrate, a malleable dermis conforming bottom surface of the substrate including adhesive and adapted to contact the dermis, a flexible top outer surface of the substrate approximately parallel to the bottom surface, one or more electrodes positioned on the patch proximal to the bottom surface and located beneath the top outer surface and directly contacting the flexible substrate, electronic circuitry embedded in the patch and located beneath the top outer surface and integrated as a system on a chip that is directly contacting the flexible substrate, the electronic circuitry integrated as the system on the chip and including an electrical signal generator integral to the malleable dermis conforming bottom surface configured to electrically activate the one or more electrodes, a signal activator coupled to the electrical signal generator, a nerve stimulation sensor that provides feedback in response to a stimulation of one or more nerves, an antenna configured to communicate with a remote activation device, a power source in electrical communication with the electrical signal generator, and the signal activator, where the signal activator is configured to activate in response to receipt of a communication with the activation device by the antenna and the electrical signal generator configured to generate one or more electrical stimuli in response to activation by the signal activator, and the electrical stimuli configured to stimulate one or more nerves of a user wearing patch 100 at least at one location proximate to patch 100.

Patch 100 delays urination by stimulating nerves after a user experiences an urge to urinate. The urge to urinate may be experienced by the user, but it also can be automatically detected through the use of a bladder monitoring device (not shown). Specifically, a bladder monitoring device measures the state of the user's bladder to determine the degree of urgency in voiding the bladder. In some examples, the bladder monitoring device uses ultrasound to measure the state of the bladder.

In some examples, the bladder monitoring device may measure other biometric attributes of the user to determine the degree of urgency in voiding the bladder. Examples of these measurements may be a clenching of abdominal muscles, or restlessness during sleep, or the shape or opacity of the bladder when imaged.

Biometrics refers to body measurements and calculations and metrics related to human characteristics. Biometric identifiers are the distinctive, measurable characteristics used to label and describe individuals and include physiological and behavioral characteristics. Physiological characteristics are related to the shape of the body. Examples include veins, face recognition, DNA, palm print, hand geometry, iris recognition, retina and odor/scent. Behavioral characteristics are related to the pattern of behavior of a person, including typing rhythm, gait, and voice.

Discoveries have been made that, when using example patch structures disclosed herein, the stimulation/activation of the nerves may be initiated within a certain period of time, using the stimulation parameters disclosed herein, to have the proper effectiveness of delaying the urge to urinate. The stimulation/activation of the nerves may be initiated within approximately 60 seconds or less of the urge to urinate being experienced or detected. In experimental results, users reported a large drop in effectiveness that typically occurs in the approximate 10-15 second range after the urge is felt. This large drop in effectiveness is unexpected.

FIG. 34 is a graph 300 that illustrates this large drop in effectiveness occurring in the experimental results. The left axis of graph 300 is the effectiveness of nerve stimulation in the treatment of the overactive bladder or delaying the urge, and the bottom axis of graph 300 is the time (in seconds), up to 20 seconds in the experimental results, that the nerve stimulation (i.e., electrical stimuli from electrodes) is applied to a user's dermis after detecting or experiencing the urge to urinate.

As shown in graph 300, the experimental results show that the effectiveness of the nerve activation drops precipitously at 302, at approximately the 15 second point. After that point, the experimental results show that the electrical stimuli to activate the nerve may have essentially none or a minimal effect on an overactive bladder (i.e., does not delay the urge to urinate). The experimental results show that the electrical stimuli should be applied to the nerve at the latest at approximately 10-15 seconds after having the urge to urinate. As disclosed above, the electrical stimuli can either be manually activated/applied or automatically activated/applied.

FIG. 35 is flow diagram illustrating functionality for treating an overactive bladder or otherwise delaying an urge to urinate in accordance with one example.

At 3300, an electrical stimulation device such as patch 100 is externally affixed to the dermis of a user. The patch may be affixed proximate to and behind and slightly below an ankle bone of the user to be most effective at stimulating the tibial nerve.

At 3302, an urge of the user to urinate is detected. The detection can be done manually (i.e., the user feels the urge) and also can be done automatically using a bladder monitoring device or some other method.

3304, the electrical stimulation device is activated within approximately 10-15 seconds of the urge detection of 3302. In other examples, the electrical stimulation device is activated within approximately 60 seconds of the urge detection of 3302. In examples, the duration of stimulation/activation is approximately 10 seconds or less. In other examples, the duration of stimulation/activation is approximately 120 seconds or less.

As exemplified in the flow diagram of FIG. 35, the method for treating an overactive bladder disclosed herein allows a user suffering from overactive bladder and/or the symptoms thereof to manage her overactive bladder and/or the symptoms thereof in the moment, anytime, anywhere, and with minimal disruption to the user's life. The user need not plan ahead of events or adjust her lifestyle to accommodate her overactive bladder, as the treatment described herein is delivered in real time and the duration of the treatment is less than 120 seconds. The user thus creates a treatment customized for each urge and delays the urge to urinate until a more convenient time.

Patch 100 can be packaged in the form of a kit with written (or in other form) instructions for the user to activate the patch within 10-15 seconds of the user feeling the urge to urinate. In other examples, the instructions are for the user to activate the patch within approximately 60 seconds or less of the user feeling the urge to urinate or the urge to urinate being otherwise detected.

EXAMPLES AND COMBINATIONS

A. A method of treatment for an overactive bladder of a user experiencing a symptom of overactive bladder, the method comprising:

providing a topical nerve stimulator comprising one or more electrodes and a power supply in electrical communication with the one or more electrodes;

affixing the one or more electrodes on a dermis of the user;

wherein the user activates the topical nerve stimulator to generate an electrical stimulation within approximately 60 seconds or less, or within approximately 10-15 seconds, of the detection of an urge to urinate, preferably the detection comprises the user feeling the urge to urinate.

B. A method of treatment for an overactive bladder of a user experiencing a symptom of overactive bladder, the method comprising: providing a topical nerve stimulator comprising one or more electrodes and a power supply in electrical communication with the one or more electrodes; affixing the one or more electrodes on a dermis of the user; wherein the user activates the topical nerve stimulator to generate an electrical stimulation as soon as the urge to urinate is detected or felt and the duration of the stimulation is approximately 120 seconds or less, or approximately 10 seconds or less.

C. The method of any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the topical nerve stimulator further comprises an electronic package comprising a control unit and one or more stimulators, wherein the one or more electrodes is directly coupled to the electronic package.

D. The method of any one of the preceding paragraphs wherein the topical nerve stimulator further comprises a flexible substrate and an adhesive on a first side adapted to adhere to the dermis of the user, wherein the one or more electrodes is directly coupled to the substrate.

E. The method of any one of the preceding paragraphs, the detection comprises monitoring a state of a bladder of the user.

F. The method of any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the topical nerve stimulator is affixed beside and/or below an ankle bone of the user.

G. The method of any one of the preceding paragraphs, the electrical stimulation stimulates a tibial nerve of the user.

H. The method of any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the electrical stimulation is generated for a duration of approximately 120 seconds or less, or approximately 10 seconds or less.

I. The method of any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the electrical stimulation comprises square waves having an amplitude between approximately 10 and approximately 100 volts, pulse widths between approximately 100 and approximately 500 microseconds, and a pulse repetition rate of between approximately 3 and approximately 30 pulses per second.

J. The method of any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the electrical stimulation comprises voltage-regulated square waves having frequencies between approximately 10 Hz and approximately 50 Hz, and having currents between approximately 20 mA and approximately 200 mA.

K. The method of any one of the preceding paragraphs, the electronic package further comprising sensing circuits and an electronic switch to alternate between stimulating and sensing, the electrodes providing the stimulating and the sensing.

L. The method of any one of the preceding paragraphs, further comprising:

receiving the topic nerve stimulator as a kit that includes instructions that instruct the user to activate the topic nerve stimulator within approximately 60 seconds or less, or within approximately 10-15 seconds, of detection of the urge to urinate, preferably the detection comprises the user feeling the urge to urinate.

M. The method of any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the control unit applies an electrical signal via the stimulators to the electrodes to generate electrical stimulation of varying tissue depths based on a variation of power.

N. The method of any one of the preceding paragraphs, wherein the one or more electrodes comprises a pair of interlocking electrodes, wherein the control unit applies a time-varying voltage signal via the stimulators to the interlocking electrodes to generate a beam forming electrical stimulation.

O. A system for treatment for an overactive bladder of a user experiencing a symptom of overactive bladder, the system comprising:

a topical nerve stimulator comprising one or more electrodes and a power supply in electrical communication with the one or more electrodes, wherein the one or more electrodes are adapted to affix on a dermis of the user;

a means for detecting an urge of the user to urinate;

a means for activating the topical nerve stimulator within approximately 60 seconds or less, or within approximately 10-15 seconds, of the detection of an urge to urinate, the means for activating comprising generating an electrical stimulation via the electrodes.

P. The system of paragraph O, the means for detecting comprising monitoring a state of a bladder of the user.

Q. The system of any one of paragraphs O-P, wherein the topical nerve stimulator is affixed proximate to and below or beside an ankle bone of the user.

R. The system of any one of paragraphs O-Q, the electrical stimulation stimulates a tibial nerve of the user.

S. The system of any one of paragraphs O-R, wherein the electrical stimulation is generated for a duration of approximately 120 seconds or less, or approximately 10 seconds or less.

T. The system of any one of paragraphs O-S, wherein the electrical stimulation comprises square waves having an amplitude between approximately 10 and approximately 100 volts, pulse widths between approximately 100 and approximately 500 microseconds, and a pulse repetition rate of between approximately 3 and approximately 30 pulses per second.

U. The system of any one of paragraphs O-T, wherein the electrical stimulation comprises voltage-regulated square waves having frequencies between approximately 10 Hz and approximately 50 Hz, and having currents between approximately 20 mA and approximately 200 mA.

V. The system of any one of paragraphs O-U, wherein the topical nerve stimulator further comprises an electronic package comprising a control unit and one or more stimulators, wherein the one or more electrodes is directly coupled to the electronic package.

W. The system of any one of paragraphs O-V, wherein the electronic package further comprises sensing circuits and an electronic switch to alternate between stimulating and sensing, the electrodes providing the stimulating and the sensing.

X. The system of any one of paragraphs 0-W, wherein the topical nerve stimulator further comprises a flexible substrate and an adhesive on a first side adapted to adhere to the dermis of the user, wherein the one or more electrodes is directly coupled to the substrate and disposed between the adhesive and the dermis.

Several examples are specifically illustrated and/or described herein. However, it will be appreciated that modifications and variations of the disclosed examples are covered by the above teachings and within the purview of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and intended scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A method of treatment for an overactive bladder of a user, the method comprising: affixing a patch externally on a dermis of the user, the patch comprising a flexible substrate and an adhesive on a first side adapted to adhere to the dermis of the user, an electronic package directly coupled to the substrate, the electronic package comprising a control unit and one or more stimulators, and electrodes directly coupled to the substrate and the electronic package;detecting an urge of the user to urinate;activating the patch within approximately 10-15 seconds of the detecting, the activating comprising generating an electrical stimuli via the electrodes.

2. The method of claim 1, the detecting comprising monitoring a state of a bladder of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, the patch affixed behind and/or below an ankle bone of the user.

4. The method of claim 1, the electrical stimuli activating a tibial nerve of the user.

5. The method of claim 1, the generating the electrical stimuli having a duration of approximately 10 seconds.

6. The method of claim 1, the electrical stimuli comprising square waves having an amplitude between 10 and 100 volts, pulse widths between 100 and 500 microseconds, and a pulse repetition rate of between 3 and 30 pulses per second.

7. The method of claim 1, the electrical stimuli comprising voltage-regulated square waves having frequencies between 10 Hz and 50 Hz, and having currents between 20 mA and 200 mA.

8. The method of claim 1, the electronic package further comprising sensing circuits and an electronic switch to alternate between stimulating and sensing, the electrodes providing the stimulating and the sensing.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving the patch as a kit that includes instructions that instruct the user to activate the patch within 10-15 seconds of the user feeling the urge to urinate.

10. The method of claim 1, the control unit applying an electrical signal via the stimulators to the electrodes to generate electrical stimuli of varying tissue depths based on a variation of power.

11. The method of claim 1, the electrodes comprising a pair of interlocking electrodes, the control unit applying a time-varying voltage signal via the stimulators to the interlocking electrodes to generate a beam forming electrical stimuli.

12. A system for treatment for an overactive bladder of a user, the system comprising: a patch externally on a dermis of the user, the patch comprising a flexible substrate and an adhesive on a first side adapted to adhere to the dermis of the user, an electronic package directly coupled to the substrate, the electronic package comprising a control unit and one or more stimulators, and electrodes directly coupled to the substrate and the electronic package;means for detecting an urge of the user to urinate;means for activating the patch within approximately 10-15 seconds of the detecting, the means for activating comprising generating an electrical stimuli via the electrodes.

13. The system of claim 12, the means for detecting comprising monitoring a state of a bladder of the user.

14. The system of claim 12, the patch affixed proximate to an ankle bone of the user.

15. The system of claim 12, the electrical stimuli activating a tibial nerve of the user.

16. The system of claim 12, the generating the electrical stimuli having a duration of approximately 10 seconds or less.

17. The system of claim 12, the electrical stimuli comprising square waves having an amplitude between 10 and 100 volts, pulse widths between 100 and 500 microseconds, and a pulse repetition rate of between 3 and 30 pulses per second.

18. The system of claim 12, the electrical stimuli comprising voltage-regulated square waves having frequencies between 10 Hz and 50 Hz, and having currents between 20 mA and 200 mA.

19. The system of claim 12, the electronic package further comprising sensing circuits and an electronic switch to alternate between stimulating and sensing, the electrodes providing the stimulating and the sensing.

20. A method of treatment for an overactive bladder of a user experiencing a symptom of overactive bladder, the method comprising: providing a topical nerve stimulator comprising one or more electrodes and a power supply in electrical communication with the one or more electrodes;affixing the one or more electrodes on a dermis of the user;wherein the user activates the topical nerve stimulator to generate an electrical stimulation within approximately 60 seconds of detecting an urge of the user to urinate.