Surgery – Magnetic field applied to body for therapy – Externally supported or worn
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-12
2001-01-16
Lacyk, John P. (Department: 3736)
Surgery
Magnetic field applied to body for therapy
Externally supported or worn
C054S082000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06174277
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the use of permanent magnetic materials for equine therapy.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The therapeutic effects of bi-polar magnetic fields in both human and animal subjects are generally recognized in patent and other literature, particularly for the purposes of promoting healing and reducing stiffness and pain. In principle, the bi-polar magnetic regions produce magnetic fields that influence ionic fluids in the body, which tends both to produce warmth and improve circulation. The treatment is most generally carried out through the use of a pad or blanket of permanent magnetic material that has a regular repeating pattern of opposite polarity magnetic poles, such as produced by Nikken, Inc. of Los Angeles, Calif. See, for example, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,111, issued on Apr. 19, 1994, and incorporated herein by reference. Typically, the magnetic pad or blanket is wrapped or otherwise maintained in contact with the body, as for example in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,743, issued on Jul. 21, 1998, where elasticized bands retain and position magnetic pads in contact with a patient's elbow, knee, ankle, etc.
The field of equine care and treatment potentially presents a particularly useful application of magnetic therapy, particularly when racing is involved, because joint and muscle stiffness and injuries occur frequently, and prevent horses from achieving their top performance. Here, as with human therapy, it is known that healing and circulation can be improved by applying magnetic pads to the leg joints and muscles of a horse, but it is often difficult to properly position a pad and keep it in place for very long. Also, it is difficult to know where to position the pad for the best therapeutic benefit.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to an improved technique for realizing the benefits of magnetic therapy in the field of equine care and treatment, in which a thin magnetic pad is positioned against the sole of a horse's hoof and a horse shoe fastened to the hoof sandwiches the magnetic pad between the hoof and shoe. Preferably, the magnetic pad is relatively thin, such as 0.125 inches, and the shoe is formed of a non-magnetic material such as aluminum (although a steel shoe may also be used). The pad and shoe may be separately applied, with the pad being temporarily held in place by an adhesive such as a quick drying rubber cement, or the pad may be bonded to the shoe and applied as a single item. Separate application of the pad and shoe is probably preferable in most applications since a worn shoe may be replaced without necessitating replacement of the magnetic pad. Of course, the pads may be applied to some or all of the hooves.
With the above-described technique, the therapeutic effects of the magnetic pads are maximized because the shoe holds the pad in place, and the pad is maintained in contact with the hoof continuously. This overcomes the difficulty involved with known techniques for manually applying magnetic blankets and pads, and provides a simple and economical way of realizing the benefits of magnetic therapy.
REFERENCES:
patent: 5304111 (1994-04-01), Mitsund et al.
patent: 5389061 (1995-02-01), Nor
patent: 5426925 (1995-06-01), Smargiassi
patent: 5453074 (1995-09-01), Imoto
patent: 5538495 (1996-07-01), Ardizzone
patent: 5782743 (1998-07-01), Russell
patent: 3205048 (1983-08-01), None
Lacyk John P.
Navarre Mark A.
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