Massage Apparatus with Electrical Impedance Tomography Sensors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Patients with lymphedema experience large individual differences and daily variations in the recirculation of interstitial fluid, lymphatic fluid, and venous blood during massage, making it difficult to ascertain if sufficient recirculation has occurred, especially with existing air massagers that lack feedback mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A massage apparatus equipped with sensors for electrical impedance tomography and a pressing system that applies controlled pressure, allowing for real-time measurement of fluid distribution changes and adjustment of pressure based on calculated electrical property distributions to enhance recirculation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If intermittent pneumatic compression is used to enable recirculation of interstitial fluid, lymphatic fluid, and venous blood, then fluid recirculation is improved, but the subject cannot ascertain whether sufficient recirculation has occurred
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates sensors that detect changes in electrical impedance of the subject's tissue during massage treatment. These sensors provide real-time feedback information about fluid recirculation status, allowing the system to monitor and assess whether sufficient recirculation has occurred, thereby resolving the information loss problem
2Reliability
If a sleeve with multiple sections is used for pneumatic compression, then fluid recirculation effectiveness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the compression sleeve into multiple independent sections or chambers along the limb. Each section can be independently inflated and deflated in a sequential manner, creating a wave-like compression pattern that effectively promotes fluid recirculation while maintaining manageable device complexity through modular design
3Measurement precision
If electrical impedance tomography sensors are added to measure fluid distribution changes, then measurement capability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates electrical impedance tomography sensors into the existing compression sleeve structure, allowing the same device to perform both mechanical compression for fluid recirculation and electrical impedance measurement for monitoring fluid distribution. This multi-functional approach improves measurement precision without significantly increasing overall device complexity
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
Enables effective measurement and recirculation of interstitial fluid, lymphatic fluid, and venous blood, ensuring sufficient massage efficacy by providing real-time feedback on fluid distribution and pressure control.
Implementation Method 1
the in-vivo measurer has one or more sensors for electrical impedance tomography
Implementation Method 2
Intermittent pneumatic compression involves covering the body with a sleeve (bag) having a plurality of sections (chambers) and temporally and spatially adjusting the pneumatic pressure
Data Source
AI summary
A massage apparatus includes a plurality of pressers that press a subject, and an in-vivo measurer that measures a change in biological information of the subject due to pressing, wherein the in-vivo measurer has one or more sensors for electrical impedance tomography, and each of the sensors for electrical impedance tomography has four or more electrodes.