Systems and methods for modulating pressure wave therapy

• US 9,147,046 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2011
• Issued: 09/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DJO LLC (Enovis Corp.)
• Original Assignee: EMPI Incorporated (Enovis Corp.)
• Inventors: Hart, Lotta
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Ruth S
• Application Number:
  US13/096,403
• Publication Number:
  US 20110295160A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,615 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 1/008 Apparatus for applying pressure or blows almost perpendicular to the body or limb axis, e.g. chiropractic devices for repositioning vertebrae, correcting deformation
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2023/002 having a percussion element combined with a passive spacer element for bearing against the skin
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/008 using shock waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/04 with hydraulic or pneumatic drive hydraulic or Pneumatic massages, A61H9/00; underwater massages, A61H33/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2007/0004 Applications of ultrasound therapy
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092
• CPC Class Codes: B25D 9/08 comprising a built-in air compressor , i.e. the tool being driven by air pressure
• CPC Class Codes: B25D 9/16 Valve arrangements therefor B25D9/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B25D 9/26 Control devices for adjusting the stroke of the piston or the force or frequency of impact thereof control systems adapted for earth drilling E21B44/00
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 15/043 producing shock waves G10K15/046, G10K15/06 take precedence; generating seismic energy G01V1/02
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/30 relating to physical therapies or activities, e.g. physiotherapy, acupressure or exercising
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 20/40 relating to mechanical, radiation or invasive therapies, e.g. surgery, laser therapy, dialysis or acupuncture

Abstract

A processor-controlled, energy-based therapy apparatus includes a device configured to provide therapeutic energy to a patient and a processor that controls the output of the device. The output of the device is based on output profiles programmed into the processor. The output profiles include a therapeutic energy output profile and a ramp-up energy profile. The therapeutic energy output profile includes a desired target energy level and a therapeutic duration for controlling the output of the device during a therapeutic period. The ramp-up energy output profile includes an initial treatment energy level and a ramp-up duration for controlling the output of the device during a ramp-up period. The energy output specified by the ramp-up energy output profile incrementally increases over the ramp-up duration as a function of the desired target energy level and the ramp-up duration.

Claims

1. A processor-controlled, energy-based acoustic wave therapy apparatus, comprising:

an acoustic wave therapy device configured to provide therapeutic acoustic energy to a patient;

a user interface that receives a change to a therapy parameter;

a memory; and

a processor, coupled to the memory, that controls acoustic wave energy output of the device based on output profiles programmed into the processor, the output profiles comprising;

a therapeutic acoustic wave energy output profile comprising a desired target energy level and a therapeutic duration for controlling the energy output of the device during a therapeutic period, and

a ramp-up energy output profile comprising an initial treatment energy level and a ramp-up duration for controlling the output of the device during a ramp-up period, wherein the energy output specified by the ramp-up energy output profile incrementally increases over the ramp-up duration as a function of the desired target energy level and the ramp-up duration, wherein the processor is configured to adjust the ramp-up energy output profile when the change to the therapy parameter is received from the user interface during the ramp-up period,

wherein the processor is configured to;

control an energy output of the acoustic wave therapy device based on a therapy profile comprising the ramp-up energy output profile and the therapeutic acoustic wave energy output profile;

automatically adjust the therapy profile to meet required criteria stored in the memory;

instruct the device to provide a treatment according to the adjusted therapy profile by incrementally increasing the energy output over a ramp-up period as a function of a desired target energy level and a ramp-up duration;

receive, from the user interface, an input from a user to change an acoustic wave therapy parameter during the ramp-up period;

automatically adjust the ramp-up energy output profile when the input to change the therapy parameter is received during the ramp-up period; and

instruct the device to provide a treatment according to the adjusted ramp-up energy output profile.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ramp-up profile is configured to control delivery of pneumatic energy pulses during the ramp-up period, and to provide a pneumatic pressure level that incrementally increases as a function of the number of pulses delivered.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ramp-up energy output profile reaches the desired target energy level, and the processor is configured to not further increase the energy output applied to a patient after the ramp-up period.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust a ramp-up function, a desired target energy output, and a steady state energy level that is at or below the desired target energy output.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to save in the memory information related to one or more output profiles.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user interface is a device selected from the group consisting of a touch screen, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a dial, and a connectable memory module.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ramp-up energy output profile is further configured as a polynomial function, an exponential function, a linear function, an affine function or a step-wise function.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the change to the therapy parameter is a target energy level and the processor is configured to adjust a target energy level of the ramp-up energy output profile when the change to the therapy parameter is received during the ramp-up period.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the change to the therapy parameter is a duration and the processor is configured to adjust the ramp-up duration of the ramp-up energy output profile when the change to the therapy parameter is received during the ramp-up period.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

recalculate an energy of one or more pulses of the ramp-up energy output profile when the change to the therapy parameter is received from the user interface.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

recalculate a number of pulses of the ramp-up energy output profile when the change to the therapy parameter is received from the user interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the acoustic wave therapy therapeutic energy at a frequency of approximately 0.5-35 Hz, at a pressure of 1.0-5.0 bar, and in 10-10000 pulses delivered in a ramp up portion and a therapeutic portion.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive, from the user interface, an input;

determine that the input from the user interface is a patient tolerance threshold indicator by querying the memory in which an operator or patient preference has been stored;

instruct the device to automatically discontinue the treatment in response to identification of the patient tolerance threshold indicator;

identify treatment parameters delivered when the patient tolerance threshold indicator is received; and

display the treatment parameters and/or record the treatment parameters in the memory.

15. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

controlling, by the processor, delivery of pneumatic energy pulses during the ramp-up period; and

providing, by the device, a pneumatic pressure level that incrementally increases as a function of the number of pulses delivered.

14. A method for applying acoustic wave energy-based therapy to a patient, comprising:

applying an acoustic wave therapy device configured to provide therapeutic energy to a patient;

configuring a processor to control an energy output of the acoustic wave therapy device based on a therapy profile comprising a ramp-up energy output profile and a therapeutic energy output profile programmed into the processor;

automatically adjusting the therapy profile to meet required criteria stored in the memory coupled to the processor;

providing a treatment according to the adjusted therapy profile by activating the processor to incrementally increase the energy output over a ramp-up period as a function of a desired target energy level and a ramp-up duration;

receiving, from a user interface, an input from a user to change an acoustic wave therapy parameter during the ramp-up period;

automatically adjusting the ramp-up energy output profile when the input to change the therapy parameter is received during the ramp-up period; and

providing a treatment according to the adjusted ramp-up energy output profile.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising delivering, by the device, the desired target energy level at the end of the ramp-up period and preventing, by the processor, the energy output to increase above the desired target energy level throughout the therapeutic period.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving, at the processor, adjustments of a ramp-up function, a desired target energy output, and a steady state energy level that is at or below the desired target energy output, wherein the adjustments are entered using the user interface.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising saving in the memory information related to one or more output profiles.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving from the user interface further comprises receiving from a device selected from the group consisting of a touch screen, a keyboard, a keypad, a mouse, a dial, and a connectable memory module.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein automatically adjusting the ramp-up energy output profile further comprises adjusting one of a polynomial function, an exponential function, a linear function, an affine function or a step-wise function.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the automatically adjusting the ramp-up energy output profile further comprises adjusting a target energy level of the ramp-up energy output profile.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein the automatically adjusting the ramp-up energy output profile further comprises adjusting the ramp-up duration of the ramp-up energy output profile.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein a frequency of the therapeutic energy is approximately 0.5-35 Hz, wherein a pressure of the therapeutic energy is 1.0-5.0 bar, and wherein the therapeutic energy is delivered in 10-10000 pulses delivered in a ramp up portion and a therapeutic portion.

24. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, from the user interface, an input;

determining, by the processor, that the input from the user interface is a patient tolerance threshold indicator by querying the memory in which an operator or patient preference has been stored;

automatically discontinuing, by the processor, the treatment in response to identification of the patient tolerance threshold indicator;

identifying, by the processor, treatment parameters delivered when the patient tolerance threshold indicator is received; and

displaying the treatment parameters and/or recording the treatment parameters in the memory.