Epidermal electronics to monitor repetitive stress injuries and arthritis

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016015972-A1
Application number	US-201414504954-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 first system including: 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; a second system 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; and a communications interface between the first system and the second system, wherein the first system and the second system are configured to provide one or more communication signals to the respective other of the first system and the second system via the communications interface.

2 .- 8 . (canceled)

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

10 .- 16 . (canceled)

17 . The system of claim 9 , wherein at least one of the processor and the second processor is configured to determine an action to be executed by at least one of the effector and the second effector based upon a comparison made via the comparison module.

18 .- 21 . (canceled)

22 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the effector and the second effector is a nerve stimulator.

23 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the nerve stimulator is configured to therapeutically stimulate a nerve proximate to at least one of the body portion and the second body portion.

24 . The system of claim 23 , 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 at least one of the body portion and the second body portion.

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

26 . The system of claim 22 , wherein the nerve stimulator is configured to electrically block a nerve conduction of a nerve proximate to at least one of the body portion and the second body portion.

27 .- 52 . (canceled)

53 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the communications interface includes a reporter.

54 . (canceled)

55 . (canceled)

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

57 . (canceled)

58 . (canceled)

59 . The system of claim 53 , wherein the reporter includes a transmitter configured to transmit data to a remote location.

60 .- 80 . (canceled)

81 . A method, comprising:
detecting, via an epidermal electronic system (EES), at least one of a position of a body portion, a movement of the body portion, a position of a second epidermal electronic system (EES), and a movement of the second EES; generating one or more sense signals based on detection of the at least one of a position of a body portion, a movement of the body portion, a position of a second epidermal electronic system (EES), and a movement of the second EES; 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.

82 . The method of claim 81 , 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.

83 .- 89 . (canceled)

90 . The method of claim 82 , further including:
determining the action to execute based upon comparing the one or more sense signals to reference data indicative of a strain injury.

91 . The method of claim 81 , 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.

92 .- 104 . (canceled)

105 . The method of claim 91 , 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.

106 . (canceled)

107 . (canceled)

108 . The method of claim 91 , 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.

109 .- 121 . (canceled)

122 . The method of claim 81 , wherein executing an action to reduce the risk of inducing the repetitive stress injury includes:
stimulating a nerve proximate to the body portion.

123 . The method of claim 122 , 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.

124 . The method of claim 123 , 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.

125 . The method of claim 81 , wherein executing an action to reduce the risk of inducing the repetitive stress injury includes:
electrically blocking a nerve conduction of a ner

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

• H02J7/42

  with electronic devices having internal batteries, e.g. mobile phones · CPC title

• A61B5/1121

  Determining geometric values, e.g. centre of rotation or angular range of movement · CPC title

• A61B5/1116

  Determining posture transitions · CPC title

• A61B5/4585

  Evaluating the knee · CPC title

• A61B5/0022 Primary

  Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet · CPC title