SMART JOINT CARE

• US 20160030281A1
• Filed: 10/13/2015
• Published: 02/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iman Shafieloo
• Original Assignee: Iman Shafieloo
• Inventors: SHAFIELOO, IMAN
• Granted Patent: US 9,549,870 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1604 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1623 Back
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1635 Hand or arm, e.g. handle
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/164 Feet or leg, e.g. pedal
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/165 Wearable interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5002 Means for controlling a set of similar massage devices acting in sequence at different locations on a patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5005 for controlling frequency distribution, modulation or interference of a driving signal
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/501 connected to external computer devices or networks
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5015 using specific interfaces or standards, e.g. USB, serial, parallel
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5035 Several programs selectable
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5038 freely programmable by the user
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5058 Sensors or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5084 Acceleration sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/5097 wireless
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/02 Head
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/024 Eyes
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/025 Forehead
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/028 Temples
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/065 Hands
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/102 Knee
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2205/12 : Feet
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/50 : Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0245 : with ultrasonic transducers, e.g. piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0263 : using rotating unbalanced masses

Abstract

A system that applies vibration to a desired region of a human body comprising a plurality of vibratory stimulators installed in a flexible material; a programmable control unit (PCU) connected to each said vibratory stimulator a plurality of sensors to collect biofeedback data; a set of programs for the operation of the PCU; a biomechanical database stored in a computer and being populated by the biomechanical data collected by the sensors after application of each said predefined pattern of vibration; and an algorithm to analyze and rank said patterns of vibration according to a ranking factor, wherein a user can choose a pattern of vibration that has a higher ranking factor.

Claims

1. - A programmable vibratory sensory neural stimulation (PVSNS) system that applies vibration to a desired region of a human body comprising:

a. a plurality of vibratory stimulators installed in a flexible material forming a vibration mesh to be placed on said desired region of said human body;

b. a programmable control unit (PCU) connected by wire or wirelessly to each said miniature vibration disk;

c. a plurality of sensors installed inside vibration mesh to collect biomechanical data from said desired region of human body, wherein said biomechanical data comprising of motion, acceleration, angular movement, orientation, and temperature;

d. a set of programs for the operation of the PCU to control the vibration frequency, amplitude, and period of each miniature vibration disk, wherein each program provides a predefined pattern of vibration, and wherein a set of biomechanical data is generated for each applied pattern;

e. a biomechanical database stored in a computer and being populated by the biomechanical data collected by sensors after application of each predefined pattern of vibration; and

f. an algorithm to analyze and rank said patterns of vibration according to a ranking factor, wherein said ranking factor being any one of motion, acceleration, angular movement, orientation, and temperature, whereby a user can choose a pattern of vibration that has a higher ranking factor.

2. - The programmable vibratory sensory neural stimulation (PVSNS) system of claim 1, wherein said system ranks said patterns of vibration according to a higher to lower ranking factor for said biomechanical data.

3. - The programmable sensory vibratory neural stimulation (PVSNS) system of claim 1, wherein said predefined patterns of vibration comprises of a vibration defined by Σ

_n=1^Na_n sin(nω

t+φ

), where N represents the number of the vibrators, a_n is the amplitude of the vibrator n, ω

is its frequency of vibration and φ

is a phase difference, and wherein the numeric value of N, a_n, n, ω

, and φ

are predefined or set by a user.

4. - The programmable vibratory sensory neural stimulation (PVSNS) system of claim 1, wherein said system communicates with a user by a user interface, wherein said user interface being selected from the group consisting of (i) a software which is installed on a personal computer, (ii) an application which is installed on an android mobile, (iii) an application which is installed on an iPhone, and (iv) a handheld device designed for a specific program.

5. - The programmable vibratory sensory neural stimulation (PVSNS) system of claim 1, wherein said PCU comprising:

a. a microcontroller responsible for gathering data of all said miniature vibration disk and analyzing said data and sending command to the miniature vibration disk;

b. a memory to store said data of all said miniature vibration disk; and

c. a wireless communication unit to communicate with a personal computer or a mobile device.

6. - The programmable vibratory sensory neural stimulation (PVSNS) system of claim 1, wherein each said vibrator further having a pressure sensor to be identified by pressing said vibrator, whereby a user commands the system to activate said vibrator by pressing or to activate said programs starting from said pressed vibrator.

7. - The programmable vibratory sensory neural stimulation (PVSNS) system of claim 1, wherein said PCU further having an internet connection.

8. - The programmable vibratory sensory neural stimulation (PVSNS) system of claim 1, wherein said biomechanical database being stored in a cloud storage on internet.

9. - The programmable vibratory sensory neural stimulation (PVSNS) system of claim 1, wherein said system being installed in a cap worn by a user.

10. - The programmable vibratory sensory neural stimulation (PVSNS) system of claim 1, wherein said system being installed in a knee pad worn by a user.

11. - The programmable vibratory sensory neural stimulation (PVSNS) system of claim 1, wherein said system being installed in an ankle brace worn by a user.

12. - The programmable vibratory sensory neural stimulation (PVSNS) system of claim 1, wherein said system being installed in a wrist wrap worn by a user.

13. - The programmable vibratory sensory neural stimulation (PVSNS) system of claim 1, wherein said system being installed in an insole of a shoe worn by a user.

14. - A method for relieving pain and edema comprising steps of:

a. installing a plurality of miniature vibration disks in a flexible material forming a vibration mesh to be placed on said desired region of said human body;

b. connecting a programmable control unit (PCU) by wire or wirelessly to each said miniature vibration disk;

c. installing a plurality of sensors inside said vibration mesh to collect biomechanical data from said desired region of said human body, wherein said biomechanical data comprising of motion, acceleration, angular movement, orientation, and temperature;

d. providing a set of programs for the operation of the PCU to control the vibration frequency, amplitude, and period of each said miniature vibration disk, wherein each program providing a predefined pattern of vibration, and wherein a set of biomechanical data being generated for each applied pattern;

e. generating and storing a biomechanical database in a computer, wherein said database being populated by the biomechanical data collected by said sensors after application of each said predefined pattern of vibration; and

f. analyzing and ranking said patterns of vibration by an algorithm according to a ranking factor, wherein said ranking factor being any one of motion, acceleration, angular movement, orientation, and temperature, whereby a user can choose a pattern of vibration that has a higher ranking factor.

15. - The method for relieving pain and edema of claim 14, wherein each said vibrator further having a pressure sensor to be identified by pressing said vibrator, whereby a user uses the method to activate said vibrator by pressing or to activate said programs starting from said pressed vibrator.

16. - The method for relieving pain and edema of claim 14, wherein said method ranks said patterns of vibration according to a higher to lower ranking factor for said biomechanical data.

17. - The method for relieving pain and edema of claim 14, wherein said predefined patterns of vibration comprises of a vibration defined by Σ

_n=1^Na_n sin(nω

t+φ

), where N represents the number of the vibrators, a_n is the amplitude of the vibrator n, ω

is its frequency of vibration and φ

is a phase difference, and wherein the numeric value of N, a_n, n, ω

, and φ

are predefined or set by a user.

18. - The method for relieving pain and edema of claim 14, wherein said PCU comprising:

a. a microcontroller responsible for gathering data of all said miniature vibration disk and analyzing said data and sending command to the miniature vibration disk;

b. a memory to store said data of all said miniature vibration disk; and

c. a wireless communication unit to communicate with a personal computer or a mobile device.

19. - The method for relieving pain and edema of claim 14, wherein said biomechanical database being stored in cloud storage on the internet.

20. - The method for relieving pain and edema of claim 14, wherein said sensors associate a level of pain and edema based on a change in range of motion and acceleration.