Neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the foot muscles for prevention of deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism with motion detection control
First Claim
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1. A method and a device for the treatment and prevention of circulatory ailments including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) comprising:
- placing electrodes on different parts of the intrinsic muscles, on the plantar surface of the foot, or proximate to them, and applying electrical current with a NMES unit 10, in accordance with a electrical stimulation routine to said electrodes, and such electrical current causes mild contraction of the foot muscles, thereby increasing blood flow and preventing blood pooling in the calf veins, and said electrical stimulation routine is altered, supplemented or interrupted, or a combination thereof when motion detection sensors indicate directly or indirectly that the muscles of the calf are in motion, to optimize the delivery of electrical stimulation to minimize electrical usage, minimize accommodation, perhaps turn off the stimulation during subject ambulation, and maximize blood flow to prevent DVT, all for the particular subject or class of subjects for whom the treatment and device are designed
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Abstract
The invention describes a method to automatically controlling, single channel Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) of the plantar muscle, in response to the sensing of motion of the foot or leg: to reduce accommodation of the stimulated plantar muscle and attendant reduction of contractions, which when undiminished increase blood flow for the prevention of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and Pulmonary Embolism (PE); to turn off the stimulation during walking or running to prevent slips or falls; and to reduce power consumption of the unit that provides the stimulation.
58 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method and a device for the treatment and prevention of circulatory ailments including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) comprising:
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placing electrodes on different parts of the intrinsic muscles, on the plantar surface of the foot, or proximate to them, and applying electrical current with a NMES unit 10, in accordance with a electrical stimulation routine to said electrodes, and such electrical current causes mild contraction of the foot muscles, thereby increasing blood flow and preventing blood pooling in the calf veins, and said electrical stimulation routine is altered, supplemented or interrupted, or a combination thereof when motion detection sensors indicate directly or indirectly that the muscles of the calf are in motion, to optimize the delivery of electrical stimulation to minimize electrical usage, minimize accommodation, perhaps turn off the stimulation during subject ambulation, and maximize blood flow to prevent DVT, all for the particular subject or class of subjects for whom the treatment and device are designed - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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2. A device for the treatment of prevention of circulatory ailments including deep vein thrombosis (DVT) comprising:
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a NMES unit 10, together with electrodes 6a, 6b that deliver electrical stimulation to the foot muscles, thereby increasing blood flow and preventing blood pooling in the calf veins, and such MMES unit includes controlling means that delivers said electrical stimulation in accordance with an electrical stimulation routine, and such NMES unit includes or communicates with motion sensing means to detect motion, directly or indirectly, of part or all of the foot and/or calf muscle and such motion sensing means communicates this information to the controller, and said controller has associated memory element(s) and timing element(s) that adjust, supplement or interrupt, or a combination thereof, the electrical stimulation routine, that may be contained in memory, by comparing a map of putative inputs that would connote motion of the foot and/or calf muscles, contained in said memory element(s) with actual motion inputs, and directing the NMES device to deliver or not deliver electrical stimulation to the foot muscles based on the comparison and an algorithm contained in memory, and such algorithm is programmed to optimize the delivery of electrical stimulation to minimize electrical usage, minimize accommodation, perhaps turn off the stimulation during subject ambulation, and maximize blood flow to prevent DVT, all for the particular subject or class of subjects for whom the treatment and device are designed.
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Specification