Surgery: light – thermal – and electrical application – Light – thermal – and electrical application – Electrical therapeutic systems
Patent
1993-02-18
1995-02-21
Kamm, William E.
Surgery: light, thermal, and electrical application
Light, thermal, and electrical application
Electrical therapeutic systems
607 75, 604 20, A61N 118
Patent
active
053911954
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The invention relates to a device for carrying out an iontophoresis treatment on a patient, provided with a signal generator for generating a treatment signal and an output stage which can be connected to the patient by means of two electrodes.
Such devices are known in various embodiments. With the aid of an iontophoresis treatment, it is possible to introduce electrically charged particles into a patient's body by means of the treatment signal. In this way it is possible to introduce a drug locally into the body. Under these circumstances, the quantity of substance introduced into the body is essentially proportional to the product of the treatment current and the time. In the standard devices of this type, various kinds of treatment signals are used but they all have disadvantages.
A known treatment signal is formed by an uninterrupted direct current, which has the drawback that a severe burning sensation is induced in the patient by this current form, which can very rapidly result in cauterisation of the patient's skin, either over a large area under the entire electrode or as a local so-called point cauterisation. As a result, the maximum permissible current density of the treatment signal is very low and in practice it is assumed that a maximum value of 0.2 mA/cm.sup.2 is still safe. As a result, only a small amount of substance can be introduced into the patient's body per unit time and the treatment takes a relatively long time. In addition, the treatment signal in this form causes such a high skin stress that a daily repetition of the treatment is virtually ruled out.
Another known treatment signal is formed by a pulse current in the form of a half-wave or full-wave rectified sinusoidal signal, which also has the drawback that a burning sensation can be induced in the patient and cauterisation of the skin also occurs.
Moreover, the duty cycle of said signal is appreciably less than 100%, as a result of which a relatively small quantity of substance can be introduced into the body per unit time, with the result that a longer treatment time is necessary and, consequently, a high skin stress occurs again. In addition, the treatment signal in this form has the drawback that such current forms are usually also used for other therapies, with the result that a combination effect occurs, the consequences of which are incalculable.
Finally, a device is also known in which a treatment signal is generated which comprises a depolarising alternating current which is made up of a positive pulse and a smaller negative pulse or vice versa. The duty cycle of this treatment signal is appreciably less than 100%, as a result of which long treatment times and high current densities are necessary. In addition, the negative pulse would result in an inverse effect to the positive pulse, thereby reducing the efficiency of the treatment further.
The object of the invention is to provide a device of the type mentioned in the introduction, in which the disadvantages mentioned are eliminated in a simple and expedient manner.
For this purpose, the device according to the invention has the characteristic that the signal generator generates as treatment signal a pulsed direct current with a duty cycle of at least 80%.
In this manner, a device is obtained which makes possible a particularly expedient iontophoresis treatment of the patient, with a high efficiency for the introduction of the substance being achieved by the relatively high duty cycle. Surprisingly, it has been found that the treatment signal generated by the device according to the invention does not induce any burning sensation in the patient, with the result that a relatively high current density can be used and, consequently, more substance can be introduced in the same treatment time. In practical tests it has been found that no cauterisation of the skin occurs. As a result of the low skin stress, the patient can be treated regularly, if necessary daily.
The invention is explained in greater detail below with reference to the drawing, which shows an exemplary em
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B.V. Optische Industrie "De Oude Delft"
Kamm William E.
Marn Louis E.
Schaetzle Kennedy J.
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