IP Verse

Device for delivery of resonant frequencies to treated muscles

Patent No. US10201470 (titled "Device for delivery of resonant frequencies to treated muscles") on Dec 8, 2015. The application was issued on Feb 12, 2019.

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Technical Landscape

In the mid-2010s when ’470 was filed, mechanical percussive therapy was typically implemented using reciprocating plungers that operated at relatively low frequencies with long stroke lengths. At a time when systems commonly relied on high-displacement thrusts to deliver force, hardware constraints made it non-trivial to achieve high-frequency oscillation without overloading nerve circuits or triggering reactive muscle contractions. Engineering practices in the field of mechanical massage focused on manual-mimicry or deep compression waves, where the mechanical inertia of the drive systems often limited the ability to precisely control the timing and depth of the stroke to match the physiological resonant frequencies of muscle tissue.

Prosecution Position

The disclosed invention represents a technical advancement through an architectural shift from simple reciprocating massagers to a high-frequency drumming system capable of inducing resonant vibration in muscle and membrane tissues. By integrating a motor-activated cam and pulley assembly with a specific escapement and needle bearing configuration, the device overcomes the technical constraint of nerve circuit overloading associated with traditional percussive tools. This structural solution enables the delivery of short, controlled strokes at a frequency that stimulates muscle spindles and generates a signal capable of overriding faulty neural feedback. The resulting technical effect is the disruption of hypertonicity through the mechanical generation of resonant frequencies, a capability not achieved by prior systems limited to stroking or slow-thrusting movements.

Claims

The patent contains a total of 10 claims, with claim 1 serving as the sole independent claim. This independent claim focuses on the mechanical assembly of a muscle drumming device, specifically detailing a housing that encloses a motor, a pulley and belt system, a triangular cam, and a plunger mechanism designed to deliver percussive strikes at a specific frequency. The dependent claims serve to further define the physical dimensions of the plunger's movement, specify the technical components of the motor and drive system, describe the ergonomic features of the housing, and characterize the physiological effect of the device's vibration on muscle tissue.

Key Claim Terms New

Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.

Term (Source)Support for SpecificationInterpretation
16.6 cycles/sec
(Claim 1)		The belt, motor, and pulleys are adapted to rotate the driven pulley at this specific rate. Prior art devices with too many thrusts per second overload nerve circuits and produce a jumbled response. This specific frequency, combined with the stroke cycle, provides vigorous stimulation that produces a 'white noise' signal to override faulty nerve feedback signals.The specific fixed frequency at which the driven pulley rotates and the plunger strikes the skin to avoid nerve circuit overload and achieve physiological benefits.
Bumper
(Claim 1)		The plunger shaft is adapted to reciprocate and move laterally outward as a consequence of rotation of the driven pulley, with the shaft rebounding off of a bumper. This rebounding action contributes to the specific stroke cycle and frequency required for muscle drumming. The mechanical assembly includes vibration dampers and escapements to manage these forces.A mechanical stop or resilient component that facilitates the return or 'rebound' of the plunger shaft after a strike.
Muscle drumming device
(Claim 1)		The device provides a 'drumming' action by percussing quickly with very short strokes to a controlled, predetermined depth. This action transmits percussive force so that the muscle and surrounding membrane are 'drummed' into their resonant vibration frequencies. The specific form and frequency of the drumming also provides stimulation to the muscle spindles.A percussive apparatus designed to deliver short, fast, and controlled tapping to muscles to induce resonant vibration frequencies and stimulate muscle spindles.
Plunger body
(Claim 1)		The device provides a motor activated cam on a pulley wheel adapted to drive a skin contacting plunger. The plunger body is mounted in the housing for reciprocal movement upon contact with the cam during each rotation of the driven pulley. It terminates in a resilient tip and is adapted to move laterally outward and rebound off of a bumper.A reciprocating component within the housing that translates the rotational motion of the cam into linear percussive strikes.
Rebounding off of a bumper
(Claim 1)		The plunger shaft is mounted to the plunger body and is adapted to reciprocate and move laterally outward as a consequence of rotation of the driven pulley, with the shaft rebounding off of a bumper. This mechanism contributes to the defined stroke length and the physiologically beneficial stroke cycle. It is part of the mechanical assembly that includes vibration dampers and escapements to optimize the percussive strike.A mechanical interaction where the plunger shaft hits a stop or cushion, facilitating the return or limit of the reciprocal stroke.
Resilient tip
(Claim 1)		The device provides a motor activated cam on a pulley wheel adapted to drive a skin contacting plunger having a resilient skin contacting tip. The plunger shaft terminates in this tip and is adapted to reciprocate and move laterally outward. This component is essential for delivering the 'drumming' action to the muscle and tissue.A flexible or elastic component at the end of the plunger shaft that makes direct contact with the skin surface to transmit percussive forces.
Resonant vibration
(Claim 1)		The percussive force is transmitted to the muscle and tissue so that the muscle and surrounding membrane are 'drummed' into their resonant vibration frequencies, which is a function of the tension exhibited by the muscle. Establishing resonant vibrations in the muscle or membranes provides physiological benefits and over-stimulates nerves to override faulty feedback signals. This state allows the cerebellar control center to return nerves to their normal setting.A state where muscles and surrounding membranes vibrate at their natural frequency, determined by the tension of the muscle, induced by specific percussive parameters.
Resonant vibration frequencies
(Claim 1)		The percussive force is transmitted to the muscle and tissue so that the muscle and surrounding membrane are “drummed” into their resonant vibration frequencies. This frequency is a function of the tension exhibited by the muscle. Establishing these resonant vibrations allows the device to over-stimulate nerves and produce a 'white noise' signal to override faulty nerve feedback.The specific frequency at which a muscle and its surrounding membrane vibrate based on the tension exhibited by the muscle, induced by the device's percussive force.
Triangularly shaped cam
(Claim 1)		The device includes a driven pulley having an integral triangularly shaped cam. This cam arrangement, along with other mechanical changes like a single or double escapement, allows the device to establish resonant vibrations in the muscle or membranes. It is part of a totally new cam arrangement that differs from prior art massage devices.A specific mechanical cam geometry integrated with a driven pulley that dictates the stroke cycle and movement of the plunger body.

Patent Summary

Litigation Cases New

US Latest litigation cases involving this patent.

Case NumberFiling DateTitle
3:25-cv-01074Sep 12, 2025Hyper Ice, Inc. v. Namirsa, Inc.

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US10201470

Application Number
US14963146A
Filing Date
Dec 8, 2015
Publication Date
Feb 12, 2019
External Links
Slate, USPTO , Google Patents