JP2021029421A - Electrostimulator - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an electrostimulator that allows poor electric connection to be detected easily.SOLUTION: An electrostimulator 1 includes an electrode group 310 having three or more electrodes and driving means 320 for giving energy to the electrode group 310. The driving means 320 is configured so as to give energy to the electrode group 310 by sequentially switching at least one of the electrodes of first polarity and second polarity with one electrode as being of the first polarity, and the other electrode as being of the second polarity of the electrode group 310. The electrostimulator is also provided with poor connection detection means 330 for detecting poor electric connection by detecting whether or not electric stimulation is given to a user when energy is given to the electrode group 310.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to an electrical stimulator that applies electrical stimulus to the body using a group of electrodes having three or more electrodes.

In recent years, there are known electrical stimulators that provide electrical stimulation to the body by bringing electrodes into contact with a predetermined position on the body to train muscles and the like. As such an electric stimulator, for example, there is a device that gives energy to a specific pair of electrodes and gives an electric stimulus between the electrodes. For example, Patent Document 1 includes electrode segments A1 and A2 applied to the lower back of the patient's body, and electrodes B and C applied to the opposite flanks of the patient's body, respectively, and the electrodes B and C are provided. A device is described in which a first group of muscle stimulation current pulses flowing between the electrodes and a second group of muscle stimulation current pulses flowing between the electrode segments A1 and A2 and the electrodes B and C are alternately applied.

Special Table 2012-531990

However, in the apparatus of Patent Document 1, since energy is applied between the electrode segments A1 and A2 and the electrodes B and C, the stimulating electrode has a multi-electrode to multi-electrode relationship, and some of them have a multi-electrode to multi-electrode relationship. When the wiring state of the electrode or the contact state between the electrode and the body is insufficient, it is difficult to know where the defect is, and there is a problem that the desired stimulus cannot be given.

The present invention has been made based on such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical stimulator capable of easily detecting a defective electrical connection.

The first electrical stimulator of the present invention gives an electrical stimulus to a user, and includes an electrode group having three or more electrodes arranged in contact with the user, and one of the electrode groups. A driving means for giving energy to the electrode group by sequentially switching at least one of the electrodes having the first polarity and the other one electrode as the second polarity and the first polarity and the second polarity, and the electrode group. It is provided with a connection failure detecting means for detecting an electrical connection failure by detecting whether or not an electrical stimulus is given to the user when energy is applied to the electrode, and each electrode is made of a base material made of fibers. It is composed of a conductor to which a conductive polymer is attached.

The second electrical stimulator of the present invention gives an electrical stimulus to the user, and includes an electrode group having three or more electrodes arranged in contact with the user, and one of the electrode groups. One or more electrodes are set to the first polarity, the other one or more electrodes are set to the second polarity, and electrodes to be set to the first polarity and the second polarity are selected and switched according to the movement pattern of the muscle to form an electrode group. It is provided with a driving means for giving energy and a connection failure detecting means for detecting a defective electrical connection by detecting whether or not an electrical stimulus is given to the user when the electrode group is given energy. The electrode is composed of a conductor in which a conductive polymer is attached to a base material made of fibers.

According to the present invention, among the electrode group having three or more electrodes, the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are switched to give energy to the electrode group, and when energy is given to the electrode group, electricity is given to the user. Since the defect of the electrical connection is detected by detecting whether or not the target stimulus is given, the defect can be easily detected while the electrical stimulus is applied. Therefore, if the electrode is peeled off or the contact is poor, it can be corrected immediately during use.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the electric stimulator which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the circuit structure of the drive means shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the circuit structure of the connection failure detection means shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the electric stimulator which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the electric stimulator which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the operation of the electric stimulator shown in FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the electric stimulator which concerns on 4th Embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

(First Embodiment)
FIG. 1 shows the configuration of the electrical stimulator 3 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. 2 and 3 show the circuit configuration of the electrical stimulator 3. The electrical stimulator 3 provides, for example, an electrical stimulus to a user, an electrode group 310 having three or more electrodes, a driving means 320 that gives energy to the electrode group 310, and an electrical connection. It includes a connection failure detecting means 330 for detecting defects, a garment 340 in which the electrode group 310 is arranged at a predetermined position, and a control means 350 for controlling the driving means 320.

The electrode group 310 is placed in a predetermined position in contact with the user's body, for example. In this embodiment, for example, the electrode group 310 is arranged on the body such as the abdomen and has at least three electrodes. Specifically, it has a first electrode 311 and a second electrode 312, and a third electrode 313, which are arranged in order from the top corresponding to the rectus abdominis muscle.

The driving means 320 has one electrode of the electrode group 310 as the first polarity, the other electrode as the second polarity, and at least one of the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity is switched in order to be an electrode. It is configured to energize group 310. As a result, the number of switching electrodes having the first polarity or the second polarity can be reduced, and energy can be given to the entire electrode group 310. The first polarity and the second polarity are different polarities. For example, the first polarity is a positive electrode and the second polarity is a negative electrode, or the first polarity is a negative electrode and the second polarity is a positive electrode. The order of switching the electrodes having the first polarity or the second polarity can be freely changed in order to disperse the fatigue caused by the electrical stimulation. For example, it is possible to perform stimulation in a wide range by a stimulation method in which both the electrodes having the first polarity and the electrodes having the second polarity are switched at the same time, and the time for applying electrical stimulation to the muscles is dispersed to reduce muscle fatigue. It can also be dispersed. Further, for example, it is possible to perform the stimulation to the minimum by switching only one of them.

The drive means 320 is arranged on the clothing 340, for example, and is connected to the electrode group 310, the connection failure detecting means 330, and the control means 350. The circuit configuration of the drive means 320 includes, for example, a high-voltage generation circuit 321 connected to a power supply (not shown) to generate a high-voltage DC voltage, and a high-voltage shaping circuit 322 connected to the high-voltage generation circuit 321 to shape the waveform. It has a high-voltage shaping circuit 322 and a stimulation waveform output circuit 323 that is connected to each electrode of the electrode group 310 and outputs a stimulation waveform to each electrode of the electrode group 310.

The high-voltage generation circuit 321 may have a constant voltage value to be generated, but it is preferable that the high-voltage generation circuit 321 is configured so that the voltage value to be generated can be changed by the control means 350. The waveform after shaping may be fixed in the high-voltage shaping circuit 322, but it is preferable that the high-voltage shaping circuit 322 is configured so that the waveform can be changed by the control means 350. In the stimulation waveform output circuit 323, for example, one electrode in the electrode group 310 has the first polarity, the other electrode has the second polarity, and at least one of the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity is in order. It is configured to switch to and apply a voltage between each electrode.

The connection failure detecting means 330 detects an electrical connection failure by detecting whether or not an electrical stimulus is given to the user when energy is applied to the electrode group 310. Examples of the defective electrical connection include disconnection of wiring, peeling from the user's body, and poor contact of each electrode of the electrode group 310.

Examples of the circuit configuration of the connection failure detecting means 330 include the configuration shown in FIG. 3A. The connection failure detecting means 330 has, for example, an NPN bipolar transistor 331 with a grounded emitter, and a Low side switch group 323A corresponding to each electrode of the stimulation waveform output circuit 323 is connected to the base of the NPN bipolar transistor 331. There is. As a result, in the connection failure detecting means 330, for example, as shown in FIG. 3A, the Low side switch group 323A and the High side switch group 323B corresponding to each electrode of the stimulation waveform output circuit 323 are all in the open state. When no energy is applied to the electrode group 310, the collector of the NPN bipolar transistor 331 becomes High, and a High state detection signal can be obtained from the collector.

Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 3B, in the high side switch group 323B of the stimulation waveform output circuit 323, the switch corresponding to the first electrode 311 is in the closed state, the other switches are in the open state, and the other switches are in the open state. In the low side switch group 323A, the switch corresponding to the second electrode 312 is in the closed state and the other switches are in the open state, and the first electrode 311 is set to the first polarity and the second electrode 312 is set to the second polarity in the electrode group 310. When energy is applied, a current flows between the first electrode 311 and the second electrode 312 through the user's body, a potential is applied to the base of the NPN bipolar transistor 331, a collector current flows, and the collector becomes a collector. It becomes Low, and the Low state detection signal can be obtained from the collector. That is, the collector state detection signal is a signal whose signal level is different from that when energy is not applied to the electrode group 310.

However, as in FIG. 3B, even when energy is applied to the electrode group 310 with the first electrode 311 as the first polarity and the second electrode 312 as the second polarity, the first electrode 311 is peeled off or the like. When there is a defect in the electrical connection due to the above, as shown in FIG. 3C, no current flows between the first electrode 311 and the second electrode 312, and the user is electrically stimulated. Since no potential is applied to the base of the NPN bipolar transistor 331, the collector becomes High, and a High state detection signal can be obtained from the collector. That is, the collector state detection signal is the same signal as when no energy is applied to the electrode group 310. Therefore, the state signal of the collector differs depending on whether or not an electrical stimulus is applied to the user when energy is applied to the electrode group 310.

In this way, the connection failure detecting means 330 detects whether or not an electrical stimulus is given to the user when energy is applied to the electrode group 310 by detecting the state detection signal of the collector of the NPN bipolar transistor 331. , It is configured to detect defective electrical connections. In the above description, the switch corresponding to the electrode having the first polarity in the high side switch group 323B of the stimulation waveform output circuit 323 is closed, and the switch corresponding to the electrode having the first polarity in the low side switch group 323A is used. The case of the open state has been described, but in the Low side switch group 323A, the switch corresponding to the electrode having the first polarity is closed, and in the High side switch group 323B, the switch corresponding to the electrode having the first polarity is opened. The same applies to the case of.

The connection failure detecting means 330 is arranged on the clothing 340, for example, and is connected to the driving means 320 and the control means 350. The connection failure detecting means 330 is preferably configured to output a failure signal to the control means 350 when, for example, detecting a failure in electrical connection.

The clothing 340 may be any clothing that can be worn. For example, it may cover the body like a running shirt or a T-shirt as shown in FIG. 1, but it may be in the shape of a band or a belt wrapped around the abdomen. Although the one without sleeves is shown in FIG. 1, it may have sleeves, and may have a portion covering not only the upper body but also the lower body. Further, the garment 340 is preferably made of a stretchable material. This is because the electrode group 310 can be brought into close contact with the body.

The control means 350 detects an electrode having a defective electrical connection from the relationship between the electrodes having the first polarity or the second polarity when the electrical connection is poor and when the electrical connection is normal, and displays the electrode. It is preferably configured. For example, when energy is applied with one electrode in the electrode group 310 as the first polarity and the other electrode as the second polarity, the electrical connection becomes poor, and when the electrode with the first polarity is switched, it becomes electrical. If there is a connection, it is detected that there is a defective electrical connection for the electrode with the first polarity before switching, and if there is an electrical connection when the electrode with the second polarity is switched, It is configured to detect that there is a defective electrical connection for the electrode with the second polarity before switching.

The control means 350 is configured so that it can be placed at hand and controlled without being arranged on the clothing 340, for example. The control means 350, the drive means 320, and the connection failure detecting means 330 may be connected by wire or wirelessly. It is also preferable that the control means 350 is provided with, for example, a switch for instructing the drive means 320 to drive and stop.

Each electrode of the electrode group 310 can be composed of, for example, a conductor having a conductive polymer attached to a base material. The material constituting the base material may be any material, but fibers are preferable, and for example, those containing at least one of natural fibers such as silk and cotton and chemical fibers such as synthetic fibers are preferable. As the conductive polymer, for example, poly 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (PEDOT) is preferably mentioned. The conductor can be obtained, for example, by polymerizing a monomer of a conductive polymer attached to a base material with an oxidizing agent. At that time, a dopant for exhibiting conductivity in the conductive polymer or a thickener may be attached to the base material together with the monomer of the conductive polymer.

As the oxidizing agent, for example, an iron salt is preferably mentioned. As the dopant, for example, p-toluenesulfonic acid is preferably mentioned, and if an iron salt (pTS) of p-toluenesulfonic acid is used, it can function as an oxidizing agent and a dopant, which is more preferable. Other examples of the dopant include acetonitrile, trifluoroacetic acid, and the like. The thickener is for reducing the bleeding of the conductive polymer and accelerating the polymerization reaction of the monomer. The thickener preferably does not react with the polymerization reaction of the conductive polymer, and examples thereof include glucerol, polyethylene glycol, gelatin, and polysaccharides.

Each electrode of the electrode group 310 may be formed directly on the garment 340 by, for example, using the fibers constituting the garment 340 as a base material and attaching a conductive polymer by printing or the like, or separately from the garment 340. A conductor formed by adhering a conductive polymer to a prepared base material may be attached to or sewn on clothing 340 to dispose of the conductor. The lead wire 315 connecting each electrode of the electrode group 310 and the driving means 320 can be configured in the same manner as the electrode group 310.

The electrical stimulator 3 is used as follows. First, the user wears clothing 340 to arrange each electrode of the electrode group 310 at a predetermined position on the body. Next, the control means 350 instructs the drive means 320 to drive. In the driving means 320, for example, one electrode in the electrode group 310 has a first polarity, the other electrode has a second polarity, and at least one of the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity is switched in order. And gives energy to the electrode group 310. As a result, a current flows between one electrode of the first polarity and the other electrode of the second polarity.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3B, when energy is applied to the electrode group 310 with the first electrode 311 as the first polarity and the second electrode 312 as the second polarity, the first electrode 311 and the second electrode 312 are displayed. An electric current flows between them, and an electrical stimulus is given to the user. As a result, a potential is applied to the base of the NPN bipolar transistor 331, and a Low state detection signal is obtained from the collector. On the other hand, for example, as shown in FIG. 3C, if the first electrode 311 of the first polarity has a defective electrical connection due to peeling or the like, the first electrode 311 and the second electrode 312 will be connected. No current flows between them, and no electrical stimulation is given to the user. Therefore, no potential is applied to the base of the NPN bipolar transistor 331, and a high state detection signal is obtained from the collector.

The connection failure detecting means 330 detects whether or not an electrical stimulus is given to the user when energy is applied to the electrode group 310 by utilizing the fact that the collector status signals are different, and detects the electrical connection failure. For example, a defective signal is output to the control means 350. The control means 350 detects an electrode having a defective electrical connection from the relationship between the electrodes having the first polarity or the second polarity at the time of the defective electrical connection and the time of the electrical connection. For example, when the first electrode 311 was set to the first polarity and the second electrode 312 was set to the second polarity, the electrical connection was poor, and when the electrode having the first polarity was switched to the third electrode 313, there was an electrical connection. In this case, it is detected that the first electrode 311 has a defective electrical connection. Further, for example, when the first electrode 311 has the first polarity and the second electrode 312 has the second polarity, the electrical connection becomes poor, and when the electrode having the second polarity is switched to the third electrode 313, the electrical connection becomes poor. If so, it is detected that the second electrode 312 has a defective electrical connection. The control means 350 displays the detected electrode with a poor electrical connection.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, among the electrode group 310 having three or more electrodes, the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are switched to give energy to the electrode group 310, and energy is given to the electrode group 310. By detecting whether or not an electrical stimulus was given to the user when the device was given, a defect in the electrical connection was detected, so that the defect could be easily detected while the electrical stimulus was applied. it can. Therefore, if the electrode is peeled off or the contact is poor, it can be corrected immediately during use.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 4 shows the configuration of the electrical stimulator 4 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The electrical stimulator 4 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that the configurations of the electrode group 410, the driving means 420, and the control means 450 are different. Therefore, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, the corresponding components are designated by a reference numeral in which the hundreds digit is changed to 4, and detailed description of the same portion is given. Omit.

The electrode group 410 has four or more electrodes arranged in contact with the body such as the abdomen. Specifically, for example, the first electrode 411 arranged corresponding to the upper right rectus abdominis muscle, the second electrode 412 arranged corresponding to the upper left rectus abdominis muscle, and the lower right rectus abdominis muscle. It has a third electrode 413 that is arranged correspondingly and a fourth electrode 414 that is arranged corresponding to the lower left rectus abdominis muscle. Others of the electrode group 410 have the same configuration as the electrode group 310 of the first embodiment.

In the driving means 420, one or more electrodes of the electrode group 410 are set to the first polarity, and the other one or more electrodes are set to the second polarity, and the first polarity and the second polarity are set according to the movement pattern of the muscle. It has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that the electrodes to be used are selected and switched to give energy to the electrode group 410. For example, one or more of the first electrode 411, the second electrode 412, the third electrode 413, and the fourth electrode 414 are set to the first polarity, and the remaining one or more are set to the second polarity. It is preferable that the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are selected and switched according to the operation pattern.

Specifically, for example, an electrode for measuring an electromyographic (EMG) signal (not shown) is attached to measure the EMG signal associated with muscle contraction, and the signal is processed to obtain muscle contraction pattern and muscle strength information. The calculated muscle contraction pattern is input to the neural net, the muscle motion is machine-learned, and the posterior probability of the motion is calculated from the muscle contraction state in consideration of the time series characteristics. The posterior probability calculated from the neural network and the energy to be operated created in advance are calculated using the posterior probability based on the dynamic motion model, and the motion pattern to operate the muscle is the joint when the energy stimulated in advance is applied. An electrical stimulation pattern that causes joint movement can be constructed by measuring the angle, and stimulation of the electrical stimulation pattern that causes the muscles to operate can be given.

The method of constructing the electrical stimulation pattern is to convert the EMG signal into an A / D conversion into a digital signal, perform full-wave rectification, and then perform smoothing processing with a second-order low-pass filter in signal processing. Except for the EMG signal observed at rest, the maximum value of each channel is normalized to obtain the signal. The presence or absence of motion transmission is determined by the threshold value from the muscle strength information. After making the neural network to be a machine learner learn the myoelectric pattern measured at each movement, the myoelectric pattern is constructed for the muscle movement. Others of the drive means 420 have the same configuration as the drive means 320 of the first embodiment.

The control means 450 is configured to detect an electrode having a defective electrical connection from the relationship between the electrodes having the first polarity or the second polarity at the time of an electrical connection failure and the time of the electrical connection, and display the electrode. It is preferable that the electrode is used. For example, when one electrode in the electrode group 410 is set to the first polarity and the other electrode is set to the second polarity and energy is applied, the electrical connection becomes poor, and when the electrode to be the first polarity is switched, or If there is an electrical connection when the number of electrodes with the first polarity is increased, it is detected that there is a defect in the electrical connection of the electrode with the first polarity before switching, and the electrode with the second polarity is used. If there is an electrical connection when switching or increasing the number of electrodes with the second polarity, detect that there is a defective electrical connection for the electrode with the second polarity before switching. It is configured.

Further, for example, when one electrode in the electrode group 410 is set to the first polarity and the other plurality of electrodes are set to the second polarity and energy is applied, the electrical connection becomes poor, and the case is referred to as the first polarity. When it is detected that there is a defective electrical connection for the electrode group, one electrode in the electrode group 410 is set to the second polarity, and the other plurality of electrodes are set to the first polarity and energy is applied, the electrical connection is poor. In the case of, it is configured to detect that there is a defect in the electrical connection of the electrode having the second polarity.

Further, for example, when a plurality of electrodes in the electrode group 410 are set to the first polarity and energy is applied by setting the other plurality of electrodes to the second polarity, the electrical connection becomes poor and the electrodes to be set to the first polarity are switched. When there is an electrical connection at times, it is detected that there is a defective electrical connection for the electrode with the first polarity before switching, and there is an electrical connection when the electrode with the second polarity is switched. Is configured to detect that there is a defective electrical connection for the electrode with the second polarity before switching. Others of the control means 450 have the same configuration as the control means 350 of the first embodiment.

In this electrical stimulator 4, for example, when the user wears clothing 340, each electrode of the electrode group 410 is arranged at a predetermined position on the body, and the control means 450 instructs the drive means 420 to drive, the electrode One or more electrodes in the group 410 have the first polarity, the other one or more electrodes have the second polarity, and the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are selected according to the movement pattern of the muscle. It is switched to give energy to the electrode group 410. At that time, the connection failure detecting means 330 utilizes the fact that the state signal of the collector differs depending on whether or not an electrical stimulus is given to the user when energy is applied to the electrode group 410, as in the first embodiment. When a defective electrical connection is detected, for example, a defective signal is output to the control means 450. The control means 450 detects an electrode having a defective electrical connection from the relationship between the electrodes having the first polarity or the second polarity at the time of an electrical connection failure and the time of the electrical connection, and the detected electrical connection is defective. Display the electrodes of.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, among the electrode group 410 having three or more electrodes, the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are switched to give energy to the electrode group 410 and energy to the electrode group 410. By detecting whether or not an electrical stimulus was given to the user when the device was given, a defect in the electrical connection was detected, so that the defect could be easily detected while the electrical stimulus was applied. it can. Therefore, if the electrode is peeled off or the contact is poor, it can be corrected immediately during use.

(Third Embodiment)
FIG. 5 shows the configuration of the electrical stimulator 5 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is for explaining the operation of the electrical stimulator 5. The electrical stimulator 5 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that the configurations of the electrode group 510, the driving means 520, the clothing 540, and the control means 550 are different. Therefore, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, the corresponding components are designated by a reference numeral in which the hundreds digit is changed to 5, and detailed description of the same portion is given. Omit.

The electrode group 510 has, for example, three or more electrodes arranged in contact with the right arm or the left arm. Note that FIGS. 5 and 6 show the case of the left arm. Specifically, the first electrode 511 arranged corresponding to the extensor carpi radialis muscle of the forearm, the second electrode 512 arranged corresponding to the flexor carpi radialis muscle of the forearm, and the biceps brachii muscle. It is preferable to have a third electrode 513 arranged correspondingly and a fourth electrode 514 arranged corresponding to the triceps brachii muscle. Others of the electrode group 510 have the same configuration as the electrode group 310 of the first embodiment.

The driving means 520 has one or more electrodes of the electrode group 510 as the first polarity and the other one or more electrodes as the second polarity, and has the first polarity and the second polarity according to the movement pattern of the muscle. It has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that the electrodes to be used are selected and switched to give energy to the electrode group 510. For example, one or more of the first electrode 511, the second electrode 512, the third electrode 513, and the fourth electrode 514 are set to the first polarity, and the remaining one or more are set to the second polarity. It is preferable that the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are selected and switched according to the operation pattern.

Specifically, for example, in the case of a light bending motion of the forearm, as shown in FIG. 6A, the first electrode 511 has the first polarity, and the remaining other electrodes (that is, the second electrode 512, The third electrode 513 and the fourth electrode 514) are set to the second polarity, and for example, in the case of an operation of bending the forearm further, the first electrode 511 and the third electrode 513 are used as shown in FIG. 6 (B). It is preferable that the first polarity is used and the remaining other electrodes (that is, the second electrode 512 and the fourth electrode 514) are the second polarity. In FIG. 6, the electrodes having the first polarity are shaded, and the electrodes having the second polarity are shown in satin finish. This can stimulate the muscles to effectively assist or load the bending motion of the forearm. Others of the drive means 520 have the same configuration as the drive means 320 of the first embodiment.

Examples of the clothing 540 include clothing with sleeves and an arm cover. Note that FIGS. 5 and 6 show an example of the arm cover of the left arm. Others of the garment 540 have the same configuration as the garment 340 of the first embodiment. The control means 550 is configured to detect an electrode having a defective electrical connection from the relationship between the electrodes having the first polarity or the second polarity at the time of the electrical connection failure and the time of the electrical connection, and display the electrode. It is preferable that the electrode is used. Specifically, it is preferable that the electrode is configured to detect an electrode having a defective electrical connection in the same manner as the control means 450 of the second embodiment. Others of the control means 550 have the same configuration as the control means 350 of the first embodiment.

In this electrical stimulator 5, for example, when a user wears clothing 540, arranges each electrode of the electrode group 510 at a predetermined position on the body, and instructs the driving means 520 to drive by the control means 550, the electrodes One or more electrodes in the group 510 are set to the first polarity, the other one or more electrodes are set to the second polarity, and electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are selected according to the movement pattern of the muscle. It is switched to give energy to the electrode group 510. At that time, the connection failure detecting means 330 utilizes the fact that the state signal of the collector differs depending on whether or not an electrical stimulus is given to the user when energy is applied to the electrode group 510, as in the first embodiment. When a defective electrical connection is detected, for example, a defective signal is output to the control means 550. The control means 550 detects an electrode having a defective electrical connection from the relationship between the electrodes having the first polarity or the second polarity at the time of the electrical connection failure and the time of the electrical connection, and the detected electrical connection is defective. Display the electrodes of.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, among the electrode group 510 having three or more electrodes, the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are switched to give energy to the electrode group 510 and energy to the electrode group 510. By detecting whether or not an electrical stimulus was given to the user when the device was given, a defect in the electrical connection was detected, so that the defect could be easily detected while the electrical stimulus was applied. it can. Therefore, if the electrode is peeled off or the contact is poor, it can be corrected immediately during use.

(Fourth Embodiment)
FIG. 7 shows the configuration of the electrical stimulator 6 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The electrical stimulator 6 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that the configurations of the electrode group 610, the driving means 620, the clothing 640, and the control means 650 are different. Therefore, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and the corresponding components are designated by a reference numeral in which the hundreds digit is changed to 6, and detailed description of the same portion is given. Omit.

The electrode group 610 has, for example, three or more electrodes arranged in contact with the right foot or the left foot. Specifically, the first electrode 611 arranged corresponding to the biceps femoris, the second electrode 612 arranged corresponding to the quadriceps femoris, and the triceps surae muscle are arranged. It is preferable to have a third electrode 613 and a fourth electrode 614 arranged corresponding to the tibialis anterior muscle. Note that FIG. 7 shows a case where the first electrode 611, the second electrode 612, the third electrode 613, and the fourth electrode 614 are arranged for the right foot and the left foot, respectively. Others of the electrode group 610 have the same configuration as the electrode group 310 of the first embodiment.

The driving means 620 has one or more electrodes of the electrode group 610 as the first polarity and the other one or more electrodes as the second polarity, and has the first polarity and the second polarity according to the movement pattern of the muscle. It has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment except that the electrodes to be used are selected and switched to give energy to the electrode group 610. For example, one or more of the first electrode 611, the second electrode 612, the third electrode 613, and the fourth electrode 614 have the first polarity, and the remaining one or more have the second polarity. It is preferable that the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are selected and switched according to the operation pattern.

Specifically, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, in the case of the action of raising the knee, the first electrode 611 is the first polarity, and the remaining other electrodes (that is, the second electrode 612 and the third electrode 613). And the fourth electrode 614) is the second polarity, and in the case of the movement to extend the legs, the second electrode 612 and the third electrode 613 are the first polarity, and the remaining other electrodes (that is, the first electrode 611 and It is preferable that the fourth electrode 614) has a second polarity. This can stimulate the muscles to effectively assist or load the movements of walking and running. In FIG. 7, in the case of raising the knee of the left foot and extending the right foot, the electrode having the first polarity is shown in shading, and the electrode having the second polarity is shown in satin finish. Further, FIG. 7 shows a case where the right foot driving means 620 and the connection failure detecting means 330 are arranged on the outside of the right foot, and the left foot driving means 620 and the connection failure detecting means 330 are arranged on the outside of the left foot. Others of the drive means 620 have the same configuration as the drive means 320 of the first embodiment.

Examples of the garment 640 include crotch garments such as spats. Others of the garment 640 have the same configuration as the garment 340 of the first embodiment. The control means 650 is configured to detect an electrode having a defective electrical connection from the relationship between the electrodes having the first polarity or the second polarity at the time of the electrical connection failure and the time of the electrical connection, and display the electrode. It is preferable that the electrode is used. Specifically, it is preferable that the electrode is configured to detect an electrode having a defective electrical connection in the same manner as the control means 450 of the second embodiment.

In this electrical stimulator 6, for example, when the user wears clothing 640, each electrode of the electrode group 610 is arranged at a predetermined position on the body, and the control means 650 instructs the drive means 620 to drive the electrode, the electrode One or more electrodes in the group 610 are the first polarity, the other one or more electrodes are the second polarity, and the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are selected according to the movement pattern of the muscle. It is switched to give energy to the electrode group 610. At that time, the connection failure detecting means 330 utilizes the fact that the state signal of the collector differs depending on whether or not an electrical stimulus is given to the user when energy is applied to the electrode group 610, as in the first embodiment. When a defective electrical connection is detected, for example, a defective signal is output to the control means 650. The control means 650 detects an electrode having a defective electrical connection from the relationship between the electrodes having the first polarity or the second polarity at the time of the electrical connection failure and the time of the electrical connection, and the detected electrical connection is defective. Display the electrodes of.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, among the electrode group 610 having three or more electrodes, the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are switched to give energy to the electrode group 610 and energy to the electrode group 610. By detecting whether or not an electrical stimulus was given to the user when the device was given, a defect in the electrical connection was detected, so that the defect could be easily detected while the electrical stimulus was applied. it can. Therefore, if the electrode is peeled off or the contact is poor, it can be corrected immediately during use.

Although the present invention has been described above with reference to embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and can be variously modified. For example, in the above embodiment, the case where the electrode groups 310, 410, 510, 610 are arranged with respect to the clothing 340, 540, 640 has been described, but the electrodes of the electrode groups 310, 410, 510, 610 are individually arranged. The electrode groups 310, 410, 510, and 610 may be arranged directly on the body, and the electrode groups 310, 410, 510, and 610 are collectively arranged with respect to the arrangement member so as to be arranged at a predetermined position on the body. The electrodes groups 310, 410, 510, and 610 may be collectively arranged at a predetermined position on the body by fixing the electrodes to the body.

Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the electrode group 310, 410, 510, 610 has three or four electrodes has been specifically described, but the present invention can be applied to the case where the electrode group 310, 410, 510, 610 has at least three electrodes. The same effect can be obtained even if the number of electrodes in the electrode group 310, 410, 510, 610 is 5 or more.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the arrangement position of the electrodes has been specifically described, but the present invention can be applied regardless of the arrangement position of the electrodes. For example, the electrodes may be arranged at other positions in the abdomen, and may be arranged not only in the abdomen but also on the back surface, or may be arranged on the back surface and the abdomen. In addition, it may be placed in other positions on the arm or foot.

In addition, in the above-described embodiment, each component has been specifically described, but not all the components may be provided, and other components may be provided.

3,4,5,6 ... Electrical stimulator, 310,410,510,610 ... Electrode group, 311,411,511,611 ... First electrode, 312,421,512,612 ... Second electrode, 313,413 , 513, 613 ... 3rd electrode, 414, 514,614 ... 4th electrode, 315 ... Lead wire, 320, 420, 520, 620 ... Drive means, 321 ... High pressure generation circuit, 322 ... High pressure shaping circuit, 323 ... Stimulation waveform Output circuit, 330 ... Connection failure detecting means, 340, 540, 640 ... Clothing, 350, 450, 550, 650 ... Control means

Claims (4)

It is an electrical stimulator that gives electrical stimulus to the user.
An electrode group having three or more electrodes arranged in contact with the user, and
One electrode in this electrode group has a first polarity, the other electrode has a second polarity, and at least one of the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity is sequentially switched to apply energy to the electrode group. The driving means to give and
It is provided with a connection failure detecting means for detecting an electrical connection failure by detecting whether or not an electrical stimulus is given to the user when energy is applied to the electrode group.
Each of the electrodes is an electrical stimulator characterized in that it is composed of a conductor in which a conductive polymer is attached to a base material made of fibers. It is an electrical stimulator that gives electrical stimulus to the user.
An electrode group having three or more electrodes arranged in contact with the user, and
One or more of the electrodes in this group have the first polarity, the other one or more electrodes have the second polarity, and the electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are selected according to the movement pattern of the muscle. And a driving means that switches to give energy to the electrode group,
It is provided with a connection failure detecting means for detecting an electrical connection failure by detecting whether or not an electrical stimulus is given to the user when energy is applied to the electrode group.
Each of the electrodes is an electrical stimulator characterized in that it is composed of a conductor in which a conductive polymer is attached to a base material made of fibers. The electrode group includes, in the right arm or the left arm, at least a first electrode arranged corresponding to the extensor carpi radialis muscle of the forearm and a second electrode arranged corresponding to the flexor carpi radialis muscle of the forearm. It has a third electrode arranged corresponding to the biceps brachii muscle and a fourth electrode arranged corresponding to the triceps brachii muscle.
The driving means has one or more of the first electrode, the second electrode, the third electrode, and the fourth electrode as the first polarity, and the remaining one or more as the second polarity of the muscle. The electrical stimulator according to claim 2, wherein electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are selected and switched according to an operation pattern. The electrode group corresponds to at least the first electrode arranged corresponding to the biceps femoris, the second electrode arranged corresponding to the quadriceps femoris, and the triceps surae muscle in the right foot or the left foot. It has a third electrode arranged so as to be arranged, and a fourth electrode arranged corresponding to the tibialis anterior muscle.
The driving means has one or more of the first electrode, the second electrode, the third electrode, and the fourth electrode as the first polarity, and the remaining one or more as the second polarity of the muscle. The electrical stimulator according to claim 2, wherein electrodes having the first polarity and the second polarity are selected and switched according to an operation pattern.

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