Abstract:
The present invention is a device that allows electrical stimulation to an anatomical site that is covered by a cast. The electrode is applied to achieve a desired physiological response (e.g., bone growth), treatment of pain, or the prevention of muscle atrophy.

Description:
[0001]    This is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/350,426, titled “Miniature Wireless Transcutaneous Neuro Or Muscular-Stimulation Unit” filed Jul. 8, 1999, and incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0003]    The present invention relates to an integrated cast and muscle stimulation system, and more particularly, it relates to a treatment electrode device that provides electric stimulation to an anatomical site that is covered by a cast.  
           [0004]    2. Description of Related Art  
           [0005]    Injuries to the musculoskeletal system (bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons) or conditions like arthritis, and osteoporosis are the leading reason for patient visits to physicians&#39; offices. Sprains or dislocations and fractures account for almost half of all musculoskeletal injuries. Fractures can occur in a number of ways. Most fractures are the result of trauma (e.g., falls, car accidents). Osteoporosis, a bone disease, makes bones fragile and easily broken. Overuse can result in stress fractures, which are common among athletes. Physicians treat fractures with plaster casts, fiberglass casts, cast-braces, splints, pins or other devices to hold the fracture in the correct position while the bone is healing. Depending on the extent of the injury a fracture can take from several weeks to several months to heal.  
           [0006]    Fractures are painful, but the pain usually stops long before the fracture is strong enough to handle normal activity. Usually, when the bone is healed the muscles are weak from lack of use. A period of rehabilitation is necessary for function to return to normal and healing to be complete. Today, amazing results are being seen in the treatment of bone fractures and other bone diseases with the use of electrical stimulation.  
           [0007]    In U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,550, issued Apr. 22, 1986, an invention is described which incorporates a covered access window into a conventional plaster cast. An electrode can be applied through the access window. This invention is limited in size/shape of the electrode. Also, the invention is described for use with conventional plaster casts.  
           [0008]    There are disadvantages to any kind of “windowing” in a cast. While cast saws are generally quite safe, it is still possible for abrasions to occur during the procedure. The cutting away of an area on a harden cast can also result in structural weakness to the cast. It is often desirable to apply an electrode directly to the fracture site, which is also the least desirable place to cut a window into a cast.  
           [0009]    In U.S. Pat. No. 4,535,779, issued Aug. 20, 1985, a device is described which incorporates a flange and collar assembly into a cast. The flange and collar assembly can be attached to an external electric stimulator. This invention is labor intensive as well as physically limiting to the patient when the electric stimulator is attached to the cast.  
           [0010]    Therefore, there is a need for an improved device and method for applying electrical stimulation to an anatomical site, which is covered by a cast. The present invention provides a new and improved device for integrating a treatment electrode in a body cast. The invention is simple in construction, use, and maintains the structural integrity of the cast while permitting reliable electrical stimulation.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0011]    An object of the present invention is to provide a device and method for applying a treatment electrode to an anatomical site covered by a cast.  
           [0012]    These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the teachings herein. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings.  
           [0013]    The invention integrates a treatment electrode into a cast. The cast is molded around the limb to immobilize the fracture. Replaceable electrodes are positioned over the peripheral nerves of the musculature surrounding the fracture site and an electrical stimulation unit applies voltage pulses to the electrodes through buried electrical conductors. A variety of electrical pulse formats can be used to achieve a desired result.  
           [0014]    An exemplary description is provided for treating a patient with the present invention. The electrodes are inserted into a port that is placed within the cast during the cast building phase. The physician first winds a layer of soft material  50  around the limb. A port structure is then placed at the appropriate anatomical site for stimulation. An electrical stimulation unit is inserted into the port and electrical pulses are applied to the nerves underlying the electrodes.  
           [0015]    An alternative method for integrating the port with the cast is provided. In this embodiment, the port structure has an outer segment that perforates the cast outer layers as they are wound around the affected area. After the cast has dried and set the outer segment is cut or snapped off exposing the port.  
           [0016]    In an alternative embodiment the port structure is integrated with a soft material bottom layer that has a central hole. This embodiment would be applied to the skin before the soft material layer  50  is wound over the skin. The advantage of this approach is that it eliminates the need for pulling out or cutting out the soft material within the port aperture to expose the skin.  
           [0017]    The electrode port structure allows the placement of both an electrode module and a restraint module. In order to prevent skin from herniating into the port, either an electrode module or restraint module should be placed within the port at all times.  
           [0018]    The electrode module consists of a conductive layer that enables current to flow from the stimulator into the tissue. An electrical conductor connects the conductive layer to a conductive pad that makes contact with conductors when the electrode module is inserted into the port.  
           [0019]    The restraint module is designed to have a total thickness that is comparable to the cast and port assembly. The bottom layer of the restraint module is made of a soft material. A flip top actuates pegs that lock into peg holes to hold the restraint module in place. An alternate o-ring design is provided for securing the restraint module. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0020]    The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated into and form part of this disclosure, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIGS. 1A and 1B show a leg with a cast having an integrated muscle stimulation system.  
         [0022]    [0022]FIGS. 2A and 2B show a cross sectional view of how the port is integrated into the cast.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIGS. 3A and 3B show a cross sectional view of how the port is integrated into the cast in an alternative embodiment  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 4 shows a cross sectional view of the electrode module that is inserted into the port on the cast.  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 5 shows a cross sectional view of the restraint module that is inserted into the port on the cast.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 6 shows a port for the electronic stimulation module that integrates into the cast and connects to the electrode ports. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0027]    An embodiment of the present invention integrates a treatment electrode into a cast. FIG. 1 shows an illustration of the key components of the integrated cast and muscle stimulation system, as it would be used for a lower leg fracture. The cast  10  is molded around the lower leg  15  to immobilize the fracture. Replaceable electrodes  20  are positioned over superficial aspects of the peripheral nerves innervating the musculature surrounding the fracture site. An electrical stimulation unit  30  applies voltage pulses to the electrodes through buried electrical conductors  25 . The electrical stimulation unit is similar to that previously described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,398,545 dated Aug. 16, 1983, incorporated herein by reference. A variety of electrical pulse formats can be used to block or control pain, increase circulation and/or exercise muscles.  
         [0028]    The replaceable electrodes  20  are inserted into a prepared port that is placed within the cast during the cast building phase. FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate embodiments of how the port is integrated into the cast. First the physician winds a layer of soft material  50  (e.g., cotton, foam, etc.) around the skin (e.g., lower leg  15 ) covering the broken bone. A special port structure  60  is then placed at the appropriate anatomical site for stimulation. The bottom surface of the lower section  55  could be adhesive to prevent the port structure from moving. The physician next applies the cast outer layers  40  that cover the port structure  60  and form a raised region  70  (FIG. 2A). The electrical conductor  25  connects to a conductive pad  35  that is exposed at the internal surface of the port. An indentation  62  is used to capture the electrode or restraint module. After the cast has dried and is rigid a special saw is used to cut out the raised region producing a port as shown in FIG. 2B. The soft material  50  within the port structure can then be removed to expose the skin. The upper surface of the lower section  55  can be treated and coated with a primer to ensure bonding with the cast outer coat  40 .  
         [0029]    An alternative method for integrating the port with the cast is shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The port structure  60  has an outer segment  90  that perforates the cast outer layers  40  as they are wound around the affected area. The physician ensures that the outer layers are pushed beyond the lip  95 . After the cast has dried and set the outer segment  90  is cut or snapped off exposing the port as shown in FIG. 3B. The port structure  60  is made of plastic in one embodiment. The lower segment  55  is made of soft material (e.g., polyurethane, silicone, fiberglass) to reduce the possibility of irritation to the patient in addition, the lower segment  55  is made thin (&lt;0.04″) to prevent any excess pressure. The upper segment of the port structure is made of hard plastics, in one embodiment, to maintain shape and function over the one to three months of use. Radial peg holes  65  are used to locate and hold the electrode or restraint module in position. The electrical conductor  25  connects to a conductive pad  35  that is exposed at the internal surface of the port.  
         [0030]    In an alternative embodiment the port structure is integrated with a soft material bottom layer that has a central hole. This embodiment would be applied to the skin before the soft material layer  50  is wound over the skin. The advantage of this approach is that it eliminates the need for pulling out or cutting out the soft material within the port aperture to expose the skin.  
         [0031]    The electrode port structure  60  allows the placement of both an electrode module and a restraint module. In order to prevent skin herniating into the port it is important that either an electrode module or restraint module be in place within the port at all times. In normal use, the electrode module would only be used continuously for the first few days to block or reduce pain. After that time, electrode modules would only be applied several times a day for 10-20 minutes to stimulate the muscles and reduce muscular atrophy. Initially, the intensity of muscle stimulation would be low in order to prevent putting too much stress on the fracture. As the fracture heals, stimulation is increased to ensure that muscle tone is maintained during the one to three month healing period. The electrical stimulation unit can be preprogrammed to deliver a physician prescribed intensity pattern throughout the entire healing period. The device may also be used to relieve itching.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 4 shows a cross section through one embodiment of the electrode module  200 . The electrode module consists of a conductive layer  210  that enables current to flow from the stimulator into the tissue. The conductive layer  210  can be a variety of different hygrogels and/or conductive adhesives or other conductive gels, or materials (e.g., Unipatch ‘Permagel’™, Pepin ‘PM-1000’™, Axelgaard ‘Amgel’™, Ludlow RG63B’™). An electrical conductor  215  connects the conductive layer  210  to a conductive pad  220  that makes contact with pad  35  (FIGS.  2 A- 3 B) when the electrode module is inserted into the port. A flip top  240  actuates the pegs  250  that lock into peg holes  65  (FIGS. 3 a  and  3 B). Instead of pegs, the electrode module could us an o-ring design to lock within the indentation  62  (FIGS. 2A and 2B).  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 5 shows a detailed cross section through one embodiment of the restraint module  300 . This restraint module  300  is designed to have a total thickness that is comparable to the cast and port assembly. The bottom layer  310  of the restraint module is made of a soft material (similar to that used in building the cast layer  50  (FIGS.  2 A- 3 B)). A flip top  240  actuates the pegs  250  that lock into peg holes  65  (FIGS. 3A and 3B). Instead of pegs, the electrode module could use an o-ring design to lock within the indentation  62  (FIGS. 2A and 2B). This restraint module is inserted into the port when the electrode module is removed. This prevents the skin from herniating into the open aperture.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 6 shows a port for the electronic stimulation module that integrates into the cast and connects to the electrode ports. The electrical conductors  25  that connect the port to the stimulator are protected from damage by the outer layers of the cast. The wires are available for connection to the electrical stimulator through a connector port  105  that integrates into the cast in a similar way to the electrode ports shown in FIGS.  2 A- 3 B. The wires for the multiple electrode ports  25  connect to individual connector pins  125  as shown in FIG. 6. This connector port  105  is then used for both the electrical connection and to secure the electrical stimulator unit  30  (FIG. 1). In this way the user can remove the electrical stimulator unit when not in use. An optional plastic cap could be inserted to protect the connector pins  125 .  
         [0035]    Copending patent application titled “Two Part TENS Bandage” filed on the same day as this application is incorporated herein by reference.  
         [0036]    The above descriptions and illustrations are only by way of example and are not to be taken as limiting the invention in any manner. One skilled in the art can substitute known equivalents for the structures and means described. The full scope and definition of the invention, therefore, is set forth in the following claims.