Electronic pain feedback system and method

• US 5,873,900 A
• Filed: 06/18/1997
• Issued: 02/23/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Encore Medical Asset Corporation (Enovis Corp.)
• Original Assignee: EMPI Incorporated (Enovis Corp.)
• Inventors: Kalm, Michael L., Kipnis, Alexander, Maurer, Donald D., Agarwala, Poonam
• Primary Examiner(s): Jastrzab, Jeffrey R.
• Application Number:
  US08/877,970
• Time in Patent Office: 615 Days
• Field of Search: 607/46, 607/50-52, 607/58, 607/63, 607/64, 600/554-557, 128/908, 128/898, 604/890.1, 604/891.1, 604/892.1, 604/31, 604/36, 604/65, 221/3
• US Class Current: 607/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain

Abstract

An electronic pain feedback system for use by a patient in determining the effectiveness of a pain treatment. The system includes an input device connected to a memory device. The input device includes a scale on which the patient enters perceived pain level data to initiate the pain treatment. The input device signals this data to the memory device where it is recorded. The electronic pain feedback system can alternatively include a clock and intensity sensor for recording a treatment session duration and intensity. The data received and recorded can be used by the electronic pain feedback system to evaluate the effectiveness of the pain treatment.

Claims

1. A method of evaluating effectiveness of a pain treatment for a patient, the method comprising:

entering a beginning level of pain experienced by the patient on an electronic pain rating device;

administering the pain treatment to the patient;

entering an ending level of pain on the electronic pain rating device;

receiving pain related data from the electronic pain rating device representing the levels of pain experienced by the patient;

correlating the pain related data according to change in the level of pain experienced by the patient; and

providing an output wherein the output evaluates effectiveness of the pain treatment.

2. The method of evaluating effectiveness of a pain treatment of claim 1, wherein correlating the pain related data includes:

measuring duration of a pain treatment session;

comparing first data representing a first level of pain experienced by the patient with second data representing a second level of pain experienced by the patient to determine the change in the level of pain experienced by the patient; and

comparing the change in the level of pain experienced by the patient with the duration of the pain treatment session.

3. The method of evaluating effectiveness of a pain treatment of claim 1, wherein correlating the pain related data includes:

measuring intensity of a pain treatment session;

comparing first data representing a first level of pain experienced by the patient with second data representing a second level of pain experienced by the patient to determine the change in the level of pain experienced by the patient; and

comparing the change in the level of pain experienced by the patient with the intensity of the pain treatment session.

4. A method of evaluating effectiveness of a pain treatment for a patient, the method comprising:

entering a first level of pain, experienced by the patient at a first time relative to the pain treatment, on an electronic pain rating device;

administering a pain treatment entering a second level of pain, experienced by the patient at a second time relative the pain treatment, on the electronic pain rating device;

receiving pain related data from the electronic pain rating device representing the first level of pain experienced by the patient at a first time relative to the pain treatment and a second level of pain experienced by the patient at a second time relative to the pain treatment;

comparing data representing the first level of pain experienced by the patient at the first time relative to the pain treatment with data representing the second level of pain experienced by the patient at the second time relative to the pain treatment to determine a change in the level of pain experienced by the patient; and

providing an output which is a function of the change in the level of pain.

5. The method of evaluating effectiveness of a pain treatment of claim 4, and further comprising:

measuring duration of a pain treatment session.

6. The method of claim 4, and further comprising:

measuring intensity of a pain treatment during a pain treatment session.

7. A method of evaluating effectiveness of a pain treatment for a patient, the method comprising:

entering a plurality of pain levels, experienced by the patient at different times during each of a plurality of pain treatment, on an electronic pain rating device;

receiving pain related data from the electronic pain rating device representing a level of pain experienced by a patient at different times during each of a plurality of pain treatment sessions;

determining a change in the level of pain experienced by the patient during each of the pain treatment sessions based upon pain related data received at different times during that pain treatment sessions; and

providing an output based upon the changes in the level of pain.

8. The method of evaluating effectiveness of a pain treatment of claim 7, and further comprising:

measuring duration of each pain treatment session; and

providing an output based upon the measured durations.

9. The method of evaluating effectiveness of a pain treatment of claim 8, and further comprising:

measuring intensity of pain treatment during each pain treatment session;

providing an output based upon the measured intensities.

10. A method of evaluating effectiveness of a pain treatment for a patient, the method comprising:

entering a level of pain, experienced by the patient at the beginning of a pain treatment session, on an electronic pain rating device;

administering the pain treatment session;

entering a level of pain experienced by the patient at the end of the pain treatment session, on the electronic pain rating device;

receiving pain related data from the electronic pain rating device representing a level of pain experienced by a patient at the beginning and at the end of the pain treatment session;

determining a change in the level of pain experienced by the patient during the pain treatment based upon the pain related data; and

providing an output based upon the change in the level of pain.

11. The method of claim 10, and further comprising:

measuring duration of the pain treatment session.

12. The method of claim 10, and further comprising:

measuring intensity of a pain treatment during the pain treatment session.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein providing the output is based upon the change in level of pain, the duration of the pain treatment session and the intensity of the pain treatment.