Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
  • H01T—SPARK GAPS; OVERVOLTAGE ARRESTERS USING SPARK GAPS; SPARKING PLUGS; CORONA DEVICES; GENERATING IONS TO BE INTRODUCED INTO NON-ENCLOSED GASES
  • H01T23/00—Apparatus for generating ions to be introduced into non-enclosed gases, e.g. into the atmosphere
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
  • A61N1/02—Details
  • A61N1/04—Electrodes
  • A61N1/0404—Electrodes for external use
  • A61N1/0408—Use-related aspects
  • A61N1/0428—Specially adapted for iontophoresis, e.g. AC, DC or including drug reservoirs
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
  • A61N1/44—Applying ionised fluids

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a therapeutic device, namely a portable device for treating diseases and disorders by iontophoresis.
• Iontophoresis (or galvano therapy) has been long known to be used for treating physical discomfort, such as diseases and disorders and providing a sense of well-being and quietness to human beings.
• Iontophoresis basically consists in electric generation of ions, generally negative ions, in the form of a flow designed to impinge upon regions of the body of a patient undergoing treatment.
• iontophoresis is also used to induce relaxation in muscle masses and hence also psychological relaxation, to improve the effectiveness of medicaments when administered in combination with ionic therapy, to improve breathing and hence oxygenation of the entire body, particularly the brain, which is thus kept particularly active and alert.
• ions move between one positive pole and one negative pole of a special device, thereby creating a flow of migrating ions through the body, or a part thereof, for transcutaneous administration of medicaments and active ingredients thereof in considerably smaller amounts as compared with conventional, e.g. oral administration, no overdosage being required to account for the dispersion of part of the drugs occurring through the body before reaching the target area or point.
• These ion emitter devices basically consist of a ion generator, which is connected, by means of respective power-carrying wires, with a pair of terminal electrodes designed to be placed on the part of the patient body requiring treatment to reduce or eliminate a painful condition.
• the generator is typically equipped with a controller, which is adapted to control the intensity of the emitted electric current and the duration of teratment cycles.
• One of the electrodes forms an anode, and the other electrode forms a cathode, and the medicaments to be administered by iontophoresis are previously applied to the anode or the cathode, depending on the polarity of the active ingredient of the drug.
• a further version of a device for iontophoretic treatments comprises a mat, whose size changes as a function of the size of the area to be treated, in which a flat and flexible electrode, i.e. either the cathode or the anode, can be placed, whereas the electrode of opposing polarity consists of the element for connection to the patient's body.
• the patient shall lie on the mat and actuate the ion generator, to be impinged upon by a flow generated thereby between the cathode and the anode.
• the patient must to stop its physical and work activities for the time required to complete the therapeutic cycle.
• Another object is to provide a therapeutic device that allows iontophoretic treatment of patients even without requiring them to stop their physical or work activities.
• Yet another object of the invention is to provide a therapeutic device that has a very simple and inexpensive construction.
• a further object of the invention is to provide a therapeutic device that is portable and allows any positioning option, the term positioning involving that it can either lie on a surface or hang from a support or a wall or the like.
• the invention provides a therapeutic device, wherein the device comprises: a ion generator arrangement; an emitter apparatus for emitting negative ions (anions) toward the body of a patient, which is connected to said generator arrangement by a connecting wire and defines a first pole having a first polarity; an electrode having a second polarity opposing said first polarity, which defines a second pole connected to said body of a patient, characterized in that said emitter apparatus comprises a net element which defines net meshes and nodes for connection of said net meshes, said nodes being emitting points for ion flows toward said second pole through said body of a patient.
• FIG. 1 is a front schematic view of an emitter apparatus of the therapeutic device of the invention
• FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the emitter apparatus of Fig. 1 , as taken along a plane // - //;
• FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a step of use of the therapeutic device of the invention by a patient.
• a therapeutic device is generally designated by numeral 1 and comprises a ion generator arrangement 2.
• the generator arrangement 2 is connected by means of a connecting wire 3 to an emitter apparatus for emitting flows of negative ions, or anions, from the generator arrangement 2, which is generally designated by numeral 4 and, as shown in a possible and preferred embodiment, is provided in the form of a flat screen 5.
• This flat screen 5 comprises a net element 6 made of a conductive material which forms a multiplicity of meshes to define node points 7 at which the wires that form the meshes of the net element 6 intersect, which points are emitting points for the ions generated by the generator arrangement 2, and create a ionic flow designated by the arrows "F".
• the generator arrangement 2 is also connected with a patient "P" that undergoes the iontophoretic treatment, by means of a second connecting wire 8 associated with the patient "P".
• the screen 5 is connected with the cathode "C" of the generator arrangement 2, whereas the patient "P” is connected with the anode "A”.
• the screen 5 has lower feet 10 for lying on a surface.
• the net element 6 is shown to be interposed between two plastic containing sheets 11 , which may be, for instance, two ABS (ACRYLONITRILE - BUTADIENE - STYRENE) or clear, matt or colored polystyrene sheets.
• the operation of the therapeutic device 1 is as follows: when a patient "P" is to undergo a ion radiation treatment, the screen 5 is placed in the predetermined position, depending on the direction that the ion flows "F” have to follow toward the patient "P", by lying it with the feet 10 on a load- bearing surface.
• the free end of the cable 8, possibly equipped with a bracelet 13, is connected with the patient "P", and the generator arrangement 2 is actuated, with the desired emission time and intensity settings, whereupon the arrangement transmits the generated negative ions (anions) to the net element 6, the ions being projected toward the patient "P” by being attracted toward the latter, due to his being connected with a pole having a polarity opposing that of the screen 5, by separating from the node points 7 of the net element 6 and by impinging upon the patient at the region in which treatment has to be concentrated.
• the patient "P" may comfortably sit in front of the screen 5, while reading, listening to music or talking with other people, watching television of during normal work activities.
• the wire 8 will have such a length as to allow any kind of movement, even when it is connected to the generator arrangement 2.
• the net element 6 may also have non-flat shapes, e.g. concave shapes mating with the convex profile of a part of the body of the patient "P".
• the invention has been found to fulfill the intended objects.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Bioinformatics & Cheminformatics (AREA)
• Electrotherapy Devices (AREA)
• Eye Examination Apparatus (AREA)
• Surgical Instruments (AREA)
• Manipulator (AREA)

Priority Applications (1)

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Publications (1)

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Citations (8)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 2009
  • 2009-12-09 IT ITMO2009A000287A patent/IT1396965B1/it active
• 2010
  • 2010-12-07 WO PCT/IB2010/055613 patent/WO2011070500A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2010-12-07 EP EP10809051.5A patent/EP2509680B1/en active Active

Patent Citations (8)

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