NON-INVASIVE, VIBROTACTILE MEDICAL DEVICE TO RESTORE NORMAL GAIT FOR PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM PERIPHERAL NEUROPATHY
First Claim
1. A medical device for restoring gait for a patient, the medical device comprising:
- a housing configured to be wearable on a patient'"'"'s leg;
a vibrating element connected to the housing and configured to impart a vibrotactile force upon the patient'"'"'s leg; and
a control unit connected to the housing and in operative communication with the vibrating element;
the control unit being configured to detect leg movements related to the patient'"'"'s gait and to generate an actuation signal in response to detection of foot impact to actuate the vibrating element.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
Provided is a comfortable and discrete device wearable by a patient to restore balance and gait. The device re-establishes the sensorimotor loop by providing the patient with a secondary signal to healthy nerves around the knee to alert the patient that the patient'"'"'s heel has just struck the ground. In this regard, the device monitors the patient'"'"'s leg movements to detect when the patient'"'"'s heel strikes the ground and sends the secondary signal, i.e., vibrotactile stimulation, in response to the detected heel strike. The central nervous system incorporates the new signal and the motor system responds as if there is not loss of sensation in the foot and returns to its normal gait.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A medical device for restoring gait for a patient, the medical device comprising:
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a housing configured to be wearable on a patient'"'"'s leg; a vibrating element connected to the housing and configured to impart a vibrotactile force upon the patient'"'"'s leg; and a control unit connected to the housing and in operative communication with the vibrating element; the control unit being configured to detect leg movements related to the patient'"'"'s gait and to generate an actuation signal in response to detection of foot impact to actuate the vibrating element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A medical device for aiding gait restoration in a patient having a gait cycle, the medical device comprising:
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a housing wearable on the leg of the patient adjacent the tibia tubercle; a sensing module connected to the housing and configured to sense movement of the patient'"'"'s leg and identify when the patient'"'"'s leg is in a, the sensing module further being configured to generate a stimulation signal when the sensed position of the patient'"'"'s leg is in a stimulation position of the gait cycle; and a stimulator connected to the housing and in operative communication with the sensing module to receive the stimulation signal therefrom, the stimulator being configured to impart a stimulating force on the patient'"'"'s leg in response to receipt of the stimulation signal. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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20. A medical device for restoring gait for a patient, the medical device comprising:
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a housing configured to be wearable on a patient'"'"'s leg adjacent the tibial tubercle; a vibrating element connected to the housing and configured to impart a vibrotactile force upon the tibal tubercle; a control unit connected to the housing and in operative communication with the vibrating element; and the control unit being configured to detect leg movements related to the patient'"'"'s gait and to generate an actuation signal in response to detection of foot impact to actuate the vibrating element.
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Specification