METHOD AND DEVICE FOR REDUCING SYMPTOMATIC RELAPSE OF SPASTICITY
First Claim
1. A wearable maintenance therapy device adapted to impart vibratory stimuli to appendicular muscles of a patient'"'"'s limb during daily life activity of the patient to reduce symptomatic relapse of spasticity, comprising:
- a vibrator actuator contained in a support housing and configured for placement in operational contact with appendicular muscles of a limb of a patient to impart localized vibration to one or more of the patient'"'"'s appendicular muscles, the localized vibration producing proprioceptive input from the vibrated muscle or muscles to activate sensory areas of the patient'"'"'s central nervous system;
an attachment device operatively connected to the support housing to secure the vibrator actuator in place on the patient'"'"'s limb; and
programmable electrical control circuitry operatively connected to the vibrator actuator to control vibration characteristics of the localized vibration, the programmable electrical control circuitry including memory sites for storing operating values of the vibration characteristics including pattern and timing of vibration specified to produce the proprioceptive input and thereby activate the sensory areas of the patient'"'"'s central nervous system during the patient'"'"'s daily life activity to mitigate any symptomatic relapse of spasticity.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A wearable maintenance therapy device (10, 12, 14) imparts vibratory stimuli to appendicular muscles of a patient'"'"'s limb during daily life activity of the patient to reduce symptomatic relapse of spasticity. A vibrator actuator (20) contained in a sup port housing (24) and configured for placement in operational contact with appendicular muscles of a limb (28) of a patient imparts localized vibration to one or more of the patient'"'"'s appendicular muscles. The localized vibration produces proprioceptive input from the vibrated muscle or muscles (90t) to activate sensory areas of the patient'"'"'s central nervous system. Programmable electrical control circuitry (50) controls vibration characteristics of the localized vibration and includes memory sites for storing operating values of the vibration characteristics. The vibration characteristics include pattern and timing of vibration specified to produce the proprioceptive input during the patient'"'"'s daily life activity to mitigate any symptomatic relapse of spasticity.
39 Citations
13 Claims
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1. A wearable maintenance therapy device adapted to impart vibratory stimuli to appendicular muscles of a patient'"'"'s limb during daily life activity of the patient to reduce symptomatic relapse of spasticity, comprising:
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a vibrator actuator contained in a support housing and configured for placement in operational contact with appendicular muscles of a limb of a patient to impart localized vibration to one or more of the patient'"'"'s appendicular muscles, the localized vibration producing proprioceptive input from the vibrated muscle or muscles to activate sensory areas of the patient'"'"'s central nervous system; an attachment device operatively connected to the support housing to secure the vibrator actuator in place on the patient'"'"'s limb; and programmable electrical control circuitry operatively connected to the vibrator actuator to control vibration characteristics of the localized vibration, the programmable electrical control circuitry including memory sites for storing operating values of the vibration characteristics including pattern and timing of vibration specified to produce the proprioceptive input and thereby activate the sensory areas of the patient'"'"'s central nervous system during the patient'"'"'s daily life activity to mitigate any symptomatic relapse of spasticity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method of mitigating symptomatic relapse of spasticity experienced by a patient during daily life activity, comprising:
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mounting, in position for operational contact with appendicular muscles of a limb of a patient, a vibrator actuator to impart localized vibration to one or more of the patient'"'"'s appendicular muscles, the localized vibration producing proprioceptive input from the vibrated muscle or muscles to activate sensory areas of the patient'"'"'s central nervous system; and activating electrical control circuitry operatively connected to the vibrator actuator to control vibration characteristics of the localized vibration, the electrical control circuitry including memory sites in which are stored operating values of the vibration characteristics including pattern and timing of vibration specified to produce the proprioceptive input and thereby activate sensory areas of the patient'"'"'s central nervous system to mitigate any symptomatic relapse of spasticity. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
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Specification