Stimulating apparatus

• US 3,204,637 A
• Filed: 02/07/1963
• Issued: 09/07/1965
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1963
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Erich J. Frank, Lawrence W. Friedmann
• Original Assignee: Erich J. Frank, Lawrence W. Friedmann
• Inventors: Frank, Erich J., Friedmann, Lawrence W.
• Application Number:
  US04/256,905
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• US Class Current: 607/49
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 2/72 Bioelectric control, e.g. myoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply

Claims

1. APPARATUS FOR EFFECTING THE STIMULATION OF BODY MEMBERS, SUCH AS MUSCLES OR NERVES THAT CONTROL MUSCLE ACTIVITY, BY INDUCING AN ACTION POTENTIAL THEREIN, THE STIMULATION OF WHICH BODY MEMBERS EFFECTS THE MOVEMENT OF A LEG, WHICH APPARATUS COMPRISES ELECTRODES ADAPTED TO BE SUBCUTANEOUSLY IMPLANTED IN CONTACT WITH A BODY MEMBER WHICH CONTROLS LEG ACTION OF AN INDIVIDUAL, A RECEIVING TRANSDUCER ELEMENT ADAPTED TO BE SUBCUTANEOUSLY IMPLANTED BENEATH THE SKIN IN THE FOOT OF THE LEG WHICH IS TO BE MOVED, A DEMODULATING NETWORK HAVING AN INPUT COUPLED TO SAID RECEIVING TRANSDUCER ELEMENT, CONDUCTORS EXTENDING BETWEEN THE ELECTRODES AND SAID DEMODULATING NETWORK, SAID ELECTRODES, SAID RECEIVING TRANSDUCER ELEMENT, SAID CONDUCTORS AND SAID DEMODULATING NETWORK BEING CONSTRUCTED OF A MATERIAL COMPATIBLE WITH THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE HUMAN BODY TO PERMIT THEIR IMPLANTATION THEREIN, A FOOTGEAR FOR THE FOOT, A TRANSMITTING TRANSDUCER ELEMENT CARRIED IN SAID FOOTGEAR IN A POSITION SUCH AS TO BE IN SIGNAL INDUCING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE IMPLANTED RECEIVING TRANSDUCER ELEMENT SO THAT SIGNALS TRANSMITTED THROUGH THE SKIN BY SAID TRANSMITTING TRANSDUCER ARE RECEIVED BY SAID RECEIVING TRANSDUCER ELEMENT, A SIGNAL GENERATOR MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID TRANSMITTING TRANSDUCER ELEMENT FOR PRODUCING STIMULATINF PULSE MODULATED SIGNALS WHICH INCLUDES PULSE PRODUCING MEANS FOR PRODUCING PULSES OF NEGATIVE AND POSITIVE POLARITY, A FIRST OSCILLATOR, FIRST MODULATING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID PULSE PRODUCING MEANS FOR MODULATING THE OUTPUT SIGNAL OF SAID FIRST OSCILLATOR WITH SAID PULSES OF NEGATIVE POLARITY, A SECOND OSCILLATOR, SECOND MODULATING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID PULSE PRODUCING MEANS FOR MODULATING THE OUTPUT SIGNAL OF SAID SECOND OSCILLATOR WITH SAID PULSES OF POSITIVE POLARITY, AND MIXING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID FIRST AND SAID SECOND OSCILLATORS FOR MIXING THE OUTPUT SIGNALS THEREOF, SAID MIXING MEANS HAVING ITS OUTPUT COUPLED TO SAID TRANSMITTING TRANSDUCER ELEMENT, SAID GENERATOR MEANS BEING CARRIED IN THE FOOTGEAR, SAID DEMODULATING NETWORK INCLUDING MEANS FOR CONVERTING SAID PULSE MODULATED SIGNALS INTOL PULSES OF OPPOSITE POLARITY, AND SWITCH MEANS DISPOSED IN THE FOOTGEAR AND BEING RESPONSIVE TO A LIFTING OF THE FOOTGEAR, SAID SWITCH MEANS BEING CONNECTED TO SAID SIGNAL GENERATOR FOR SELECTIVELY RENDERING SAID GENERATOR EFFECTIVE WHEN SAID SWITCH MEANS IS OPERATED, WHEREBY SAID GENERATOR SUPPLIES STIMULATING PULSE MODULATED SIGNALS THROUGH SAID TRANSDUCER ELEMENTS WHICH SIGNALS ARE DEMODULATED BY THE DEMODULATION MEANS AND ARE COUPLED TO THE ELECTRODES TO CAUSE MOVEMENT OF THE LEG.