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US 6,959,216 B2Granted
Electronic muscle pump
AssigneeUniversity of Connecticut
InventorPouran D. Faghri
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An electronic muscle pump includes an ankle position sensor which provides an initiation signal when a patient's foot is mal-positioned relative to the leg. A controller has a sequencer and an exercise mode selector switch. The exercise mode selector switch closes a signal path between the ankle position sensor and the sequencer in the off position and opens the signal path in the on position. The sequencer is switched from an off condition to an on condition when the initiation signal is received for a predetermined period of time and is repetitively switched between the on and off conditions a predetermined number of times when the exercise mode selector switch is in the on position. A functional electrical stimulator provides a stimulation current to one or more muscles, via electrodes, when the sequencer is in the on condition.
Claims19
An electronic muscle pump comprising:
- a controller including a sequencer switchable between an on condition and an off condition, the sequencer providing a low level output signal in the on condition and a high level output signal in the off condition;
- a functional electrical stimulator including
- a ramp generator in electrical communication with the sequencer, the ramp generator producing a direct current output voltage having a value which ramps linearly from a zero level to a predetermined operating level on receipt of the low level output signal from the sequencer and which ramps linearly from the operating level to the zero level on receipt of the high level output signal from the sequencer,
- a pulse generator providing a pulse signal,
- a chopper in electrical communication with the ramp generator and the pulse generator, the chopper chopping the direct current output voltage of the ramp generator into a plurality of output pulses defining a frequency, each of the output pulses having a pulse width and an amplitude, the frequency and pulse width being determined by the pulse signal from the pulse generator, the amplitude being equal to the level of the direct current output voltage, and
- a current generator in electrical communication with the chopper, the current generator providing a stimulation current having a magnitude variable between a zero stimulation value and a high stimulation value, the magnitude of the stimulation current being inverse to the amplitude of the output pulses;
- an ankle position sensor in electrical communication with the sequencer, the ankle position sensor being adapted for providing a position signal proportional to the position of a foot relative to a leg and selectively switching the sequencer from the off condition to the on condition, and
- a plurality of electrodes adapted for transmitting the stimulation current to one or more muscles;
- wherein the controller includes an ankle position threshold generator providing a reference signal and a comparator in electrical communication with the ankle position threshold generator and the ankle position sensor, the comparator comparing the position signal to the reference signal and sending an initiation signal to the sequencer when the position signal and the reference signal are in a predetermined relationship,
- wherein the ankle position sensor includes a linear potentiometer having a housing adapted for mounting to a patient's leg and a potentiometer shaft adapted for connection to the foot extending from the leg, whereby relative movement between the foot and the leg changes the electrical resistance of the potentiometer, and
- wherein the ankle position sensor includes a sensing wire and a tension take-up spring, the potentiometer shaft, the sensing wire, and the tension take-up spring each having oppositely disposed first and second ends, the first end of the sensing wire being adapted for mounting to the patient's foot, the first and second ends of the tension take-up spring being mounted to the second end of the sensing wire and the first end of the potentiometer shaft, respectively, and the tension take-up spring absorbing any tension resulting from relative movement between the patient's foot and leg which would urge the potentiometer shaft beyond a mechanical limit of motion.
8 more elements
An electronic muscle pump comprising:
- an ankle position sensor adapted for providing an initiation signal when a patient's foot is mal-positioned relative to the leg;
- a controller including
- a sequencer switchable between an on condition and an off condition, the sequencer being switched to the on condition on receiving the initiation signal from the ankle position sensor and
- an exercise mode selector switch selectively switchable between on and off positions, the exercise mode selector switch closing a signal path between the ankle position sensor and the sequencer in the off position and opening the signal path in the on position;
- a functional electrical stimulator providing a stimulation current when the sequencer is in the on condition;
- and
- a plurality of electrodes adapted for transmitting the stimulation current to one or more muscles;
- wherein the sequencer repetitively switches between the on and off conditions when the exercise mode selector switch is in the on position.
5 more elements
An electronic muscle pump comprising:
- a controller including a sequencer switchable between an on condition and an off condition, the sequencer providing a low level output signal in the on condition and a high level output signal in the off condition;
- a functional electrical stimulator including
- a ramp generator in electrical communication with the sequencer, the ramp generator producing a direct current output voltage having a value which ramps linearly from a zero level to a predetermined operating level on receipt of the low level output signal from the sequencer and which ramps linearly from the operating level to the zero level on receipt of the high level output signal from the sequencer,
- a pulse generator providing a pulse signal,
- a chopper in electrical communication with the ramp generator and the pulse generator, the chopper chopping the direct current output voltage of the ramp generator into a plurality of output pulses defining a frequency, each of the output pulses having a pulse width and an amplitude, the frequency and pulse width being determined by the pulse signal from the pulse generator, the amplitude being equal to the level of the direct current output voltage, and
- a current generator in electrical communication with the chopper, the current generator providing a stimulation current having a magnitude variable between a zero stimulation value and a high stimulation value, the magnitude of the stimulation current being inverse to the amplitude of the output pulses;
- and
- a plurality of electrodes adapted for transmitting the stimulation current to one or more muscles;
- wherein the ankle position sensor is in electrical communication with the sequencer, the ankle position sensor being adapted for providing a position signal proportional to the position of a foot relative to a leg and selectively switching the sequencer from the off condition to the on condition;
- and
- wherein the controller further includes an exercise mode selector switch selectively switchable between on and off positions, the exercise mode selector switch enabling the ankle position sensor in the off position and disabling the ankle position sensor in the on position, the sequencer repetitively switching between the on and off conditions a predetermined number of times when the exercise mode selector switch is in the on position.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.