Surgery – Instruments – Cutting – puncturing or piercing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-07
2001-05-15
Schaetzle, Kennedy (Department: 3762)
Surgery
Instruments
Cutting, puncturing or piercing
C128S907000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06231584
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the field of needle therapy, in particular to an acupuncture device with an improved needle guide tube.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Acupuncture guide tubes are widely used in the practice of acupuncture to minimize discomfort during needle insertion. The guide tube allows quick insertion of an acupuncture needle through the epidermis. An example of a guide tube is the one shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,792,171 issued in 1998 to Burdenko, et al. Fast puncturing of the patient's skin is important for pain-free insertion. There is typically 3-5 mm clearance between the upper end of the guide tube and the top of the handle of an acupuncture needle, which protrudes above the tube. The practitioner taps on the handle of the needle downward with his/her index finger while supporting the tube with the other hand. The needle, which has been resting on the surface of the patient's skin prior to insertion, is now inserted 3-5 mm through the skin into the acupuncture point. The guide tube has a diameter, which is bigger than the diameter of the handle of the acupuncture needle. This allows the removal of the guide tube after the insertion. On one hand, the relatively big diameter of the tube, in comparison with the shaft of the needle, provides more comfort for the patient by creating mild pressure around the acupuncture point and by providing firmness to the skin around that point. This feature is important for fast, pain-free insertion. On the other hand, the relatively big diameter of the tube compromises the precision of the insertion. This is because the tip of the needle is rarely in the center of the bottom opening of the tube prior to insertion, but at the sides, leaning against the inside tubular wall. The needle then tends to take diagonal orientation in respect to the tubular longitudinal axis. The tip of the needle, which rests on the skin, is at the bottom tubular wall opposite to the handle.
The practitioner is often unaware about an exact position of the needle. Hence, the angle at which the needle is inserted into the point is unpredictable. Furthermore, when the practitioner attempts to insert a needle at sharp angles, such as on the face or head of the patient, the acupuncture needle tends to slide downward, out of the guide tube. This condition is shown in
FIG. 1
, which illustrates the positions of a needle guide tube
10
and an acupuncture needle
13
. As can be seen from
FIG. 1
, when the needle
13
is inserted at a sharp angle to the surface of the skin S, a very little clearance C is left between the upper portion of the tube and the handle H of the needle
13
. This makes the regular insertion technique very uncomfortable, if not impossible. Also, the clearance C is too small for full penetration of the tip of the needle through the epidermis. As a result, the patient may feel more pain than is necessary.
There are two reasons that contribute to the reduction of this clearance C on top. One reason has to do with the thickness T of the tubular wall. The acupuncture needle
13
has to go a little forward and downward, over the small threshold formed by the bottom edge E of the guide tube
10
, to touch the skin S. The other reason has to do with the fact that in the inclined position (angular insertion) shown in
FIG. 1
, both the tip F of the needle
13
and the handle H of the needle are now against the same tubular wall. This contributes to the additional “slip out” of the needle at the skin S. It would be better, if the handle of the needle stayed at the opposite wall (diagonally), thus shortening the distance that the needle has to travel to reach the skin. But it is often hard to maintain this position of the handle during angular insertions because of the pressing of the handle H of the needle
13
against upper wall with index finger: there is not enough space between the handle H and the skin S. Sometimes, acupuncture insertions have to be performed against gravity. Needling of the points at the cervical spine with the patient in a sitting position is just one example of this. The acupuncture needle tends to slide out of the guide tube during such insertions, and regular insertion technique becomes impossible.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an acupuncture device with an improved needle guide tube which allows convenient insertion of the needle irrespective of the angle of the needle in respect to the surface of the patient's skin, ensures clearance between the upper end of the needle handle and the upper end of the guide tube sufficient for full and painless penetration of the needle into the patient's skin in angular insertions, and has the means for maintaining the needle in a correct position with respect to the inner walls of the guide tube. Another object is to provide means for convenient and reliable insertion of a needle irrespective of the patient's position.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3943932 (1976-03-01), Woo
patent: 4479291 (1984-10-01), Yamada
patent: 4479496 (1984-10-01), Hsu
patent: 4580566 (1986-04-01), Hsu
patent: 4950279 (1990-08-01), Chang
patent: 5624460 (1997-04-01), Yoo
patent: 6106539 (2000-08-01), Fortier
Droesch Kristen
Schaetzle Kennedy
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