Patent Application
20140222102
The embodiments herein relate generally to a system for providing neuro-muscular electro-stimulation (i.e., neuro stimulation and/or muscle stimulation) to a stimulator patch adhered to body tissue, and more particularly to the use of a consumer electronic device, such as a smart phone, to control the delivery
The human brain sends electrical stimulus to muscular tissues to contract and expand based on body demands. For instance, athletes place extreme demand on muscular activity to meet the competitive rigors in sports such as running, biking, football, etc. However, through an athlete's career muscle injuries occur and the participant is “sidelined” until the muscular motion can be optimized again. During recovery periods, injury and post activity, the muscles require stimulation to heal and/or tone, and the athlete begins seeking the quickest path to achieve recovery healing, toning, and conditioning. Electro-stimulation is also used in physical therapy applications with prescribed treatment times and power settings.
Electro-stimulation provides a form of therapy through the use of attached electrodes to a site of injury or strengthening and simulates the brain's bio-electro action artificially. Referring to
The treatment is applied until muscular healing and re-toning occurs. In theory, artificial muscular activity occurs when the stimulated muscle action activates the creation of nitric oxide (NO), initiating blood vessel dilation. When blood vessels dilate it increases the blood flow containing increased oxygen and nutrients to repair or strengthen tissue allowing for waste products to be extricated. Repetitive application enables therapeutic effects for the user.
Other applications of electro-stimulation include muscle toning and post activity recovery. The principles for these actions are similar. In muscle toning applications, the muscle undergoes artificial stress and strain conditions enhancing its endurance. For post activity, electro-stimulation action promotes the removal of lactic acid and other waste products from the tissue faster.
Today, communication devices have more computing power than early medical electro-surgery equipment. For instance, the Valleylab Force FX electro-surgical generator, required CPU cores and firmware to achieve the output waveforms needed for tissue sealing and cutting in the radio frequency spectrum. The applied output is programmable and incorporates impedance feedback based on a tissue conditions guiding a surgical decisions by the user. Electro-surgery technology can be duplicated in electro-stimulation providing the user with advanced control options for optimized treatment.
In electro-stimulation applications, the voltage and current requirements can be generated with low watt batteries driving a charge pump circuit. For instance, an analog circuit using an old fashion 555 Integrated circuit timer can generate the waveforms and charge pump activation for the stimulation application.
Referring to
Given the ubiquity of smart mobile consumer electronic devices, it seems that a combination of portability and accessibility is needed. In that regard, those people most likely to encounter muscle spasms and other types of muscle injuries are also those likely to carry a smart mobile device. Embodiments of the present invention bring immediate muscle relief to athletes without the need of carrying with them an electro-stimulation system.
In that regard, in one embodiment, a system for facilitating muscle therapy is provided, where the system comprises a mobile device configured to download a programmable configured to generate waveform signals that can be employed by a power circuit to generate and deliver energy conforming to the signals, to a muscle pad. The embodiment may further comprise the power circuit configured to generate energy conforming to the signals generated by the downloadable application, where the power circuit is further configured to deliver such energy to the muscle pad.
In another embodiment, a system such as that described above may further comprise one or more muscle pads configured to be attached to a patient's muscle and configured to apply energy generated and delivered by the power circuit. Of course, the present technology is non-invasive, so application to a patient's muscle pragmatically means applying the pad to the skin of the patient proximal to the muscle desired to be treated. In one embodiment, the muscle pad comprises conductive adhesive support tape and conductive gel. In other embodiments, the muscle pad includes circuitry and/or controls adding a certain amount of intelligence to permit communication with the application within the mobile device.
It is contemplated that in some cases the waveform signals are generated based upon muscle metric feedback. In some particular cases, the waveform signals are generated based upon a corollary (of which there may be more than one) between the muscle metric feedback and the amount of energy delivered, whether manually or automatically, where the corollary may comprise empirical data generated by clinician experience, empirical data generated by research, a table of information readily available to the clinician, an algorithm reflecting a corollary. Indeed, in one or more automated embodiments, the waveform signals are generated automatically based upon a pre-established corollary stored so as to be accessible by the downloadable application when generating the waveform signals. The pre-established corollary may comprises a table and/or algorithm stored within the downloadable application, or stored elsewhere and added after downloading of the application. In one embodiment, at least one metric comprises muscle impedance. If desired, embodiments may comprise a muscle metric feedback circuit configured to detect at least one muscle metric in the form of feedback usable by the downloadable application to generate appropriate waveform signals, wherein at least one muscle metric is muscle impedance. Other metrics may be used, of course, including but not limited to transmission loss measurement, conductivity, water content, tissue damage, pain indicators, etc.
In some embodiments, the power circuit may reside at least in part in the mobile device. In others, the power circuit may reside at least in part in the muscle pad. Or it may reside entirely within the mobile device or the muscle pad. Likewise, the metric feedback circuit may reside at least in part in the mobile device, at least in part in the muscle pad, or entirely within one or the other. It is contemplated that some embodiments may further comprise a discrete component, wherein the discrete component is configured to be in electrical communication with the mobile device and the muscle pad, and where the discrete component may house at least a part of the power circuit, at least a part of the muscle metric feedback circuit, or the entirety of one or both circuits. The discrete device may be in wired communication with the mobile device and/or the muscle pad or in wireless communication with one and/or the other.
It is contemplated that the waveform signals may comprise one or more of numerous possible configurations. For example, the waveforms signals comprise one or more of either a pulse train, a pulse, a sinusoidal wave, a triangle wave, a square wave, or an amplitude modulated wave.
In another embodiment of the invention, an application downloadable to a mobile device is provided for facilitating muscle therapy, where the application is programmed and configurable to generate waveform signals configured to be employed by a power circuit to generate energy conforming to the signals to a muscle pad. If desired, a system may be provided comprising the downloadable application, where the system further comprising a muscle pad configured to be attached to a patient's muscle (i.e., the skin in proximity to the muscle to be treated) and configured to apply energy generated by a power circuit configured to receive waveform signals generated by the application downloaded to the mobile device.
The detailed description of some embodiments of the invention will be is made below with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals represent corresponding parts of the figures.
Although there are numerous companies with electro-stimulation products being sold, there are no systems utilizing the computing control power and graphic user interface of a mobile device, including tablets, notebooks and smart phones such as the iPhone® or Android® brand mobile devices (by example only), as well as numerous other examples of mobile devices with certain computing and trans-ceiving capabilities (capable of transmitting and receiving communications/signals). Using a mobile device, such as a smart phone, waveform outputs can be generated or triggered in conjunction with a charge pump circuit, within or without the mobile device, to meet the needs of the user utilizing a graphical user interface.
By way of explanation, a smart mobile device may be configured to perform calculations, such as power delivered, using the voltage and current waveform equations as shown in the derivations below:
V(t)=A sin(2πft+θ) (1)
I(t)=A sin(2πft+θ) (2)
where V(t) is the voltage, I(t) is the current, A is the sinusoid voltage or current amplitude, f is the waveform frequency, and θ is its phase angle. The power may be calculated through Equation (3) below and its reading is utilized by the user to ascertain treatment settings and effectiveness.
Power=|V(t)∥I(t)|PF (3)
where PF is the power factor, with the cosine of θ (θ=the power phase angle between the voltage and current) being one example of the power factor. Similar logic applies to other waveform types, high and low frequency.
Embodiments of the invention herein may also be employed to control an off-the-shelf electro-stimulation unit. A screen showing a graphic user interface screen can employed by the patient during treatment to control the energy to be delivered to the muscles. The downloadable smart device application preferably is configured to permit the smart device to control the treatment options, including waveform generation, power, duty cycle, time of treatment, frequency and/or monitoring of feedback to name a few examples.
Advantageously, electro-stimulation may be delivered and controlled while the user is performing other functions with the mobile device, including making and receiving calls, listening to music, watching movies, and/or working with other apps. Embodiments of the system employ a plug in a charger connection adapter to the electro-stimulation cable (if connected through the sync cable) that can be used to maintain mobile device charge life. If the unit is operating in wireless mode, a user may plug the mobile device into the charger device without interference to the electro-stimulation or multitasked smart device operation.
Given that electro-stimulation is delivering voltage and current to the muscle site, a feedback signal based off body impedance, power phase angle, etc., can be provided back to the smart phone system. This information can be used to determine treatment effectiveness, improvement status, or muscular efficiency etc so the user can ascertain their status in the treatment/improvement process. Similar techniques are used with electro-surgical equipment producing modified power curves based on frequency dependent impedance profiles, or within ultrasonic medical instrumentation adjusting acoustic power based on impedance and phase.
Using feedback, the smart phone can produce a gauge for the user to assist them in determining treatment effectiveness and/or athletic status for upcoming activity. For instance, a gauge metric labeled “Endurance Modulus” could be used, utilizing the impedance profile with an elasticity look up table for muscles with measured lactic acid levels. A scale from 1 to 10 (the high level indicating peak effectiveness), can be displayed providing a physical therapy decision information for treatment.
The graphic user interface will allow a user to program any setting to remedy the pain or muscle tone a region. A survey of parameters such as application time, power, or duty cycle can be provided to the user for selected choice of optimal recovery. Physical therapist or doctors can prescribe treatment prescriptions by uploading output parameters in the devices memory or with downloadable email data files that are read by the device's application that was downloaded from an application website. For other users not associated with a physical therapist or doctor, a default setting can be used. Downloadable applications are used to provide mobile devices such as smart phones with the controlling logic to drive output into electrode patches.
Referring to
In the embodiment of
As with most smart mobile devices, a visible screen 30 is included, such as an LCD screen. Most recently, they are touch-screen capable, but need not be in order to effectively carry out the functionality of the embodiments described herein. The mobile device may include other modes of control, including buttons, scroll wheels, etc., where touch-screen capability does not exist. In either case, the downloaded application 14 is configured to accommodate one or the other or both.
In one embodiment of the system, the discrete component 18 is configured to house at least in part a power circuit 34 and, if so desired, a feedback circuit 36. Where one or both are employed, they are electrically interfaced with the microcontroller 26 to permit user control over the amount of energy delivered and/or adjustment in the power signals generated based upon feedback. The component 18 may be configured to plug directly into the mobile device 12 or be electrically connected to the mobile device with cable 20 or wirelessly. The power circuit 34 may be configured to interface with a part of the existing circuitry in the mobile device if so desired to optimize power output, when controlled by the microcontroller 26 in use by a consumer. Preferably, the discrete component 18 is configured with ports to permit wired interface with the array of controllable electrodes 16, or in some embodiments, wirelessly interface with the electrodes 16. It should be noted that the system is preferably configured to accommodate a single electrode at a time if that is all that is desired by the user, but the embodiments preferably accommodate a plurality to maximize use across numerous scopes of muscle therapies (large and small muscle areas).
In one arrangement of an embodiment of the present invention, the array of electrodes may comprise a first electrode (pad) 40a and a second electrode (pad) 40b, each respectively connected to the power circuit 34 of the discrete component 18 via cables 44a and 44b. Where feedback is desired for manual and/or automated modulation of energy delivery, one or more sensors may be employed directly or indirectly connected to the electrode pads 40a, 40b, via cables 54a, 54b, respectively, or wirelessly. As indicated above, one or more metrics of feedback may be detected and transmitted through the feedback circuit 36 and microcontroller 26, including impedance and other physiological and/or patient responses. Embodiments of the invention are preferably configured to be manually controlled simply by the clinician or patient desiring to module the energy delivery based upon empirical, visual or other sensory feedback detected by the user and/or clinician. For example, a user may visually sense unusual color tone response in the skin surrounding the muscle and desire to adjust energy delivery accordingly. It should also be noted that, because signals may be delivered in one of numerous forms, including pulsed and continuous formats, that energy delivery may be controlled by pre-set times programmed into the system, or by manual adjustment of energy delivery duration.
It should be noted that all or part of the power circuits and/or feedback circuits may be housed with the discrete component 18, where some parts of either or both circuits reside within the mobile device and/or the electrode pads. It should also be noted that the sensors 52a and 52b may be in the form of resistors placed between the positive and negative wires on the electrode cables 44a, 44b in some cases, or embodied within or without the electrode pads 40a, 40b. For example, with reference to
As a person of ordinary skill in the art can appreciate, a variety of arrangements are possible with the invention herein. Indeed, with reference to
For embodiment 210 of
A further example of modularity is illustrated by example in
Further variations may be appreciated with reference to
With the embodiment of
It should be noted that feedback control may be monitored through the interfaces to initiate decision logic within the communication device to control adjustment in the delivered output. Such feedback control leads to other applications using embodiments of he present invention such as the following:
Thus, persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that numerous design configurations may be possible to enjoy the functional benefits of the inventive systems. Thus, given the wide variety of configurations and arrangements of embodiments of the present invention the scope of the invention is reflected by the breadth of the claims below rather than narrowed by the embodiments described above.
This application claims priority to provisional patent application U.S. Ser. No. 61/761,599 filed on Feb. 6, 2013, the entire contents of which is herein incorporated by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61761599 | Feb 2013 | US |
