ES2681531A1 - NEUROMODULATOR MATERIAL AND ITS USE IN TEXTILE, ORTHOSIS AND/OR PROSTHESIS (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding) - Google Patents

Abstract

Neuromodulator material and its use in textiles, orthoses and/or prostheses. The present invention relates to a neuromodulatory material that is composed of the combination of knitted fabrics, flat fabrics (simple or composite), complex fabrics and/or combinations thereof as well as magnetic particles or polymers with magnetic particles. Said neuromodular material can be used for the manufacture of textiles, orthoses and/or prostheses. (Machine-translation by Google Translate, not legally binding)

Description

Field of the Invention The present invention belongs to the technical field of materials that influence the function and performance of the organism, used mainly in bioengineering, medicine, physiotherapy, podiatry, dentistry, occupational therapy and the textile field.

Background of the invention The nervous system uses neurons to exchange messages or nerve impulses that connect each area of the body, from the brain to the tip of the feet. That is why these connections are so important for well-being and their proper functioning.

However, sometimes, certain imbalances occur in the nervous system that can affect vessels, muscles, tendons, ligaments, viscera or bones. In order for the connections to be rebalanced, techniques such as ultrasound (invasive) percutaneous neuromodulation in physiotherapy appear that solve many cases of this type. Neuromodulation is the process by which nerve activity is regulated to control the physiological levels of various kinds of neurotransmitters.

This invasive technique consists in the application of a current on the peripheral nervous system that influences the central nervous system. This current helps to increase or decrease the excitability of a group of neurons, normalizing the nerve impulse for proper neuromuscular functioning.

This achieves a decrease in pain and an improvement in neuromotor control (improved mobility and coordination). Therefore, it is effective in virtually any pathology, especially where the musculoskeletal system is involved.

Gossling et al (Gossling HR, Bernstein RA and Abbott J. Creative of ununited tibial fractures: a comparison of surgery and pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF).

Orthopedics 1992 Jun; 15 (6): 711-9) describe that treatment with electromagnetic fields in unbound fractures has proven to be more successful than traditional non-invasive treatment and at least as effective as surgical therapies. Given the costs and potential dangers of surgery, magnetic field therapy could be considered an effective alternative since it is a successful treatment of unbound fractures of the tibia fracture.

However, there are currently no techniques or solutions to protect, recover, normalize or improve the function of body tissues.

It was therefore desirable solutions that help the neuromodulation of body tissues to normalize problems arising from incorrect vascularization, tissue innervation, helping to make the appropriate polarity changes from the different stimuli received by the organism, whether internal or external continuously, painlessly and for long periods of time avoiding the inconvenience existing in the techniques or materials of the prior art.

By presenting the possibility of creating electromagnetic fields in a continuous and painless way, the possibility of influencing any system, whether the skeletal muscle system, the respiratory system, the circulatory system, the digestive system, the neuroendocrine system, the immune system, is also opened. , the urinary system or the reproductive system. In any pathology one may be in dysfunction one

or several systems and different treatment techniques and longer treatment times are needed.

Description of the invention

The present invention solves the problems existing in the state of the art by means of a material that fits perfectly to any textile, brace or prosthesis for any body segment of the user, being able to extend the treatment time painlessly thanks to its physical and mechanical properties , composition and structure.

The material of the present invention can be used in textiles, devices, prostheses, splints, technical aids and supports used in medicine, orthopedics, physiotherapy, dentistry, podiatry and occupational therapy such as foot and ankle braces, upper limbs, knee, hip, back and skull.

The material is composed of the combination of knitted fabrics, preferably warp, weft or three-dimensional (3D), flat fabrics (simple or composite), preferably taffeta, twill and satin or satin, complex fabrics and / or combinations thereof of magnetic particles or polymers with magnetic particles that may be present in both solid, liquid or gaseous form.

Specifically, the magnetic particles are particles of iron, cobalt, nickel neodymium, manganese, copper, oxides of said compounds and / or binary or ternary combinations thereof.

The term "fabric", as understood in the present invention, refers to the gender obtained in the form of a more or less resistant, elastic and flexible sheet, by crossing and linking series of threads or fibers in a coherent manner when interwoven

or by joining them by other means.

The warp knitting consists of a series of parallel threads that form meshes in the longitudinal direction. The meshes are formed vertically and joined together in adjacent passes. The connections are diagonal and vertical. It is a difficult fabric to wean and has a low elasticity. Lighter fabrics are produced, with greater stability and greater production capacity. Threads per weft can be added to the knit by crosswise. These meshes cannot be undone.

The knitting by weft, forms meshes horizontally and joins side by side in the same pass being the horizontal connections. It is an easy weaving fabric. This fabric has greater two-way elasticity, is less light and less stable. However, it offers greater possibilities for design and fabrics, pieces of garments and complete garments can be woven.

It can be woven with yarn thread and / or filaments creating meshes or meshes. The meshes and meshes of the present invention can change their shape by lengthening or widening to give elasticity in any direction of the fabric. In addition, the textile can have a "V" pattern that helps the tissue to engage and move synergistically with the skin it is on since the movement mechanics of both structures is very similar. It allows knitting without seams and further improve the feeling of comfort of the garment even making large movements.

As for the nature of the materials of the fabric, said fabrics are formed by natural or synthetic fibers or a combination of both that allow an important variety of points and motifs. Preferably, the natural and / or synthetic fibers that form the fabric are chosen from the group comprising cotton, nylon, polyester, polypropylene and elastane, or combinations thereof.

The neuromodulator material of the present invention combines materials, such as those described above, allowing to create breathable, lightweight, high strength fabrics, with great resilience and compliance, providing rigid structures that can produce more or less elasticity in the tissues and that do not They are a nuisance to the user.

The technical textiles developed so far are designed primarily to collect information from the body and help protect it from cold, heat or fire, orthoses to hold body segments due to injury (sprained ankle) or fracture (3D brace) and function of prostheses is to replace damaged joints that do not perform their function. None of them has been trained with the physical properties such as that of the present invention to be able to act on the different systems and different functions of the body both globally and analytically.

In order to understand the effects of this material it is necessary to take into account the importance of the correct oxygenation of body tissues and influencing the correct pH of each part of the body. If a correct depolarization of the Ca2 + ions does not occur, waste substances accumulate so that the pH becomes more acidic creating inflammation, restriction of mobility, vascularization,

dysfunctions and pain. This excessive accumulation of Ca2 + is causing the pain and if this accumulation is maintained, the pain can become chronic.

If the depolarization is correct, the pH of the area decreases, so it

5 alkaline, increasing the oxygen in the tissues creating a vascularization of quality and improving tissue oxidation, improving its motility and mobility by what dysfunctions and pain will decrease.

Therefore, creating the magnetic fields in the appropriate places in each

10 patient, calcium depolarization is favored and that excessive waste substances are not generated and / or accumulated, helping to eliminate them.

The function of the neuromodulatory material is to help neuromodular tissue stimuli correctly and improve oxygenation of body tissues by facilitating their

15 recovery and favoring the correct function of these tissues and improving their performance, reducing the pain perceived by the patient and helping to consolidate bone fractures or improving the state of the bone.

The combination of the material with magnetic and electromagnetic fields creates a

20 new strategy of differentiating treatment from the current ones. It allows a joint rehabilitation, helping to avoid the loss of muscle mass in the immobilized area being able to act for long periods of time, speeding up the recovery time of patients by oxygenation of the immobilized or replaced area, thanks to the creation of stimuli that facilitate the occurrence of

25 depolarizations that during immobilized time are difficult to occur.

The structure of the textile contains different fabrics to take advantage of the properties of each of the fabrics included in the invention and thus define a suitable textile combined said fabrics for each user whether athlete who needs a material

30 breathable, comfortable without limiting movements of large amplitudes, difficult to weave, weighing little, that protects you and that can be a complete garment as the case of swimmers in addition to a modern and striking design.

On the other hand, it would be necessary to use a totally different textile to use it

35 a person bedridden with pressure ulcers or bedsores where part of the tissue must have certain characteristics or properties, especially in the

Pressure zones creating seamless, stable textiles, with greater production capacity since there are more and more older people in our society, improving the feeling of comfort.

5 The neuromodulator material can be incorporated into the textile by adhering on it. First the textile is generated and then the neuromodulator material or the Neuromodulator material adheres to the threads that will later make up the textile.

The same procedure will be carried out for the fabrication of orthotics or prostheses. He

The neuromodulator material could be part of the orthotic or prosthetic material or once the orthotics or prostheses were created, a layer of neuromodulatory material would be applied using the solid, liquid or gaseous medium.

Additionally, the neuromodulator material can be magnetized or magnetized in

15 in whole or in part. When the magnetized or magnetized material is totally or partially, it can influence the motor points and neuromuscular spindles of the muscles, the oxygenation of the blood, its components, biochemical exchange of the organism, metabolism and the structures to which the blood oxygen also helps normalize the neuromodulation of electrical signals

20 of the organism and influence the decrease of cellular inflammation.

To achieve this magnetization effect, the material of the invention may comprise polymers and / or magnetic particles giving each zone the polarity that is needed to create one or more magnetic fields.

In another aspect of the invention, the material may also contain negatively and / or positively magnetized lines. Both the negative and positive magnetized lines are divided by secondary lines, forming a framework.

Additionally, small-sized generators with small energy batteries that can produce continuous or discontinuous pulses can be incorporated into the material.

This allows, if there is a variation of the pathology of the user (improvement or worsening), to be able to vary the magnetic field and therefore its treatment being able to

control and vary the intensity, frequency and gradient (variation of the distance) of the impulses in addition to being able to produce different magnetic fields at the same time on the same user.

5 The neuromodulator material that is part of the textile, brace or prosthesis can present small hexagonal figures simulating the structure of hemoglobin. There are positively magnetized hexagonal figures and magnetized figures negatively.

In another aspect of the invention, the neuromodulatory material incorporates adhesive or adhesive interlining, preferably with magnetic properties thanks to the inclusion of magnetic particles in the formulation of said adhesive or adhesive interlining. This aspect improves the adhesion of the material and its adaptation to the different uses.

15 These properties allow the neuromodulator material to be part of the prosthetic, orthotic or textile restraint systems, whether garments that are attached to the body in specific parts and can be used in the manufacture of interior and exterior garments, sportswear, bathing suits and clothes for babies. further

20 can be used for health purposes (prevention and treatment) and sports (assessment, prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and performance).

Brief Description of the Drawings In the following, to facilitate the understanding of the invention, by way of illustration, but

An embodiment of the invention that refers to a series of figures will not be described. Figure 1 shows a front view of the structure of the neuromodulatory material in a textile in which the magnetized lines are arranged negatively (1) and positively (2).

Figure 2 shows a side view of the structure of the neuromodulatory material in which the negatively magnetized (1), positive (2) and non-magnetized lines (3) that divide the lines (1) and are arranged are arranged. (2).

35 This figure refers to a set of elements that are:

1. Negatively magnetized lines

2.

 Positively magnetized lines.

3.

 Non-magnetized lines that divide lines 1 and 2.

Detailed description of the invention

Once the invention has been clearly described, it is noted that the particular embodiments described above are subject to modifications in detail as long as they do not alter the fundamental principle and essence of the invention.

Example 1

10 The neuromodulator material was fixed on several pieces of textile. Measurements of maximum gluteus maximal strength and the time required to reach that maximum force were made using the Lafayette dynamometer (LAFAYETTE MANUAL MUSCLE TESTING SYSTEM-Model 01165) on each of the users. Subsequently a magnetized piece was placed on each of the middle buttocks

15 creating a magnetic field and the strength tests were again carried out with the dynamometer in the gluteus medium that obtained the least value.

First the test was performed without neuromodulator material and then with the neuromodulator material in contact with both middle buttocks. The test time was 5

20 seconds for all users.

By placing the neuromodulator material, the strength increased significantly and the time it took for the muscle to produce maximum strength decreased.

25 This decrease in time in its maximum activation helps prevent injuries. The increase in strength and the decrease in reaction time helps the athlete to perform more by making better marks. In people with pathology, it helps them to recover the mobility and strength of the muscle group much earlier than normal. The data obtained are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Maximum strength test in the gluteus medius with and without neuromodulator material.

Username

Gluteus medius Max force without neuromodulator material (Kg) Time to reach max. without neuromodulator material (sec) Max force with neuron dulator material (Kg) Time to reach max. with neuromodulated material (sec)

one

Right 14.9 3.6 16.9 1.7

2

Right 11.9 3.5 16.0 2.1

3

Right 19.3 2.1 21.0 1.5

4

Left 12.4 2.5 16.2 1.7

5

Left 17.3 2.8 20.2 1.6

6

Left 15.8 3.1 17.5 1.3

Claims (7)

1. Neuromodulator material characterized in that it comprises:  A knitted, flat, complex fabric and / or combinations thereof formed by 5 natural and / or synthetic fibers; Y  magnetic particles or polymers with magnetic particles. 2. Material according to claim 1, characterized in that the natural and / or synthetic fibers that form the fabric are chosen from the group comprising cotton, nylon, polyester, polypropylene and elastane, or combinations thereof.

3. Material according to claims 1 to 2, characterized in that it comprises magnetized and / or magnetized fibers.

4. Material according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the magnetic particles are particles of iron, cobalt, nickel neodymium, manganese, copper, oxides of said compounds and / or binary or ternary combinations thereof.

Material according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the magnetic particles are in liquid, solid or gaseous form.

6. Material according to claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it comprises generators with energy batteries to produce continuous or discontinuous pulses.

Material according to claims 1 to 6, characterized in that it comprises adhesive or adhesive interlining.

8.

Material according to claim 7, characterized in that said adhesive or adhesive interlining includes magnetic particles or polymers with magnetic particles.

9.

Material according to claim 8, characterized in that the magnetic particles

25 of the adhesive are particles of iron, cobalt, nickel neodymium, manganese, copper, oxides of said compounds and / or binary or ternary combinations thereof. 10. Use of the material described according to claims 1 to 9 for the manufacture of textiles, orthotics and / or prostheses.