EMS Knee Brace Closed-Loop Power Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current orthopedic braces and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) therapies are limited in their ability to provide effective and pain-free muscle strengthening for patients outside of physical therapy sessions, as they require professional administration and can be painful due to sub-optimal power delivery.
Innovation Solution
A closed-loop feedback system integrated into a wearable device, such as a knee brace, that uses sensors to measure power dissipation and adjust stimulation pulses to maintain constant power output, reducing pain and allowing self-administered EMS treatment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If electrical muscle stimulation is delivered with high power to strengthen muscles effectively, then muscle strengthening efficacy is improved, but patient pain and discomfort increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system incorporates a sensor that continuously monitors power dissipation in the muscle tissue and feeds this information back to the controller. The controller adjusts the stimulation pulse parameters in real-time based on the feedback signal, maintaining optimal power delivery within a comfortable pain threshold while ensuring effective muscle strengthening. This closed-loop feedback mechanism resolves the contradiction by dynamically balancing efficacy and comfort.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from static, fixed-power stimulation to dynamic, adaptive power delivery. The stimulation parameters (amplitude, pulse width, frequency) are continuously adjusted based on real-time tissue response measurements. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to maintain effective muscle stimulation while staying within the patient's pain tolerance, resolving the contradiction between strength building and comfort.
2Reliability
If electrical muscle stimulation requires professional administration to ensure safety and efficacy, then treatment reliability is improved, but patient independence and convenience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables patients to self-administer EMS therapy at home without professional intervention. The embedded sensor automatically monitors tissue power dissipation and the controller autonomously adjusts stimulation parameters to maintain safe and effective treatment levels. This self-monitoring and self-adjusting capability ensures treatment reliability while granting patients full independence, resolving the contradiction between professional oversight and patient autonomy.
Solution Approach 2:
The real-time feedback mechanism continuously monitors treatment response and automatically adjusts parameters to maintain therapeutic effectiveness. This automated feedback loop replaces the need for professional monitoring while ensuring treatment reliability, allowing patients to independently administer safe and effective therapy at home.
3Device complexity
If fixed power output is used in EMS delivery, then device simplicity is maintained, but adaptability to varying tissue conditions deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses a simple feedback mechanism where a sensor measures power dissipation and the controller automatically adjusts stimulation parameters. This minimal feedback architecture adds little complexity to the device while enabling real-time adaptation to varying tissue conditions such as changes in muscle state, skin impedance, or patient comfort thresholds, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes stimulation parameters (amplitude, pulse width, frequency) based on real-time tissue response. This parameter adaptation allows the device to respond to varying tissue conditions without requiring complex hardware modifications, maintaining device simplicity while achieving high adaptability to different muscle states and patient needs.
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
The system enables patients to receive effective and pain-reduced EMS therapy independently, improving muscle strengthening and rehabilitation outcomes by maintaining constant power output and minimizing discomfort.
Implementation Method 1
obtain a power dissipation of the human tissues... measure power dissipation of the sense pulse
Implementation Method 2
uses feedback in a closed loop manner to self tune the electrical properties of the output... adjust a stimulation pulse based on the measured power dissipation... maintain constant power output across each pulse
Implementation Method 3
electrical muscle stimulation (EMS)... apply the stimulation pulse to the human tissues... strengthen muscles that have atrophied
Data Source
Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2
AI summary
Disclosed is a system including a good comprising a sensor in contact with human tissues of a patient and configured to obtain a power dissipation reading of the human tissues. The good also includes a storage medium for tangibly storing thereon a program for execution by a processor. The system also includes a control unit in communication with the good to form an electrical muscular stimulation (EMS) system that uses feedback in a closed loop manner to self tune electrical properties of the output. The control unit is configured to instruct the sensor to (a) apply a sense pulse to the human tissues, (b) measure power dissipation of the sense pulse, (c) adjust a stimulation pulse based on the measured power dissipation, (d) apply the stimulation pulse to the human tissues based on the power dissipation and based on the program in order to maintain constant power output across each pulse, and (e) repeat steps (a)-(d).