DE202008016760U1 - Device for generating shockwaves - Google Patents

Abstract

contraption for generating shockwaves for the Medical therapy, having a shock source, an energy storage and a switch, characterized in that the energy storage a capacitor with a capacitance between about 1 nF and about 500 mF and that the switch is a thyristor.

Description

The The invention relates to shock wave generators with an improved electronic circuit.

Shockwave generator find a field of application in numerous medical fields.

Of the best known area is the therapeutic and cosmetic application in the treatment of, for example, stone diseases (eg urolithasis, Cholelithiasis) and scar treatment in human and veterinary medicine.

newer Fields of application concern the dental treatment, the treatment of Osteoarthritis, the removal of calcium deposits (eg Tendinosis calcarea), the treatment of chronic tennis or golfer elbow (so-called Epikondylopathia radialis or ulnaris), from chronic shoulder tendon complaints (so-called tendinosis of the rotator cuff), and chronic Achilles tendon irritation (so-called. Achillodynia).

Farther Shockwave generation also becomes for the treatment of osteoporosis, periodontosis, non-healing bone fractures (so-called. Pseudarthrosis), bone necroses and similar diseases. Recent studies are also investigating use in stem cell therapies.

Farther can shockwave generation too used to reduce mechanical stress, e.g. B. in the form of Shear forces, to exercise on cells, wherein their apoptosis is initiated. This happens, for example by initiating the "death receptor pathway" and / or the cytochrome c pathway and / or a caspase cascade.

Under Apoptosis is the initiation of a genetically controlled process Program, which is the "cell suicide" of individual cells leads in the tissue association. At the same time, the affected cells and their organelles shrink and disintegrate into fragments that so-called apoptotic bodies. These will follow phagocytosed by macrophages and / or neighboring cells. Apoptosis thus represents a non-necrotic cell death without inflammatory response represents.

Therefore is the use of shockwaves beneficial in all cases in which it deals with the treatment of diseases with decreased apoptosis rate, z. B. tumor treatments or Viral diseases.

The Shock wave generation may continue to be particularly advantageous for the treatment of necrotic altered Areas and structures in muscle tissue, especially in myocardial tissue, to stimulate cartilage repair in arthritic joint diseases, for the initiation of differentiation of embryonic or adult Stem cells in vivo and in vitro according to the surrounding cell structure, for the treatment of tissue weakness, especially cellulite and fat cell depletion, as well as for activation of growth factors, in particular TGF- [beta].

The Shock wave generation may also be used to prevent edema formation and / or expansion as well as edema removal, for the treatment of ischemia, Rheumatism, joint diseases, jawbone (paradontitis), cardiological Diseases and heart attacks, paresis (paralysis), neuritis, Paraplegia, Arthrosis, arthritis, for the prevention of scarring, for the treatment of Scarring or nerve scarring, for the treatment of Achillobursitis and other bone necroses.

A further use relates to the treatment of spinal cord and nerve injuries, for example spinal cord injuries with concomitant edema.

shock waves are also used to treat scarred tendon and ligament tissue as well as badly healing open wounds.

Such badly healing open wounds and ulcers are called ulcers or too Called ulceration. They set up a surface destruction by tissue decay the skin and / or the mucous membrane. Depending on which tissue parts hit are superficial lesions exfoliation (only epidermis affected) or excoriation (upper and dermis affected).

To by shock waves countable treatable open wounds in particular ulcus cruris, ulcus hypertonicum, ulcus varicosum or ulcus terebrans due to an improved thereby caused Healing process.

Farther are shockwaves suitable for the stimulation of cell proliferation and differentiation of stem cells.

typical Shockwave generator have a base unit on, on which a therapy head can be connected. The therapy head has an integrated reflector with a shock wave source and a coupling membrane on.

Typically, shockwave energy of about 1 to 5 J is used in the use of shock waves for the fragmentation of concrements. For this purpose, a capacitor with a capaci from about 10 to 100 nF charged to a voltage of about 15 to 30 kV and then discharged suddenly via a spark discharge path.

The Spark discharge gap consists of two substantially spikes Electrodes whose tips are at a distance of about 1.5 to 3 mm are arranged from each other. Usually is the distance is about 1 mm per 10 kV charging voltage.

adversely on the previously known shock wave generators is that switch for such high voltages very expensive and expensive, often unreliable. It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a shock wave generator to provide that operated with simpler and more reliable switches can be.

These Task is by a shock wave generator according to the present Invention solved.

One Shockwave generator according to the present Invention has a shock source, an energy storage and a switch, wherein the energy storage a capacitor with a capacitance between about 1 nF and about 500 mF and where the switch is a thyristor.

A increase the capacity of the capacitor allows the voltage to which the capacitor is charged, with the same power stored in the capacitor to lower. In a preferred embodiment, the capacitance of the capacitor is greater than about 100 nF.

The lower voltage of the capacitor allows the use of a simple, cheap and reliable Semiconductor switch to switch the discharge of the capacitor.

In a further preferred embodiment the switch is a MOSFET thyristor. Likewise, the use is a gate turn-off thyristor conceivable.

In a further preferred embodiment the capacitor is at a voltage of about 500 V to about 5000 V rechargeable. For MOSFET thyristors are particularly suitable for this voltage range.

In a further preferred embodiment is the shock source a spark discharge path. In a particularly preferred embodiment the spark discharge gap has two substantially pointed electrodes whose tips are at a distance of about 0.1 mm to about 1 mm are arranged from each other.

Based of the drawings, the invention is explained in detail below. It shows:

1 a schematic representation of the device according to the invention for generating shock waves and

2 a schematic representation of in 1 used shock source.

The representation according to 1 shows the schematic structure of a shock wave generator according to the invention. As energy storage ( 1 ), a capacitor with a capacitance of 10 μF is used. If this capacitor is charged to 1000 V, then the energy stored in it E ½CU ² = 5 J. Thus, an amount of energy is available for the shock wave generation, which is comparable to that known from the prior art.

As a switch ( 2 ), which stores the energy store ( 1 ) with the shock source ( 3 ), an electronic circuit with a MOSFET thyristor is used. Such a thyristor makes it possible to reliably switch the currents occurring during the generation of the shock wave.

The shock source ( 3 ) is a arranged in a reflector spark discharge gap. A preferred embodiment of such a shock source ( 3 ) is in 2 shown.

2 shows a therapy head (V) for shock wave treatment, which contains a shock source. The therapy head (V) consists of a housing (G) having a reflector (R) which is formed by a cavity open in the distal direction. The shape of the reflector (R) is substantially rotationally symmetric and corresponds to a portion of an ellipsoid. The open side of the cavity is closed with a closure cap (D), which consists of a good coupling of the shock waves to the body part to be treated guaranteeing material, eg. As silicone, is made. The resulting closed cavity is at least partially filled with a liquid medium, for. As water, filled.

On the proximal side of the housing (G) are the two electrodes (E), between the tips of which the spark discharge gap (F) is fixed to the housing (G) connected so that the spark discharge gap (F) on or near the primary focus of the reflector ellipsoid comes to rest. The distance of the electrode tips is about 0.5 mm.

The shock source has two electrodes (E), between the tips of which the spark discharge gap (F) is located. The cavity formed by housing (G) and cap (D) is filled with a colloidal suspension (S) of conductive particles, e.g. B. aluminum, filled in water. These conductive particles allow generation of the spark discharge and thus the shock wave at low voltages. In addition, even when the distance of the electrode tips due to wear has increased, shock waves can still be generated reliably.

Of the Conductance of the medium is over the concentration of the conductive particles can be adjusted between 1 μS and 1000 μS.

Of the Therapy head (V) can be placed in a therapy head intake (not shown) be used so that the electrodes (E) of the device (V) with the control electronics (not shown) in electrical contact come.

1

energy storage

2

switch

3

impact source

D

cap

e

electrode

F

Spark discharge gap

G

casing

R

reflector

S

colloidal suspension

V

therapy head for shock wave generation

Claims (6)

A device for generating shock waves for medical therapy, comprising a shock source, an energy store and a switch, characterized in that the energy store is a capacitor with a capacitance between about 1 nF and about 500 mF and that the switch is a thyristor. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the capacitance of the capacitor greater than 100 nF is. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the switch is a MOSFET thyristor. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the capacitor to a voltage of about 500 V to about 5000 V. is rechargeable. Device according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the shock source is a spark discharge gap. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the spark discharge gap two substantially pointed electrodes whose tips in a distance of about 0.1 mm to about 1 mm from each other are.