Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
  • A61N1/18—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes
  • A61N1/32—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents
  • A61N1/36—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents for stimulation
  • A61N1/36014—External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes
  • A61N1/36021—External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes for treatment of pain
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61B—DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION
  • A61B5/00—Measuring for diagnostic purposes; Identification of persons
  • A61B5/05—Detecting, measuring or recording for diagnosis by means of electric currents or magnetic fields; Measuring using microwaves or radio waves 
  • A61B5/053—Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
  • A61B5/0531—Measuring skin impedance
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
  • A61N1/18—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes
  • A61N1/32—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents

Definitions

• TENS machines are used to apply electrical pulses to inflamed nerves to block the pain and so provide relief to pain sufferers .
• the machines have proved particularly suitable for the treatment of sport injuries and have been used on humans, horses and dogs.
• the presence of pain can markedly reduce the physical capabilities of a sportsman or animal in a race.
• the pain may not be apparent in an animal but experiments carried out on two greyhounds passed as fit by a veterin ⁇ arian located upto 200 inflamed nerve sites along the animals bodies .
• pads are placed on the skin at or adjacent the pain trigger points and the electronic pulses are applied for e.g. 30-120 minutes to obtain relief.
• These machines have two main problems. Firstly, the trigger points, which may be only 6mm. ( " ) across cannot be accurately located and so the pulses can only be applied in the general area of the trigger points. Secondly, the pulses are diffused through the tissue and cannot be concentrated on the trigger points for best effect.
• the present invention resides in a transcutaneous electronic nerve stimulation (TENS) machine including: a probe means having at least one substantially conical tip to be applied to the skin of a person or animal; a meter or indicator means adapted to measure the conductivity of the skin in contact with or adjacent the conical tip or tips; and circuit means interconnecting the probe means and the meter or indicating means; so arranged that: an area, or areas, of the skin in contact with the conical tip, or between the conical tips, with the highest conductivity reading, or readings, indicates a pain trigger point, or points, at the said area, or areas, respectively.
• TESS transcutaneous electronic nerve stimulation
• the present invention resides in a TENS machine including: a pulse generator to generate a train of pulses; and a probe means having at least one substantially conical tip to be applied to the skin of a person or animal; and circuit means interconnecting the pulse generator and probe means so arranged that the prove means may apply the pulses to the skin at or adjacent a pain trigger point or points .
• the probe means can be alternatively switched to the meter or the pulse generator so that the
• the prbbe means may include a single probe, prefer ⁇ ably with a conical tip, which can be applied to the trigger points, the operator holding the probe and patient to provide a return path for the electronic pulses.
• the probe means may include a pair of probes, preferably with conical tips, fitted in a holder at a distance of e.g. 4-6cm. apart.
• the frequency, amplitude, wave form and pulse train length of the electric pulses may be varied to suit the particular application.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of the machine
• FIG. 2 is a side view of a single probe unit
• FIG. 3 is a side view of a double probe unit
• FIG. 4 is a underside view of the unit of FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
• the machine 10 has a control box 11 fitted with a socket 12 (e.g. of the DIN type) which receives a complementary plug 13 fitted at one end of a lead 14.
• the other end of the lead 14 is connected to a switch 15, 15a mounted on a probe unit 16, 16 to be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIGS. 3 and 4, respectively.
• a drycell battery 18 powers the machine and is connected to a meter 19 and a pulse generator 20. These, in turn, are connected to a main selector switch 21 which connects either the meter 19 or the pulse generator 20 to the probe unit 16, 17.
• a meter set control 22 i.e. a potentiometer is connected to the meter 19.
• the output amplitude of the pulse generator 20 is controlled by an amplitude control 23 and the pulse frequency is controlled by a frequency control 24, to which is connected an audible indicator 25 of the pulse frequency (e.g. a piezo-buzzer) and a visual indicator 26 (e.g. a light-emitting-diode) .
• the continuity of the pulse train generated by the pulse generator 20 is controlled by a discontinuous pulse frequency control 27. This control enables the pulses to be generated in a continuous train or in bursts of varying frequency and/or duration.
• the wave form of the pulses may be controlled by a waveform control (not shown) and waveforms which may be used include biphasic, spiked, square and sawtooth.
• the single probe unit 16 has a cylindrical tubular casing 28 earthed to one pulse connection 29.
• the other connection 30 is connected to the probe tip 31 (having a conical nose and isolated from the casing) .
• An on/off switch 15 is connected to the main selector switch 21 to switch the latter from the sensing mode to the therapy mode.
• FIG. 3 and 4 show the spiral, or double, probe unit 17.
• This unit 17 has a casing 33 fitted with an on/ off switch 15a connected to the main selector switch 21.
• a pair of probe tips 34, 35 are fitted to the under ⁇ side of the casing 33 and each is connected to a respective connection 36, 37 to the control box 11.
• the operation of the machine will now be described with reference to the single probe unit 16 of FIG. 2.
• the operator connects the probe unit 16 to the control box 11 and switches on the machine.
• the operator By operating switch 15, the operator switches the main selector switch 21 to the sensing mode. This connects the meter 18 to the probe unit 16. He then operates the meter set control 22 to set the meter 18 to full scale deflection.
• the machine is then switched to the therapy mode and electronic pulses applied to the trigge point. This process is repeated until all the trigger points have been treated.
• the sensing mode enables the path of an inflamed nerve to be followed from its endings to the spinal column, the path can be followed and marked with the machine in the sensing mode.
• the machine can be switched to the therapy mode and treatment applied progressively along the full length of the nerve. For example, where the patient has pain in the groin, the path of that nerve running from the foot to the lumbar region may be located and treatment commenced at the foot as the nerve endings are the most sensitive
• the conductivity of the skin between the two probe tips 34, 35 is measured in the sensing mode, and the skin between the tips treated in the therapy mode.
• the scaling of the meter 18 by the meter set control 22 in the therapy mode limits the putput of the electrical pulses. This provides a safety factor as the output cannot exceed the limit of the meter. If the meter should fail, the output to the probes is shut-off. In addition if any other component should fail, the machine is also shut off. This ensures that the machine is compl ⁇ etely safe.
• the operator can accurately locate the trigger points, apply the electrical pulses at or closely adjacent the trigger points, and can select the most appropriate electrical pulses to treat the inflammation, rapid and efficient therapy of the trigger points is ensured.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Biophysics (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Dermatology (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Medical Informatics (AREA)
• Molecular Biology (AREA)
• Surgery (AREA)
• Pain & Pain Management (AREA)
• Electrotherapy Devices (AREA)
• Measurement And Recording Of Electrical Phenomena And Electrical Characteristics Of The Living Body (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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ID=3696880

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Family Cites Families (7)

• 1983
  • 1983-10-14 EP EP83903159A patent/EP0122269A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 1983-10-14 WO PCT/AU1983/000150 patent/WO1984001516A1/en unknown

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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