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Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation using novel unbalanced biphasic waveform and novel electrode arrangement

  • US 10,112,040 B2
  • Filed: 11/14/2016
  • Issued: 10/30/2018
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2011
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for providing transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to a user, said apparatus comprising:

  • a stimulation unit for electrically stimulating nerves using asymmetric biphasic electrical pulses, wherein during the first phase and the second phase of an asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse, said stimulation unit generates a voltage at an anode that is higher than a voltage at a cathode so as to allow current to flow from the anode to the cathode, and wherein said stimulation unit delivers a larger amount of electrical charge in the second phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse than the amount of electrical charge delivered in the first phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse using the same anode voltage setting in both phases of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse to deliver the same current intensity by taking advantage of the electrical charge accumulated during the first phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse;

    a control unit for controlling the electrical stimulation delivered by said stimulation unit; and

    an electrode array connectable to said stimulation unit, said electrode array comprising a substrate and at least first and second electrodes, the at least first and second electrodes being mounted to said substrate with a predetermined arrangement, so that when said substrate is placed on one limb of the user, said first electrode overlays a first nerve on the limb of user but not a second nerve on the limb of the user and said second electrode overlays the second nerve on the limb of the user but not the first nerve on the limb of the user;

    whereby, the first electrode activates the first nerve during the first phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse and the second electrode activates the second nerve during the second phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse.

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