Neural sleeve for neuromuscular stimulation, sensing and recording

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to neuromuscular stimulation and sensing cuffs. The neuromuscular stimulation cuff has at least two fingers and a plurality of electrodes disposed on each finger. More generally, the neuromuscular stimulation cuff includes an outer, reusable component and an inner, disposable component. One or more electrodes are housed within the reusable component. The neuromuscular stimulation cuff may be produced by providing an insulating substrate layer, forming a conductive circuit on the substrate layer to form a conductive circuit layer, adhering a cover layer onto the conductive circuit layer to form a flexible circuit, and cutting at least one flexible finger from the flexible circuit. The neuromuscular stimulation cuff employs a flexible multi-electrode design which allows for reanimation of complex muscle movements in a patient, including individual finger movement.

1 . A device for neuromuscular stimulation, comprising:
 a reusable sleeve; and   one or more electrodes housed within the reusable sleeve.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reusable sleeve comprises at least two flexible fingers along which the one or more electrodes are located, the flexible fingers extending in the same direction from a first connector, and one or more conductive mediums disposed on each flexible finger. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the conductive medium comprises a hydrogel, a lotion, or a conductive polymer. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein the at least two flexible conductive pathways can be wrapped helically. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 2 , further comprising a fabric layer disposed on an exterior of the reusable sleeve. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein each flexible finger includes a conductive circuit layer. 
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein each flexible finger includes an insulating base layer upon which the conductive circuit layer is laid. 
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 6 , wherein each flexible finger includes an insulating cover layer over the conductive circuit layer. 
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 2 , wherein each flexible finger includes a plurality of hydrogel discs disposed over each electrode. 
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 9 , wherein the rigidizer interfaces with a processing device. 
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 2 , having the first connector and a second connector, wherein at least two additional flexible fingers also extend from the second connector in the same direction as the flexible fingers extending from the first connector; and at least one webbing connects a flexible finger extending from the first connector to a flexible finger extending from the second connector. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein the flexible fingers taper towards a center axis of the reusable sleeve. 
     
     
         13 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein each flexible finger includes:
 a non-electrode-containing portion; and   a scalloped, electrode-containing portion distal from the connector.   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein each flexible finger further includes a non-scalloped, electrode-containing portion. 
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 11 , wherein at least one flexible finger comprises:
 a first portion which is transverse to a center axis of the reusable sleeve; and   a second portion which is parallel to the center axis of the reusable sleeve.   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , comprising an inner disposable sleeve, the inner disposable sleeve comprising a conductive medium in contact with the multiple electrodes. 
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the conductive medium comprises a hydrogel which is relatively more conductive in a z-direction than in a x-direction or a y-direction. 
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein:
 the conductive medium is less conductive in a regular state; and   the conductive medium becomes more conductive upon application of external pressure in a direction of the external pressure.   
     
     
         19 . The device of  claim 18 , wherein the conductive medium comprises a compressible polymer and a conductive filler dispersed in the compressible polymer. 
     
     
         20 . The device of  claim 19 , wherein the conductive filler comprises carbon fibers, carbon nanotubes, or metallic particles. 
     
     
         21 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the conductive medium is dry in an initial state and becomes tacky upon any one of: application of an electrical current; a change in temperature; a change in pH; or a change in moisture; or wherein the conductive medium comprises a stimuli-sensitive polymer. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein each electrode of the multiple electrodes includes concentric rows of teeth about 200 μm to about 300 μm in height. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reusable sleeve comprises a flexible material. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reusable sleeve comprises:
 a rigid shell; and   a hinge running parallel to a longitudinal axis of the reusable sleeve.   
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reusable sleeve comprises a user interface for selectively configuring electrodes and adjusting stimulation level or pattern. 
     
     
         26 . The device of  claim 25 , wherein the reusable sleeve comprises buttons including light emitting diode (LED) based touchscreen displays on a back side of each of the multiple electrodes. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reusable sleeve comprises an accelerometer; and is configured for gesture control of devices. 
     
     
         28 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reusable sleeve is expandable. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reusable sleeve comprises a compression sleeve fabric on which the multiple electrodes are printed using silk-screen technology employing conductive polycellulose or silver/carbon-based ink. 
     
     
         30 . The device of  claim 29 , further comprising a conductive pathway including an accelerometer. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reusable sleeve comprises a flexible circuit including electrodes connected by electrode traces that (i) house sensors and (ii) the electrode traces are arranged in a zig-zag pattern. 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 31 , wherein the sensors comprise any combination of pressure sensors; strain gauges; accelerometers; a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) including a 3-axis accelerometer and 3-axis magnetometer; a capacitive sensor including a flexible insulating dielectric layer sandwiched between flexible electrodes; a stretch sensor including a material that changes electrical resistance when stretched or strained; a resonant bend sensor including a resistance-inductance-capacitance (RLC) circuit; a sensor including at least one bladder configured to hold a fluid or air; a fiber optic cable and a measurement tool configured to measure a bend in the fiber optic cable based on a frequency or attenuation change in a signal of the fiber optic cable; and a video motion tracking system configured to track a marker of the reusable sleeve. 
     
     
         33 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reusable sleeve comprises conductive fibers and a dry fit material. 
     
     
         34 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reusable sleeve is in the form of a fingerless glove. 
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the multiple electrodes are woven into the reusable sleeve using conductive threads. 
     
     
         36 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reusable sleeve is configured to:
 cover both a leg portion and a foot portion of a patient; and   support gait-training.   
     
     
         37 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the reusable sleeve comprises a shirt configured to deliver electrical stimulation to a backside of a patient. 
     
     
         38 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the multiple electrodes are configured to both deliver electrical simulation and sense a neural signal of a patient.