AU651272B2

AU651272B2 - Therapeutic earring

Info

Publication number: AU651272B2
Application number: AU35186/93A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Fritz E W Hieber
Original assignee: BREUNING FRANZ
Current assignee: BREUNING FRANZ
Priority date: 1992-08-26
Filing date: 1993-03-11
Publication date: 1994-07-14
Anticipated expiration: 2013-03-11
Also published as: DE4228342A1; EP0584399A1; CA2086560A1; AU3518693A; ZA929091B; JPH06154282A

Description

e, al -1 P/00/011 Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990

ORIGINAL

COMPLETE SPECIFICATIC STANDARD PATENT 651272

I

r Invention Title: THERAPEUTIC EARRING The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: GH&CO REF: P22505-A:ADK:RK If Case T88 THERAPEUTIC EARRING BACKG.ROUD OF THE NVETIQN The invention relates to a therapeutic earring for the stimulation of acupuncture points on the outer ear.

5 Although acupuncture is in use already for S thousands of years the phenomena of acupuncture are still not fully understood. Classical acupuncture, as a method S of recognizing and healing illnesses of the human breathing, circulatory and digestive organs, of the nervous system and of the blood, utilizes needles of various materials which, at particular points of the skin assigned respective organs, are used to pierce the skin so as to reach the lower skin layers. This procedure is intended to calm, to strengthen and to restore the functions of 15 the respective organs. With modern acupuncture the historic acupuncture points and lines are also irritated or stimulated which may be accomplished by puncturing with needles but also by the application of pressure, heat, or an electric current or voltage. The present invention is concerned with the stimulation of the acupuncture points and lines by electric current or voltage, that is, with the so-called electroacupuncture.

In modern acupuncture apparatus for performing electroacupuncture the body of a patient is usually connected to the electrode of a low voltage electrical circuit. The circuit is closed by a pointed electrode placed on a respective acupuncture point of the body. As Case T88 a result, a current flous through this acupuncture point and through the body to the other electrode which usually is a small metallic hollow cylinder firmly held in the hand of the patient. Also, the circuit may include an ampere meter which will indicate whether current is actually flouing through the pointed electrode and through the acupuncture point. A disadvantage of this method uhen compared uith needle puncturing is considered to be the fact that the action is effective only for a relatively short period and that for appropriate stimulation of the acupuncture points therefore a relatively high current is required which may well lead to irritation of the respective body tissue. Therefore, pointed electrodes-have been developed which supplement the stimula- 15 tion by electric current with thermal stimulation. Such special types of pointed electrodes are heated to a relatively high temperature so that, together uith the stimulation by current, a longer lasting heat stimulation of the respective body points is achieved. Such treatment houever is quite unpleasant and may even hurt.

Ear acupuncture, that is, the stimulation of trigger points on the outer ear, is a specialty of acupuncture. The theory underlying the ear acupuncture teaches that all the other acupuncture points distributed over the whole surface of a body have corresponding trigger points on the outer ear, so that, in place of stimulating the body acupuncture points, the respective outer ear acupuncture points can be stimulated for achieving a particular desired result.

The present invention utilizes the theory of ear acupuncture in that it is an aim of the invention to provide for a way of utilizing the time-tested practice of acupuncture in the form of electroacupuncture while ameliorating the disadvantages described ib.vie.

In particular, it is desirable to maintain stimulation by an electric current for a longer period so as to achieve a constant low level stimulation of the respective Case T88 zcupuncture points in order to obtain improved functioning of a particular organ assigned to a .particular acupuncture point.

OF THEh I~ENILIO In one aspect, the invention provides an earring for the stimulation of acupuncture points present on the outer ear consisting of an open-ended hoop-shaped body with one pin-like end adapted tp be received in the outer ear cavity of a wearer and extending around the outer ear and having areas for contacting the skin of the ear of the uearer with at least one of the areas of contact with the skin including an electrical contact structure uhich is insulated from the body of the earring and electrically S. connected to one pole of an electric energy source uhose other pole is electrically connected to another area of S contact with the outer ear of the wearer.

.Uith the present invention it is no longer necessary to puncture the outer ear with needles of various materials and leave them in place for some time as it has been practiced in the usual ear acupuncture procedures or to achieve stimulation of the outer ear trigger points by applying for a short period an electrode in an electroacupuncture procedure, but electric stimulation of the respective trigger points is achieved by wearing an earring which, in the areas in which it is in contact with the skin of the outer ear, includes contact points which are electrically connected to a voltage source integrally disposed in the earring. As a result there is not only a S* current flowing via the respective contacts to the trigger points over any desirable period of time, but, with the appropriate earring design, the constant movement of the earring when being uorn causes the contacts to sueep over a number of trigger points which, in this manner, are alternately stimulated. Since, furthermore, earrings are worn by people all over the uorld, the therapeutic earring is decorative for the uearer and the therapeutic purpose cannot be recognized, that is, the earring cannot t 4 Case T88 be recognized by an observer as a health maintenance device. With regard to the current flow generated by the earring, it is pointed out that the contact resistance, particularly in the outer ear cavity, but also at other places in the outer ear, is reduced by perspiration products by which the contact area is maintained moist which greatly reduces electrical resistance between the contact points of the earring and the skin.

The voltage source may e a primary cell, and preferably is a commercially available button cell which, as a result of its small size and weight, can easily be accommodated by the earring according to the invention.

In connection with the present invention, however, also other primary cells available, for example, in the form 15 of flexible foils, may be .tilized. Also a solar cell may be used as a voltage source since the ears of humans are generally not covered, that is, they are exposed to the sun or, generally, light. Then, preferably a secondary cell is included to provide energy when none is generated by the solar cell.

Also a voltage multiplier with a switch and/or an impulse generator may be connected to the voltage source so as to be capable of generating elevated voltages or voltage impulses if necessary.

25 Since stimulation of the respective trigger points or respectively, trigger lines, corresponds to the voltage level, the respective desired stimulation can be controlled to some degree by selection of the particular voltage source. This is not only true as far as the voltage applied to the contacts is concerned but also for the type of current selected. For example, DC current may be used for stimulation wherein the voltage selection is given by the choice of battery so as to be between 1 and 4V. An automatic switch may be included which, in predetermined time intervals, reverses the current flow.

It is also possible to provide stimulation by alternating current particularly if the DC battery current must be Case T88 chopped for transformation to a higher voltage appropriate for the stimulation of some acupuncture points. It is furthermore possible to arrange the contacts at various distances from one another so as to achieve penetration of the currents into the underlying tissue and corresponding stimulation to various degrees.

.BRIEEDE~R N OFHE DRNS Figure 1 shows schematically an ear ornament with oppositely arranged contact areas; Fig. 2 shows schematically an ear ornament with a contact at a particular point; and Fig. 3 is a view of the contact point marked III in Fig. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF TH PREERRED EMBODIMENTS An open hoop-shaped earring as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 has ends which are disposed opposite one another such that one of the ends may be placed into the outer ear cavity of a wearer whereas the facing portion of the other end of the earring abuts the back side of the outer ear cavity. In the arrangement according to Fig. 1 the one end is pin-shaped and separated from the earring body by an electrically insulating intermediate layer Disposed in the earring is a battery in the form of a button cell which, on one side, :25 is electrically connected to the earring body and, on the other side, via a wire connection, to the pin-shaped end of the earring When the earring is worn by a person there will be a current flow from the pin-shaped end which is electrically connected to one pole of the battery through the outer ear tissue to the other end of the earring or, if the earring Sody is in contact with other parts of the ear skin, from the pinshaped end to the respective areas of contact of the earring body with the outer ear tissue. This causes stimulation particularly of the trigger points located in the outer ear cavity whereby the desired results are achieved.

Case T88 In the embodiment of an earring as shown in Fig. 2 a contact area is disposed at the inner side of the earring body (13) below the support point thereof in the outer ear so that a circuit is established between the contact area and the end (12) of the earring at the support point. This causes stimulation of the trigger points so contacted by the earring body since a current is flowing between the contact point (Fig. 3) in the contact area which is electrically connected with the battery but separated from the earring body by electrical insulation and the support point at the end (12) of the earring. As the embodiment teaches, any desired trigger point can be contacted by providing appropriate contact projections at the inner side of the 15 open-ended hoop-shaped earring.

As indicated in Fig. 2 the earring may include a solar cell (14) and a voltage multiplier (15) having a suitch and/or impulse generator incorporated therein.

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Claims

1. A therapeutic earring for the stimulation of acupuncture points present in the outer ear, said ear- ring having an open-ended hoop-shaped body with a pin- like end adapted to be received in the outer ear cavity of a wearer, said body extending around the outer ear and adjacent its back side and having areas in contact with the skin of the outer ear of the wearer, at least two of the areas of the earring in contact with the skin includ- ing electrical contact structures which are electrically a *o 010 insulated from one another but connected to opposite poles of an electric energy source associated with the ear ornament.

2. An earring according to claim 1, wherein said electric energy source is a primary cell.

3. An earring according to claim 1, wherein S: said electric energy source is a solar cell preferably arranged in series circuit with a secondary cell.

4. An earring according to claim I, wherein said energy source is a primary or solar cell arranged in 20 a circuit with a voltage. multiplier including a switch and/or impulse generator.

An earring according to claim 1, wherein said earring body consists of an electrically conductive material and said electric energy source has one pole connected to said body which serves as one contact struc- ture and wherein a second contact structure is disposed in said body so as to be electrically insulated therefrom 8 Case T88 and electrically connected to the other pole of the elec- tric energy source.

6. An earring according to claim 1, uherein said earring body includes a number of surface areas pro- vided with contacts and adapted to abut the skin of the ear uf a uearer.

7. An earring according to claim 5, wherein said earring body includes a number of surface areas pro- vided with contacts and adapted to abut the skin of the ear of a wearer.

8. An earring according to claim 1, uherein the pin-like end of the earring body is insulated from the body of the earring and electrically connected to one pole of the electric energy source whereas the body is 15 electrically connected to the other pole of said electric energy source.

9. An earring according to claim 6, wherein said earring body has at least one projection formed at its inner side so as to be in contact with a particular trigger point in the outer ear of a wearer.

10. A therapeutic earring substantially as herein described with S reference to the accompanying drawings. C Dated this 11th day of March 1993 **g FRANZ BREUNING By their Patent Attorney GRIFFITH HACK CO. V 9 Case T88 ABS1TRACT OF TEHE QLSCLcOSURE An earring for the stimulation of acupuncture points present in the outer ear has an open-ended hoop- 49* a*l. shaped body which has one pin-like end adapted to be re- 5 ceived in the outer ear cavity of a wearer and which ex- *see*: tends around the outer ear and has areas in contact with the skin of the outer ear of the wearer wherein in at least one of the areas of contact with the outer ear the earring body includes an electrical contact structure which is electrically insulated from the body of the r 9 ornament but electrically connected to one pole of an electric energy source whose other pole is connecteci to another contact structure of the earring body so as to 4 provide for an electric potential therebetueen.