Upward Electrical Stimulation Wave for Seated Drowsiness Relief
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Solution Overview
Problem
Prolonged seated inactivity leads to blood pooling in extremities, causing drowsiness, reduced attentiveness, and various health issues such as sleep apnea, varicose veins, and deep vein thrombosis, due to reduced muscle activity and subsequent venous blood flow.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a chair with an array of support segments and sensors that detect drowsiness through measurable parameters, applying a wave of electrical stimuli or muscle contractions from inferior to superior body positions to counteract blood pooling by mimicking muscle activity and promoting blood flow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a person remains in a seated posture for a period of time, then the person's venous blood shifts disproportionately away from the brain and into the extremities, but this pooling of blood results in reduced blood flow to the brain causing drowsiness and reduced attentiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic electrical stimuli through electrodes arranged in arrays on the seated person's body. These stimuli create periodic muscle contractions that act as a mechanical pump to move blood upward against gravity, counteracting the continuous blood pooling effect of prolonged seated posture while maintaining the comfortable seated position.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the natural mechanical muscle contraction system with an electrical stimulation system. Instead of relying on voluntary physical movement or natural muscle activity to pump blood upward, electrical currents are applied to induce muscle contractions that perform the blood pumping function, substituting a passive seated state with an actively stimulated physiological response.
2Productivity
If a person is engaged in normal physical activity, then the normal periodic contraction of the legs, arms and other muscles assists in pumping the blood and other fluids upwardly in the body, but when a person is seated, the person is engaged in reduced muscle activity so the muscles are less often or never contracted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the muscle system to serve itself by using electrical stimulation to trigger the same muscle contractions that would naturally occur during physical activity. The muscles perform their blood-pumping function without requiring the person to engage in actual physical exercise, allowing the cardiovascular system to service itself during periods of seated inactivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies electrical stimuli in advance to prevent blood pooling before it becomes problematic. By continuously or periodically stimulating muscle contractions during seated periods, the system proactively maintains blood flow upward, preventing the accumulation of blood and fluids in the extremities before it can cause drowsiness or health issues.
3Reliability
If blood pooling in the extremities is reduced, then drowsiness and inattentiveness are reduced, but various health issues such as sleep apnea, varicose veins, and deep vein thrombosis can still occur with prolonged inactivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous or near-continuous electrical stimulation during periods of seated inactivity, maintaining constant muscle activity and blood flow promotion. This continuous action prevents both the immediate effect of drowsiness and the long-term health consequences by ensuring uninterrupted upward blood flow, eliminating the harmful stagnation that leads to varicose veins, clots, and sleep apnea.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively reduces blood pooling, enhancing alertness and reducing the risk of health and safety issues associated with prolonged inactivity, such as drowsy driving and cardiovascular problems, by actively promoting blood flow and muscle activity.
Implementation Method 1
A wave of electrical stimuli is applied against the human body in response to detection of a sensed parameter within the drowsiness range. The electrical stimuli cause periodic tightening and relaxing of the muscles
Implementation Method 2
The crests of the wave cause a compression or contraction of the individual's muscles which pushes blood from the extremities into the upper body
Data Source
AI summary
A human body support has a plurality of electrodes arranged in an array and spaced longitudinally with respect to the human body. The array extends from an inferior position to a more superior position along the body. A sensor measures a parameter of the human body that is capable of indicating the presence of drowsiness. A controller has an input connected to the sensor for receiving a signal representing the sensed parameter and has outputs connected to each of the electrodes. The controller detects whether the sensed parameter is within a range indicating the presence of drowsiness and applies a wave of electrical stimuli against the human body in response to detection of a sensed parameter within the range. The electrical stimuli cause periodic tightening and relaxing of proximate muscles as the wave progresses in a direction from an inferior location on the human body toward a more superior location.