Surgery: light – thermal – and electrical application – Light – thermal – and electrical application – Electrical therapeutic systems
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-11
2004-12-28
Layno, Carl (Department: 3762)
Surgery: light, thermal, and electrical application
Light, thermal, and electrical application
Electrical therapeutic systems
C607S115000, C128S907000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06836686
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of non-traditional medicine, in particular to acupuncture, and more specifically, to an electro-acupuncture device.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Acupuncture is a form of traditional Chinese medicine that encourages the body to heal itself naturally. It is over 5,000 years old and considered one of the most beneficial ways of restoring balance to the body. Traditional Chinese medicine doctors believe that acupuncture revitalizes our qi, the energy force that flows through the body in pathways known as meridians. Through the painless insertion of very fine needles into specific acupuncture points along the meridians, acupuncture unblocks qi and makes us less susceptible to disease, infection and stress.
Western medicine explains acupuncture's success differently. Some scientists link qi to endorphins—natural pain-killing chemicals—that are released in the needling process, while other scientists believe that acupuncture stimulates muscle tissue, which then alters the nervous system and allows the body to self-heal internal organs. Recent research has also found that acupuncture relieves pain because it changes the brain's chemistry.
Today, there are several alternative forms of acupuncture being performed; the most popular ones are ear acupuncture, or auriculotherapy, acupressure, electrostimulation and moxibustion. Ear acupuncture is highly popular because the ear alone has 200 acupuncture points. Acupressure is the use of hands or a small, flat instrument to stimulate the acupuncture points.
Electrostimulation is the use of local electricity to stimulate acupuncture points, and moxibustion is the use of special herb to stimulate acupuncture points thermally. Depending on specific condition, an acupuncturist chooses the best treatment for the patient.
Electro-acupuncture refers to the procedure of applying small amounts of electricity to needles or staples applied to the skin at acupuncture points. In 1958 when the Chinese were developing methods of acupuncture for surgical anaesthesia, which necessitated long periods of manual manipulation, it was found to be more effective to stimulate the needles electrically by attaching flexible wires, via small crocodile clips, to the needles from a pulse generator. Electroacupuncture was reborn and later introduced into clinical practice on a more general basis for the treatment of pain and neurological disorders. Usually 4-8 needles can be stimulated at one time via parallel channels on the stimulator. One pair of needles inserted into two acupuncture points, wires and a pulse generator outlet is required to complete one circuit. Pulses of electricity are applied to the needles in order to stimulate nerves via the acupuncture point.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,547 issued in 2000 to Benja-Athon describes a consolidated electrical-lead acupuncture needle for electroacupuncture and is aimed at prevention of transmission of infectious organisms such as bacteria, virus, and fungus between patients and acupuncturists in electroacupuncture. It is stated in the aforementioned patent that transmission of infections and diseases in electroacupuncture between patients and acupuncturists is well documented in the scientific literature (Ernst E. et al. Life-threatening adverse reactions after acupuncture? A systematic review. Pain 71: 123-126, 1997). Two of the reasons are that there is a lack of sterile equipment and technique and the disregards for using sterile equipment and technique. The design deficiency of the prior art of acupuncture pin and equipment significantly contributed to aforementioned problems.
Presently, electroacupuncture uses the micron-thick shaft of a metallic needle grasped by a relatively larger alligator clip. Alligator clip is attached to one end of an electrical lead, which, in its turn, is attached to the electrical machine. The electrical lead of prior art consists of a plastic-insulated wire with one end connected to a grasping device such as a crocodile clip and the opposite end connected to the electrical stimulator. To establish the flow of electrical current from the electrical lead to the shaft of the acupuncture needle, the crocodile clip grasps onto the micron-thick shaft of the acupuncture needle for the purpose of transmitting electrical current from the stimulator via the wire, the grasping device, and the acupuncture needle, into the patient.
Among other things, it is stated in the aforementioned patent that the connection between crocodile clip and the micron-thick shaft of the acupuncture needle is loose and poor. The crocodile clip is not designed for the purpose of grasping the micron-thin shaft of the acupuncture needle whose diameter is too small to be effectively grasped by the crocodile clip. As a result, unreliable delivery of correct ampere and voltage of the electrical current to the acupuncture needle is common. Second, the contact parts of the crocodile clip, after so many uses, are often oxidized rendering the clip ineffective due to a barrier of a layer of nonconductive oxidized matters.
Breaching of the sterile technique is common. First, the crocodile clip and the electrical lead, which are not sterile to start, will not fix to one position site of the shaft of the acupuncture needle and will slide toward the acupuncture site of the skin during the application of the electrical lead leading to the contamination of the acupuncture skin site and, consequently, the transmission of infectious organisms via the acupuncture site of the skin. Second, the electrical lead and the crocodile clip are reused from patient to patient. Even though the acupuncture needle is sterile, the crocodile clip and its electrical lead are not sterile.
Heavy crocodile clip tends to swing loosely in the air without a means of attaching to the skin, consequently, causing the weight of the electrical lead to easily dislodge the percutaneously implanted acupuncture needle and exposing the sharp tip of the acupuncture needle to inadvertently puncture the fingers of the acupuncturists resulting in the transmission of diseases in electroacupuncture.
The acupuncture needle and, therefore, the sharp tip of the shaft are difficult to visualize, especially in the clinical settings and, consequently, inadvertent puncture of the fingers of the acupuncturists is common leading to the transmission of diseases in electroacupuncture.
It is offered, in the aforementioned patent, to solve the problems described in connection with the conventional electro-acupuncture needles and connections of the needles to the conductive wires by utilizing an integrated electrical-lead acupuncture needle comprising 1) a first electrical lead member as the first physical continuation of a second electricity-conducting shaft member wherefore adaptable to variably adjust and change the length of said shaft member, 2) a rigid or semi-rigid plastic cannular handle member comprises a bore and a first bevelled opening at the first bevelled end for the passage of said shaft member and incrementally and successively the entire said shaft member, and a second square opening at the end of said bore for the passage of said shaft member and said electrical lead. One portion of said shaft member is housed and fits in the bore and the other portion of said shaft member is beyond said bevelled opening of the cannular handle member. The length of the [first] shaft member within said bore is dictated by the length of said handle member but the [second] shaft member beyond said bevelled opening can be variably changed and adjusted by incrementally extending from and retracting into said bore by pushing and pulling, respectively, said electrical lead so that in the latter setting the entire length including the tapered sharp tip of said shaft member can be housed in and sheathed within said bore of said handle member. The electrical lead comprises a first enlarged and fixed spiral stopper portion to encumber the electrical lead beyond the bore of the handle. The second shaft memb
LandOfFree
Electro-acupuncture device does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Electro-acupuncture device, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Electro-acupuncture device will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3293697