Smart Wearable TENS Device for Home-based Overactive Bladder Management

We present the TENSmini, a compact and wearable device (38 × 38 × 21 mm3, weighing only 31 g), designed for home-based self-management of overactive bladder syndrome (OAB). The device integrates two conductive textile electrodes into a sock, which can be washed and reused. It is wirelessly controlled with mobile devices to generate current pulses with adjustable frequency from 1 to 100 Hz, pulse width of 50 to 250 μs, and amplitude of up to 60 mA. A safety-enhanced drive circuit with galvanic isolation and automatic detection mechanism monitors electrode connections, prevents over-current, and protects users against open-circuit conditions. We report on the electrical properties of the conductive textile electrodes and present results from a real-world study involving ten human participants. The findings confirm that the wearable device effectively stimulates the tibial nerve and performs comparable to a clinical-grade stimulator. In general, the proposed system shows potential for OAB management due to its wearability, improved safety features, and long-term reusability.