Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation device and method

• US 4,763,656 A
• Filed: 12/17/1987
• Issued: 08/16/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Beatrice T. Kester
• Original Assignee: Beatrice T. Kester
• Inventors: Nauman, Edward A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Application Number:
  US07/134,195
• Time in Patent Office: 243 Days
• Field of Search: 128/419 PS, 128/419 E, 128/419 R, 128/421-423
• US Class Current: 607/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain

Abstract

A transcutaneous nerve stimulation device and method in which trains of pulses with exponential decay-times but having fixed amplitudes, fixed widths at the time-axis and fixed repetition rates have their decay-times modulated over a series of discrete values or continuously by means of binary-counter-switched time-constant capacitors.

Claims

1. A transcutaneous nerve stimulation device including:

generating means for generating a train of electrical pulses of fixed time-axis width and having decay-tubes;

modulating means coupled to said generating means for modulating the decay-times of said electrical pulses of fixed time-axis width within said train;

means electrically coupled to said generating and modulation means for providing electrical operating power thereto; and

,

electrical pulse output terminals electrically coupled to said generating means for applying decay-time-modulated electrical pulses of fixed time-axis width therefrom to a patient.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said modulating means includes means for selecting the rate of modulation of said decay-times.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said modulating means includes binary-counting means, switching means transformer coupled to said binary-counting means and controlled thereby and time-constant capactior means coupled between said switching means and said electrical pulse output terminals and controlled by said switching means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3 in which said switching means includes at least one FET switch controlled by said binary-counting means.

5. The method of operating a transcutaneous nerve stimulation device which includes the steps of generating train of pulses having fixed widths along the time-axis and having decay-times, modulating the decay-times within said train of pulses having fixed widths along the time-axis and applying the pulses to a patient.

6. The method according to claim 5 which includes the additional step of automatically changing the modulation rate.

7. A transcutaneous nerve stimulation device including:

generating means for generating a train of electrical pulses of fixed time-axis width and repetition rate and having decay-times;

modulating means coupled ;

to said generating means for modulating the decay-times of said electrical pulses of fixed time-axis width and repetition rate within said train;

electrical pulse output terminals electrically coupled to said generating means for deriving decay-time-modulated electrical pulses of fixed time-axis width and repetition rate therefrom to apply to a patient; and

,

means for supplying operating power to the device.