Garment-Integrated Conductive Circuit for Precise Muscle Stimulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing muscle stimulation devices for treating conditions like urinary incontinence are difficult to position accurately and require complex setups, making them hard to use effectively.
Innovation Solution
A conductive circuit integrated into garments, utilizing a layered structure of conductive and non-conductive materials printed on stretchable fabrics, ensures precise muscle targeting with easy application and reduced power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If external stimulation devices with multiple conductive pads are used, then muscle stimulation effectiveness is improved, but device positioning difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates multiple conductive pads into a single garment structure, combining what were previously separate positioning components into one unified wearable item. This merging maintains the multi-point stimulation capability while eliminating the complexity of positioning individual pads, directly resolving the contradiction between stimulation effectiveness and positioning ease.
Solution Approach 2:
The garment serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support/compression while integrating electrical stimulation through conductive pads. This multi-functionality allows the single device to deliver effective muscle stimulation without requiring separate positioning steps for multiple components, addressing both reliability and ease of operation.
2Measurement precision
If multiple conductive pads are used for targeted stimulation, then treatment precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple conductive pads into a single integrated garment, maintaining the precision of multi-point targeting while reducing device complexity. The garment structure itself becomes the delivery mechanism, eliminating the need for complex separate components and simplifying the overall system while preserving targeting precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The use of a flexible garment as the base structure allows for integrated conductive pads that conform to body contours. This flexible substrate enables precise positioning of multiple stimulation points without requiring rigid or complex structural components, thereby maintaining targeting precision while reducing device complexity.
3Ease of operation
If conductive pads are integrated into garments, then ease of use is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical battery power sources with energy harvesting mechanisms that convert body movement into electrical energy. This substitution maintains ease of use through continuous wearability while addressing power consumption by generating power from the user's natural motion rather than depleting battery reserves.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the power source parameter from static battery power to dynamic energy harvesting. By converting mechanical energy from body movement into electrical energy, the system adapts power generation to the user's activity level, maintaining ease of use while optimizing power consumption based on real-time movement parameters.
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 conductive circuit provides effective muscle stimulation with improved positioning and reduced power requirements, enhancing user comfort and ease of use while maintaining electrical integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The conductive layer is in contact with the skin of a user, in use, and is arranged to transfer an electrical signal to the user
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention provides a conductive circuit which may be applied to a garment, for example a garment for the stimulation of pelvic floor muscles. In the illustrated embodiments in the garment comprises a pair of shorts. The shorts are made from stretch fabric comprising a polyamide and are designed to fit closely to the body. The shorts are provided with two legs and a waistband area. The shorts comprise left and right conductive circuits, each of which comprises one or more electrodes formed from a printed conductive layer.