Garment system including at least one therapeutic stimulation delivery device and related methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10456604-B2
Application number	US-201715434474-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 16, 2017
Priority date	Aug 26, 2014
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a garment system including a flexible compression garment, at least one sensor, and at least one therapeutic stimulation delivery device operable responsive to sensing feedback from the at least one sensor, effective to provide therapeutic radiation to a body part of a subject. Embodiments disclosed herein also relate to methods of using such garment systems.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for delivering therapeutic stimulation to a subject, the system comprising:
at least one flexible compression garment configured to be worn on at least one body part of the subject, the at least one flexible compression garment defining an interior space configured to receive the at least one body part;
one or more sensors positioned and configured to sense at least one characteristic of the at least one body part that is related to at least one of movement or a physiological state of the at least one body part, the one or more sensors further configured to output one or more sensing signals indicative of the at least one characteristic;
an array of therapeutic stimulation delivery devices (“TSDDs”) positioned and configured to dynamically apply therapeutic radiation to the at least one body part;
a controller operably coupled to the one or more sensors to receive the one or more sensing signals therefrom and to the array of TSDDs, the controller including control electrical circuitry configured to direct the array of TSDDs to dynamically apply the therapeutic radiation to a region of the at least one body part responsive to one or more sensing signals.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flexible compression garment is formed at least partially from at least one of neoprene, nylon, synthetic rubber, or fabric.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one flexible compression garment includes a portion that is substantially tubular and configured to generally conform to the at least one body part, wherein the at least one body part includes at least a portion of an arm, at least a portion of an elbow, at least a portion of a forearm, at least a portion of a wrist, at least a portion of a hand, at least a portion of a finger, at least a portion of a thigh, at least a portion of a knee, at least a portion of a lower leg, at least a portion of a foot, at least a portion of a toe, at least a portion of a neck, at least a portion of a head, at least a portion of a back, at least a portion of a spine, or at least a portion of a chest.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the at least one body part that is related to at least one of movement or a physiological state of the at least one body part includes at least one of nerve activity of at least one tissue in the region, an internal temperature of the region, an external temperature, blood flow in the region, tissue oxygenation in the region, a strain on the at least one body part, a conductance in the region, an impedance in the region, a pH in a body fluid in the region, a chemical composition of a physiological analyte in the region, an acoustic emission from tissue in the region, biochemical activity in the region, changes of any of the foregoing exceeding a threshold value, or cessation of any of the foregoing for a duration longer than a selected duration of time.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic of the at least one body part that is related to at least one of movement or a physiological state of the at least one body part includes one or more of motion of the subject, motion of one or more limbs of the subject, a stationary condition of the subject, or a stationary condition of one or more limbs of the subject.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors are configured to sense characteristics indicative of onset of muscle activity, muscular fatigue, conclusion of muscle activity, a threshold level of muscle activity in the region, or pain, and wherein the control electrical circuitry is configured to direct the at least one of the array of TSDDs to selectively initiate, terminate, or alter application of the therapeutic radiation to the at least one body part.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of an electrophysiological sensor, a myography sensor, a thermal sensor, a blood flow sensor, an oxygenation sensor, a chemical sensor, a motion sensor, a strain sensor, an electrode, a bioimpedance sensor, a pH sensor, or an acoustic sensor.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the acoustic sensor is configured to stimulate the region of the at least one body part with acoustic radiation and receive reflected acoustic radiation responsive thereto.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein each of the acoustic radiation and the reflected acoustic radiation includes ultrasonic radiation.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the array of TSDDs includes an array of ultrasound transducers each of which is configured to apply therapeutic ultrasonic radiation to the at least one body part.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein each ultrasound transducer of the of the array of ultrasound transducers is configured to apply the therapeutic ultrasonic radiation to the at least one body part effective to control a temperature of at least a region of the at least one body part, block one or more nerve signals, administer a medicament, or activate a medicament.

12. The system of claim 10 , wherein each ultrasound transducer of the of the array of ultrasound transducers is configured to apply the therapeutic ultrasonic radiation to a common region in the at least one body part effective to control a temperature of the common region, collectively block one or more nerve signals, administer a medicament, or activate a medicament.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one ultrasound transducer of the array of ultrasound transducers is configured to emit low frequency ultrasonic radiation.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one ultrasound transducer of the array of ultrasound transducers is configured to emit high intensity ultrasonic radiation.

15. The system of claim 10 , wherein the array of ultrasound transducers are configured to emit a plurality of pulses of acoustic radiation.

16. The system of claim 10 , wherein the array of ultrasound transducers are configured to continuously emit acoustic radiation.

17. The system of claim 10 , wherein the array of ultrasound transducers are configured to emit a plurality of frequencies of acoustic radiation.

18. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one ultrasound transducer of the array of ultrasound transducers is configured to emit a wavelength, a frequency, or an intensity of the therapeutic ultrasonic radiation effective to alter or maintain a temperature of a portion of the at least one body part.

19. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one ultrasound transducer of the array of ultrasound transducers is configured to emit the therapeutic ultrasonic radiation to a first region of the at least one body part and at least another ultrasound transducer of the array of ultrasound transducers is configured to emit therapeutic ultrasonic radiation to a second region of the at least one body part.

20. The system of claim 10 , wherein at least one ultrasound transducer of the array of ultrasound transducers is configured to emit a first therapeutic ultrasonic radiation having one or more of a first wavelength, a first frequency, or a first intensity, and at least another ultrasound transducer of the array of ultrasound transducers is configured to emit one or more of at least a second therapeutic ultrasonic radiation having at least a second wavelength, at least a second frequency, or at least a second intensity differing from one or more of the first wavelength, the first frequency, or the first intensity.

21. The system of claim 20 , wherein the firs

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Cheatham Iii Jesse R
• Hyde Roderick A
• Ishikawa Muriel Y
• Kare Jordin T
• Leuthardt Eric C
• Mankin Max N
• Myhrvold Nathan P
• Pan Tony S
• Petroski Robert C
• Sweeney Elizabeth A
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Touran Nicholas W
• Urzhumov Yaroslav A
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L
• Wood Victoria Y H

Classifications

• A61N2007/0078

  with multiple treatment transducers · CPC title

• A61N2007/0021

  Neural system treatment · CPC title

• A61N2/008

  for pain treatment or analgesia · CPC title

• A61N2/002

  in combination with another treatment · CPC title

• A61F2007/0096

  with a thermometer · CPC title