Method for electrical stimulation of cutaneous sensory receptors
First Claim
1. A method of stimulating sensory nerves comprising:
- providing an electrode plate with a pattern of needle-like (NL) electrodes and conductive plate (CP) electrodes disposed on a front face of the plate element, the NL electrodes being configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous Aδ
/C fibers, and the CP electrodes being configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous Aβ
fibers;
mounting the electrode plate on a patient'"'"'s skin with the front face in an abutting relationship with the patient'"'"'s skin, the abutting relationship causing the NL electrodes to penetrate the epidermis of the patient'"'"'s skin; and
applying electrical stimulation to the patient'"'"'s skin via the pattern of NL electrodes and CP electrodes, the electrical stimulation being applied so that Aβ
fiber input from the CP electrodes overlaps in time at the patient'"'"'s spinal cord and/or brain stem with Aδ
/C fiber input from the NL electrodes.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method of stimulating sensory nerves is disclosed that comprises the steps of providing an electrode plate with a pattern of needle-like (NL) electrodes and conductive plate (CP) electrodes disposed on a front face of the plate element, the NL electrodes being configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous Aδ/C fibers, and the CP electrodes being configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous Aβ fibers; mounting the electrode plate on a patient'"'"'s skin with the front face in an abutting relationship with the patient'"'"'s skin, the abutting relationship causing the NL electrodes to penetrate the epidermis of the patient'"'"'s skin; and applying electrical stimulation to the patient'"'"'s skin via the pattern of NL electrodes and CP electrodes, the electrical stimulation being applied so that Aβ fiber input from the CP electrodes overlaps in time at the patient'"'"'s spinal cord and/or brain stem with Aδ/C fiber input from the NL electrodes.
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Citations
58 Claims
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1. A method of stimulating sensory nerves comprising:
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providing an electrode plate with a pattern of needle-like (NL) electrodes and conductive plate (CP) electrodes disposed on a front face of the plate element, the NL electrodes being configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous Aδ
/C fibers, and the CP electrodes being configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous Aβ
fibers;mounting the electrode plate on a patient'"'"'s skin with the front face in an abutting relationship with the patient'"'"'s skin, the abutting relationship causing the NL electrodes to penetrate the epidermis of the patient'"'"'s skin; and applying electrical stimulation to the patient'"'"'s skin via the pattern of NL electrodes and CP electrodes, the electrical stimulation being applied so that Aβ
fiber input from the CP electrodes overlaps in time at the patient'"'"'s spinal cord and/or brain stem with Aδ
/C fiber input from the NL electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method of stimulating sensory nerves comprising:
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providing an electrode plate with a pattern of needle-like (NL) electrodes and conductive plate (CP) electrodes disposed on a front face of the plate element, the NL electrodes being configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous Aδ
/C fibers, and the CP electrodes being configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous Aβ
fibers;providing a stimulator configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous Aδ
/C fibers via the NL electrodes and to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous Aβ
fibers via the CP electrodes, the stimulator being in separate electrical communication with the NL electrodes and the CP electrodes so a first type of electrical stimulation can be applied via the NL electrodes concurrently with a second type of electrical stimulation being applied via the CP electrodes;mounting the electrode plate on a patient'"'"'s skin with the front face in an abutting relationship with the patient'"'"'s skin, the abutting relationship causing the NL electrodes to penetrate through the epidermis of the patient'"'"'s skin; applying electrical stimulation to the patient'"'"'s skin via the pattern of NL electrodes and CP electrodes, the electrical stimulation being applied so that Aβ
fiber input from the CP electrodes overlaps in time at the patient'"'"'s spinal cord and/or brain stem with Aδ
/C fiber input from the NL electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. A method of stimulating sensory nerves comprising:
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providing an electrode plate with a pattern of needle-like (NL) electrodes and flat conductive plate (CP) electrodes disposed on a front face of the electrode plate, the NL electrodes being configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous thin Aδ
/C fibers, and the CP electrodes being configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous large Aβ
fibers, and each of the CP electrodes being physically spaced and electrically separate from any needle-like protrusions on the front face of the plate element, wherein the needle-like protrusions include the NL electrodes;mounting the electrode plate on a patient'"'"'s skin with the front face in an abutting relationship with the patient'"'"'s skin, the abutting relationship causing the NL electrodes to penetrate the epidermis of the patient'"'"'s skin; and applying electrical stimulation to the patient'"'"'s skin via the pattern of NL electrodes and CP electrodes, the electrical stimulation being applied so that large Aβ
fiber input from the CP electrodes overlaps in time at the patient'"'"'s spinal cord and/or brain stem with thin Aδ
/C fiber input from the NL electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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48. A method of stimulating sensory nerves comprising:
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providing an electrode plate with a pattern of needle-like (NL) electrodes and conductive plate (CP) electrodes disposed on a front face of the electrode plate, the NL electrodes being configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous thin Aδ
/C fibers, and the CP electrodes being configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous large Aβ
fibers, and each of the CP electrodes being physically spaced and electrically separate from any needle-like protrusions on the front face of the plate element, wherein the needle-like protrusions include the NL electrodes;providing a stimulator configured to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous thin Aδ
/C fibers via the NL electrodes and to apply electrical stimulation to cutaneous large Aβ
fibers via the CP electrodes, the stimulator being in separate electrical communication with the NL electrodes and the CP electrodes so a first type of electrical stimulation can be applied via the NL electrodes concurrently with a second type of electrical stimulation being applied via the CP electrodes;mounting the electrode plate on a patient'"'"'s skin with the front face in an abutting relationship with the patient'"'"'s skin, the abutting relationship causing the NL electrodes to penetrate through the epidermis of the patient'"'"'s skin; and applying electrical stimulation to the patient'"'"'s skin via the pattern of NL electrodes and CP electrodes, the electrical stimulation being applied so that Aβ
fiber input from the CP electrodes overlaps in time at the patient'"'"'s spinal cord and/or brain stem with Aδ
/C fiber input from the NL electrodes. - View Dependent Claims (49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58)
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Specification