Monitoring and treating pain with epidermal electronics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017136264-A1
Application number	US-201615361953-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 28, 2016
Priority date	Jul 17, 2014
Publication date	May 18, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for monitoring, treating, and preventing a pain state of an individual. In an aspect, a system includes, but is not limited to, a deformable substrate; 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 the body portion by the motion sensor and a physiological parameter of the body portion by the physiological sensor; a processor including circuitry configured to identify a physiological state of the individual subject based on at least one of the movement of the body portion or the physiological parameter; 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 of a body portion of an individual subject; 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 the 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, the processor including circuitry configured to identify a physiological state of the individual subject based on at least one of the movement of the body portion or the physiological parameter; and an effector operably coupled to the processor and configured to affect the body portion responsive to control by the processor.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sense signals are indicative of a pain state.

3 . (canceled)

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the effector includes at least one ultrasound transducer.

5 .- 10 . (canceled)

11 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one ultrasound transducer is configured to generate ultrasound signals according to at least a first treatment pattern and a second treatment pattern.

12 . (canceled)

13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first treatment pattern differs from the second treatment pattern according to at least one of a target site of the body portion of the individual subject or a target depth of the body portion of the individual subject.

14 . (canceled)

15 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one ultrasound transducer includes a first ultrasound transducer configured for placement on a first location on the body portion of the individual subject and a second ultrasound transducer configured for placement on a second location on the body portion of the individual subject.

16 .- 82 . (canceled)

83 . The system of claim 1 , further including a comparison module accessible by the processor to compare at least one of the detected movement of the body portion or the physiological parameter of the body portion to reference data indicative of a pain state.

84 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to activate the effector to affect the body portion responsive to the physiological state corresponding to a pain state experienced by the individual subject.

85 .- 105 . (canceled)

106 . The system of claim 1 , further including at least one of a receiver or a transceiver configured to receive one or more communication signals from an external device.

107 .- 115 . (canceled)

116 . The system of claim 1 , further including a nerve sensor configured to identify a nerve target for action by the effector.

117 .- 153 . (canceled)

154 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one ultrasound transducer includes at least one of an array of ultrasound transducers, an ultrasound transducer configured to generate low intensity ultrasound signals, an ultrasound transducer configured to generate high intensity focused ultrasound signals, an ultrasound transducer configured to generate low dose, high frequency ultrasound signals, an ultrasound transducer configured to generate ultrasound signals on a pulsed basis, or an ultrasound transducer configured to generate ultrasound signals on a continuous basis.

155 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the effector includes at least one of an electrode, a magnetic stimulator, an optical stimulator, a thermal stimulator, an acoustic stimulator, a mechanical stimulator, or a vibration stimulator.

156 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the physiological sensor includes at least one of an electrophysiological sensor, an electrocardiograph, an electrooculography, a microneurograph, a myograph, an electromyograph (EMG), a surface electromyography, an acoustic myography sensor, a mechanomyography sensor, an accelerometer myography sensor, a strain sensor, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor, an optical sensor, a light emitting diode (LED), a fiber optic sensor, a flexible photonic sensor, an oximeter, a near infrared sensor, a skin conductance sensor, a bioimpedance sensor, a pH sensor, an acoustic sensor, or a chemical sensor.

157 . The system of claim 156 , wherein the physiological sensor includes the pressure sensor, and wherein at least one of the physiological sensor or the processor includes circuitry configured to determine at least one of a risk of prolonged pressure exerted on the body portion or a risk of ischemia for the body portion.

158 . The system of claim 156 , wherein the physiological sensor includes the chemical sensor, and wherein the chemical sensor is configured to detect at least one of a saccharide, a salt, lactate, an electrolyte, a hormone, a neuropeptide, a peptide, a protein, a nucleotide, an inflammatory mediator, or a pro-inflammatory cytokine.

159 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to activate the effector to affect the body portion responsive to at least one of a predetermined amount of movement of the body portion, a predetermined type of movement of the body portion, or a predetermined velocity of movement of the body portion.

160 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor assembly is configured to generate one or more identity sense signals associated with at least one physical characteristic of the individual subject, wherein the at least one physical characteristic includes at least one of a skin topography feature, a pattern of a skin surface, a follicle pattern, an electric current pattern, a photovoltaic current pattern, a vascular pattern, or a skin resistivity measurement, and wherein the processor is configured to permit operation of one or more of the sensor assembly or the effector only when the one or more identity sense signals correspond to an authorized individual.

161 . The system of claim 1 , further including a user interface, wherein the processor is operably coupled to the user interface and is configured to generate one or more communication signals for display by the user interface, wherein the one or more communication signals include a request for user input regarding an operation state of the effector, and wherein the processor is configured to at least one of prevent activation of the effector responsive to a user command via the user interface or to activate the effector responsive to a user command via the user interface.

162 . The system of claim 106 , wherein the processor is configured to at least one of activate the effector to affect the body portion responsive to the one or more communication signals from the external device or prevent activation of the effector responsive to the one or more communication signals from the external device.

163 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a rest state of the body portion based upon the one or more sense signals, and wherein the processor is configured to activate the effector to affect the body portion only when the body portion is at rest.

Assignees

• Elwha Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• A61B5/0036

  including treatment, e.g., using an implantable medical device, ablating, ventilating · CPC title

• G16H40/63

  for local operation · CPC title

• A61B5/1121 Primary

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

• B32B2535/00

  Medical equipment, e.g. bandage, prostheses or catheter · CPC title

• A61B5/024

  Measuring pulse rate or heart rate · CPC title