SYNERGISTIC MUSCLE ACTIVATION DEVICE
A system for delivering energy to a patient includes a stimulation pad including a first pair of electrodes adapted to be positioned on the patient and deliver energy to the patient, a second pair of electrodes adapted to be positioned on the patient and deliver energy to the patient, and a third pair of electrodes adapted to be positioned on the patient and deliver energy to the patient. The system further includes a stimulation control unit in communication with the first pair of electrodes, the second pair of electrodes, and the third pair of electrodes. The stimulation control unit, in a first time period, controls (i) the first pair of electrodes to take on a positive charge, (ii) the second pair of electrodes to take on a negative charge relative to the first pair of electrodes, and (iii) the third pair of electrodes to be neutral.
1 . A system for delivering energy to a patient, the system comprising:
a stimulation pad comprising:
a first pair of electrodes adapted to be positioned on the patient and deliver energy to the patient,
a second pair of electrodes adapted to be positioned on the patient and deliver energy to the patient, and
a third pair of electrodes adapted to be positioned on the patient and deliver energy to the patient; and
a stimulation control unit in communication with the first pair of electrodes, the second pair of electrodes, and the third pair of electrodes, the stimulation control unit configured to:
in a first time period, control: (i) the first pair of electrodes to take on a positive charge, (ii) the second pair of electrodes to take on a negative charge relative to the first pair of electrodes, and (iii) the third pair of electrodes to be neutral, and
in a second time period subsequent to the first time period, control: (i) the first pair of electrodes to be neutral, (ii) the second pair of electrodes to take on a positive charge, and (iii) the third pair of electrodes to take on a negative charge relative to the second pair of electrodes.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the second pair of electrodes is disposed between the first pair of electrodes and the third pair of electrodes.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the stimulation control unit is further configured such that a time lapsed from a start of the first time period to an end of the second time period is less than one second.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the second pair of electrodes is less than a distance between the first pair of electrodes.
5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the distance between the second pair of electrodes is less than a distance between the third pair of electrodes.
6 . The system of claim 4 , wherein a distance between the third pair of electrodes is less than the distance between the first pair of electrodes.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein a distance between the first pair of electrodes, a distance between the second pair of electrodes, and a distance between the third pair of electrodes are all equal.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the stimulation pad further comprises a fourth pair of electrodes adapted to be positioned on the patient and deliver energy to the patient;
the first pair of electrodes is separated by a first distance;
the second pair of electrodes is separated by a second distance;
the third pair of electrodes is separated by a third distance;
the fourth pair of electrodes is separated by a fourth distance; and
the first distance, the second distance, the third distance, and the fourth distance are all equal.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the stimulation pad further comprises:
a cooling region adapted to be positioned on the patient and cool a first portion of the patient; and
a heating region adapted to be positioned on the patient and heat a second portion of the patient.
10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the first pair of electrodes, the second pair of electrodes, the third pair of electrodes, the cooling region, and the heating region do not overlap.
11 . The system of claim 9 , further comprising a second cooling region adapted to be positioned on the patient and cool a third portion of the patient;
wherein the heating region is disposed between the cooling region and the second cooling region.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first pair of electrodes, the second pair of electrodes, and the third pair of electrodes are disposed between the cooling region and the second cooling region.
13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the stimulation control unit is further configured to:
generate a first energy waveform having a first frequency and a second energy waveform having a second frequency;
combine the first energy waveform and the second energy waveform into a combined signal; and
deliver the combined signal to the first pair of electrodes and the second pair of electrodes.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the first energy waveform is a pain-relieving energy waveform and the second energy waveform is a muscle-activating energy waveform; and
the pain-relieving energy waveform is higher in repetition frequency and lower in amplitude than the muscle-activating energy waveform.
15 . The system of claim 13 , wherein:
the first energy waveform comprises a first set of pulses and the second energy waveform comprises a second set of pulses; and
the first set of pulses have a lower amplitude and a higher frequency than the second set of pulses.
16 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the first frequency is different than the second frequency.
17 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the combined signal is a multiplexed signal.
18 . The system of claim 13 , wherein the stimulation control unit is configured to deliver the combined signal to the first pair of electrodes and the second pair of electrodes simultaneously.
19 . A method for delivering energy to a patient, the method comprising:
in a first time period, controlling, by a stimulation control unit:
a first pair of electrodes to take on a positive charge, the first pair of electrodes adapted to be positioned on the patient and deliver energy to the patient,
a second pair of electrodes to take on a negative charge relative to the first pair of electrodes, the second pair of electrodes adapted to be positioned on the patient and deliver energy to the patient, and
a third pair of electrodes to be neutral, the third pair of electrodes adapted to be positioned on the patient and deliver energy to the patient; and
in a second time period subsequent to the first time period, controlling, by the stimulation control unit:
the first pair of electrodes to be neutral,
the second pair of electrodes to take on a positive charge, and
the third pair of electrodes to take on a negative charge relative to the second pair of electrodes.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein a time lapsed between a start of the first time period and an end of the second time period is less than one second.