Surgery – Diagnostic testing – Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of body portion
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-05
2003-10-14
Hindenburg, Max F. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Diagnostic testing
Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of body portion
C600S300000, C324S692000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06633777
ABSTRACT:
COPYRIGHT NOTICE
The matter contained herein is subject to Copyright protection in Berne Convention countries, which copyright is the property of the inventor. Publication of the patent specification, or any act by any patent office, does not constitute a waiver of these rights.
BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for automatic evaluation of skin impedance variations in order to estimate the state of health of the internal organs of a human or animal.
Existing methods of utilising skin impedance values for organ diagnostics base their results on non-ratiometric measurements of basic skin impedance and produce inconsistent and unreliable results which depend on numerous variables, including the emotional state of the patient, muscular tension, measurement time, the contact area and pressure of the measuring electrode and various physiological differences between individuals.
After many years of research the inventor now believes that the internal organs of the body of a human or animal have corresponding areas on the skin where information regarding the corresponding internal organs can be retrieved by measuring the electrical properties of said skin. The inventor further believes that said corresponding areas of the skin have other properties related to the science of reflexive pyhsiotherapy (including acupuncture), for example, the ability to heal and/or relieve pain caused by the corresponding organs.
The inventor believes yet further that these corresponding areas of the skin may be mapped, which map is applicable to various individuals.
The inventor has found that the ear auricle may be particularly accurately mapped and is most suitable for the method of the invention since in most cultures the skin of the ear is exposed and may be examined without any garments having to be removed.
In this specification, unless the context clearly indicates to the contrary, the term “impedance”, is to be understood to include resistance.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The impedance variation can be measured in two ways:
Method 1. AC Evaluation
The difference between the AC impedance measured at a specific frequency and at a specific skin area with a calibration electrode and a reference electrode and the impedance measured at a similar frequency and in the same area with a measurement electrode and a reference electrode, is used to determine the state of health of the internal organ corresponding to the examined skin area. The calibration electrode and reference electrode contact areas are relatively larger than the measurement electrode skin contact area.
Method 2: DC Evaluation
The term “break-through effect” refers to the sudden and significant drop in skin electrical resistance witnessed after a sufficient potential difference is applied between the electrodes.
The skin between the electrodes is exposed to a DC potential of a magnitude selected to give the break-through effect. The DC resistance of the skin is measured between a measurement electrode polarised negatively with respect to a reference electrode, and the DC resistance of the same skin area is again measured but with the measurement electrode polarised positively with respect to the reference electrode. The ratio of these two values is used to determine the state of health of the internal organ corresponding with the examined skin area.
An apparatus broadly in accordance with the invention may include the following functional blocks:
A measurement and/or calibration electrode, a reference electrode, a voltage generator block, a measurement block, a control block, a user interface block, a result presentation block and, optionally, a data storage block.
The voltage generator block generates a potential difference between the measurement electrode and the reference electrode, or the calibration electrode and the reference electrode. The voltage generator block is connected to and controlled by the control block. The measurement block is connected to the measurement electrode and the reference electrode (FIG.
1
).
The measurement block determines the impedance between the measurement electrode and the reference or calibration electrode. Alternatively the voltage generator block can be connected through the measurement block to the measurement electrode or the reference electrode (FIG.
2
). The ultimate purpose of the measurement block is to measure a parameter (such as voltage or current) that can be used to determine the impedance or resistance between the measurement electrode and the reference electrode. The measurement block is connected to the control block.
The control block is connected to the user interface block (if present), the data storage block (if present), the result presentation block, the voltage generator block and the measurement block. The control block sets the voltage generated by the voltage generator block. The control block uses information received from the measurement block to detect the break-through effect, and the resistance asymmetry. The control block can store and retrieve information in the data storage block (if present). The control block informs the user of the results of the measurements through the result presentation block. The result presentation block may be generate a visual or audio indication to inform the user of the result i.e. the state of health of the internal organ obtained by the control block.
According to an aspect of the invention, there is provided an apparatus for diagnosing a state of health of an organ in a human or animal body, the apparatus including an electrical signal generator, a calibration electrode, and a measurement electrode for connection in use to the generator. One of the calibration and measurement electrodes is a point electrode having a small skin-contactable surface area, and the other electrode, respectively, has a significantly larger skin-contactable surface area than the point electrode. Also included is recording means configured to record a first measured value of a first parameter which is dependent on the resistance or impedance between the calibration and reference electrodes when the calibration electrode is placed in contact with a first zone of skin corresponding to the organ and the reference electrode is placed in contact with another one on the body. An AC potential difference is applied in use between the calibration and reference electrodes by the generator. Recording means is configured to record a second measured value of a second parameter which is dependent on the resistance or impedance between the measurement and reference electrodes when the calibration electrode has been replaced by the measurement electrode and the same AC potential difference is applied between the measurement and reference electrodes. Means for comparing the first and second measured values to obtain a third value is also included, which is an indicator of the state of health of the organ to which the first zone of skin corresponds.
The frequency of the AC signal is typically about 250 Hz.
The apparatus may include a display means for indicating the first zone of skin onto which the calibration and measurement electrodes should be placed in order to obtain a diagnosis for a particular organ. The display means typically indicates zones of skin which are located on a foot or an ear.
The third value may be expressed as a ratio of the first and second measured values.
The apparatus may include communication means for communicating, to an operator of the apparatus, the state of health of the diagnosed organ as being either healthy, normal, sub-acute or acute, depending on the third value.
According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a method for diagnosing a state of health of an organ in a human or animal body. The method includes the steps of placing a calibration electrode on or near a zone of skin which corresponds to the organ and placing a reference electrode in contact with another zone of skin which corresponds to the organ and placing a reference electrode in contact with another zone of skin o
Akerman & Senterfitt
Hindenburg Max F.
Marmor II Charles A
Pastor Aleksander
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