DE10309535A1 - Skin cooling device to be used on itching areas, assembled of rotating gel-filled cylinder and stick shaped handle - Google Patents

Abstract

A person suffering from a disease which causes an itching irritation to the skin starts to scratch almost in a reflex resulting in small wounds perpetuating the inflammation and causing new pain. A cooling patch is no solution because of the scratching reflex which is hard to suppress. The new device is assembled of a cylindrical body (1, 2) with a soft cover and filled with a cooling gel rotating around a stick-shaped handle (3, 4) when moved across the skin. It is sold with one handle (3, 4) and several cooling elements (1, 2) in order to be able to keep some of them in the freezer for alternating use.

Description

The invention relates to a device for alleviating Itching on the surface of a person's skin.

More and more people suffer from (sometimes not curable) skin diseases such as atopic dermatitis (Neurodermatitis) or acute or chronic urticaria (Hives).

Characteristic of these diseases (but also Accompanying symptom of many other diseases) is an extreme severe itching, which is generally only due to this alleviate is that scratching triggers pain or by being replaced by another stimulus and is replaced. By scratching, however, arise on skin eczema, which in turn increases itching and who often get bacterial infections when scratching, which further increases the inflammation and spreads.

Itching is preferred in the evening and at night is favored by the bed heat, so the Affected people also experience significant sleep disorders suffer. The lack of sleep in turn worsens the General condition considerable, causing itching again and thus leads to scratching again, so that the complexion worsens further.

There are different ways to itch alleviate at least to a small extent, for example through medications such as antihistamines or ointments, but it doesn't make it a very strong one Eliminate itching completely.

In skin clinics are also in "anti-scratch training" Techniques recommended, such as swiping across the Skin, gentle tapping or cooling with cold water, with Gel cooling pillows, with chilled cherry stone pillows or like.

However, the experience of affected patients shows that these techniques the scratch reflex something at best delaying.

It is typical of the scratch reflex that the itching strong urge to move, the (hectic) Scratch provokes. That means hanging up on one cooling pack is not sufficient to the reflex suppress. Cold water is also only initially good remedy for the itching, since at least that Neurodermatitis also with dry skin accompanied. After the cooling effect through the water follows the drying out of the skin, which in turn creates a new one Triggers itching.

As it turns out, cooling provides in itself the best and above all the fastest help. To Medications that start to take effect can be significant Body parts already scratched. Also are many toddlers and infants especially from Neurodermatitis affected, with the disease mostly pre occurs after reaching the first year of life. children at this age it is very difficult to clarify that they should try not to scratch.

The invention has for its object a To create device of the type mentioned, the on the one hand, cooling those affected by itching Skin areas made possible and on the other hand by the Scratch reflex triggered hectic urge to move exploited sensibly.

This object is achieved by the specified in claim 1 Features solved.

Further advantageous embodiments of the invention are specified in the subclaims.

The advantages achieved with the invention exist in particular in that the device the two the Factors that relieve itching, namely the physical Cold and psychologically the urge to move, makes sense combined so that the patient likes this device in the hand takes to with a back and forth movement cooling surface of the device with the affected To bring skin areas in regular contact, whereby at the same time the urge to put your fingernails directly over scratching the skin is suppressed.

An embodiment of the invention is in the Drawing shown and is closer below described.

The only figure in this drawing shows a partially sectioned side view of a device according to the invention. This consists of a heat sink 1 with an essentially cylindrical shape, through which a tube 2 runs in the axial direction, which is surrounded by a gel cushion which contains a non-toxic cooling gel. The gel pad is spanned by a thermally conductive, flexible material and thus held firmly on the tube 2 . This heat sink 1 formed in this way can be cooled in a freezer compartment and then pushed with the tube 2 onto a rod 4 which is fastened to a handle 3 designed as a handle. The rod 4 forms a slide bearing together with the tube 2 , so that the heat sink 1 can rotate well on the rod 2 . To a dropping of the heat sink 1 of the bar 2 to prevent the rod 2 may end a clamping device 5 are mounted.

In use, the heat sink 1 is rolled over the itchy skin areas. It provides relief through the cold and the feeling of moving (like scratching) over the skin.

In practice, each set includes a handle 3 with the rod 4 attached to it and a plurality of heat sinks 1 , which can be cooled together with their axial tube 2 , thus making the device according to the invention ready for use at any time.

Since many small children are also affected (according to the latest estimates, every 7th newborn in Germany), the device must be offered in different sizes. It is also important that e.g. B. in a version for children who should use the device itself, especially the handle 3 is adapted in shape to the performance of the child.

In addition to the exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing and described above, other embodiments are also conceivable. In particular, the heat sink 1 can consist of a hollow cylinder with a jacket made of heat-conducting material, in the interior of which a gel cushion made of non-toxic cooling gel can be inserted from the cover side and the bottom of which has an axial tube attachment which can be pushed onto and removed from a rod provided with a handle is, the pipe socket is rotatably mounted on the rod captive in the pushed state.

Claims (8)

1. Device for relieving itching on the skin surface of a person, characterized by an essentially cylindrical cooling body ( 1 ) which can be rolled back and forth on the skin surface. 2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the cooling body ( 1 ) consists of a gel pad made of non-toxic cooling gel. 3. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the cooling body ( 1 ) is pulled through in the axial direction by a tube ( 2 ) which can be pushed onto and removed from a rod ( 4 ) provided with a handle ( 3 ) is, wherein the tube ( 2 ) is rotatably mounted on the rod ( 4 ) in the pushed-on state. 4. Device according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the cooling body ( 1 ) consists of a hollow cylinder with a jacket made of heat-conducting material, in the interior of which a gel cushion made of non-toxic cooling gel can be inserted from the cover side and the bottom of which is axial Has tube extension which can be pushed onto a rod provided with a handle and can be removed again, the tube extension being captively rotatably mounted on the rod in the pushed-on state. 5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the cooling body ( 1 ) or the gel pad in a freezer compartment of a refrigerator or in a freezer can be cooled to the desired temperature. 6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized characterized that all with the skin surface in Touching parts made of hypoallergenic material consist. 7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the dimensions of the heat sink ( 1 ) and the handle ( 3 ) are adaptable to the height of children of different ages. 8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the shape of the handle ( 3 ) is adaptable to the performance of children of different ages.