Automatic device for optimised muscular stimulation

• US 20030135140A1
• Filed: 11/13/2002
• Published: 07/17/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alessandro Bosco, Carla Marta Stefania Bosco, Manuela Anna Maria Bosco, Olga Tsarpela
• Original Assignee: Alessandro Bosco, Carla Marta Stefania Bosco, Manuela Anna Maria Bosco, Olga Tsarpela
• Inventors: Bosco, Carmelo
• Granted Patent: US 7,172,564 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1104 induced by stimuli or drugs; A61B5/1102 takes precedence; investigating medicinal preparations G01N33/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4519 Muscles A61B5/389, A61B5/224 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2203/0406 Standing on the feet
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/02 with electric or magnetic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0263 using rotating unbalanced masses
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2023/006 for stretching exercises
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 21/00196 using pulsed counterforce, e.g. vibrating resistance means A61H1/005 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 23/00 Exercising apparatus specially adapted for particular parts of the body A63B22/00 takes precedence; force-resisting aspects A63B21/00; electric or electronic controls therefor A63B24/00; devices for exercising or strengthening of fingers, or arms in teaching operation of keyboards G09B15/06
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances

Abstract

An automatic device for optimized muscular stimulation, which provides periodical contractions with constant frequency of one or more muscles of a user, includes a central electronic unit (1), connected to a memory unit (2), to one or more muscular electrical activity detectors (4), each one applied on a corresponding muscle of the user, and to muscular stimulation elements (5) actuated by the central unit (1). The central unit (1) manages and controls the automatic device, processes data coming from the detectors (4) in such a way to determine, within a range included between a lower limit frequency and an upper limit frequency, an optimum frequency of the periodical contractions in correspondence of which the sum of the amplitude of the signals provided by the detectors (4) from the corresponding muscles of the user as a response to the stimulation is the maximum one. The central unit (1) sets the muscular stimulation elements in such a way to produce periodical contractions of the muscle to be stimulated at the determined optimum frequency.

Claims

1. Method for optimally mechanically stimulating one or more muscles through mechanical means (5), one or more muscular electrical activity detectors (4) being applied on a corresponding muscle to be subjected to stimulation, comprising the following steps:

preliminarily determining, within a range included between a lower limit limit frequency and an upper limit frequency, an optimum frequency of muscular periodical contractions, due to corresponding periodical mechanical stimulations by the mechanical means (5), in correspondence of which the sum of the amplitude of the signals provided by the detectors (4) from the corresponding stimulated muscles as a response to the stimulation is the maximum one,

producing periodical contractions of the muscles through the mechanical means (5) at the preliminarily determined optimum frequency.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the lower limit frequency is 1 Hz.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the upper limit frequency is 1000 Hz.

4. Method according to any one of the claims from 1 to 3, characterised in that the determination step of the optimum frequency comprises the phases of:

repetition for N times of a data acquisition phase during which the stimulation mechanical means (5) are actuated in such a way to produce periodical contractions of the muscle with a constant frequency for a Δ

t time, with a progressively growing frequency, from a repetition to the following one and included between the lower limit frequency and the upper limit frequency, processing, for each repetition, the average of the amplitude of signals coming from the detectors (4) and memorising the same along with the value of the corresponding frequency; and

determination of the maximum sum of the average of the amplitude of signals detected by said detectors (4), wherein it is determined, between those memorised, the sum of the averages at the same frequency having the maximum value, individuating the optimum frequency.

5. Method according to claim 4, characterised in that N is equal to eight.

6. Method according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that Δ

t is equal to 5 seconds.

7. Method according to claim 4 or 5, characterised in that Δ

t is equal to 10 seconds.

8. Method according to one of the claims from 4 to 7, characterised in that consecutive repetition frequencies have a constant difference each other.

9. Method according to one of the claims from 4 to 7, characterised in that the consecutive repetition frequencies have a difference variable and increasing as a function of the absolute value of the frequency of the preceding repetition.

10. Method according to any one of the claims from 1 to 3, characterised in that the determination step of the optimum frequency comprises the phases of:

iteration for M times of cycles of a number N_I of repetitions, wherein i is the i-th repetition, of data acquisition phases during which the stimulation mechanical means (5) are actuated in such a way to produce periodical contractions of the muscles with a constant frequency for a Δ

t time, with a progressively growing frequency, from a repetition to the following one and included between the lower limit frequency and the upper limit frequency, frequencies of consecutive repetitions having each other a constant difference Δ

f_i, processing, for each repetition, the average of th amplitude of signals coming from the detectors (4) and memorising it along with the value of the corresponding frequency, determining for each iteration i the maximum sum of the average of the amplitudes of the signals detected and individuating the corresponding best frequency for each iteration i, following the first one, the range between the first lower frequency and the second upper frequency comprising the best frequency individuated at the preceding iteration, for each iteration i, following the first one, the constant difference Δ

f_i between the consecutive repetition frequencies being lower than the difference Δ

f_i-1 of the preceding iteration (Δ

f_i<

Δ

f_i-1); and

determination of the optimum frequency at the end of the M-th iteration, wherein the best frequency individuated at the M-th iteration is memorised as the optimum frequency.

11. Method according to claim 10, characterised in that M is equal to two.

12. Method according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that Δ

t is equal to 5 seconds.

13. Method according to claim 10 or 11, characterised in that Δ

t is equal to 10 seconds.

14. Method according to one of the claims from 10 to 13, characterised in that for the first iteration, the first lower frequency coincides with the lower limit frequency and/or the second upper frequency, with the upper limit frequency.

15. Method according to one of the claims from 10 to 14, characterised in that for each iteration i following to the first one, the range between the first lower frequency and the second upper frequency comprises the best frequency individuated at the preceding iteration as intermediate frequency.

16. Automatic device for optimised mechanical muscular stimulation, the stimulation providing periodical contractions with constant frequency of one or more muscles of a user, the device comprising a central electronic unit (1), connected to a memory unit (2), to one or more detectors (4), each one applied on a corresponding muscle of the user to be subjected to stimulation, and to muscular stimulation means (5) actuated by the central unit (1), the central unit (1) managing and controlling the automatic device and processing the data coming from the detectors (4), characterised in that the detectors (4) are muscular electrical activity detectors (4), in that the muscular stimulation means (5) are mechanical means and in that the central unit (1) performs the steps of the method according to any one of the claims from 1 to 15.

17. Automatic device according to claim 16, characterised in that mechanical means (5) provide a support structure on which a jumpy board is placed, on which the user is placed, comprising a metallic plate at which at least engine is coupled having an eccentric mass, able to produce the vibration of the plate, piloted by an electronic device comprising an inverter connected to a potentiometer adjusting the vibration frequency, the central unit (1) setting said vibration frequency.

18. Automatic device according to claim 16, characterised in that mechanical means (5) provide a support structure on which a tilting board is placed.

19. Automatic device according to one of the claims from 16 to 18, characterised in that the each one of said one or more detectors (4) comprises medical electrodes (6), amplified in situ, an insulation amplifier and a signal converter providing at an output a digital signal read by the central unit (1).

20. Automatic device according to one of the claims from 16 to 19, characterised in that the automatic device also comprises an input/output interface (3).

21. Automatic device according to claim 20, characterised in that the interface (3) comprises a display.

22. Automatic device according to claim 21, characterised in that the central unit (1) visualises on the display signals detected by detectors (4) and the value of the optimum frequency individuated.

23. Automatic device according to any one of the preceding claims from 20 to 22, characterised in that provides, by the interface, the manual setting selection of the periodical contractions of the muscle.

24. Automatic device according to one of the claims from 20 to 23, characterised in that the interface (3) is provided with reading and/writing devices for memory movable supports.