Electrical clinical apparatus and electrical stimulation method using variant assignment method

• US 6,631,297 B1
• Filed: 10/20/2000
• Issued: 10/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Seung-Kee Mo
• Original Assignee: Seung-Kee Mo
• Inventors: Mo, Seung-Kee
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): FUQUA, SHAWNTINA T
• Application Number:
  US09/693,758
• Time in Patent Office: 1,082 Days
• Field of Search: 607/46, 607/48-49, 607/60, 607/62-63, 607/59, 607/70, 607/72, 607/74, 607/67, 607/116, 607/129, 607/138, 607/148, 607/152, 128/733, 128/905, 600/546, 600/591, 600/29
• US Class Current: 607/62
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36007 of urogenital or gastrointestinal organs, e.g. for incontinence control

Abstract

An electrical stimulation method and an electrical clinical apparatus using a variant assignment method applied in treatment of dysfunction such as urinary incontinence is disclosed. The electrical clinical apparatus includes: a central control device for forming a plurality of protocols by converting frequencies of the electrical signals to be applied to a body part, and for generating a plurality of variants by assembling the protocols, and for respectively selecting protocols or variants to be assigned to each channel of the electrode out of the protocols and variants; a memory device for storing the protocols or variants produced by the central control device, or for re-inputting the stored protocols or variants back to the central control device according to a predetermined program; and an output device for outputting the selected protocol or variant to each channel of the electrode.

Claims

1. An electrical clinical apparatus including an electrode, which is in contact with a body part or is inserted into a body cavity, for detecting electromyogram (EMG) signals thereof or for applying electrical stimulation signals thereto, the electrical clinical apparatus comprising:

a central control device for forming a plurality of protocols by varying frequencies of the electrical signals to be applied to a body part, and for generating a plurality of variants by assembling the protocols, and for respectively selecting protocols or variants to be assigned to each channel of said electrode out of the protocols and variants;

a memory device for storing the protocols or variants produced by said central control device, or for re-inputting the stored protocols or variants back to said central control device according to a predetermined program; and

an output device for outputting the selected protocol or variant to each channel of said electrode, wherein said electrode assigned with the protocols or variants of choice includes a single- or multi-channel in the same or opposite direction of current and wherein the selected protocols or variants are characterized by the same or opposite electric characteristics each other.

2. The electrical clinical apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein said electrode comprises vaginal insertion type or epidermis attachment patch type probes, each channel of which conduct the same or opposite direction of currents each other, and wherein the selected protocols or variants assigned onto said electrode have the same or opposite electrical characteristics.

3. The electrical clinical apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein said central control device includes an output port for outputting the protocols or variants to said output device.

4. The electrical clinical apparatus recited in claim 1, wherein said central control device assigns each channel of said electrode with electrical signals containing opposite frequency elements each other by serially assigning each channel with the protocols or variants, or combinations of the variants, or by alternately assigning the same protocols or variants, or the same combinations of the variants on each channel of said electrode.

5. The electrical clinical apparatus recited in claim 4, wherein the protocols are at a frequency of 1 to 1000 Hz.

6. The electrical clinical apparatus recited in claim 5, wherein the protocols include pulse width, duty ratio, intensity/voltage of supplied electric current by ramp-up, plateau and ramp-down, burst duration and inter-burst interval as stimulation parameters as well as variation of frequencies of electrical signals different from each other.

7. An electrical clinical apparatus including an electrode, which is in contact with a body part or is inserted into a body cavity, for detecting electromyogram (EMG) signals thereof or for applying electrical stimulation signals thereto, the electrical clinical apparatus comprising:

a central control device for assigning each channel of said electrode with protocols or variants which are inputted through a communication equipment connected externally into said electrical clinical apparatus, wherein the protocols are formed by a conversion of electric signals to be delivered to the body part in terms of pulse width, duty ratio, intensity/voltage of supplied electric current, burst duration, and inter-burst interval as well as frequencies and the variants are formed by assembling the protocols; and

an output device for outputting the assigned protocols or variants by said central control device into each channel of said electrode, wherein said electrode assigned with the protocols or variants includes a single- or multi-channel with the same or opposite direction of electric currents on each channel and wherein the assigned protocols or variants have the same or opposite electrical characteristics each other.

8. An electrical stimulation method through an electrical clinical apparatus including an electrode and a central control device for controlling said electrode, wherein said electrode is in contact with a body part or is inserted into a body cavity for stimulating thereto by applying electrical signals, the electrical stimulation method comprising the steps of:

a) creating a protocol library and storing the protocol library in said central control device or a memory of the electrical clinical apparatus, wherein the protocol library includes protocols formed by a frequency variation of electrical signals to be applied to the body part;

b) generating a plurality of variants by assembling the protocols stored in said central control device, or for generating combination of the variants by assembling the plurality of variants; and

c) stimulating the body part by assigning each channel of said electrode with the protocols or variants, or combination of the variants of same or opposite frequency elements each other, wherein said electrode assigned with the protocols or the variants includes a single- or multi-channel with the same or opposite direction of electric currents on each channel.

9. The electrical stimulation method recited in claim 8, further comprising d) displaying a progress of electrical stimulation involved with the variants by means of graphics, characters or tiny lamps on a display device incorporated in or linked externally with said electrical clinical apparatus.

10. The electrical stimulation method recited in claim 8, wherein the step b) includes a step of assigning each channels of said with electrode electrical signals containing the same or opposite frequency elements by serially assigning each channel with the protocols or variants, or combination of the variants, or by assigning the same protocols or variants, or combination of the variants alternately, reciprocally, synchronously, asynchronously on each different channel.

11. The electrical stimulation method recited in claim 10, wherein the protocols are at a frequency of 1 to 1000 Hz.

12. The electrical stimulation method recited in claim 11, wherein the protocols include a variation of electric signals different from each other in terms of pulse width, duty ratio, intensity/voltage of supplied electric current, burst duration and inter-burst interval as well as the variation of frequencies.

13. An electrical stimulation method, for use in an electrical clinical apparatus including a central control device for controlling electrical stimulation signals to be delivered to a body part via an electrode, wherein said electrode is in contact with a body part or is inserted into a body cavity for detecting electromyogram (EMG) signals thereof or for applying the electrical stimulation signal thereto, and the electrical stimulation method comprising the steps of:

a) receiving a protocol library from a communication equipment linked externally with said electrical clinical apparatus and storing the protocol library in said central control device or a memory thereof, wherein the protocol library includes protocols which is formed by a variation of electric signals applied to a body part in terms of pulse width, duty ratio, intensity/voltage of supplied electric current, burst duration, inter-burst interval as well as the frequencies;

b) generating a plurality of variants by assembling the protocols stored in said central control device, or for generating combination of the variants by assembling the plurality of variants; and

c) stimulating the body part by assigning each channel of said electrode with the protocols or variants, or combination of the variants of same or opposite frequency elements each other, wherein said electrode assigned with the protocols or the variants includes a single- or multi-channel with the same or opposite direction of electric currents on each channel.

14. An electrical stimulation method, for use in an electrical clinical apparatus including an electrode and a central control device for controlling electrical stimulation signals, wherein said electrode is in contact with a body part or is inserted into a body cavity for detecting electromyogram (EMG) signals thereof or for applying the electrical stimulation signals thereto, the electrical stimulation method comprising the steps of:

a) creating a protocol library and storing the protocol library in said central control device, wherein the protocol library includes protocols formed by variation of target waveform signals presented to the body of a patient as a tool for assessing the electromyogram (EMG) signals detected by said electrode;

b) generating a plurality of variants by assembling the protocols stored in said central control device, or for generating combination of the variants by assembling the plurality of variants; and

c) composing a target waveform with a plurality of electromyogram (EMG) protocols or electromyogram (EMG) variants containing different waveform characteristics each other out of the protocol library stored in said central control device, and for comparing a training goal waveform with a raw electromyogram (EMG) waveform detected as a result of the actual exercise of the patients body part with the target waveform.

15. The electrical stimulation method recited in claim 14, further comprising d) simultaneously displaying said target waveform together with the raw electromyogram (EMG) waveform on a display device incorporated in or externally linked to said electrical clinical apparatus.

16. An electrical stimulation method, for use in an electrical clinical apparatus including an electrode and a central control device for controlling an electrode, wherein said electrode is in contact with a patient'"'"'s body part or is inserted into a body cavity for stimulation by applying electric signals to the body part, the method comprising the steps of:

a) forming a target waveform from a protocol library including electromyogram (EMG) protocols, which are formed by modifying electromyogram (EMG) signals detected from the body part by said electrode; and

b) forming a raw waveform formed by the electromyogram (EMG) signal detected from the patient'"'"'s actual exercise so that the patient directly compares the target waveform with the raw waveform on a display device.