Utah Patent of the Month – February 2022
When removing a cast, people are often shocked at how much their muscle has atrophied. An arm appears skin and bones after an extended, immobile, healing time. This is because the lack of motion and missing stress from being used causes the soft tissue to atrophy away. Similar mass loss can be seen in the bone. It’s much easier to regain that soft tissue mass than it is bone mass. In fact, you may never fully regain that bone mass. Pulse, LLC has designed a device that helps to apply exercise and resistance to the bone when it simply cannot be moved as much as needed. Whether immobilized by a cast or the result of aging, this system aims to help maintain bone mass.
The system is made of a Pulsed Electro-Magnetic Field (PEMF) web that uses a series of micro-coils to direct magnetic flux into the patient’s bones. The web is flexible enough to conform to any part of the body – wrapping around a leg or used in a bed or even in a blanket. PEMF is seen to be effective at providing the stress needed to maintain bone density. In fact, some studies have shown that if a patient receives PEMF therapy on their casted arm, at the end of the healing period, there is virtually no difference in muscle or bone mass between the casted and non-casted arm.
With this efficacy in mind, Pulse has designed their PEMF web to direct magnetic flux deep within the subject. The flux is projected from each miro-coil, each of which are spooled around an iron core, isolated, and soldered to connecting wires. Nodes then enclose and protect each core-coil combination. These nodes are connected in series, providing the required mechanical stability so that wires do not break when the structure is folded, bent, and reshaped to suit the patient. PEMF only needs to be administered for a total of two hours per day to meet the maximum benefits, making it very possible to enhance our bone density when we are immobilized for any reason. Maintaining bone density reduces the likelihood of ending up with diseases such as arthritis or osteoporosis.
Are you developing new technology for an existing application? Did you know your development work could be eligible for the R&D Tax Credit and you can receive up to 14% back on your expenses? Even if your development isn’t successful your work may still qualify for R&D credits (i.e. you don’t need to have a patent to qualify). To find out more, please contact a Swanson Reed R&D Specialist today or check out our free online eligibility test.
Who We Are:
Swanson Reed is one of the U.S.’ largest Specialist R&D tax advisory firms. We manage all facets of the R&D tax credit program, from claim preparation and audit compliance to claim disputes.
Swanson Reed regularly hosts free webinars and provides free IRS CE and CPE credits for CPAs. For more information please visit us at www.swansonreed.com/webinars or contact your usual Swanson Reed representative.
