WO2023078563A1

WO2023078563A1 - Artificial muscle massage garment

Info

Publication number: WO2023078563A1
Application number: PCT/EP2021/080813
Authority: WO
Inventors: Nagarajan THOPPEY
Original assignee: Essity Hygiene And Health Aktiebolag
Priority date: 2021-11-05
Filing date: 2021-11-05
Publication date: 2023-05-11

Abstract

Massage garment, comprising: at least one band, provided for being placed around a limb of a user and comprising at least one artificial muscle arranged for surrounding at least a portion of the limb and applying a compression force to the limb, wherein each artificial muscle comprises a coiled element which contracts when heated, and means for applying energy to cause the artificial muscles to be heated, wherein each band is provided with a plurality of spacers in a heat insulating material, arranged for spacing the at least one artificial muscle from the limb.

Description

Artificial muscle massage garment

Technical field

The present disclosure relates to massage garment, comprising at least one band, provided for being placed around a limb of a user and comprising at least one artificial muscle arranged for applying a compression force to the limb, for example for the treatment of lymphoedema.

Background art

Massage garments for the treatment of lymphoedema are known, comprising bands which are placed around a limb of a user and which comprise fluid compartments arranged for applying a compression force to the limb. In known massage garments, the fluid compartments form part of a fluid circuit and the compression force is achieved by pumping the fluid into and from the fluid compartments.

These known massage garments require a pump for pumping the fluid into and from the fluid compartments. As a result, these known massage garments are bulky, heavy, expensive, and limit the range of activities that the user can perform during treatment.

From US 9271890 B1 a massage garment is known in which shape memory material is used.

Artificial muscles in the form of coiled elements are known from WO 2014/022667 A2.

Disclosure of the invention

It may be an aim of the present disclosure to provide an alternative massage garment, for example for the treatment of lymphoedema.

It may be an aim of the present disclosure to provide an massage garment, for example for the treatment of lymphoedema, which at least to some extent provides a solution to one or more of the above mentioned disadvantages.

In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a massage garment, comprising at least one band, provided for being placed around a limb of a user and comprising at least one artificial muscle arranged for surrounding at least a portion of the limb and applying a compression force to the limb, wherein each artificial muscle comprises a coiled element which contracts when heated, and means for applying energy to cause the artificial muscles to be heated, wherein each band is provided with a plurality of spacers in a heat insulating material, arranged for spacing the at least one artificial muscle from the limb.

As used herein, with “coiled element” is intended any wire-like element which is twisted or shaped into a helical form, such as for example a twisted filament, fiber or wire or bundle of filaments, fibers or wires, or a helical spring.

The inventors have found that coiled elements which contract axially when heated, such as for example coiled elements in a shape memory material or exhibiting a shape memory effect when heated as a result of applied energy, such as resistive heating by applying electric energy, may effectively be used as artificial muscles in massage garments. Partial problems that may occur when such coiled elements are applied as artificial muscles are the avoidance of heat transfer from the coiled elements onto the user’s skin and/or the avoidance of friction when the artificial muscles contract and expand. At least one of these partial problems may be solved, according to the disclosure, by the provision of a plurality of spacers between the coiled elements and the user’s skin. The spacers may be provided for, on the one hand, maintaining a certain space between the coiled elements and the skin and/or avoid direct contact, and, on the other hand, allowing the coiled elements or portions thereof to contract and expand more freely, i.e. without contact with the skin, when the energy is applied.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, the spacers may be arranged at substantially equal distances from each other. In this way, portions of the coiled element which are allowed to freely contract and expand may be evenly distributed along the length of the coiled element, and a better distribution of the compression force around the circumference of the user’s limb may be achieved.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, each spacer may comprise a plurality of channels for holding portions of said at least one artificial muscle. In this way, the artificial muscle(s), or portions thereof, may be held in a substantially fixed relationship with respect to each other and/or may be better held in a desired position around the limb during use.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, each spacer may comprise a lower part which in use is located between said portions of artificial muscle and an upper part which in use is located above said portions of artificial muscle, the lower and upper parts together forming said channels.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, the lower and upper parts may be separate parts which mate with each other, for example for ease of construction.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, the lower parts of the spacers may be bendable, for example so as to better conform to the shape of the limb.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, the lower part of each spacer may comprise a plurality of ridges for supporting said portions of artificial muscle at spaced apart locations. In this way, the portions between the spaced apart locations may be allow to contract and expand more freely.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, each band may be stretchable, such that for example a baseline pressure can be applied to the limb. In such embodiments, the coiled elements may be provided for being stretched along with the band when the band is placed on the limb and/or for applying the compression force on top of the baseline pressure.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, each band may comprise a textile layer at least on a side which in use faces the user’s skin. This textile layer may help in controlling or maintaining the position of spacers, and facilitate donning of the band.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, each band may comprise one (or more) coiled element(s) which has a plurality of turns along the band, such that in use the coiled element extends helically around the limb.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, each band may comprise a plurality of coiled elements which extend substantially parallel to each other. This implies that each of the coiled elements in use forms at least a portion of a turn around the user’s limb.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, the at least one coiled element may be a coiled filament in a polymer material.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, the at least one coiled element may be a spring in a shape memory alloy.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, the means for applying energy, to cause the artificial muscles to be heated, may comprise a resistive heating mechanism, such as by applying electric current through the coiled element(s) and/or through one or more conductors in the vicinity of the coiled element(s). In embodiments, the resistive heating mechanism may be that the at least one coiled element is conductive or comprises at least one conductive filament.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, the means for applying energy may comprise an interface for connecting the massage garment to a control unit and a power source, i.e. the control unit and power source may be external to the garment.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, the means for applying energy may comprise a control unit and a power source, i.e. the control unit and power source may form part of the garment.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, the control unit may be provided for monitoring at least one process parameter when applying energy to the at least one artificial muscle. In embodiments, the at least one process parameter may comprise at least one of: a temperature of the artificial muscles, the pressure applied to the limb, and/or the energy supplied to the at least one artificial muscle, preferably such that the temperature of the at least one artificial muscle stays below a predetermined temperature and/or the applied pressure stays below a predetermined pressure. For example the control unit may monitor the applied energy, and/or or a feedback of the temperature by means of a sensor, such that the temperature stays below a maximum in the range of 50°-90°C, more preferably 60°-80°C, more preferably a maximum of about 70°C.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, the garment may comprise a plurality of said bands and/or each band comprises a plurality of said artificial muscles. In such embodiments, the control unit may be provided for activating the bands and/or the artificial muscles according to a predetermined schedule, such as in a sequential or random order.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, the control unit may be programmed to control the massage garment to perform a treatment program for the treatment of lymphoedema.

Brief description of the drawings

The invention will be further elucidated by means of the following description and the appended figures. Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a massage garment according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Figure 2 shows a perspective view of an embodiment of a band of a massage garment according to the present disclosure.

Figure 3 shows a perspective view of another embodiment of a band of a massage garment according to the present disclosure.

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of yet another embodiment of a band of a massage garment according to the present disclosure.

Figures 5A-B and 6 respectively show a test setup and a graph of an experiment performed with a prototype of a band of a massage garment according to the present disclosure.

Figures 7-9 show examples of coiled elements which may be used in embodiments of massage garments according to the present disclosure.

Modes for carrying out the invention

The present disclosure will be described with respect to particular embodiments and with reference to certain drawings but the disclosure is not limited thereto but only by the claims. The drawings described are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes. The dimensions and the relative dimensions do not necessarily correspond to actual reductions to practice of the disclosure.

Furthermore, the terms first, second, third and the like in the description and in the claims, are used for distinguishing between similar elements and not necessarily for describing a sequential or chronological order. The terms are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the disclosure can operate in other sequences than described or illustrated herein.

Moreover, the terms top, bottom, over, under and the like in the description and the claims are used for descriptive purposes and not necessarily for describing relative positions. The terms so used are interchangeable under appropriate circumstances and the embodiments of the disclosure described herein can operate in other orientations than described or illustrated herein. Furthermore, the various embodiments, although referred to as “preferred” are to be construed as exemplary manners in which the disclosure may be implemented rather than as limiting the scope of the disclosure.

Different aspects of the present disclosure will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the enclosed drawings. The embodiments disclosed herein can, however, be realized in many different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the aspects set forth herein.

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a massage garment 100 according to an embodiment of the disclosure, comprising a plurality of bands 101-106. The bands are placed around a limb of a user and comprise at least one artificial muscle 700, 800 arranged for surrounding at least a portion of the limb and applying a compression force to the limb. The massage garment 100 further comprises means for applying energy to the artificial muscles in the bands 101-106, for example in the form of an electric cable 108 connecting to a control unit 107. The control unit includes a power source, e.g. a rechargeable battery or a transformer or power converter for converting mains voltage into electric power suitable for the artificial muscles. Via the cable 108, the control unit 107 is connected to the artificial muscles in the bands 101-106, to control the artificial muscles and supply power thereto, so as to cause them to contract and apply compression forces to the limb.

Each artificial muscle 700, 800 comprises a coiled element which contracts in axial direction when heated, for example a coiled element in a shape memory material or exhibiting a shape memory effect when heated, for example by means of resistive heating. Examples of coiled elements are shown in Figures 7-9. The coiled elements are wire-like elements which are twisted or shaped into a helical form, such as for example a twisted filament, fiber or wire or bundle of filaments, fibers or wires, or a helical spring. Such coiled elements are known as such, for example from WO 2014/022667 A2.

In the embodiment shown in Figure 1 , the control unit 107, which includes the power source, is external to the garment. In alternative embodiments, the control unit and power source may be provided in or on the garment itself. For example, each band 101-106 may comprise its own power source and individual control unit. In embodiments, these individual control units may be provided to communicate with each other in order to apply a treatment programme to the limb. In embodiments according to the disclosure, the control unit 107 may be provided for monitoring a temperature of the artificial muscles and/or limiting the energy supplied to the at least one artificial muscle, in order to prevent them from overheating and reduce the risk of burns to the user’s skin. In embodiments, this may be achieved by monitoring the power or current supplied to each artificial muscle, or the duration of the time period during which each muscle is active, or the like. In embodiments, temperature sensors may be provided in the bands 101- 106 to provide feedback on the temperature of the artificial muscles to the control unit 107, or in the case of each band having its own control unit, to this individual control unit. In embodiments, the control unit(s) may be provided for limiting the temperature of the artificial muscles to a predetermined maximum, preferably a maximum in the range of 50°-90°C, more preferably 60°-80°C, more preferably a maximum of about 70°C.

In embodiments according to the disclosure, the massage garment may comprise one or more bands 101-106. Further, each band may comprise one or more artificial muscles. The control unit(s) 107 may be provided for activating the bands 101-106 and/or the artificial muscles 700, 800 according to a predetermined schedule, such as in a sequential or random order. In embodiments, the control unit(s) may be programmed to control the massage garment to perform a treatment program for the treatment of lymphoedema.

Figures 2-4 show perspective views of embodiments of bands 200, 300, 400 of a massage garment according to the present disclosure. The bands 200, 300, 400 may individually constitute a massage garment (in which case they may individually comprise a control unit and power source), or may form part of a massage garment such as the one shown schematically in Figure 1.

The band 200 comprises an inner sleeve 201 , a plurality of spacers 202, one or more coiled elements 203 and an outer cover 204.

The inner sleeve 201 may be a textile layer, which is provided at least on the side of the band 200 which in use faces the user’s skin. This textile layer 201 may be provided for controlling or maintaining the positioning of the spacers 202 and facilitate donning of the band. The textile layer is preferably in an elastic, skinfriendly material and may be a complete, tubular band or an interrupted band with a closing means such as a hook-and-loop type fastener. The spacers 202 may move when the coiled element(s) 203 contract to apply compression force to the limb. In order to maintain their relative positions, a portion of the bottom side of the spacers 202 may attached to the inner sleeve 201 , but this is not essential.

As shown in Figure 2, each spacer 202 may comprise a series of ridges 205 for supporting the coiled element(s) 203 only at spaced apart locations. In this way, the portions between the spaced apart locations may be allow to contract and expand more freely. The spacers 202 are preferably bendable so as to better conform to the shape of the limb. The spacers 202 are preferably positioned some distance from each other to accommodate for a change in diameter caused by contraction of the coiled element(s) 203.

In embodiments, the at least one coiled element 203 may comprise one or more coiled elements which extend around the band a number of turns, such that the coiled element(s) 203 extend helically around the spacers. Alternatively, or additionally, the at least one coiled element 203 may comprise a plurality of coiled elements which preferably extend substantially parallel to each other and which extend around the spacers for only a single turn, or a portion of a turn.

The outer cover 204, of which only a portion is shown in Fig. 2, may be provided for covering the coiled elements from the outside, i.e. as a protective covering. The outer cover 204 may be a textile layer of the same material as the inner sleeve 201 , or a different material. Preferably, the outer cover has a relatively large porosity in order to allow ventilation to occur along the coiled elements 203 and prevent overheating.

The band 300, shown in Figure 3, likewise comprises an inner sleeve 301 , a plurality of spacers 302, one or more coiled elements 303 and an outer cover (not shown in Figure 3). For the sake of brevity, only differences with respect to the band 200 of Figure 2 will be explained in detail.

In the embodiment of Figure 3, the spacers 302 have a shorter length (measured in circumferential direction of the band) than those of Figure 2. The spacers 302 are preferably arranged at substantially equal distances from each other. A number of spacers 302 are shown in Figure 3, but this number may vary, for example a higher number of spacers than shown may be preferred to distribute the compression force more evenly along the circumference of the user’s limb. The portions of the coiled element(s) 303 in between the spacers are allowed to freely contract and expand. Each spacer 302 comprises a plurality of channels 306 for holding the coiled element(s) 303, such that they may be held in a substantially fixed relationship with respect to each other and/or may be better held in a desired position around the limb during use.

The band 400, shown in Figure 4, likewise comprises an inner sleeve 401 , a plurality of spacers 402, one or more coiled elements 403 and an outer cover (not shown in Figure 4). For the sake of brevity, only differences with respect to the band 200 of Figure 2 will be explained in detail.

In the embodiment of Figure 4, the spacers 402 comprise a lower part 402a, which is located between the coiled element(s) 403 and the inner sleeve 401 , and an upper part 402b, which is located above the coiled element(s) 403. The lower and upper parts are separate parts which mate with each other, for example connect to each other by means of a snap connection, and together form channels 406 for holding the coiled element(s) 403, such that they may be held in a substantially fixed relationship with respect to each other and/or may be better held in a desired position around the limb during use. The lower parts 402a of the spacers comprise a series of ridges 405 for supporting the coiled element(s) 403 only at spaced apart locations. In this way, the portions between the spaced apart locations may be allow to contract and expand more freely. The lower parts 402a of the spacers 402 are preferably bendable so as to better conform to the shape of the limb.

The spacers 202, 302, 402 are preferably made of a heat and/or electrically insulating material, preferably a (thermo)plastic material such as PTFE, Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS), Polyurethanes, Polystyrenes, or other.

The bands 200, 300, 400 may be circular bands, i.e. bands without any closure that are provided for being brought over the user’s limb and moved along the limb into their desired position. The bands 200, 300, 400 may also be flat bands with a closure, such as for example fasteners like a hook-and-loop type fastener, push buttons, or other.

The bands 200, 300, 400 of Figures 2-4 may be stretchable as a whole, such that when they are placed on the limb, a baseline pressure is applied to the limb. The coiled elements 203, 303, 403 are being stretched along with the band when the band is placed on the limb and, when activated, apply a compression force on top of the baseline pressure.

The bands 200, 300, 400 of Figures 2-4 may each have their individual control unit and power source, or may have an interface for connecting the coiled element(s) to a common, external control unit, as shown in Figure 1. In embodiments where the bands have individual control units, they may be configured for communicating with each other in order to apply a treatment programme.

The coiled elements 203, 303, 403 of the bands of Figures 2-4 may each be one or more coiled filaments 700 as shown in Figure 7, which are wires in a polymer material which are twisted and heat set in order to maintain the helical form. Such coiled filaments can be used as artificial muscles when they are stretched or pre-biased and when heating means are provided, as heat will cause them to contract in axial direction. Such coiled filaments in a polymer material are also known as polymer coiled muscles, PCM, and may be fabricated from a variety of polymer yarns, such as for example the following commercially available polymer yarns: Sheidex 4-ply, Dyneema DM20, Dyneema SK72, Dyneema SK78, Gladiator Bonzai Chameleon, SpiderWire Stealth, SpiderWire UltraCast, Berkeley Nanofil, Berkeley Fireline. The helical shape may be achieved as follows. Following known procedures, the yarns are over-twisted yarns into coiled structures. For example, one end of the yarn may be affixed to an electric motor and the other end tied to a mass to provide constant tension while preventing untwisting. Electrically conductive silver coated nylon yarns (Shieldex™, Statex-US, USA) may be incorporated alongside the primary polymer yarns before the yarns are coiled to allow electrical heating during use. The coiled yarn is heat treated under tension in an oven (e.g. 120°C for 2 hr) to set the shape of the PCM and to prevent the yarn from untwisting.

The conductor or conductivity to enable electrical heating of the coiled filaments 700 may be achieved in a number of ways. For example, a conducting coating (like a metal or carbon coating) on a high-strength polymer fiber; metal wire or wires; electronically conducting nanofibers that are helically wrapped about an non-twisted polymer fiber muscle, a coiled polymer fiber muscle, or a twisted but non-coiled polymer fiber muscle; an electronic conductor that is external to the muscle fiber (like metal wires woven into an actuating textile); or an electronic conductor that is interior to a muscle array (like interior to actuating polymer fiber braids). Commercially available high strength polymer fibers that include an electrically conducting coating can be deployed, like presently evaluated Shieldex™ Fiber (which is a silvercoated nylon 6,6). The low resistance per fiber length enables fast heating during electrothermal actuation while applying very low voltages. Additionally, polymer fibers that are coated with an electronically conducting carbon or carbon composite can be usefully deployed. Further, electronically conducting pastes and inks can be optionally deployed as coatings to enable electrothermal actuation, such as those containing silver powder (optionally comprising silver nanofibers or silver flakes) in a binder or forms of electronically conducting carbons in a binder (including carbon nanotubes and graphene flakes). For the preparation of electronically conducting coiled polymer fibers, these electronic conductors can be applied to either the nontwisted fiber, the fiber that is twisted but not coiled, or the coiled fiber.

In embodiments, the resistive heating may be achieved by means of conductors in the vicinity of the coiled elements, such as parallel alongside each of the coiled elements, which are provided for being heated by resistive heating and thereby heating the coiled elements. A suitable layout may for example comprise a band comprising a plurality of coiled elements alternating with conductors for heating the coiled elements, or, in case of a helically extending coiled element, a coiled element and a heating conductor extending in parallel helixes. In such embodiments, the coiled elements may in themselves be non- conductive.

The coiled elements 203, 303, 403 may also be springs 800 in a shape memory alloy, SMA. Figure 8 shows the spring 800 in its inactive or stretched state and Figure 9 shows the spring 800 in its active, contracted state, i.e. when electric energy is applied and the spring is heated by resistive heating. Suitable, commercially available SMA coils are Flexinol® from Dynalloy, USA, which are available in a range of coil and wire diameters (coil diameters of 3.2 and 4.75 mm; wire diameters of 0.5, 1 .0 and 1.5 mm).

Experiments

Figures 5 and 6 respectively show a test setup and a graph of an experiment performed with a prototype of a band of a massage garment according to the present disclosure.

The test setup comprises a band similar to the ones shown in Figures 2-4 around a user’s leg, with one coiled element extending helically around the spacers. The coiled element used was made of the commercially available Gladiator Bonzai Chameleon polymer yarns. Figure 5 shows two photographs: a photograph taken by means of a regular camera and a photograph taken by means of an I R camera (the IR thermal image is superimposed on the visible image; the offset between the overlapped images is erroneously introduced by the software used). The IR image shows that the coiled element heats up. The supplied current was controlled to limit the temperature of the coiled element to 60°.

Figure 6 shows a measurement of the pressure onto the user’s limb (in mmHg) over time with the band of Figure 5 being iteratively activated and deactivated (alternately switched ON with a predetermined voltage and amps, and OFF). The baseline pressure was about 12 mmHg, caused by the band being stretched when placed around the user’s limb. When activated, the contraction of the coiled elements caused the pressure to increase to about 25 mmHg. So in the active state, the pressure achieved as a result of the compression force is about double the baseline pressure.

Claims

1. A massage garment, comprising: at least one band, provided for being placed around a limb of a user and comprising at least one artificial muscle arranged for surrounding at least a portion of the limb and applying a compression force to the limb, wherein each artificial muscle comprises a coiled element which contracts when heated, and means for applying energy to cause the artificial muscles to be heated, wherein each band is provided with a plurality of spacers in a heat insulating material, arranged for spacing the at least one artificial muscle from the limb.

2. The massage garment according to claim 1 , wherein the spacers are arranged at substantially equal distances from each other.

3. The massage garment according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each spacer comprises a plurality of channels for holding portions of said at least one artificial muscle.

4. The massage garment according to claim 3, wherein each spacer comprises a lower part which in use is located between said portions of artificial muscle and an upper part which in use is located above said portions of artificial muscle, the lower and upper parts together forming said channels.

5. The massage garment according to claim 4, wherein the lower and upper parts are separate parts which mate with each other.

6. The massage garment according to claim 4 of 5, wherein the lower part is bendable.

7. The massage garment according to any one of the claims 4-6, wherein the lower part comprises a plurality of ridges for supporting said portions of artificial muscle at spaced apart locations.

8. The massage garment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each band is stretchable for applying a baseline pressure to the limb.

9. The massage garment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each band comprises a textile layer on a side which in use faces the user’s skin.

10. The massage garment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each band comprises at least one coiled element which has a plurality of turns along the band, such that in use the coiled element extends helically around the limb.

11 . The massage garment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each band comprises a plurality of coiled elements which extend substantially parallel to each other.

12. The massage garment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one coiled element is a coiled filament in a polymer material.

13. The massage garment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein at least one coiled element is a spring in a shape memory alloy.

14. The massage garment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the means for applying energy, to cause the artificial muscles to be heated, comprise a resistive heating mechanism.

15. The massage garment according to claim 14, wherein the at least one coiled element is conductive or comprises at least one conductive filament.

16. The massage garment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said means for applying energy comprise an interface for connecting the massage garment to a control unit and a power source. 15

17. The massage garment according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said means for applying energy comprise a control unit and a power source.

18. The massage garment according to claim 17, wherein the control unit is provided for monitoring at least one process parameter when applying energy to the at least one artificial muscle.

19. The massage garment according to claim 18, wherein the at least one process parameter comprises at least one of: a temperature of the artificial muscles, the pressure applied to the limb, and/or the energy supplied to the at least one artificial muscle, preferably such that the temperature of the at least one artificial muscle stays below a predetermined temperature and/or the applied pressure stays below a predetermined pressure.

20. The massage garment according to any one of claims 17-19, wherein the garment comprises a plurality of said bands and/or each band comprises a plurality of said artificial muscles, and wherein the control unit is provided for activating the bands and/or the artificial muscles according to a predetermined schedule, such as in a sequential or random order.

21. The massage garment according to claim 20, wherein the control unit is programmed to control the massage garment to perform a treatment program for the treatment of lymphoedema.