Epidermal electronics to monitor repetitive stress injuries and arthritis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016015280-A1
Application number	US-201414504944-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 2, 2014
Priority date	Jul 17, 2014
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for monitoring, treating, and preventing a repetitive stress injury, arthritis or other medical condition. A system embodiment includes, but is not limited to, a deformable substrate configured to interface with a skin surface; a sensor assembly coupled to the deformable substrate, the sensor assembly including a motion sensor and a physiological sensor, the sensor assembly configured to generate one or more sense signals based on detection of a movement of a body portion by the motion sensor and a physiological parameter of the body portion by the physiological sensor; a processor operably coupled to the sensor assembly and configured to receive the one or more sense signals; and an effector operably coupled to the processor and configured to affect the body portion responsive to control by the processor.

First claim

1 . A system, comprising:
a deformable substrate configured to interface with a skin surface; a sensor assembly coupled to the deformable substrate, the sensor assembly including a motion sensor and a physiological sensor, the sensor assembly configured to generate one or more sense signals based on detection of a movement of a body portion by the motion sensor and a physiological parameter of the body portion by the physiological sensor; a processor operably coupled to the sensor assembly and configured to receive the one or more sense signals; and an effector operably coupled to the processor and configured to affect the body portion responsive to control by the processor.

2 .- 7 . (canceled)

8 . The system of claim 1 , further including a comparison module accessible by the processor to compare the detected movement of the body portion and the physiological parameter of the body portion to reference data indicative of a strain injury.

9 .- 15 . (canceled)

16 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to determine an action to be executed by the effector based upon a comparison made via the comparison module.

17 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the effector is a tactile stimulator.

18 .- 20 . (canceled)

21 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the effector is a nerve stimulator.

22 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the nerve stimulator is configured to therapeutically stimulate a nerve proximate to the body portion.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the nerve stimulator is configured to stimulate a nerve conduction of the nerve to induce at least one of a movement or a sensation of the body portion.

24 . The system of claim 23 , wherein the nerve stimulator is configured to stimulate the nerve conduction after a threshold period of time during which the body portion is retained in a particular position.

25 . The system of claim 21 , wherein the nerve stimulator is configured to electrically block a nerve conduction of a nerve proximate to the body portion.

26 .- 49 . (canceled)

50 . The system of claim 1 , further including a reporter.

51 . (canceled)

52 . (canceled)

53 . The system of claim 50 , wherein the reporter is configured to report at least one of an actuation of the effector, a detected movement of the body portion, or a detected physiological condition.

54 . (canceled)

55 . (canceled)

56 . The system of claim 50 , wherein the reporter includes a transmitter configured to transmit data to a remote location.

57 .- 78 . (canceled)

79 . The system of claim 1 , further including a second device, the second device including:
a second deformable substrate configured to interface with a second skin surface; a second sensor assembly coupled to the second deformable substrate, the second sensor assembly including a motion sensor and a physiological sensor, the second sensor assembly configured to generate one or more sense signals based on detection of a movement of a second body portion by the motion sensor of the second sensor assembly and a physiological parameter of the second body portion by the physiological sensor of the second sensor assembly; a second processor operably coupled to the second sensor assembly and configured to receive the one or more sense signals of the second sensor assembly; and a second effector operably coupled to the second processor and configured to affect the second body portion responsive to control by the second processor.

80 . The system of claim 79 , wherein the motion sensor is configured to sense the second device.

81 . The system of claim 79 , further including a communications interface between the processor and at least one component of the second device.

82 . A method, comprising:
detecting, via an epidermal electronic system (EES), at least one of a position and a movement of a body portion; generating one or more sense signals based on detection of the at least one of a position and a movement of a body portion; processing the one or more sense signals to determine a risk of inducing a repetitive stress injury; and executing an action to reduce the risk of inducing the repetitive stress injury.

83 . The method of claim 82 , wherein processing the one or more sense signals to determine a risk of inducing a repetitive stress injury includes:
comparing the one or more sense signals to reference data indicative of a strain injury to determine the risk of inducing the strain injury.

84 .- 90 . (canceled)

91 . The method of claim 83 , further including:
determining the action to execute based upon comparing the one or more sense signals to reference data indicative of a strain injury.

92 . The method of claim 82 , wherein executing an action to reduce the risk of inducing the repetitive stress injury includes:
reporting the determination of the risk of inducing the repetitive strain injury to reduce the risk.

93 .- 105 . (canceled)

106 . The method of claim 92 , wherein reporting the determination of the risk of inducing the repetitive strain injury to reduce the risk includes:
reporting at least one of an actuation of an effector configured to execute the action, a detected movement of the body portion, or a detected physiological condition.

107 . (canceled)

108 . (canceled)

109 . The method of claim 92 , wherein reporting the determination of the risk of inducing the repetitive strain injury to reduce the risk includes:
communicating the determination to a remote location.

110 .- 122 . (canceled)

123 . The method of claim 82 , wherein executing an action to reduce the risk of inducing the repetitive stress injury includes:
stimulating a nerve proximate to the body portion.

124 . The method of claim 123 , wherein stimulating a nerve proximate to the body portion includes:
inducing at least one of a movement or a sensation of the body portion by stimulating the nerve conduction of the nerve proximate to the body portion.

125 . The method of claim 124 , wherein inducing at least one of a movement or a sensation of the body portion by stimulating the nerve conduction of the nerve proximate to the body portion includes:
inducing at least one of a movement or a sensation of the body portion by stimulating a nerve conduction of the nerve after a threshold period of time during which the body portion is retained in a particular position.

126 . The method of claim 82 , wherein executing an action to reduce the risk of inducing the repetitive stress injury includes:
electrically blocking a nerve conduction of a nerve proximate to the body portion.

127 .- 134 . (canceled)

135 . The method of claim 82 , further including:
detecting, via an epidermal electronic system (EES), a physiological parameter of the body portion; and generating one or more sense signals based on detection of the physiological parameter of the body portion.

136 .- 143 . (canceled)

144 . The method of claim 82 , further including:
detecting, via an epidermal electronic system (EES), a device interfacing with at least one of the body po

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

• Hyde Roderick A
• Kare Jordin T
• Leuthardt Eric C
• Malamud Mark A
• Pan Tony S
• Sweeney Elizabeth A
• Tegreene Clarence T
• Whitmer Charles
• Wood Jr Lowell L

Classifications

• B32B2307/7166

  Water-soluble, water-dispersible · CPC title

• A61B2562/06

  Arrangements of multiple sensors of different types · CPC title

• A61B5/01

  Measuring temperature of body parts {; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue} (clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20) · CPC title

• B32B25/20

  comprising silicone rubber · CPC title

• A61B5/0816

  Measuring devices for examining respiratory frequency (measuring frequency of electric signals G01R23/00) · CPC title