Stimulating apparatus for preventing urinary incontinence

• US 5,978,712 A
• Filed: 10/30/1997
• Issued: 11/02/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Nihon Kohden Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nihon Kohden Corporation
• Inventors: Sasaki, Tadashi, Suda, Shin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kamm, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): EVANISKO, GEORGE ROBERT
• Application Number:
  US08/961,029
• Time in Patent Office: 733 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/40, 607/41, 607/58, 607/59, 607/60, 607/63, 607/64, 607/138, 607/143
• US Class Current: 607/41
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control

Abstract

The stimulating apparatus (1) for preventing urinary incontinence according to the invention includes an event switch (4) for inputting plural sets of urinary incontinence information; a stimulation condition setting unit (5) for setting a condition of stimulation on a living body to an arbitrary value, a stimulation intensity setting unit (3) for adjusting stimulation intensity to an arbitrary level, a central processing unit (6) having an event input judging unit (6d) for judging the plural sets of urinary incontinence information, and a storage unit (6b) for storing the urinary incontinence information, the stimulation conditions, and stimulation history information of a stimulation signal which is output, and a displaying device (7) for displaying the urinary incontinence information, the stimulation conditions, and the stimulation history information.

Claims

1. A urinary incontinence treatment stimulation device comprising:

inputting means for inputting urinary incontinence information;

a stimulation condition setting unit for setting a stimulation charactenstic for a patient to a set value;

a stimulation intensity setting unit for adjusting a stimulation intensity of said stimulation characteristic;

stimulation means for outputting a stimulation signal in accordance with said stimulation characteristic and said stimulation intensity;

storing means for storing information including said urinary incontinence information, said stimulation characteristic, and stimulation history information of said stimulation signal; and

control means, connected to said stimulation condition setting unit, said stimulation intensity setting unit and said storing means, for controlling said stimulation means in response to said stimulation characteristic and said stimulation intensity.

2. The urinary incontinence treatment stimulation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

processing means for determining a treatment effect level on the basis of said urinary incontinence information.

3. The urinary incontinence treatment stimulation device according to claim 2, further comprising:

display means for displaying said treatment effect level.

4. The urinary incontinence treatment stimulation device according to claim 1, further comprising:

display means for displaying at least one of said urinary incontinence information and said stimulation history information.

5. The urinary incontinence treatment stimulation device according to claim 4, wherein said control means judges whether said stimulation intensity is equal to a predetermined stimulation intensity;

and wherein said display means is arranged to display, in the display of said stimulation history information, a result of a judgment by said control means.

6. A urinary incontinence treatment stimulation apparatus, comprising:

a urinary incontinence treatment stimulation device comprising;

inputting means for inputting urinary incontinence information;

a stimulation unit for stimulating a patient;

a stimulation intensity setting unit for adjusting a stimulation intensity of said stimulation unit;

storing means for storing said urinary incontinence information, and stimulation history information of said stimulation intensity signal; and

control means, connected to said stimulation intensity setting unit and said storing means, for controlling said stimulation unit in response to said incontinence information and said stimulation intensity; and

an external apparatus for connection to said urinary incontinence treatment stimulation apparatus.

7. The urinary incontinence treatment stimulation apparatus according to claim 6, further comprising:

an interface through which signals are transmitted between said urinary incontinence treatment stimulation device and said external apparatus;

wherein said external apparatus comprises;

receiving means for receiving said urinary incontinence information and said stimulation history information stored in said storing means; and

display means for displaying at least one of said urinary incontinence information and said stimulation history information.

8. The urinary incontinence treatment stimulation apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said external apparatus comprises a stimulation condition setting unit for setting a condition of stimulation, which is to by applied to a patient by said stimulation unit, to a predetermined value.

9. The urinary incontinence treatment stimulation apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

processing means for determining said treatment effect level on the basis of said urinary incontinence information.

10. The urinary incontinence treatment stimulation apparatus according to claim 9, further comprising:

display means for displaying said treatment effect level.

11. The urinary incontinence treatment stimulation apparatus according to claim 9, wherein said control means judges whether said stimulation intensity is equal to a predetermined stirnulation intensity and wherein said display means is arranged to display, in the display of said stimulation history information, a result of a judgment by said control means.

12. A method for treating urinary incontinence, comprising:

setting, on a urinary incontinence treatment stimulation device, a stimulation characteristic for a patient to a set value;

adjusting a stimulation intensity of said stimulation characteristic;

outputting a stimulation signal in accordance with said stimulation characteristic and said stimulation intensity;

inputting urinary incontinence information into said urinary incontinence treatment device in response to said stimulation signal; and

storing information including said urinary incontinence information, said stimulation characteristic, and stimulation history information based on said stimulation signal.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

determining a treatment effect level on the basis of said urinary incontinence information.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

displaying said treatment effect level.

15. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

displaying at least one of said urinary incontinence information and said stimulation history information.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said displaying step comprises:

judging whether said stimulation intensity is equal to a predetermined stimulation intensity;

displaying a result of said judging step.

17. A method for treating urinary incontinence, comprising:

setting, on a urinary incontinence treatment stimulation device, a stimulation characteristic for a patient to a set value;

adjusting a stimulation intensity of said stimulation characteristic;

outputting a stimulation signal in accordance with said stimalation characteristic and said stimulation intensity;

inputting urinary incontinence information into said urinary incontinence treatment stimulation device;

storing information including said urinary incontinence information, said stimulation characteristic and stimulation history information based on said stimulation signal as stored information; and

transmitting said information to an external apparatus.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, at said external apparatus, said stored information;

displaying, on said extemal apparatus, at least one of said urinary incontinence information and said stimulation history information.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

setting a condition of stimulation, from said extenal apparatus, to be applied to a patient to a predetermined value.

20. The method according to claim 18, further comprising:

determining a treatment effect level on the basis of said urinary incontinence information.

21. The method according to claim 20, further comprising the step of:

displaying said treatment effect level.

22. The method according to claim 18, wherein said displaying step comprises:

determining whether said stimulation intensity is equal to a predetermined stimulation intensity displaying a result of said determining step.

23. An incontinence treatment stimulation device comprising:

stimulation condition setting means for setting a stimulation condition including at least one of stimulation characteristic and stimulation intensity;

stimulation means for outputting a stimulation signal in accordance with said stimulation condition from said stimulation condition setting means;

inputting means for inputting incontinence information including at least one of occurrence of incontinence, conduction of usual voiding, feeling of an urge sensation, awake time and sleep time;

clock unit for providing time of activation of said inputting means; and

storing means for storing at least said incontinence information, said stimulation condition, first time information output from said clock unit indicative of the time when said inputting means is operated, and second time information output from said clock unit indicative of the time when the stimulation in accordance with said stimulation condition is conducted.

24. An incontinence treatment stimulation apparatus comprising:

stimulation control means for controlling stimulation intensity by setting a predetermined stimulation intensity;

stimulation intensity adjusting means for adjusting said predetermined stimulation intensity;

stimulation means for outputting a stimulation signal having one of said predetermined stimulation intensity and an adjusted stimulation intensity when said predetermined stimulation intensity is adjusted by operation of said stimulation intensity adjusting means;

a clock unit for providing time information;

storing means for storing at least said predetermined stimulation intensity set by said stimulation control means, adjusted stimulation intensity and time information output from said clock unit indicative of time stimulation is conducted as stimulation history information judging means for determining whether said stimulation intensity is equal to said predetermined stimulation intensity; and

display means for displaying said stimulation history information and an output from said judging means.

25. The incontinence treatment stimulation apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

inputting means for inputting incontinence information including at least one of occurrence of incontinence, conduction of usual voiding, feeling of an urge sensation, awake time and sleep time;

wherein said storing leans further stores said incontinence information and time information output by said clock unit indicative of the time when said inputting means is operated.

26. A method for treating incontinence, comprising:

setting a predetermined stimulation intensity on a urinary incontinence treatment stimulation device;

storing said predetermined stimulation intensity;

adjusting said stimulation intensity of said urinary incontinence treatment stimulation device by a patient when needed;

storing an adjusted stimulation intensity when said stimulation intensity is adjusted;

outputting a stimulation signal in accordance with said stimulation intensity;

storing said stimulation signal as incontinence history information;

inputting urinary incontinence information into said urinary incontinence treatment stimulation device by the patient when the patient experiences incontinence states;

judging whether said stimulation intensity is equal to said predetermined stimulation intensity; and

evaluating the effectiveness of treatment based on a result of said judging step.