Electrical muscle stimulator for knee stabilization

Claim 1

A portable electrical muscle stimulator for knee stabilization in a leg having inadequate neurological and muscular control to obtain normalization of locomotion, which comprises: (a) a power source means for generating electrical current sufficient to stimulate muscle activation to the leg muscles; (b) at least one muscle stimulation electrode for attachment to muscles of the leg, said electrode being connected to said power source means; (c) a control unit for said power source means, having manual on/off means and having two control on/off switches which are activated and deactivated in response to predetermined conditions, a first switch of said two control on/off switches being responsive to knee angle and a second switch, of said two control on/off switches being responsive to heavy heel ground contact, said control unit being inactive unless said on/off means and both of said two control on/off switches are all activated; (d) knee angle measuring means attachable to a knee and electrically connected to said first switch so as to activate said first switch when the knee angle is equal to or greater than a preset angle and to deactivate said first switch when the knee angle is less than said preset angle; and, (e) a heel ground contact determining means attachable to a heel of a foot and electrically connected to said second switch so as to activate said second switch when the heel has ground contact with adequate weight on the heel to establish standing, and to deactivate said second switch when the heel does not have ground contact with adequate weight on the heel to establish standing; said stimulator being capable of transmitting electrical pulses to quadriceps through said at least one electrode to simulate the quadriceps sufficiently to assist in the stabilizing musculature of the knee during locomotion.