Patent NZ-747291-A (NZ)
Title: Compact muscle stimulator
Inventor: PISAREV ALEXEY
IPC: A61N1/36
Filed: 2017-03-22
Abstract: Electrical stimulation devices have a wide range of real world applications including uses in treatment, therapy, relaxation, fitness, athletic performance enhancement, entertainment, and the like. For example, electrodes may be attached to a user and the electrical stimulation device may transmit impulses to the user to stimulate and engage muscle(s) of the user, e.g., as during a workout. While offering a plurality of benefits, use of the electrical stimulation devices have been limited, for example, due to unwieldiness, difficulty of operation, and/or limited functionalities. The present invention aims to provide systems, methods, and devices providing electrical muscle stimulation (EMS). In some instances, an EMS device may be provided. The EMS device may be compact, light, and unobtrusive such that it can be used by a person going about his or her daily activities. In some instances, the EMS device may comprise additional sensors for increased functionality and may be capable of interacting with additional devices or platforms to provide a full-fledged EMS device capability system for providing electrical stimulation to a user, the system comprising: a pulse generator structurally configured to generate electrical pulses in response to execution of a stimulation program; one or more pads in communication with the pulse generator, the one or more pads structurally configured to attach to the user and to transmit the electrical pulses to stimulate the user according to the stimulation program; and a processor and a memory, the memory storing non-transitory computer executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, that, when executed by the processor, performs the steps of: communicating with one or more application programs linked to the user via an application programming interface, the one or more application programs including at least one of a health-related application program and a fitness-related application program; obtaining information regarding the user from the one or more application programs, the information related to one or more of motion of the user and health of the user; analyzing the information regarding the user; producing a tailored stimulation program for the user based on analysis of the information, the tailored stimulation program having a beginning and an end with a plurality of electrical pulses therebetween for transmitting to the user via the pulse generator, one or more of the plurality of electrical pulses including at least one of a customized pulse width and a customized duty cycle; presenting the tailored stimulation program alongside a plurality of predetermined stimulation programs for selection by the user, the tailored stimulation program different from the plurality of predetermined stimulation programs; and upon selection of the tailored stimulation program by the user, executing the tailored stimulation program with the pulse generator and the one or more pads. Furthermore, the present invention also provides a method for providing electrical stimulation to a user, the method comprising: communicating with one or more application programs via one or more application program interfaces (API) to obtain information on the user, the one or more application programs including at least one of a health-related application program and a fitness-related application program, wherein the information is related to one or more of motion of the user and health of the user; analysing the information regarding the user; producing a tailored stimulation program for the user based on analysis of the information, the tailored stimulation program having a beginning and an end with a plurality of electrical pulses therebetween for transmitting to the user, one or more of the plurality of electrical pulses including at least one of a customized pulse width and a customized duty cycle; presenting the tailored stimulation program alongside a plurality of predetermined stimulation programs for selection by the user, the tailored stimulation program different from the plurality of predetermined stimulation programs; receiving a selection of a stimulation program by the user from among the presented tailored stimulation program and the plurality of predetermined stimulation programs; and upon receiving the selection of the stimulation program by the user, executing the stimulation program, wherein executing the stimulation program comprises: generating electrical pulses with a pulse generator according to the stimulation program; and transmitting the electrical pulses at one or more pads attached to the user and in communication with the pulse generator thereby stimulating the user according to stimulation program. Further provided is an electric stimulation device for stimulating a user, the electrical stimulation device comprising: a central body comprising: a processor and a memory, the memory storing non-transitory computer executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, that, when executed by the processor, executes a tailored stimulation program having a beginning and an end with a plurality of electrical pulses therebetween for transmitting to the user, one or more of the plurality of electrical pulses including a customized pulse width and a customized duty cycle, wherein the tailored stimulation program is created by a platform in communication with the processor in response to information regarding the user received from one or more application programs including at least one of a health-related application program and a fitness-related application program, the information related to one or more of motion of the user and health of the user; a pulse generator structurally configured to generate electrical pulses in response to the stimulation program; and a user interface accessible on an external surface of the central body, the user interface comprising an actuatable mechanism configured to affect a state of the stimulation program wherein the non-transitory computer executable code, when executed by the processor, causes the user interface to present the tailored stimulation program alongside a plurality of predetermined stimulation programs for selection by the user, the tailored stimulation program different from the plurality of predetermined stimulation programs; and one or more pads in communication with the central body, the one or more pads structurally configured to attach to the user and transmit the electrical pulses to stimulate the user according to the state of the stimulation program.