Apparatus and methods for providing electrical stimulation

• US 8,271,090 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2010
• Issued: 09/18/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CustomKYnetics, Inc.
• Original Assignee: CustomKYnetics, Inc.
• Inventors: Alton, John D., Aweimrin, Tarik S., Hartman, Eric C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Manuel, George
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wieland, Robert N
• Application Number:
  US12/826,073
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 606/32, 607/48, 607/40, 607/45, 607/30, 607/116, 607/118, 607/17, 607/72, 607/9
• US Class Current: 607/48
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0452 Specially adapted for transcutaneous muscle stimulation [TMS]
• 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 1/36003 of motor muscles, e.g. for walking assistance
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36034 specified by the stimulation parameters

Abstract

An apparatus is disclosed for providing electrical stimulation to a subject from a stimulation unit using a transmission line and a plurality of electrodes. The apparatus may include a plurality of discrete nodes, each adapted to connect to the transmission line for receiving the electrical stimulation and to connect with at least one pair of the plurality of electrodes. Related methods are also described.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing electrical stimulation to a subject from a stimulation unit including a port for connecting to a first end of a single transmission line external to the stimulation unit and a plurality of electrodes for delivering the stimulation to an external skin surface of the subject, comprising:

a plurality of discrete nodes, each adapted to connect to the transmission line for receiving the electrical stimulation, and each adapted to connect with at least one pair of the plurality of electrodes to supply the electrical stimulation to the electrodes for delivery to the external skin surface;

wherein the plurality of discrete nodes are each external to the stimulation unit.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first node is adapted to be connected to the stimulation unit by a first segment of the transmission line.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first node is adapted to be connected to a second segment of the transmission line, and a second node is adapted to be connected to the second segment of the transmission line.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a first end of the first segment is connected to the stimulation unit, and the first node includes a first receptacle for connecting with a second end of the first segment.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the second node includes a first receptacle for connecting with a second end of a second segment.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each node includes an indicator indicating the provision of stimulation from the unit to the node.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first node includes a circuit adapted for receiving the stimulation from the stimulation unit.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuit is adapted to receive a pulse train of stimulation and output only pulses intended for the corresponding node.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the circuit is adapted to activate the first node while a second node remains inactive.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the subject has a plurality of different muscle groups in need of stimulation, a first node being arranged to stimulate a first muscle group and a second node being arranged to stimulate a second muscle group.

11. A garment including the apparatus of claim 1 and adapted to be worn by the subject.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each node includes at least one connector for releasably connecting to the transmission line.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the nodes is positioned between the transmission line and at least one pair of electrodes.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one node includes a housing.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the housing includes at least two connectors, each adapted for connecting to a segment of the transmission line.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least one node further includes first and second connectors, and wherein the first connector is adapted to connect to a first segment of the transmission line for receiving input from the stimulation unit and the second connector is adapted to connect to a second segment of the transmission line for transmitting input to a different node.

17. An apparatus for providing electrical stimulation from a stimulation unit to a subject using a plurality of electrodes, comprising:

a plurality of nodes for receiving the stimulation associated with a pair of electrodes, each node connected to at least one adjacent node by at least one transmission line, wherein at least a first node of said plurality of nodes comprises a circuit adapted to operate in one of a first mode to allow stimulation pulses to pass to the subject donning the electrodes and a blocking mode to block pulses intended for other nodes.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of nodes are connected to each other and the stimulation unit in a daisy chain.

19. In a system for providing electrical stimulation as the result of a stimulation signal provided from stimulation unit to a plurality of pairs of electrodes positioned on an external skin surface of a human subject, the improvement comprising at least one node external to the stimulation unit, said node associated with a transmission line and each electrode pair, said node adapted for receiving and processing the stimulation signal from the stimulation unit.

20. The improvement to the system according to claim 19, further including a plurality of discrete nodes connected to the transmission line in a daisy chain.

21. The improvement to the system according to claim 20, wherein at least the first node includes a circuit adapted to operate in one of a first mode to receive a pulse train of stimulation from the stimulation unit in which every ith pulse is intended for the ith node, or a second mode to receive a pulse train for activating a selected node to provide the stimulation while another node remains inactive.

22. The improvement to the system of claim 20, wherein the transmission line comprises a first segment having a first end connected to the stimulation unit and a second end removably connected in a first receptacle on the first node, and further including a second segment having a first end connected in a second receptacle on the first node.

23. The improvement to the system of claim 20, wherein the second segment includes a second end for removably connecting with a second receptacle on a second node.

24. The improvement to the system of claim 20, wherein the stimulation unit includes a first output channel for connecting with the plurality of discrete nodes and further including a second output channel for connecting with a second plurality of discrete nodes, each node in the second plurality of discrete nodes associated with at least two electrodes.

25. An apparatus for providing electrical stimulation to a subject using a plurality of electrodes, comprising:

a plurality of nodes, each node adapted to connect to at least one pair of the plurality of electrodes and provide stimulation to the subject using the electrodes; and

a stimulation unit for providing a first train of stimulation pulses in which every ith pulse is intended for the ith node.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the nodes are connected by a single transmission line in a daisy chain.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the stimulation unit is adapted for providing a second train of stimulation pulses in which every pulse is intended for a selected node.

28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein a first node includes a pulse gating circuit adapted to output a selected pulse from the first train of stimulation pulses.

29. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein at least the i^th node further includes a circuit adapted to selectively allow the i^th pulse to pass to the subject via the electrodes and to allow an (i+n)^th pulse to pass from the i^th node to an (i+n)^th node.

30. A kit for forming an apparatus for providing electrical stimulation to a subject from a stimulation unit using a transmission line, comprising:

a plurality of nodes, each including at least one receptacle adapted to releasably connect to the transmission line; and

a plurality of electrode pairs, each for connecting to one of the plurality of nodes.

31. A computer-implemented method for providing stimulation for a subject using a stimulation unit, comprising programming the stimulation unit to operate in combination with the kit of claim 30.

32. A method for forming an apparatus for providing electrical stimulation to a subject from a stimulation unit using a first transmission line and a plurality of electrodes, comprising:

connecting a plurality of discrete nodes to the first transmission line, each node adapted for connecting to at least one pair of electrodes.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the connecting step comprises positioning a first removable connector of the transmission line in a first receptacle of a first node.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the connecting step further comprises:

releasably connecting a second connector of the transmission line in a second receptacle of a first node; and

releasably connecting a third connector of the transmission line in a first receptacle of a second node.

35. The method of claim 34, further including the step of providing the nodes on a garment adapted to be worn by the subject.

36. The method of claim 34, further including the step of programming the stimulation unit to provide a pulse train in which every ith pulse is intended for the ith node.

37. The method of claim 34, further including the step of programming the stimulation unit to provide a pulse train in which a group of sequential pulses are intended for a selected node.

38. A method for providing electrical stimulation to a subject using a plurality of electrodes, comprising:

providing a plurality of nodes, each node adapted to connect to at least one pair of the plurality of electrodes; and

providing a first train of stimulation pulses in which every ith pulse is intended for the ith node.

39. The method of claim 38, further including the step of providing a second train of stimulation pulses in which every pulse is intended for a selected node.