HK1021338A - A device for external medical treatment with monochromatic light - Google Patents

Description

Device for external medical treatment with monochromatic light

The present invention relates to a device for external medical treatment with light, in particular light for alleviating and/or curing various diseases, physical discomfort, patients and the like (hereinafter generally referred to as health disorders).

Swedish patent No.502784 discloses a device for external medical treatment with light. The apparatus comprises a light emitting device which is secured against or in close proximity to the body of the patient, and a driving device for driving the light emitting device, said light emitting device comprising a light emitting diode or a corresponding light emitting element. According to this prior publication, the therapeutic apparatus further comprises driving means for causing the light emitting means to emit monochromatic light during a predetermined period of time. The driving means is further adapted to cause the light emitting means to emit pulsating light according to a predetermined series of pulse frequencies.

It has been found that devices of this type can be very successfully applied in the treatment of health disorders and injuries, such as injuries suffered in sports activities, torn or strained muscles, muscle pain, joint pain, headaches, various inflammations, various skin disorders such as acne, back pain, etc., provided that the light is emitted in some way. Phototherapy has a good healing effect on injuries and will alleviate and/or cure various health disorders.

Thus, light therapy that emits certain light at a series of frequencies has a significant effect on shortening the time required to cure or alleviate a health disorder.

The invention is based on the principle that by means of emitted pulsating light having a certain frequency, a treatment corresponding to acupuncture can be achieved, wherein the light replaces the conventional needle.

The invention therefore relates to a device for external medical treatment by means of light, wherein the device comprises a light-emitting means which is held against or in close proximity to the body of a patient, the light-emitting means comprising a light-emitting diode or a corresponding light-emitting element, the light-emitting means being adapted to emit monochromatic light of a predetermined wavelength, the drive means being adapted to cause the light-emitting means to emit said monochromatic light over a predetermined period of time, and the drive means being adapted to cause the light-emitting means to emit light which is pulsed at a predetermined pulse frequency. The device is characterized in that the drive means are capable of causing the light emitting means or element to emit said pulsating monochromatic light at a pulse repetition frequency in one of 5Hz to 9.5Hz,22.2Hz to 36.0Hz, or 273.8Hz to 324.0 Hz.

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a block schematic diagram of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a light emitting device;

fig. 3 illustrates a modified structure of the apparatus of the present invention.

Fig. 1 and 2 illustrate an apparatus for external medical treatment by means of light. The apparatus comprises a light emitting device 1 which is secured against or in close proximity to the body of a patient. Fig. 2 shows a side view of the light emitting device, while fig. 1 shows the light emitting device from below. The light emitting device comprises a chamber 5 provided with a transparent plate 6. A plane 2 on which a plurality of light emitting diodes 3, 4 or corresponding light emitting elements are mounted is located below a transparent plate 6. When the light emitting diode is activated, i.e. supplied with current through the cable 7, the light emitting diode emits light through the transparent plate 6. In use, the chamber 5 is secured so that the transparent panel 6 lies against the relevant part of the patient's body. The device further comprises driving means 8, 9, 10 for driving the light emitting means 1. The light emitting device 1 may comprise a light emitting diode 3 emitting infrared light or a corresponding element. These diodes or the like are indicated by solid circles in fig. 1.

The driving means 8, 9, 10 are adapted to cause the light emitting device 1 to emit monochromatic light of a given wavelength for a predetermined period of time. The drive means is further adapted to emit monochromatic light of a wavelength different from the given wavelength mentioned above during a second predetermined time period in an optional second phase of treatment. Visible light is emitted by means of the light emitting diode 4 or a corresponding element. These diodes are indicated in fig. 1 by open circles.

The driving means 8, 9, 10 are further adapted to cause the light emitting device 1 to emit pulsating light at a predetermined pulse frequency or series of pulse frequencies during a predetermined time period. The driving means comprise a computer 8 controlling the driving circuits 9, 10, applying voltages to the driving circuits 9, 10 via conductors 11, 12 for driving the light emitting diodes.

The computer and drive circuitry are of a suitable known type. The keyboard 13 is connected to the drive device, by means of which keyboard 13 an operator can enter control data for activating the light means in a desired manner. The device may also include a display 14 to display thereon settings made by the keypad.

The infrared light emitting diode 3 is preferably a GaAs (gallium arsenide) type semiconductor diode. The light emitting diode 4 emitting visible light is also preferably a GaAs type diode.

For example, the number of light emitting diodes included in the light emitting device may be such that the infrared light emitting diodes together produce 1800 milliwatts of light energy, and each visible light emitting diode has 3000 millicandles of power.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the light emitting device 1 comprises a red light emitting diode 4 emitting visible light with a wavelength of 660 nanometers and/or an infrared light emitting diode emitting light with a wavelength of 950 nanometers.

In another embodiment of the invention, the light emitting device 1 comprises a light emitting diode 4 emitting monochromatic visible light of one of violet, blue, yellow, orange, red or green.

The subject matter described above with reference to the drawings can basically also be found in the swedish patent specification mentioned above.

According to the invention, the driving means are adapted to cause the light emitting device or element to emit said pulsating monochromatic light at a pulse repetition frequency in one of 5 Hz-9.5 Hz,22.2 Hz-36.0 Hz, or 273.8 Hz-324.0 Hz.

It has been surprisingly found that the device of the present invention can be applied to acupuncture in a manner corresponding to acupuncture with conventional acupuncture needles.

It has also been unexpectedly found that this treatment, i.e. acupuncture (acupoint) stimulation, is accomplished much faster than traditional acupuncture. Usually, each acupoint is treated for only 1 minute, whereas the treatment time of the conventional acupuncture method is about 5 minutes to up to 1 hour. In addition, the patient does not feel pain.

Thus, the present invention has made a great advance in this field. The treatment is carried out in the same way as with conventional acupuncture, with the difference that a light-emitting device is arranged above the point of interest instead of a needle, after which the therapist activates the light-emitting device so as to emit the required monochromatic light according to the required pulse repetition frequency.

Since the light emitting device has a large irradiation surface area, the acupuncture point in question can be easily found. It is to be understood that the illumination or irradiation surface area of the light emitting device is adjustable so as to be able to illuminate or irradiate a smaller surface when treating a plurality of acupuncture points that are closer to each other, thereby avoiding treatment of acupuncture points that should not be treated when treating a particular acupuncture point.

Three pulse repetition frequency ranges are mentioned above. The centered frequency range of 22.2 to 36.0Hz is preferably used for the treatment of so-called specific acupoints. The high frequency range is used for so-called stressed acupuncture points (weighted acupoint) on the foot and hand. The low frequency range is used for so-called reflex points (reflex points) on the ear.

The present invention does not address the question of which of the aforementioned monochromatic lights is best used for different treatments. The choice of light wavelength to produce the desired therapeutic effect depends on the type of health disorder or injury to be treated and on the acupuncture points to be included in the treatment.

The drive means comprise selection means of a known type by means of which the operator can select the pulse repetition frequency lying in each of said frequency ranges. For example, the selection means may comprise the aforementioned keypad, by means of which the required pulse repetition frequency is set. The selected settings will be suitably displayed on the display.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the light emitting device comprises at least two separate light emitting elements 1, 15; see fig. 3. The two light emitting elements are adapted to emit monochromatic light of the same wavelength. Both light-emitting elements are connected to a drive device 8, 9, 10. When more than two light emitting elements are included, as shown by the light emitting elements 16 indicated by the dashed lines in fig. 3, all of the light emitting elements are connected to the driving means. The driving means functions to cause the respective light emitting elements to emit monochromatic light synchronously at a preselected pulse frequency. Thus this embodiment is capable of treating two or more acupuncture points simultaneously.

According to one embodiment, the light emitting device is adapted to emit monochromatic light of different wavelengths. In this case, the drive means act to cause the light-emitting means to emit light of one wavelength individually at each point in time. The drive means is provided with selection means of a known type, for example a selection means which the operator can input to select the desired wavelength. The selected wavelength will conveniently be displayed on a display.

It is clear that the light emitting device illustrated and described can be modified. The light emitting means may for example be a light pen emitting a light spot having a diameter of, for example, 0.5cm to 2 cm.

It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments thereof described and illustrated above, and that various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the claims.

Claims (3)

1. Device for external medical treatment by means of light, comprising a light emitting means which is held against or in close proximity to the body of a patient, and driving means for driving the light emitting means, wherein the light emitting means comprises light emitting diodes or corresponding elements and is adapted to emit monochromatic light of a predetermined wavelength, the driving means (8, 9, 10) being adapted to cause the light emitting means (1) to emit said monochromatic light during a predetermined period of time, the driving means (8, 9, 10) being adapted to cause the light emitting means (1) to pulsate said light in accordance with a predetermined pulse sequence, characterized in that the driving means (8, 9, 10) are adapted to cause the light emitting means or the light emitting means to emit said pulsated monochromatic light at a pulse repetition frequency in one of 5Hz to 9.5Hz,22.2Hz to 36.0Hz, or 273.8Hz to 324.0 Hz.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that the light-emitting means comprise two separate light-emitting elements (1, 15); the two light emitting elements (1, 15) are adapted to emit monochromatic light of the same wavelength; the drive means (8, 9, 10) are adapted to cause each light emitting element to emit light synchronously at a predetermined pulse frequency.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the light-emitting means (1) are adapted to emit monochromatic light of different wavelengths; the drive means (8, 9, 10) are adapted to cause the light emitting means to emit light of one wavelength at each point in time individually.