Self-contained electrotherapy

• US 7,233,828 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Issued: 06/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hfg-L.C.
• Original Assignee: Glykon Technologies Group, Llc
• Inventors: Vlad, Vladimir
• Primary Examiner(s): Pezzuto; Robert E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gedeon; Brian T.
• Application Number:
  US11/071,688
• Publication Number:
  US 20050197671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 838 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/35, 607/115, 607/144, 607/148, 607/15, 607/149, 600/15, 2/215, 405/185, 405/186
• US Class Current: 607/148
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0452 Specially adapted for transcutaneous muscle stimulation [TMS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0456 Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS]
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0476 Array electrodes (including any electrode arrangement with more than one electrode for at least one of the polarities)
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/321 Electromedical belts
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/12 using variable magnetic fields obtained by mechanical movement

Abstract

A device for applying a therapeutic electrical field to a user'"'"'s body includes an electroactive material shaped for application to a user body to provide a therapeutic electric field in response to pressure applied to the electroactive material and one or more electrodes integrated into the electroactive material and disposed along an inner surface of the electroactive material for delivering the therapeutic electric field to the user'"'"'s body.

Claims

1. A device for applying a therapeutic electrical field to a user'"'"'s body comprising:

an electroactive material shaped for application to a user body to provide a therapeutic electric field in response to pressure applied to the electroactive material;

one or more electrodes integrated into the electroactive material and disposed along an inner surface of the electroactive material for delivering the therapeutic electric field to the user'"'"'s body; and

wherein the electroactive material is comprised of a plurality of electroactive fibers.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the electroactive material is shaped as a sleeve.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the electroactive material is a pressure-activated conductive rubber.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein the electroactive material is a pressure-activated conductive elastomer.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the electroactive fibers are oriented to have opposite ends of opposite electrical polarity.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein the electroactive fibers and one or more electrodes are elastomeric.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the plurality of fibers are piezoelectric fibers.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the one or more electrodes are elastic silicone pads.

9. The device of claim 1 further comprising a transducer operatively connected to the electroactive material and the at least one electrode, the transducer adapted to harvest electrical energy from the plurality of electroactive material and transfer it to the at least one electrode to create an electric field.

10. A method of therapy, comprising:

positioning a device for applying a therapeutic electrical field on user'"'"'s body, the device comprising (a) an electroactive material comprised of electroactive fibers and shaped for application to a user body to provide a therapeutic electric field in response to pressure applied to the electroactive material (b) one or more electrodes integrated into the electroactive material and disposed along an inner surface of the electroactive material for delivering the therapeutic electric field to the user'"'"'s body; and

applying pressure to the device.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of applying pressure to the device is moving the user'"'"'s body to thereby apply pressure to the device.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the moving is associated with exercise.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the therapeutic electrical field has one or more properties determined by the pressure.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the one or more properties include magnitude of the therapeutic electrical field.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the one or more properties include location of the therapeutic field.