Neuromuscular stimulation cuff

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9884178-B2
Application number	US-201314649025-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 5, 2013
Priority date	Dec 5, 2012
Publication date	Feb 6, 2018
Grant date	Feb 6, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure describes systems, methods, and devices for performing thought-controlled neuromuscular stimulation. Also described are methods for producing a neuromuscular stimulation cuff. The systems and methods generally relate to receiving and processing thought signals indicative of an intended action, and then delivering stimulation to effectuate the intended action through a neuromuscular stimulation cuff. The neuromuscular stimulation cuff includes a flexible printed circuit board having at least one finger and a plurality of electrogel discs disposed on the at least one finger. The neuromuscular stimulation cuff may be produced as described herein. The neuromuscular stimulation cuff employs a flexible multi-electrode design which allows for reanimation of complex muscle movements in a patient, including individual finger movement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for neuromuscular stimulation, comprising:
a flexible printed circuit board having a fork and a plurality of fingers, each finger having a plurality of electrogel discs disposed thereon, wherein the fork connects all of the fingers together at one end; and
a rigidizer, the plurality of fingers extending between the fork and the rigidizer.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes an etched conductive circuit layer.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes a polyimide base material.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible printed circuit board includes a coverlay layer.

5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each electrogel disc of each finger is independently electrically connected to the rigidizer.

6. The device according to claim 5 , wherein the rigidizer interfaces with a neural processing device.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each electrogel disc of the plurality of electrogel discs comprises an electrode and a hydrogel disc covering the electrode.

8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein each finger of the plurality of fingers comprises a base layer, an etched conductive circuit layer, and a coverlay layer.

9. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the etched conductive circuit layer is located adjacent to the surface of the base layer, and the coverlay layer is located adjacent to the etched conductive circuit layer.

10. The device according to claim 8 , wherein the etched conductive circuit layer comprises a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of connective traces, and the coverlay layer covers the plurality of connective traces and a portion of each of the plurality of electrodes.

11. The device according to claim 10 , wherein the portion of each of the plurality of electrodes not covered by the coverlay layer is plated with a conductive metal.

12. The device according to claim 1 , wherein at least two adjacent fingers of the plurality of fingers are connected by a webbing.

13. The device according to claim 1 , further including a plurality of headers, each header connected to one of the fingers.

14. The device according to claim 13 , wherein each of the plurality of headers is also connected to the rigidizer.

15. The device according to claim 13 , wherein each header is thinner than each finger.

16. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible printed circuit further comprises a silkscreen layer.

Assignees

• Battelle Memorial Institute

Inventors

• Bouton Chad E
• Friend Jeffrey

Classifications

• A61N1/0452

  Specially adapted for transcutaneous muscle stimulation [TMS] · CPC title

• H05K3/10

  in which conductive material is applied to the insulating support in such a manner as to form the desired conductive pattern · CPC title

• A61N1/36031

  using physiological parameters for adjustment · CPC title

• A61N1/0456

  Specially adapted for transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation [TENS] · CPC title

• A61N1/0492

  Patch electrodes (A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence) · CPC title