Method and apparatus for magnetic induction therapy

Abstract

An energy emitting apparatus for providing a medical therapy includes one or more energy generators, a logic controller electrically connected to the one or more energy generators, and one or more sensors for detecting electric conduction in a target nerve that are connected to the logic controller. The one or more energy generators produce energy focused on the target nerve upon receiving a signal from the logic controller, and the energy is varied by the logic controller according to an input provided by the one or more sensors. In one embodiment, the energy emitting apparatus is an apparatus for magnetic induction therapy that includes one or more conductive coils disposed in an ergonomic housing that produce a magnetic field focused on the target nerve upon receiving an electric current from the logic controller based on an input provided by the one or more sensors.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 848,720, filed on Oct. 2, 2006 and titled: “Method and Apparatus for Magnetic Induction Therapy.”FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to energy emitting apparatus and methods for providing a medical therapy. In one embodiment, the energy emitting apparatus is an ergonomic wrap or cradle that contains conductive coils generating a magnetic field directed to a target nerve.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Overactive bladder (“OAB”) and urinary incontinence (“UI”) affect over 16% of the American population each year, or approximately 34 million men and women. Outside of the United States, OAB and UI affects over 46 million Europeans. The economic cost of OAB and UI is estimated to be in excess of $12 billion a year in the United States alone.[0004]Due to the social stigmas attached to OAB and UI and to misunderstandings related to ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0030]It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus and methods for magnetic induction therapy, in which the flow of magnetic energy can be adjusted directionally by the patient or a healthcare provider without altering the position of a housing containing conductive coils that produce the magnetic field.

[0034]The one or more coils may be stationary or movable within the housing, making it possible to optimize the direction of magnetic flow to the target nerve by disposing the coils in the most effective direction. In different embodiments, the coils may be movable manually by acting on a knob, lever, or similar type of actuator, or may be translated automatically by the logic controller in response to the input provided by the sensors. When a preferred position for the coils has been established, the coils may be locked in position and maintain that position during successive therapy sessions. In other embodiments, the sensors may be incorporated within the housing, or instead may be disposed on a body part of interest independently of the housing.

[0036]In yet other embodiments of the invention, the source of energy for nerve stimulation may be electrical energy and nerve conduction may be detected at a site sufficiently distant from the site of stimulation, so to enable detection of nerve conduction despite the confounding interference from the direct electrical stimuli. In these embodiments, direct electrical stimulation of nerve and muscle may be tailored to provide optimal therapy and, in the case of electrode migration or other electrode malfunction, to report lack of stimulation of the bodily tissues. Furthermore, these embodiments enable a reduction in power requirement, because control of the signal is provided by the sensor to the signal generator loop.

Problems solved by technology

The economic cost of OAB and UI is estimated to be in excess of $12 billion a year in the United States alone.

Of those 13.6 million Americans seeking medical treatment, nearly 30% or 4 million individuals are reportedly unsatisfied with their current therapy.

Known treatments for OAB and UI include exercise and behavioral modifications, pharmacological therapies, surgical intervention and neuromodulation, but each of these treatments exhibits severe limitations.

While this type of treatment may be a viable option for a small group of highly dedicated individuals, its daily impact on a person's life makes it unattractive for most patients.

Unfortunately, patients often suffer from side effects related to their drug therapies.

Such side effects are sometimes serious and are particularly pronounced in elderly patient populations that tend to use a plurality of medications.

In addition, approximately 30% of all patients subjected to pharmacological therapies appear to be dissatisfied with the efficacy of their prescribed treatments.

Surgical intervention is extremely invasive and often results in a long-term requirement for catheterization that may become permanent in some instances.

The negative impact of these procedures on the patient's quality of life and their high expense make surgical intervention a recommended option only when all other treatment options have been exhausted.

The authors used a large magnetic field produced by a single coil to ensure that the nerve was fired and the resulting nerve conduction was frequently painful or intolerable.

In addition, coil alignment was problematic because an internally implanted coil was utilized, which had to be aligned with the fully external magnetic field to stimulate the nerve.

Due to the difficulty in positioning the device, the practical application of this therapy does not permit home healthcare usage without a preset alignment and monitoring of the nerve, and no provision was made to insure that the nerve was actually being stimulated or to adjust the device in response to commonly occurring physiologic and anatomic variations in nerve locations.

As shown, the prior art makes no provision to measure the efficacy of PES treatment, causing patients to be treated improperly, either by an insufficient or excessive exposure to PES.

Other attempts to monitor PES dosage in the prior art exhibit serious drawbacks.

This apparatus has no feedback system to advise a healthcare provider of the efficiency of the treatment.

While this method includes the use of pulsed electromagnetic for treating urinary incontinence, no specific components are envisioned to facilitate the placement of the magnetic coils over a targeted region of the body or a system for monitoring the efficiency of the therapy being applied.

Unfortunately, none of these patents provides a system for monitoring the efficiency of the therapy in progress, either with respect to the proper positioning of the winding over the area to be treated or of the intensity of the magnetic field to be applied.

Other PES therapies require the implantation of devices into the patient, with the consequent discomfort, risk and cost to the patient.

However, the procedure requires the permanent implantation of an electrical stimulation device in the patient.

Additionally, risks of battery failure, implant infection, and electrode migration led to a high re-operation rate and made this procedure unattractive.

A neuromodulation alternative is a posterior tibial nerve stimulator, often referred to as SANS, but as is the case with other forms of neuromodulation, this procedure is invasive in nature and requires the insertion of a needle five centimeters into the patient's ankle region to stimulate the posterior tibial nerve.

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