Apparatus and method for bioelectric stimulation, healing acceleration and pain relief
First Claim
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.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
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.
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Citations
35 Claims
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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. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
(e) 0≦ - T5≦
T1,
(f) 0≦
T6≦
T1,(g) 0≦
T7≦
500 msec, and(f) 5 msec≦
(T3+T4+T7)≦
500 msec.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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26. The apparatus as recited in claim 21, wherein said amplitude of said output signal further comprises:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
(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.
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33. The apparatus as recited in claim 32, further comprising selecting one of a plurality of paired values of said intervals T4 and T7.
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34. The method as recited in claim 32, further comprising:
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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.
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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.
Specification