Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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ELECTRICAL PULSE ACUPRESSURE SYSTEM
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to acupressure
therapy and more particularly to improved acupressure
systems in which small electrical pulses are continuously
transmitted to selected acupressure points to achieve
treatment.
BACKGROUND OF THE PRIOR ART
The subject matter of this inYention is to
constitute an improvement over the structure defined
within United States Patent No. 4,267,838 issued May 19,
1981, entitled APPARATUS FOR ELECTRICAL IMPULSE
ACUPRESSURE TREATMENT, by the present inventor.
As was discussed in the aforementioned patent,
it is known that there are certain locations on the body,
such as the ear, which when subjected to acupuncture
treatment, will have a therapeutic effect on corresponding
body functions, reactions, muscles, organs, and the like.
For example, one specific acupunture point on the ear may
influence throat reaction, another the mouth function,
while still another, stomach activity. Location and
stimulation of these sensitive acupuncture points with
acupuncture therapy has been used to treat such conditions
as obesity, alcoholism, drug addiction, smoking and the
like.
Additionally, acupuncture points can be used to
control pain. For example, it is known that if a denist
were to employ the use of a properly applied acupressure
device, the pain sensed by the patient due to drilling or
other types of operations within the mouth, could be
diminished by as great as seventy five percent. The
diminishing of pain with the use of such a device has
substantial advantages, with the primary advantage being
that there is no drug used, and therefore, no after
effect. Although the use of such a device is not
recommended for all dental procedures, for those pro-
cedures having a low pain threshold, the use of such a
device for a substantial number of individuals would be
satisfactory.
It has also been known that it is no~ necessary
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to insert needles into the body in order to affect
treatment of acupuncture points. Physical pressure
applied against the specific point wil l achieve some
degree of treatment and can be as effective as the
5 insertion of a needle. The aforementioned Patent No.
4,267,838 discloses a molded device which is to be located
within the external ear and also a cup shaped applicator
which is to be applied to other parts of the body.
The interior surface of each molded device
10 includes one or more protruding members which are in the
form of spherical nodules. Each nodule is to be located
in a precise position against a certain acupuncture point.
,Thereby, treatment of the indi vidual through the
particular acupuncture point is achieved by pressure.
15 Treatment is to be able to occur at the practioner's place
of business. Also, the device can be worn by the user so
that the user can be treated when away from t he
practioner's place of business.
As mentioned in United States Patent No.
20 4,267,838, not only applying pressure to the acupuncture
point, but also applying of pulses of electrical energy
further enhances threatment. These pulses are at a very
low current level and actually, in most instances, are not
even felt by the patient. The use of these electrical
25 pulses provide a more effective method of t reatment in
conjunction with the pressure applied to the acupuncture
point.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The system of this invention relates to devices
30 which employ both the physical pressure acupuncture device
and also an electrical pulse treating of the acupuncture
joint. A molded device is specifically attached to a body
location over an acupuncture point. The inside surface of
the molded device includes one or more protruding metallic
35 nodules. An electrical conductor is electrically
connected to each nodule. Electrical pulses are
transmitted to each nodule in the form of a preselected
wave pattern. The type of wave pattern can be varied and
the current supplied to each nodule can be varied.
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Electrical power supply may be designed as a unit to be
worn around the ear of the wearer or can be mounted on the
exterior surface of the molded device itself and capable
of being worn substantially within the external ear of the
wearer. The molded device may also take the form of a
clip having one or more waffle patterned pads. The clip
is to be attached at a particular desired area of the
patient's body. The power supply for such a clip is to be
spaced from the patient and not worn thereon.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION ~F THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 is a diagramatic perspective view of
the first embodiment of the structure of this invention
which is adapted to be located around the exterior of a
human ear of the wearer;
Figure 2 is a perspective view of a modified
form of eletrical connection which could be employed in
conjunction with the structure of Figure 1;
Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but of a
further modified form of electrical connection which can
be employed in conjunction with Figure 1;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view depicting a
molded device which is to be employed in conjunction with
the structure of Figure 1, such molded device being
previously defined and claimed within the aforementioned
United Stàtes Patent No. 4,267,838;
Figure 5 is a diagramatic perspective view
showing the electrical power supply being miniaturized and
attached directly to a mold, such as to the exterior
surface of the mold of Figure 4, and the entire structure
is adapted to be located within the external ear of the
wearer;
Figure 6 is a perspective view of a second
embodiment of the structure of this invention in which a
clip is employed which uses waffle pads and is adapted to
be attached to a portion of the patient's body and the
power supply is to be located spaced from the patient's
body,
Figure 7 is a diagram depicting the regular type
of waveform electrical pulse which is selectable by either
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of the devices of Figure 1 or Figure 6; and
Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 but of a
different type of waveform representation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
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Referring particularly to the drawing, there is
shown in Figure 1 the first embodiment 10 of this
invention, which takes the form of a housing 12, an
extension 14, an electrical wire 16 and a plug 18. The
wire 16 extends from within housing 12 within which is to
be located a battery source (not shown) of electrical
energy. The electrical energy source will be activated
and deactivated by means of on/off switch 20. When the
switch 20 is in the on position, an indicator light 22
will be lit. The frequency can be varied to be at either
twenty Hertz or fifty Hertz, by slecting the corresponding
position of switch 24. The twenty Hertz would be twenty
pulses per second and fifty Hertz would be fifty pulses
per second. The indicator light 22 visually displays the
frequency. In other words, the indicator light flashes
and will flash substantially slower at twenty Hertz than
at fifty Hertz. The knob 20 is to also control intensity
and with the knob 20 fully moved to the open position, the
intensity (or power) would be at the fullest extent. If
the knob 20 is turned only ten percent, then the intensity
would be only ten percent of the maximum intensity.
Also mounted on the housing 12 is a movable knob
26. The knob 26 is to be movable either to a position
denoted as A or to a position denoted as B. The knob 26
is used to select the type of waveform. In other words, if
the knob is in position A, then the waveform shown within
FIGURE 7 will be selected, which is termed a regular type
of waveform wherein the pulses o~ electrical energy are
evenly spaced apart and are of the same intensity. If
position B is selected, the waveform shown within Figure 8
will be employed, that being what is termed dense and
disperse. As is readily apparent from Figure 8, the
intensity is constant, but the pulses become farther apart
in time and then proceed to come closer together in time,
and so forth. In certain instances for certain types of
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treatment, it may be more desirable to use the waveform
shown in Figure 8 as opposed to the waveform in Figure 7
and vice versa.
In order to achieve the desired output pulses,
the actual electronics within the housing 12 are deemed to
be conventional and form no specific part of this
invention.
The plug 18 includes a plurality of electrical
connectors 28 (actually four in number). Each electrical
connector 28 is to connect with an electrical conductor 30
formed within a molded plastic member 32. Each electrical
conductor 30 terminates in a metallic nodule 34. The plug
18 is polygonal shaped and is adapted to fit in a close
fitting manner within a recess 36 formed within the molded
device 32. When the plug 18 is so located within the
recess 36, each connector 28 connects with a respective
electrical connector 30 which thereby supplies pulses of
electrical current to the respective nodules 34. Each
nodule 34 will receive a pulse of electrical energy at the
same time and at the same intensity. For a more detailed
description of the construction of the molded device 32 in
conjunction with a plug 18, reference is to be had to the
aforementioned United States Patent 4,267,838.
It is to be understood that the plug 32 will be
adapted to be fitted within the interior of a human ear
with each device 32 being manufacturered specifically for
each individual. It is also to be understood that each
nodule 34 will connect with an acupuncture point within
the person's ear.
The size of the housing 12 is selected so that
it is readily locatable behind the individual's ear. The
device 12 is held in position by means of the extension 14
which is conducted over the top of the ear and partially
extends within the external ear. The wire 16 also lies
within the external ear with the plug 18 cooperating with
the device 32 which is located entirely within the
external ear.
It is to be understood that the electrical wire
16 could be divided into separate electrical conductors 38
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and 40. The electrical conductor 38 could be connected to
a plug 18, such as shown in Figure 2 with the electrical
onductor 40 being connected to an applicator disc 42.
Such an arrangement is shown in Figure 2 of the drawing.
The dis~ 42 is basically cup shaped and has a metall ic
nodule 44 formed centrally and interiorly thereof. The
disc 42 is to be coated interiorly with adhesive and
applied directly to an acupuncture point on the patient's
body other than within the ear. Nodule 44 is to press
against the appropriate acupuncture point. For a more
detailed explanation of the disc 42, reference is to be
had to the aforementioned United States Patent No.
4,267,838.
Referring particularly to Figure 3 of the
drawings, the electrical conductors 16 can also be divided
into electrical conductors 46 and 48, each of which are
connected to a disc 42.
Referring particularly to Figure 5, the plug 32
may be directly connected to a housing 50 which supports
electronic circuitry to provide the electrical pulse
necessary to the nodules 34 of the device 32. The feature
of the structure of Figure 5 is that it is entirely worn
within the external ear of the patient, where the
structure of Figure 1 is required to be primarily worn
externally of the ear.
It is to be understood that the housing 50 will
include appropriate knobs to select the waveform intensity
and to vary the frequency in the manner similar to the
housing 12.
The use of acupuncture points within the field
of denistry can be of significant value in decreasing pain
without the use of drugs. In order to achieve this, a
housing 52 is employed which is to be located on a
separate supportive surface, such as a table. The housing
52 is to include appropriate electronic circuitry (not
shown) which is capable of emitting electrical pulses into
either wires 54 and/or 56. The wires 54 and 56 each
include a removable engageable plug 58 which is to
electrically engage with an opening on the left side of
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the housing 52 or an opening on the right side of the
housing 52, as shown in Figure 6. The electrical
conductor 54 is to electrically connect with a clip 60 and
electrical conductor 56 will also be connected to another
similar clip (not shown). The purpose of the dual clips
60 is so that the denist can locate one on one part of the
patient's body, with the other clip to be located at
another point of the patient's body. For instance, one
clip 60 could be located on the right ear lobe, the other
clip being connected to the left ear lobe of the patient.
Each clip 60 is spring biased to the closed
position by means of a coil spring 62. Each clip 60 is to
be opened by means of manually compressing the coil spring
62 between the handles 64 and 66. The outer end of the
15 handle 66 is divided into a pair of pads 68 and 70. The
outer end of the handle 66 comprises a plate 72. The ear
lobe, or other appropriate portion of the patient's body
is to be clamped between the pads 68 and 70 and the plate
72.
It is to be noted that the planar surfaces of
the pads 68 and 70 which will be in contact with the ear
lobe are specially configured into what is termed a waffle
pattern. This type of pattern facilitates contact with
the acupuncture point.
In a manner that has been previously described,
the housing 62 includes a knob 74 which is to not only
turn on the electrical pulses, but also to select the type
of waveform. Also, knob 76 is to be used to select the
desired frequency of the electrical pulses. Knob 78 is to
select the intensity for the conductor 54 and the knob 80
is to select the intensity for the conductor 56. It is to
be noted that the intensity of the electrical pules
supplied to each of the clips 60 can be individually
varied, but that the frequency rate for both would be what
is selected by knob 76. Also, the waveform would be the
same for each of the clips 60. An indicator 82 is
provided on the housing 52 which is to indicate whether
the unit is operating and also visually represent the
frequency rate similar to light 22.
