Apparatus and method for bioelectric stimulation, healing acceleration and pain relief

• US 6,535,767 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2001
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2001
• Status: Expired

• Current Assignee: Healthonics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Healthonics, Inc.
• Inventors: Kronberg, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schaetzle, Kennedy
• Application Number:
  US09/935,007
• Time in Patent Office: 574 Days
• Field of Search: 607/68, 607/70, 607/72, 607/73, 607/74, 607/50, 607/51, 607/46
• US Class Current: 607/72
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/326 for promoting growth of cells, e.g. bone cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36071 Pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36178 Burst or pulse train parameters

Abstract

An apparatus for generating an electrical signal for use in biomedical applications, including two timing blocks for generating timing intervals T₁-T₇, an interconnection block for combining these intervals into an output signal having predetermined relationships among the intervals, an output block for transmitting the output signal to a load, and, optionally, a filter for removing unwanted frequency components from the output signal and an adjustment block for selecting from among a plurality of output signals with predetermined characteristics. The output is a repeating succession of a burst of rectangular waves, an equalizing pulse (if needed) to cancel net DC, and a rest period of no signal.

Claims

1. An apparatus for generating an electrical signal for use in biomedical applications, said signal based on at least four timing intervals T₁-T₄, said apparatus comprising:

means for generating a set of at least four timing intervals T₁-T₄, said timing intervals having approximately the relationships

(a) (2×

T₂)≦

T₁≦

(20×

T₂),

(b) 50 μ

sec≦

(T₁+T₂)≦

5000 μ

sec,

(c) T₃≧

(10×

T₁), and

(d) 0≦

T₄≦

500 msec; and

means for combining said timing intervals into an electrical signal having an amplitude.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising means operably connected to said generating means for changing at least one of said intervals T₁ through T₄.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said generating means produces a plurality of paired values of said intervals T₁ and T₂, further comprising means for selecting one of said paired values.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for transmitting said electrical signal to a load.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said set of at least four timing intervals further comprises at least three additional timing intervals T₅-T₇, said at least three additional timing intervals having approximately the relationships

(e) 0≦ T₅≦

T₁,

(f) 0≦

T₆≦

T₁,

(g) 0≦

T₇≦

500 msec, and

(f) 5 msec≦

(T₃+T₄+T₇)≦

500 msec.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said interval T₃ further comprises a sequence containing an interval T₅, followed by at least one pair of intervals (T₁, T₂), followed by an interval T₆.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said intervals T₃, T₄, and T₇ form a continuous sequence of repeating intervals T₃, T₄, T₇.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, further comprising means operably connected to said generating means for changing at least one of said intervals T₁-T₇.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said generating means produces a plurality of paired values of said intervals T₄ and T₇, further comprising means for selecting one of said paired values.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 5, wherein said amplitude of said output signal further comprises:

a first level L₁ during said intervals T₁, T₅, and T₆;

a second level L₂ during said intervals T₂ and T₄; and

a third level L₃ during said interval T₇, wherein L₃ is between L₁ and L₂.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, wherein a transition between any two of said levels L₁ through L₃ has a decay time constant no greater than approximately one-half a length of said interval T₂.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, further comprising a fourth level L₄, said level L₄ being intermediate said levels L₁ and L₂, wherein a transition between any of said levels L₁ through L₃ and said level L₄ has a decay time constant no less than approximately 10 times a length of said interval T₁.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, further comprising means operably connected to said combining means for changing at least one of said levels L₁ through L₃.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 10, further comprising means operably connected to said combining means for selecting among a plurality of values for said levels L₁ through L₃.

15. An apparatus for generating an electrical signal for use in biomedical applications, said signal based on at least four timing intervals T₁-T₄, said apparatus comprising:

a first timing block for generating a first timing interval T₁ and a second timing interval T₂;

a second timing block for generating a third timing interval T₃ and a fourth timing interval T₄, said intervals T₁-T₄ having approximately the relationships

(a) (2×

T₂)≦

T₁≦

(20×

T₂),

(b) 50 μ

sec≦

(T₁+T₂)≦

5000 μ

sec,

(c) T₃≧

(10×

T₁), and

(d) 0≦

T₄≦

500 msec; and

an interconnection block operably connected between said first and second timing blocks, said interconnection block combining said intervals T₁-T₄; and

means operably connected to said interconnection block for generating an output signal with said intervals T₁-T₄, said output signal having an amplitude.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, further comprising a filter operably connected to said generating means, said filter transmitting signal components within a selected frequency range.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, further comprising power supply means operably connected to said first and second timing blocks, said interconnection block, and said signal-generating means.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, further comprising means operably connected to said generating means for changing said amplitude.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said first and second timing blocks further comprise first and second astable multivibrators, respectively.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 19, wherein said interconnection block uses an output of said first astable multivibrator to control said second astable multivibrator.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 15, wherein said set of at least four timing intervals further comprises at least three additional timing intervals T₅-T₇,

wherein said first timing block further comprises means for generating said intervals T₅ and T₆,

wherein said second timing block further comprises means for generating said interval T₇, and

wherein said at least four additional timing intervals have approximately the relationships

(e) 0≦ T₅≦

T₁,

(f) 0≦

T₆≦

T₁,

(g) 0≦

T₇≦

500 msec, and

(f) 5 msec≦

(T₃+T₄+T₇)≦

500 msec.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said interval T₃ further comprises a sequence containing an interval T₅, followed by at least one pair of intervals (T₁, T₂), followed by an interval T₆.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said interconnection block divides said interval T₃ into a sequence of shorter intervals, said sequence consisting of at least one interval T₅, followed by at least one pair of intervals (T₁, T₂), followed by at least one interval T₆.

24. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, further comprising means operably connected to said generating means for changing at least one of said intervals T₁-T₇.

25. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said generating means produces a plurality of paired values of said intervals T₄ and T₇, further comprising means for selecting one of said paired values.

26. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said amplitude of said output signal further comprises:

a first level L₁ during said intervals T₁, T₅, and T₆;

a second level L₂ during said intervals T₂ and T₄;

and a third level L₃ during said interval T₇, wherein L₃ is between L₁ and L₂; and

means operably connected to said combining means for changing at least one of said levels L₁ through L₃.

27. The apparatus as recited in claim 26, wherein a transition between any two of said levels L₁ through L₃ has a decay time constant no greater than approximately one-sixth a length of said interval T₂.

28. The apparatus as recited in claim 26, further comprising a fourth level L₄, said level L₄ being intermediate said levels L₁ and L₂, an output voltage initially set at a selected one of said levels L₁ and L₂ decaying towards said level L₄ with a time constant no less than approximately 10 times a length of said interval T₁;

means operably connected to said combining means for changing said level L₄.

29. The apparatus as recited in claim 26, further comprising means operably connected to said combining means for selecting among a plurality of values for said levels L₁ through L₃.

30. A method for generating an electrical signal for use in biomedical applications, said method comprising:

generating at least four timing intervals T₁-T₄ having approximately the relationships

(a) (2×

T₂)≦

T₁≦

(20×

T₂),

(b) 50 μ

sec≦

(T₁+T₂)≦

5000 μ

sec,

(c) T₃≧

(10×

T₁), and

(d) 0≦

T₄≦

500 msec; and

combining said timing intervals into an electrical signal having an amplitude.

31. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising selecting one of a plurality of paired values of said intervals T₁ and T₂.

32. The method as recited in claim 30, further comprising the step of generating at least three additional timing intervals having approximately the relationships

(e) 0≦ T5₄≦

T₁,

(f) 0≦

T₆≦

T₁,

(g) 0≦

T₇≦

500 msec, and

(f) 5 msec≦

(T₃+T₄+T₇)≦

500 msec; and

combining said additional timing intervals with said intervals T₁-T₄ to produce said electrical signal.

33. The apparatus as recited in claim 32, further comprising selecting one of a plurality of paired values of said intervals T₄ and T₇.

34. The method as recited in claim 32, further comprising:

adjusting said amplitude to a first level L₁ during said intervals T₁, T₆, and T₇;

adjusting said amplitude to a second level L₂ during said intervals T₂ and T₄; and

adjusting said amplitude to a third level L₃ during said interval T₇, wherein L₃ is between L₁ and L₂.

35. The apparatus as recited in claim 34, further comprising means operably connected to said combining means for selecting among a plurality of values for said levels L₁ through L₃.