Secretion clearance and cough assist
A device operates for secretion clearance and cough assistance by means of transdermal stimulation of muscle groups including the pectoralis majoris, the serratus anterior, and the abdominal muscles. The various muscle groups may be stimulated in different ways: not just different pulse trains but in addition, different stimulations to accomplish different phases of clearance or cough assistance. In a first phase a vibration action provided by the muscles (for example the pectoralis and serratus) is used to encourage the motion of mucus and other secretions within airways. In a second phase, the abdominal muscles for example might be stimulated differently so as to cause not a vibration but instead a coughing action, especially to detect and assist a natural cough. The invention further teaches a zone stimulator large enough to span and stimulate major muscles or groups of large muscles effectively.
1. A secretion clearance and cough assistance device configured for use by a patient having a body, skin, a mouth, airways, first, second, third, and fourth pairs of abdominal muscles, and chest muscles including pectoral muscles and serratus anterior muscles, such patient suffering from bodily secretions in such airways, the secretion clearance and cough assistance device comprising:
a control module having operative electrical connections to a plurality of dermal electrodes configured to be attached to such skin of such patient, whereby the control module is in communication with the dermal electrodes, the control module configured so as to be worn on such patient body;
a first one of the dermal electrodes configured to be disposed on such skin of such patient at one such chest muscle;
a second one of the dermal electrodes configured to be disposed on such skin of such patient at one such abdominal muscle;
each of the dermal electrodes configured to deliver a plurality of pulse trains to one such respective muscle;
the control module having a stimulation module operative to send a first pulse train to such chest muscle and a second pulse train to such abdominal muscle;
the first pulse train operative to stimulate such chest muscle so as to cause a first vibration of such chest muscle, the vibration of such chest muscle thereby causing a second vibration of such airways;
the second pulse train operative to stimulate such abdominal muscle so as to stimulate at least one cough;
whereby the second vibration loosens such bodily secretions in such airways and the at least one cough moves such bodily secretions toward such mouth of such patient.
2. The secretion clearance and cough assistance device of claim 1 , configured for use with a shirt worn on such body by such patient, wherein:
the control module, the dermal electrodes and the operative electrical connections are configured so as to be worn on such body concealed within such shirt, and the secretion clearance and cough assistance device further comprising a garment distinct from such shirt:
the garment configured to be worn about such body by such patient, with the garment concealed within such shirt, and the garment concealing within itself the control module, dermal electrodes and operative electrical connections.
3. The secretion clearance and cough assistance device of claim 2 , further comprising:
a third one of the dermal electrodes configured to be disposed on such skin of such patient at a second such abdominal muscle;
a fourth one of the dermal electrodes configured to be disposed on such skin of such patient at a third such abdominal muscle;
a fifth one of the dermal electrodes configured to be disposed on such skin of such patient at a fourth such abdominal muscle;
the control module further operative to send the second pulse train to such second, third and fourth abdominal muscles.
4. The secretion clearance and cough assistance device of claim 3 , further comprising:
a sixth one of the dermal electrodes configured to be disposed on such skin of such patient at a second such chest muscle;
a seventh one of the dermal electrodes configured to be disposed on such skin of such patient at a third such chest muscle;
an eighth one of the dermal electrodes configured to be disposed on such skin of such patient at a fourth such chest muscle;
the control module further operative to send the first pulse train to such second, third and fourth chest muscles.
5. The secretion clearance and cough assistance device of claim 4 , the first pulse train further comprising:
a first group of pulses consisting of a plurality of individual pulses increasing in amplitude with time, the first group of pulses having a duration of 20 to 80 ms;
a first time out period of 20 ms-250 ms during which no pulses are sent;
repetitions of the first group of pulses and the first time out period for a vibration time period.
6. The secretion clearance and cough assistance device of claim 4 , the second pulse train further comprising:
a second group of pulses consisting of a plurality of individual pulses increasing in amplitude with time, the second group of pulses having a duration of 500 ms to 900 ms;
a second time out period of 2 to 3 seconds during which no pulses are sent;
repetitions of the second group of pulses and the second time out period for a cough assist time period defined to last either until an autonomic cough occurs or for a period of time of no more than 10 seconds.
7. The secretion clearance and cough assistance device of claim 6 , further comprising:
at least one cough sensor, the cough sensor in operative communication with the control module, the cough sensor configured to be disposed on such skin of such patient;
the control module further comprising an analysis module operative to receive a data from the cough sensor and analyze the data to determine if such patient is exhibiting an autonomic cough and if such patient is exhibiting an autonomic cough, the control module further operative to send the first pulse train.
8. The secretion clearance and cough assistance device of claim 7 , further comprising:
an RF communication module;
the control module having a non-volatile memory and a central processor unit, the analysis module stored in the non-volatile memory, the control module having a start button operative to activate the secretion clearance and cough assistance device to begin an operating cycle, using a first set of preset operating parameters also stored in the non-volatile memory;
a mobile device having an operative RF connection to the RF communication module of the control module and further having a touch screen operative to display a set of data collected by the device and enable control of the secretion clearance and cough assistance device;
the start button further operative to establish the operative RF connection to the mobile device;
the mobile device having a module operative to provide wireless control of the operation of the control module;
the mobile device operative to collect data, provide for wireless setup and wireless maintenance of the secretion clearance and cough assistance device.
9. The secretion clearance and cough assistance device of claim 8 , wherein the mobile device is operative to provide control of the control module by one mode selected from the group consisting of: manual control input to the mobile device and the control module, manual control input to the mobile device and from the mobile device to the control module, adaptive heuristic control by an artificial intelligence module loaded in the mobile device and the control module, adaptive heuristic control by an artificial intelligence module loaded in the mobile device and from the mobile device to the control module, remote control from a remote location via communication with the mobile device and from the mobile device to the control module, and combinations thereof.
10. A method of secretion clearance and cough assistance configured for use by a patient having skin, a mouth, airways, first, second, third, and fourth pairs of abdominal muscles, and chest muscles including pectoral muscles and serratus anterior muscles, such patient suffering from bodily secretions in such airways, the secretion clearance and cough assistance, comprising the steps of:
sending a first pulse train controlled by a first set of parameters to a first electrode configured to be disposed on such skin of such patient at one such chest muscle, the first pulse train operative to stimulate such chest muscle so as to cause a first vibration of such chest muscle, the vibration of such chest muscle thereby causing a second vibration of such airways;
whereby such second vibration loosens such bodily secretions in such airways;
sending a second pulse train to a second electrode configured to be disposed on such skin of such patient at a first such abdominal muscle, the second pulse train operative to stimulate such abdominal muscle so as to stimulate at least one assisted cough;
whereby the at least one assisted cough moves such bodily secretions toward such mouth of such patient.
11. The method of secretion clearance and cough assistance of claim 10 , further comprising:
monitoring such patient and sending a data set to an analysis module;
determining by means of the analysis module when such patient is exhibiting an autonomic cough and when such patient is exhibiting an autonomic cough, sending the first pulse train.
12. The method of secretion clearance and cough assistance of claim 11 , further comprising:
wirelessly accessing the analysis module from a remote location; and
providing the data set to the remote location.
13. The method of secretion clearance and cough assistance of claim 12 , further comprising:
wirelessly altering the first set of parameters from the remote location.
14. A secretion clearance and cough assistance device configured for use by a patient having a body, skin, a mouth, airways, first, second, third, and fourth pairs of abdominal muscles, and chest muscles including pectoral muscles and serratus anterior muscles, such patient suffering from bodily secretions in such airways, the secretion clearance and cough assistance device comprising:
a control module having operative electrical connections to a plurality of zone group stimulators configured to be attached to such skin of such patient, whereby the control module is in communication with the zone group stimulators, the control module small enough to be worn on such patient body;
a first one of the zone group stimulators configured to be disposed on such skin of such patient at at least one such chest muscle;
a second one of the zone group stimulators configured to be disposed on such skin of such patient at at least one such abdominal muscle;
each of the zone group stimulators configured to deliver a plurality of pulse trains to one such respective muscle;
the control module having a stimulation module operative to send a first pulse train to such chest muscle and a second pulse train to such abdominal muscle;
the first pulse train operative to stimulate such chest muscle so as to cause a first vibration of such chest muscle, the vibration of such chest muscle thereby causing a second vibration of such airways;
the second pulse train operative to stimulate such abdominal muscle so as to stimulate at least one cough;
whereby the second vibration loosens such bodily secretions in such airways and the at least one cough moves such bodily secretions toward such mouth of such patient.
15. The secretion clearance and cough assistance device of claim 14 , the first pulse train further comprising:
a first group of pulses consisting of a plurality of individual pulses increasing in amplitude with time, the first group of pulses having a duration of 20 to 80 ms;
a first time out period of 20 ms-250 ms during which no pulses are sent;
repetitions of the first group of pulses and the first time out period for a vibration time period;
the second pulse train further comprising:
a second group of pulses consisting of a plurality of individual pulses increasing in amplitude with time, the second group of pulses having a duration of 500 ms to 900 ms;
a second time out period of 2 to 3 seconds during which no pulses are sent;
repetitions of the second group of pulses and the second time out period for a cough assist time period defined to last either until an autonomic cough occurs or for a period of time of no more than 10 seconds.