Patents by Inventor Gearóid O'Laighin
Gearóid O'Laighin has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Publication number: 20230264022Abstract: A gait management apparatus applies stimulation to a user suffering from a neurological disease (such as Parkinson's Disease) gait dysfunction. Motion sensors are arranged to be worn by a patient, and electrical stimulation electrodes are on the legs for stimulation. A controller receives motion sensing signals, and processes these signals to generate stimulation signals for operation of the electrodes to stimulate limb movement upon detection of a gait abnormality. There may be a user actuator for user actuation of electrical stimulation, and the inputs may be a series of taps. The controller may provide signals to prevent occurrence of freezing of gait when it senses that a patient is walking or has an intention to walk. Also, it may apply stimulation at an intensity level which is insufficient for functional muscle stimulation but sufficiently high to trigger activation of efferent nerves.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 30, 2023Publication date: August 24, 2023Applicant: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAYInventors: Gearóid Ó LAIGHIN, Leo QUINLAN, Dean SWEENEY, Gavin CORLEY, James FEEHILLY, Patrick BROWNE
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Patent number: 11672984Abstract: A gait management apparatus applies stimulation to a user suffering from a neurological disease (such as Parkinson's Disease) gait dysfunction. Motion sensors are arranged to be worn by a patient, and electrical stimulation electrodes are on the legs for stimulation. A controller receives motion sensing signals, and processes these signals to generate stimulation signals for operation of the electrodes to stimulate limb movement upon detection of a gait abnormality. There may be a user actuator for user actuation of electrical stimulation, and the inputs may be a series of taps. The controller may provide signals to prevent occurrence of freezing of gait when it senses that a patient is walking or has an intention to walk. Also, it may apply stimulation at an intensity level which is insufficient for functional muscle stimulation but sufficiently high to trigger activation of efferent nerves.Type: GrantFiled: July 24, 2020Date of Patent: June 13, 2023Assignee: National University of Ireland, GalwayInventors: Gearóid Ó Laighin, Leo Quinlan, Dean Sweeney, Gavin Corley, James Feehilly, Patrick Browne
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Publication number: 20220118256Abstract: A gait management apparatus applies stimulation to a user suffering from a neurological disease (such as Parkinson's Disease) gait dysfunction. Motion sensors are arranged to be worn by a patient, and electrical stimulation electrodes are on the legs for stimulation. A controller receives motion sensing signals, and processes these signals to generate stimulation signals for operation of the electrodes to stimulate limb movement upon detection of a gait abnormality. There may be a user actuator for user actuation of electrical stimulation, and the inputs may be a series of taps. The controller may provide signals to prevent occurrence of freezing of gait when it senses that a patient is walking or has an intention to walk. Also, it may apply stimulation at an intensity level which is insufficient for functional muscle stimulation but sufficiently high to trigger activation of efferent nerves.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 26, 2021Publication date: April 21, 2022Applicant: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAYInventors: Gearóid Ó LAIGHIN, Leo QUINLAN, Dean SWEENEY, Gavin CORLEY, James FEEHILLY, Patrick BROWNE
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Publication number: 20200353254Abstract: A gait management apparatus applies stimulation to a user suffering from a neurological disease (such as Parkinson's Disease) gait dysfunction. Motion sensors are arranged to be worn by a patient, and electrical stimulation electrodes are on the legs for stimulation. A controller receives motion sensing signals, and processes these signals to generate stimulation signals for operation of the electrodes to stimulate limb movement upon detection of a gait abnormality. There may be a user actuator for user actuation of electrical stimulation, and the inputs may be a series of taps. The controller may provide signals to prevent occurrence of freezing of gait when it senses that a patient is walking or has an intention to walk. Also, it may apply stimulation at an intensity level which is insufficient for functional muscle stimulation but sufficiently high to trigger activation of efferent nerves.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 24, 2020Publication date: November 12, 2020Applicant: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAYInventors: Gearóid Ó Laighin, Leo Quinlan, Dean Sweeney, Gavin Corley, James Feehilly, Patrick Browne
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Patent number: 10744324Abstract: A gait management apparatus applies stimulation to a user suffering from a neurological disease (such as Parkinson's Disease) gait dysfunction. Motion sensors are arranged to be worn by a patient, and electrical stimulation electrodes are on the legs for stimulation. A controller receives motion sensing signals, and processes these signals to generate stimulation signals for operation of the electrodes to stimulate limb movement upon detection of a gait abnormality. There may be a user actuator for user actuation of electrical stimulation, and the inputs may be a series of taps. The controller may provide signals to prevent occurrence of freezing of gait when it senses that a patient is walking or has an intention to walk. Also, it may apply stimulation at an intensity level which is insufficient for functional muscle stimulation but sufficiently high to trigger activation of efferent nerves.Type: GrantFiled: April 15, 2016Date of Patent: August 18, 2020Assignee: National University of Ireland, GalwayInventors: Gearóid Ó Laighin, Leo Quinlan, Dean Sweeney, Gavin Corley, James Feehilly, Patrick Browne
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Publication number: 20200178813Abstract: A monitoring system (1) comprises sensors (102) adapted to be worn by a user, and, a processor (101, 302) linked with the sensor. The processor receives sensor data and processes this data to determine user posture data including data indicative of vertical distance between level of the user's heart and ankle (?h, Vd 1, Vd2, Vd3). Based on the posture data together with a value for degree of user chronic venous insufficiency and/or blood density, generate an estimate of user static venous pressure while the user is static, without calf muscle pump activity. The processor (101, 302) also processes the sensor data to determine if there is calf muscle pump activity, and generates an estimate of user active venous pressure according to the static venous pressure estimate, rate of calf muscle activity, and a value for degree of user chronic venous insufficiency. The processor (101, 302) may generate the venous pressure estimate in real time, and may control an NMES device accordingly.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 3, 2019Publication date: June 11, 2020Applicants: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAY, UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICKInventors: Gavin CORLEY, Gearóid Ó'LAIGHIN, Paul BREEN, Barry BRODERICK, Pierce A. GRACE, Derek O'KEEFFE
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Patent number: 10470667Abstract: A monitoring system comprises sensors adapted to be worn by a user, and, a processor linked with the sensor. The processor receives sensor data and processes this data to determine user posture data including data indicative of vertical distance between level of the user's heart and ankle. Based on the posture data together with a value for degree of user chronic venous insufficiency and/or blood density, generate an estimate of user static venous pressure while the user is static, without calf muscle pump activity. The processor also processes the sensor data to determine if there is calf muscle pump activity, and generates an estimate of user active venous pressure according to the static venous pressure estimate, rate of calf muscle activity, and a value for degree of user chronic venous insufficiency. The processor may generate the venous pressure estimate in real time, and may control an NMES device accordingly.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2012Date of Patent: November 12, 2019Assignees: University of Ireland, Galway, University of LimerickInventors: Gavin Corley, Gearóid Ó'Laighin, Paul Breen, Barry Broderick, Pierce A. Grace, Derek O'Keeffe
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Patent number: 10124172Abstract: A monitoring system has biomechanical sensors, physiological sensors and a controller which receive sensory inputs from the sensors to provide output signals for the output device, and it detects from the sensory inputs risk of a syncopal event The bio-mechanical sensors include sensors arranged to allow the processor to detect a user postures and posture transitions. The processor operates a finite state machine, in which there is a state corresponding to each of a plurality of user physical postures and to each of a plurality of transitions between said postures, and the processor determines a relevant state depending on the sensory inputs. A device output may be muscle stimulation to prevent syncope, and there are stimulation permissions associated with the finite state machine states.Type: GrantFiled: June 27, 2016Date of Patent: November 13, 2018Assignees: National University of Ireland, GalwayInventors: Declan Lyons, Colin Quinn, Gearóid Ó Laighin, Paul Breen, Brian Deegan, Fabio Quondamatteo
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Publication number: 20180140842Abstract: A gait management apparatus applies stimulation to a user suffering from a neurological disease (such as Parkinson's Disease) gait dysfunction. Motion sensors are arranged to be worn by a patient, and electrical stimulation electrodes are on the legs for stimulation. A controller receives motion sensing signals, and processes these signals to generate stimulation signals for operation of the electrodes to stimulate limb movement upon detection of a gait abnormality. There may be a user actuator for user actuation of electrical stimulation, and the inputs may be a series of taps. The controller may provide signals to prevent occurrence of freezing of gait when it senses that a patient is walking or has an intention to walk. Also, it may apply stimulation at an intensity level which is insufficient for functional muscle stimulation but sufficiently high to trigger activation of efferent nerves.Type: ApplicationFiled: April 15, 2016Publication date: May 24, 2018Applicant: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAYInventors: Gearóid Ó LAIGHIN, Leo QUINLAN, Dean SWEENEY, Gavin CORLEY, James FEEHILLY, Patrick BROWNE
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Publication number: 20160331974Abstract: A monitoring system has biomechanical sensors, physiological sensors and a controller which receive sensory inputs from the sensors to provide output signals for the output device, and it detects from the sensory inputs risk of a syncopal event The bio-mechanical sensors include sensors arranged to allow the processor to detect a user postures and posture transitions. The processor operates a finite state machine, in which there is a state corresponding to each of a plurality of user physical postures and to each of a plurality of transitions between said postures, and the processor determines a relevant state depending on the sensory inputs. A device output may be muscle stimulation to prevent syncope, and there are stimulation permissions associated with the finite state machine states.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 27, 2016Publication date: November 17, 2016Applicants: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAYInventors: Declan LYONS, Colin QUINN, Gearóid Ó LAIGHIN, Paul BREEN, Brian DEEGAN, Fabio QUONDAMATTEO
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Patent number: 9403000Abstract: A monitoring system has biomechanical sensors, physiological sensors and a controller which receive sensory inputs from the sensors to provide output signals for the output device, and it detects from the sensory inputs risk of a syncopal event The bio-mechanical sensors include sensors arranged to allow the processor to detect a user postures and posture transitions. The processor operates a finite state machine, in which there is a state corresponding to each of a plurality of user physical postures and to each of a plurality of transitions between said postures, and the processor determines a relevant state depending on the sensory inputs. A device output may be muscle stimulation to prevent syncope, and there are stimulation permissions associated with the finite state machine states.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2012Date of Patent: August 2, 2016Assignees: National University of Ireland, GalwayInventors: Declan Lyons, Colin Quinn, Gearóid O'Laighin, Paul Breen, Brian Deegan, Fabio Quondamatteo
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Patent number: 9302105Abstract: A surface NMES stimulation device the device has a control processor, a voltage regulator connected to a high voltage supply, a bridge of control switches, and electrodes or electrode terminals connected in the bridge to receive drive signals via the control switches. The processor directs a drive scheme for the bridge control switches in which charge build-up on a user's skin is allowed to dissipate to ground in an inter-pulse interval. An isolation capacitor isolates the high voltage supply from the electrodes, and charging of the capacitor only occurs if a switch allows it. Sensors senses supply voltage and bridge current and the processor monitors there to determine further stimulation and faults.Type: GrantFiled: November 9, 2012Date of Patent: April 5, 2016Assignees: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAY, UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICKInventors: Gearóid Ó Laighin, Paul Breen, Derek O'Keeffe, Richard Conway, Sinziana Lulia Birlea
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Publication number: 20140358193Abstract: A monitoring system has biomechanical sensors, physiological sensors and a controller which receive sensory inputs from the sensors to provide output signals for the output device, and it detects from the sensory inputs risk of a syncopal event The bio-mechanical sensors include sensors arranged to allow the processor to detect a user postures and posture transitions. The processor operates a finite state machine, in which there is a state corresponding to each of a plurality of user physical postures and to each of a plurality of transitions between said postures, and the processor determines a relevant state depending on the sensory inputs. A device output may be muscle stimulation to prevent syncope, and there are stimulation permissions associated with the finite state machine states.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2012Publication date: December 4, 2014Applicants: NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAYInventors: Declan Lyons, Colin Quinn, Gearóid O'Laighin, Paul Breen, Brian Deegan, Fabio Quondamatteo
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Publication number: 20140343625Abstract: A surface NMES stimulation device the device has a control processor, a voltage regulator connected to a high voltage supply, a bridge of control switches, and electrodes or electrode terminals connected in the bridge to receive drive signals via the control switches. The processor directs a drive scheme for the bridge control switches in which charge build-up on a user's skin is allowed to dissipate to ground in an inter-pulse interval. An isolation capacitor isolates the high voltage supply from the electrodes, and charging of the capacitor only occurs if a switch allows it. Sensors senses supply voltage and bridge current and the processor monitors there to determine further stimulation and faults.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2012Publication date: November 20, 2014Applicants: UNIVERSITY OF LIMERICK, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND, GALWAYInventors: Gearóid Ó Laighin, Paul Breen, Derek O'Keeffe, Richard Conway, Sinziana Lulia Birlea