Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation using novel unbalanced biphasic waveform and novel electrode arrangement

Apparatus for providing transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation to a user, said apparatus comprising:

• a stimulation unit for electrically stimulating nerves using asymmetric biphasic electrical pulses, wherein during the first phase and the second phase of an asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse, said stimulation unit generates a voltage at an anode that is higher than a voltage at a cathode so as to allow current to flow from the anode to the cathode, and wherein said stimulation unit delivers a larger amount of electrical charge in the second phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse than the amount of electrical charge delivered in the first phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse using the same anode voltage setting in both phases of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse by taking advantage of the electrical charge accumulated during the first phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse;
• a control unit for controlling the electrical stimulation delivered by said stimulation unit;
• and
• an electrode array connectable to said stimulation unit, said electrode array comprising a substrate and at least first and second electrodes, the at least first and second electrodes being mounted to said substrate with a predetermined arrangement, so that when said substrate is placed on one location of the user's body, said first electrode overlays a first nerve underneath the electrode array but not a second nerve underneath the electrode array and said second electrode overlays the second nerve underneath the electrode array but not the first nerve underneath the electrode array;
• whereby, the first electrode activates the first nerve during the first phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse and the second electrode activates the second nerve during the second phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse.

A method for providing transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy to a user, said method comprising:

• providing a stimulation unit for generating asymmetric biphasic electrical pulses, wherein the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulses are generated by creating a voltage difference between an anode voltage and a cathode voltage, and the amount of electrical charge delivered in the second phase of an asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse is larger than the amount of electrical charge delivered in the first phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse using the same anode voltage during the first and second phases of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse to deliver the same current intensity by taking advantage of the electrical charge accumulated during the first phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse;
• providing an electrode array connectable to said stimulation unit, said electrode array comprising a substrate and at least first and second electrodes, the at least first and second electrodes being mounted to said substrate with a predetermined arrangement, so that when said substrate is placed on one location of the user's body, said first electrode overlays a first nerve underneath the electrode array but not a second nerve underneath the electrode array and said second electrode overlays the second nerve underneath the electrode array but not the first nerve underneath the electrode array;
• and
• using said stimulation unit and said electrode array to apply asymmetric biphasic electrical pulses to the skin of a user, whereby, the first electrode activates the first nerve during the first phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse and the second electrode activates the second nerve during the second phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse.

A method for providing transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation therapy to a user, said method comprising:

• providing a stimulation unit for generating asymmetric biphasic electrical pulses, wherein the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulses are generated by creating a voltage difference between an anode voltage and a cathode voltage, and the amount of electrical charge delivered in the second phase of an asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse is larger than the amount of electrical charge delivered in the first phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse using the same anode voltage during the first and second phases of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse by taking advantage of the electrical charge accumulated during the first phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse;
• providing an electrode array connectable to said stimulation unit, said electrode array comprising a substrate and at least first and second electrodes, the at least first and second electrodes being mounted to said substrate with a predetermined arrangement, so that when said substrate is placed on one location of the user's body, said first electrode overlays a first nerve underneath the electrode array but not a second nerve underneath the electrode array and said second electrode overlays the second nerve underneath the electrode array but not the first nerve underneath the electrode array;
• and
• using said stimulation unit and said electrode array to apply asymmetric biphasic electrical pulses to the skin of a user, whereby, the first electrode activates the first nerve during the first phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse and the second electrode activates the second nerve during the second phase of the asymmetric biphasic electrical pulse.