Surgery: light – thermal – and electrical application – Light – thermal – and electrical application – Electrical therapeutic systems
Patent
1992-09-30
1995-07-18
Kamm, William E.
Surgery: light, thermal, and electrical application
Light, thermal, and electrical application
Electrical therapeutic systems
A61N 136
Patent
active
054337372
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and to portable apparatus for the electrical stimulation of a group of muscles, particularly the glutei, in order to improve their appearance and athletic performance.
The use of electrical stimulation has recently become increasingly widespread in the medical and paramedical fields, for example for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes (neuro-electrical investigations, treatment of pain, etc.) or for re-educative purposes (for example in orthopaedics for treating muscles which are relaxed to a greater or lesser extent).
Various methods and apparatus have been proposed for the electrical stimulation of muscle fibres, bundles or groups which are based on the application of unipolar electrical current (that is, one-way or "direct" current) or bipolar current (that is, two-way or "alternating" current) with greatly differing characteristics as regards wave form, amplitude and frequency.
What is more, the present invention falls within the field of application of muscular electrical stimulation, particularly for stimulating the glutei for aesthetic purposes.
It is known that, with advancing age and as a result of ever more widespread sedentary habits, the muscles which are least used habitually, amongst which are the glutei in particular, tend to become slack and lose tone. In the particular case of the glutei, these tend to become flabby and to drop thus adversely affecting the appearance of the anatomical parts concerned.
Active or passive gymnastic exercises or massage have been proposed for preventing this problem but with unsatisfactory results because of the practical difficulties of performing exercises which involve these muscular regions effectively and because of the fatigue which these exercises cause in any case.
The electrical stimulation of these muscles has also been proposed but with the use of non-specific stimulating apparatus, that is, apparatus not expressly designed for stimulating the aforesaid muscles.
In theory, correct electrical stimulation which induces controlled periodic contraction of the muscle group can actually lead to improved muscle tone as well as an increase in contraction capability, in resistance to strain, and in muscle volume.
As already mentioned, the use of conventional, non-specific electrical-stimulation apparatus for stimulating the glutei has, in effect, been unsatisfactory.
It should, in fact, be remembered that, although the different muscles of the body have considerable similarities from a general electrical point of view, each has its own specific qualities and its own particular electrical characteristics (resistance, reactance, etc.) which, in fact, make it a different "electrical load" from the others.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the present invention, which represents the result of the inventor's ideas and experimental activities, thus lies in the provision of a specific method of process of electrical stimulation, developed particularly for the treatment of the glutei.
A further object of the present invention is constituted by the provision of portable apparatus which is adapted to carry out the electrical-stimulation method or process without the need for connection to the electrical mains supply, and which is therefore more convenient and practical in use and also intrinsically safer from the point of view of accident prevention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become clear from the detailed description which follows, with reference to the appended drawings, provided purely by way of non-limiting example, in which:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of electrical-stimulation apparatus according to the invention,
FIG. 2 is an electrical diagram, partially in block form, of the apparatus of FIG. 1,
FIG. 3 is a detailed circuit diagram of a first part of the apparatus of FIG. 2,
FIG. 4 is a detailed electrical diagram of a second part of the apparatus,
FIG. 5 is a time graph showing an example of t
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Kamm William E.
Medisan S.r.l.
Parker Marianne
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