A brace includes a closed loop feedback system that provides electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) to a joint of a human patient in response to feedback from the joint and surrounding muscles. In one aspect, a brace for treating a human joint of a patient is provided. The brace includes one or more sensors in physical contact with the skin of the patient and configured to obtain a galvanic reading of resistance of the skin. The brace also includes brace control electronics in communication with the sensor(s) to form a closed loop system via a combination of bracing the joint and electrical muscle stimulation (EMS). The brace control electronics is configured to receive the galvanic reading of the resistance of the skin of the patient and is further configured to instruct the sensor to apply a current/voltage/power onto the skin based on the galvanic reading.

Claims

18 · 2 independent · depth 3

18 granted claims

›1.independentA system comprising:na sensor in physical contact with skin of a patient and configured to obtain a galvanic reading of resistance of the skin;control…+9

›2.↳ 1The system of claim 1, wherein the galvanic reading of the resistance of the portions of the skin further comprises a galvanic reading across two sens…d2

›3.↳ 1The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is configured to obtain the galvanic reading of resistance of the skin further comprises the sensor being co…d2

›4.↳ 1The system of claim 1, wherein the control electronics is further configured to provide the EMS via a program selected from a plurality of programs.d2+1

›6.↳ 1The system of claim 1, wherein the control electronics and the sensor are components of a brace.d2

›7.↳ 1The system of claim 1, wherein the sensor is in physical contact with the skin of the patient without use of a gel or a sticky adhesive.d2+1

›9.↳ 1The system of claim 1, further comprising an authentication button that, when pressed, indicates that the patient acquiesces to a program being execut…d2

›10.↳ 1The system of claim 1, wherein the control electronics further comprises a tactile feedback provider configured to provide tactile feedback to the pat…d2

›11.independentA method comprising:nproviding a system for treating a human joint or body part of a patient, the system comprising:na sensor for physical contact wit…+7

›12.↳ 11The method of claim 11, wherein the providing of the system further comprises providing a plurality of sensors, two sensors in the plurality configure…d2+1

›14.↳ 11The method of claim 11, wherein the providing of the system further comprises providing the sensor configured to obtain the galvanic reading of resist…d2

›15.↳ 11The method of claim 11, wherein the providing of the system further comprises providing the control electronics, the control electronics configured to…d2

›16.↳ 11The method of claim 11, wherein the providing of the system further comprises providing the control electronics, the control electronics configured to…d2+1

›18.↳ 11The method of claim 11, wherein the providing of the system further comprises providing the control electronics, the control electronics configured to…d2

Classifications

5 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section A — Human necessities

A61F5/00

USPC · US Patent Classification

602/2602/16602/23602/26

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Pendency

1.0 y

351 days filing → grant

Office actions

non-final + final

Responses

no RCE

Examiner

Michael A. Brown

art unit 3772 · TC 3700

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Citations: 98 back · 0 forward

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Priority chain

1 priority documents

Priority

14 Mar 2013

earliest claimed

›Priority documents — 1

Type	Document	Date
provisional	US 61784927	14 Mar 2013

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