A device with a non-invasive first stimulation unit configured to generate first stimuli which, when administered to a patient, suppress a pathologically synchronous activity of neurons in at least one of the brain and the spinal cord of the patient, with a non-invasive second stimulation unit configured to generate at least one of optical, acoustic, tactile, vibratory, and thermal second stimuli, and with a control unit configured to control the first and second stimulation units, wherein the generation of the first and second stimuli takes place optionally in a first or a second operating mode, and the control unit is configured to control the first and second stimulation units in such a way that, in the first operating mode, the generation of at least 60% of the second stimuli is coupled in time to the generation of the first stimuli and, in the second operating mode, the generation of at least 60% of the second stimuli takes place without the generation of the first stimuli.

The present invention discloses neuro-stimulation systems and methods for affecting cardiovascular function, particularly for improving heart rate variability and treating arrhythmia.

A device for stimulating neurons that includes a stimulation unit that applies mechanically tactile and/or thermal stimuli to the body surface of a patient that stimulate neurons with a pathologically synchronous and oscillatory neural activity. The device includes a measuring unit that records measurement signals of neural activity of the stimulated neurons, and a controller that controls the stimulation unit and analyzes the measurement signals. The controller actuates the stimulation unit to scan at least one part of the body surface of the patient along a path and thereby periodically applies stimuli and also selects two regions or more regions on the patient's body surface along the path where the phase synchronization between the periodic application of the stimuli and the neural activity of the stimulated neurons have a local maximum using the measurement signals. The stimuli are then applied in a delayed manner in the two regions.

A device and method are provided for treating a patient with vibration and/or tactile and/or thermal stimuli. The device includes first and second stimulating units for generating first and second stimuli respectively. The stimuli are vibration and/or tactile and/or thermal stimuli, and each of the stimuli is repeated on average at a frequency of 1 to 60 Hz. The stimuli are generated partly at different times.

A walking assistance method may include: computing an amount of exercise of a user based on a biosignal of the user; adjusting a pattern of an assist parameter based on the amount of exercise; and/or generating a force corresponding to the amount of exercise, based on the adjusted pattern. A walking assistance apparatus may include: a pattern adjuster configured to compute an amount of exercise of a user based on a biosignal of the user; and/or a driver configured to generate a force corresponding to the amount of exercise based on a pattern of an assist parameter based on the amount of exercise.

In accordance with one or more embodiments and corresponding disclosure, various non-limiting systems, devices, and methods are described in connection with an assistive support device that provides feedback to a user. In an aspect, disclosed is a system comprising, a first sensor component that generates a first set of sensor data based on a first set of force applied to an assistive support device. The system also comprises a data repository component that stores a first set of sensor data provided by the assistive support device. Furthermore, in an aspect, the system comprises a feedback component that employs a feedback mechanism based on an occurrence of a value of an applied force to the assistive support device of the first set of force applied being greater than or less than a threshold value of an applied force.

Described herein are methods for determining a target musculoskeletal activity cycle (MSKC) to cardiac cycle (CC) timing relationship. The method may include detecting a first characteristic of a signal responsive to a CC timing of a user that repeats at a frequency that corresponds to a heart rate of the user; detecting a second characteristic of a signal responsive to a rhythmic musculoskeletal cycle activity (MSKC) timing of the user that repeats at a frequency that corresponds to the MSKC rate of the user; determining a value representative of an actual timing relationship between the first characteristic and the second characteristic; detecting a third characteristic of a signal corresponding to a physiological metric that varies with the actual timing relationship between the first and second characteristics; and determining a target value representative of a preferred timing relationship between the first and second characteristics.

Systems, devices and methods for providing active and/or passive compression therapy to a body part can include a compression device worn over a compression stocking. The compression device can have a pulley based drive train that is driven by a motor to tighten and loosen compression elements, such as compression straps, in a precise, rapid, and balanced manner. Sensors can be used in the compression device and/or compression stockings to provide feedback to modulate the compression treatment parameters.

Embodiments disclosed herein relate to a garment system including at least one muscle or at least one joint activity sensor, and at least one actuator that operates responsive to sensing feedback from the at least one muscle or the at least one joint activity sensor to cause a flexible compression garment to selectively compress against or selectively relieve compression against at least one body part of a subject. Embodiments disclosed herein also relate to methods of using such garment systems.

Preclinical and clinical studies have shown that the autonomic nervous system (parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems) show reliable changes across the sleep wake cycle. Most importantly, the parasympathetic nervous system shows increased activity during sleep consistent with its role in regulating rest. Further, patients with insomnia show reduced parasympathetic activity and/or increased sympathetic activity during sleep consistent with a neurobiological model of hyperarousal. Described herein are methods and apparatuses that activate the parasympathetic nervous system in response to a diving reflex; a sustained diving reflex may, surprisingly, lead to enhancing sleep. The apparatuses and methods described herein may specifically and/or selectively activate this reflex may play a therapeutic role in the modulation of sleep in insomnia patients.