Surgery: light – thermal – and electrical application – Light – thermal – and electrical application – Electrical therapeutic systems
Patent
1992-06-10
1994-10-11
Cohen, Lee S.
Surgery: light, thermal, and electrical application
Light, thermal, and electrical application
Electrical therapeutic systems
607115, 607152, A61N 104
Patent
active
053543211
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention refers to a patch arrangement of electrically connected electrodes of different metals for application upon the human body for electric influence of electrically acting structures of the organism.
When experiencing muscle spasms and irritations of the nerve root especially in the area of the spine, electrotherapy is increasingly the preferred treatment. The aversion of employing a respective drug therapy increases.
Application of a direct current through the tissue being treated (stable galvanization) is of particular significance. In practice, large stationary devices are used which are also dimensioned for other types of current (so-called stimulating current devices). Smaller portable and battery-operated devices (so called TENS-devices) are commercially available for ambulant or medium-term continuous application. While a longer-term application with stationary devices is not feasible, the still required size of portable devices renders their use still inconvenient.
Treatment of muscle spasms of all types with a comparably small permanent current in the .mu.A-range has proven to be very effective. Various arrangements were thus described which utilize the potential difference between two differently noble metals which are in contact with the skin perspiration electrolytes for producing a current flow through the body tissue being treated. The arrangement according to GB-PS 3276 (1904) requires, however, very large skin electrodes for accomplishing a sufficient current flow. According to CH-PS 171866, the galvanic voltage is generated through different metal electrodes as well as skin perspiration electrolytes and/or different fabric layers soaked with electrolyte. In this context the use of adhesive coatings were also proposed, resulting in solutions which essentially constitute short-term utilizable, disposable articles with expensive metal electrodes.
GB-PS No. 288 of 1904 describes an alternate arrangement of superimposed disks of noble metal and base metal, with reference to galvanic intermediate layers between zinc and copper; however, there is no explanation with regard to the configuration of a closed circuit. Poor efficiency or impractical application are reasons that hitherto proposed technical solutions did not succeed.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention aims at an increase of the current density in connection with skin contact electrodes which are kept as small as possible, at a simple handling as well as at an economic manufacture and thus application, by using an already commercially available product which serves as inexpensive disposable article for attachment of the arrangement of electrodes upon the body surface and additionally for creating further galvanic elements to increase the voltage. The subject matter according to the invention which includes only the metal electrodes as the actual expensive part of the galvanic system and a border insulation should be reusable and should have a relatively long life.
This object is attained in accordance with the invention by initially arranging in a known manner a preferably round plane electrode of differently noble metals at each side of the ailing body areas.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:
FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a patch arrangement according to the invention for application onto the skin for galvanic treatment;
FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the patch arrangement of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is an illustration of an example of a patch arrangement according to the invention; and
FIG. 4 is an illustration of a further example of a patch arrangement according to the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring now to the drawing and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a schematic illustration of a patch arrangement according to the invention for application onto the skin for galvanic tre
REFERENCES:
patent: 4776350 (1988-10-01), Grossman et al.
patent: 4895169 (1990-01-01), Heath
patent: 5024227 (1991-06-01), Schmid
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