Device for Muscle Stimulation

• US 20150202429A1
• Filed: 06/28/2013
• Published: 07/23/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dirk Fritzsche
• Original Assignee: Dirk Fritzsche
• Inventors: Fritzsche, Dirk
• Application Number:
  US14/408,580
• Publication Number:
  US 20150202429A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0452 Specially adapted for transcutaneous muscle stimulation [TMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance

Abstract

A device for muscle stimulation of the trunk and/or leg musculature by electromyostimulation, comprising a one-part or multi-part suit (2), which is made of an elastic textile fabric and which has an integrated textile-based contact electrode (6, 26) and a textile-based electrical line (7) and bears on a body, wherein the textile fabric is formed as a flat knit (5) in which the textile-based electrical line (7) is formed in a knitted tunnel tube (8), wherein the contact electrode (6, 26) can be electrically connected by means of the line (7), and this contact electrode (6, 26) is designed as a flat knit of conductive thread, which flat knit is designed as intarsia (3) and, on the side facing the body, has an elastic and electrically conductive implantation (4).

Claims

1. Apparatus for muscular stimulation of body and/or leg muscles by electrostimulation, comprising of at least an integrated textile-based contact electrode (6, 26) and at least one textile-based electrical line (7), body covering suit that has one or more parts and is made of an elastic fabric (2), characterized in that, the fabric is designed as a flat-knitted fabric (5) in which at least one electrical conduit (7) is integrated or is placed in a knitted tube (8), wherein the contact electrode (6, 26) can be electrically connected using the wire (7) and is designed as a single-layer inlay (3) of flat-knitted fabric that has partially at least electrically conductive yarn, that has an elastic, electricity conducting implant (4) an electrically conductive rubber insulated wire placed on the flat-knitted fabric (5) on the side that is in contact with the body.

2. A device according to claim 1, wherein said flat-knitted fabric (5) of the suit (2) is designed as a single layer.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical line (7) is at least partly made of electrically conductive yarn that has been manufactured according to a textile industrial process.

4. Device according to claim 1, wherein the electrical line (7) is knitted.

5. Device according to claim 1, wherein said flat-knitted fabric (5), the tube (8) and the electrical line (7) are integrated with each other.

6. Device according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive yarn of the inlay (3) or line (7) is made of a carbon polymer, or a metal or a metal alloy, or comprises a carbon or metal coating.

7. Device according to claim 1, wherein the garment (2) of multiple flat-knitted fabrics (5), whose electric lines (7) are connected to the electrically conductive source during assembly of the suit (2).

8. Device according to claim 1, wherein the single-layered, flat-knitted fabric designed as an inlay (3) covers the entire cross-section of the flat knitted fabric (5) or is included on one or both sides of the surface of the flat-knitted fabric (5).

9. Device according to claim 1, wherein the electrically conductive rubber wire is provided as the electrically conductive implant (4), which is embedded in the surface of the flat-knitted fabric designed as an inlay (3) that the flat-knitted fabric is at least partially covered.

10. Device according to claim 1, wherein the suit (2) is at least partially designed as tights (22) and has at least one circumferential contact electrode (26) in the region of the upper or lower leg.

11. Device according to claim 1, wherein the stimulation unit (23), a control unit (24) and an operating unit (24) and the stimulation unit (23) for signal transmission connecting the communication unit (25, 25′

) are provided.

12. A device according to claim 11, wherein the control unit (24) as graphical user interface comprising a touch sensitive screen (28), and for controlling the type of the contact electrodes (6, 26) is provided, and wherein the control unit (24) of the suit (2) is spaced apart.

13. Device according to claim 11, wherein the programs for controlling the activity of at least one contact electrode (6, 26) are stored in control unit (24) and the stimulation unit (23) for the controllable power supply of the contact electrodes (6, 26) via the electric lines (7) is between the stimulation unit and the contact electrodes on the basis of programs for controlling the activity.

14. Device according to claim 11, wherein the stimulation unit (23) is connected to the suit (2) in a detachable way.

15. Device according to claim 11, wherein the communication unit (25, 25′

) is designed for wireless signal transmission.