Granted Patent B2

US 12,727,786 · App. 15/811,219 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Inventors: Xuan Kong (Acton, MA); Martin J. Moynihan (Waltham, MA); Shai N. Gozani (Brookline, MA)

Assignee: Neurometrix, Inc.

A61B5/112A61B5/1038A61B5/1118A61B5/4023A61B5/6885A61N1/0456A61N1/36021A61B5/6828A61B2562/0219A61N1/025A61N1/0484A61N1/36031A61N1/36034

Abstract

Claims (31)

1 . A stimulation device for treating pain in a user:

a wearable component comprising a housing configured for removable attachment to an outer skin surface of a of a user;

an electrode disposed on, or within, the housing of the wearable component;

a motion sensor disposed on, or within, the housing of the wearable component and configured for detecting one or more motion parameters of the user;

an energy source disposed within the housing of the wearable component and coupled to the electrode and configured to generate a plurality of electrical impulses and to transmit the electrical impulses transcutaneously from the electrode through the outer skin surface of the user to a target nerve within the user, wherein the electrical impulses are sufficient to stimulate one or more sensory nerves within the user to reduce a level of pain within the user; and

a controller coupled to the motion sensor and the energy source and configured to adjust a stimulation parameter of the electrical impulses based on the one or more motion parameters.

2 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more motion parameters comprise a gait characteristic of the user.

3 . The device of claim 2 , wherein the gait characteristic of the user comprises a coefficient of variation of a sequence of stride durations of the user.

4 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more motion parameters comprises a balance function of the user.

5 . The device of claim 4 , wherein the balance function of the user is measured by at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: (i) body sway amplitude, (ii) body sway frequency, and (iii) body sway path distance.

6 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the one or more motion parameters comprise an activity level of a user.

7 . The device of claim 6 , wherein the activity level of the user comprises one or more of a number of strides taken by the use, an amount of time walked by the user and an average cadence of the user.

8 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the stimulation parameter comprises one of an amplitude, a pulse width and a pulse frequency of the electrical impulses.

9 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the electrical impulses are generated and transmitted according to a treatment regimen, wherein the stimulation parameter comprises a duration of the treatment regimen.

10 . The device of claim 1 , wherein the wearable component comprises a strap having a first end and a second end configured for removable coupling to the first end for removable attachment to a limb of the user.

11 . A method for treating pain in a user:

contacting an outer skin surface of a user with an electrode;

attaching the electrode to the outer surface with a wearable component comprising a housing;

applying at least one electrical impulse to the electrode;

transmitting the electrical impulse through the outer skin surface to a target nerve within the user, wherein the electrical impulses are sufficient to stimulate one or more sensory nerves within the user to reduce a level of pain within the user;

detecting one or more motion parameters of the user with a sensor disposed on, or within, the housing of the wearable component; and

adjusting a stimulation parameter of the electrical impulses based on the one or more motion parameters.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more motion parameters comprise a gait characteristic of the user.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the gait characteristic of the user comprises a coefficient of variation of a sequence of stride durations of the user.

14 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more motion parameters comprises a balance function of the user.

15 . The method of claim 14 , wherein the balance function of the user is measured by at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of: (i) body sway amplitude, (ii) body sway frequency, and (iii) body sway path distance.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more motion parameters comprise an activity level of a user.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the activity level of the user comprises one or more of a number of strides taken by the use, an amount of time walked by the user and an average cadence of the user.

18 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the stimulation parameter comprises one of an amplitude, a pulse width and a pulse frequency of the electrical impulses.

19 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the electrical impulses are generated and transmitted according to a treatment regimen, wherein the stimulation parameter comprises a duration of the treatment regimen.

20 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising wrapping a strap around the calf and attaching a first end of the strap to a second end of the strap to contact the electrode to the outer skin surface.

Assignments (2)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (400)