GB2160427A

GB2160427A - Electrotherapeutic apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2160427A
Application number: GB08513625A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kazumi Masaki
Original assignee: HAYASHIBARA KEN
Current assignee: HAYASHIBARA KEN
Priority date: 1984-06-12
Filing date: 1985-05-30
Publication date: 1985-12-24
Also published as: DE3521050A1; FR2565493A1; GB8513625D0; CA1270530A; JPS61363A; BR8502768A; GB2160427B; JPH0258940B2; FR2565493B1; DE3521050C2; KR860000076A

Abstract

An electrotherapeutic apparatus comprises a chain formed from a plurality of electrodes (1', 1'', 1''') each having an electrode plate (2). A stretchable belt (5) is attached to both ends of said chain, and a low-frequency generator (6, 7) is carried on the outer side of one or more of said electrodes. The low-frequency generator (6, 7) is electrically coupled to the electrodes (1',1'', 1''') such that the negative electrode (1', 1''') is larger in area than the positive electrode (1'').The electrotherapeutic apparatus is suitable to promote the metabolism of the scalp and restoration of fatigue. Use of the apparatus with an aminovinyl photosensitizing dye effectively accelerates the growth and regeneration of hair. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrotherapeutic apparatus The present invention relates to an electrotherapeutic apparatus, for example, to be put around the head in order to iontophoretically accelerate the growth and regeneration of hair.

As described in Japan Patent Kokai No.221,957/ 83, it has been found that iontophoresis of an aminovinyl photosensitizing dye with a square wave current having a frequency in the range 0.5 to 2 Hz, superposed with a diphasic action potential having a pulse width of between 1/200 to 1/600 seconds and a pulse interval of between 1/20 to 1/300 seconds, is therapeutically effective against various alopecia, e.g. areata, alopecia presenilis, etc.

For one treatment of this by electrotherapy, the current is applied for a relatively long duration, for example, for thirty minutes, or preferably for one hour. An electrotherapeutic apparatus for applying this current is described in Japan Patent Kokai No.

221,957/83 but this apparatus has the disadvantage that the patient must hold the apparatus during the electrotherapy, which is painful and inconvenient, particularly if the apparatus has to be held in place for a long duration.

There are similar disadvantages if electric massages on the caput are required, but heretofore no effective means for such massages have been proposed.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an electrotherapeutic apparatus which reduces the disadvantages of the known apparatus.

According to the present invention there is provided on electrotherapeutic apparatus comprising a plurality of electrodes coupled together to form a chain and one or more retaining belts coupled to the ends of said chain, and further comprising a low-frequency generator carried by one or more of said electrodes, said generator being electrically coupled to said electrodes such that some of the electrodes are negative and others are positive, the area of the negative electrodes being greater than that of the positive electrodes.

The invention also extends to an electrotherapeutic apparatus, comprising: a chain of band-shaped moist-pad electrodes each having a wide electrode plate; a stretchable belt attached to both ends of said chain; and a a low-frequency generator carried on the outer side of one or more of said electrodes, wherein the low-frequency generator is electrically coupled to said electrodes such that the negative electrode is larger in area than the positive electrode.

Embodiments of the present invention will hereinafter be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: FIG. 1 shows a front elevation of an embodiment of an electrotherapeutic apparatus of the invention, FIG. 2 shows a top plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1 FIG. 3 shows the waveforms of a low-frequency generator suitable for an electrotherapeutic apparatus of the invention, and FIG. 4 shows a circuit diagram of a low-frequency generator circuit for apparatus of the invention.

Throughout the specification and drawings, reference 1 indicates a band-shaped electrode; 2 represents an electrode plate of the band-shaped electrode 1; 3 is a cover; 4 is a connecting member; 5 is a stretchable belt; 6 and 7 represent a lowfrequency generator; A is an oscillator circuit; B is a battery; Rc is a variable resistance; and S is a switch.

The apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, comprises an elongate band-shaped electrode 1, having on its inner side a wide electrode plate 2. The electrode plate 2 is backed by a cover 3 of an absorbent material, such as sponge, to form a moist-pad electrode structure. A plurality of band-shaped electrodes, for example, electrodes 1', " and 1"', as particularly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, are rotatably connected to form a chain by way of suitable connecting members 4. A stretchable belt 5 is fastened to both ends of the chain of electrodes 1', 1", 1"' and is arranged to press the electrodes against the patient's forehead. The inner side of each band-shaped electrode, as 1, is inwardly curved and/or covered with a flexible material so that it can conform to the forehead.

A low-frequency generator 6,7 is carried on the outer side of one or more of the band-shaped electrodes. In the embodiment illustrated one part 6 of the generator is carried by the electrode 1"' and a second part 7 of the generator is carried by the electrode 1". The low-frequency generator 6,7 comprises an oscillator circuit A, a battery B, a power switch S, a current reversing switch, and a variable resistance Rc acting as an output controller.

In the illustrated embodiment, the battery B and the power switch S are housed within the one part 6 of the generator, whilst the oscillator circuit A and the variable resistance Rc are housed within the second part 7 of the low-frequency generator. Examples of oscillator circuits which may be used include conventional oscillator circuits, e.g. a blocking oscillator circuit, or a multi-vibrator circuit, which generate a square wave, a pulse wave, a sine wave, a semicircular wave, a triangular wave, or an exponential wave between two electrodes.

A low-frequency generator, which has been found to be particularly suitable for apparatus of the invention is shown in FIG. 4. This low-frequency generator comprises a first oscillator circuit arranged to generate a diphasic action potential, having a pulse width of between 1/600 and 1/200 seconds and a pulse interval of between 1/300 and 1/ 20 seconds, this output signal being shown in FIG.

3(a). The low-frequency generator also comprises a second arranged to generate a positive square wave current as shown in FIG. 4(b) which has a frequency between 0.5 and 2 Hz. The generated diphasic action potential and the square wave current are superposed within the low-frequency generator to produce the resultant output signal shown in FIG.

3(c). It has been found that an electrotherapeutic apparatus including means to generate such a resultant output signal advantageously promotes the metabolism of the scalp and the restoration of fatigue, as well as accelerating the growth and regeneration of hair.

Preferably, the electrodes of apparatus as shown in FIG. 1 are electrically connected to the lowfrequency generator such that two of the electrodes 1' and 1"' form a negative electrode which is larger in area than the positive electrode 1". The ratio of the area of the negative electrode to that of the positive electrode is generally several times, preferably,2~5. The negative electrode is used as the dispersive electrode as this provides a much lower current density on the patient's skin, and remarkably decreases the undesirable stimulation caused by the dispersive electrode.

In orderto accelerate the growth and regeneration of hair, an about 10 to 1,000 ppm aqueous alcoholic solution of an aminovinyl photosensitizing dye, a hair growth and hair regeneration accelerator, e.g.

6- [ 2- [ (5-bromo-2-pyridyl)amino ] vinyl ] -1 -ethyl-2picolinium iodide (Kankoh-so No.301), or 2-(2 anilinovinyl)-3,4-dimethyl-oxazolium iodide (Kankoh-so No.401), both products of Japanese Research Institute for Photosensitizing Dyes Co., Ltd., Okayama, Japan, is applied on the area of the patient's scalp to be treated, or absorbed by the covers 3 of the electrodes. The apparatus is put around the patient's head such that the electrodes is pressed against the area, and the low-frequency current is then applied to the scalp to effect iontophoresis of the aminovinyl photosensitizing dye.

To promote the metabolism of the scalp and/or the restoration of fatigue by electric massage, the electrodes are immersed in water or an aqueous solution containing a small amount of an electrolyte, after which a suitable low-frequency current is applied to the area of the scalp to be treated orto a suitable "keiketsu" in the scalp.

In either case, long duration electrotherapy can be carried out with electrotherapeutic apparatus of the invention without pain, because the apparatus is put on the head. Thus, electrotherapy, e.g. acceleration of the growth and regeneration of hair, promotion of metabolism, or electric massage, can be much more easily attained as compared to the use of conventional electrotherapeutic apparatus.

In addition, in electrotherapeutic apparatus of the invention the area of the dispersive electrode is larger than that of the active electrode, and so the current density on the skin is lowered, and undesirable stimulation by the dispersive electrode is decreased. Thus, long-term electrotherapy can be comfortably carried out.

Electrodes having the same elongate shape and made of the same material can be used as both the dispersive and the active electrodes. Thus, by using unit-type electrodes which are arranged to be freely connected and disconnected, the numbers, areas, and/or area ratio of the dispersive and active electrodes can be freely varied in relation to the area of the skin to be treated.

Claims

7. An electrotherapeutic apparatus, comprising: a achain of band-shaped moist-pad electrodes each having a wide electrode plate; a stretchable belt attached to both ends of said chain; and a low-frequency generator carried on the outer side of one or more of said electrodes, wherein the low-frequency generator is electrically coupled to said electrodes such that the negative electrode is larger in area than the positive electrode.
2. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the moist-pad electrodes are of unit-type.
3. An apparatus as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, wherein the low-frequency generator generates a 0.2 to 5 Hz square wave current superposed with a diphasic action potential having a pulse width of between 1/600 and 1/200 seconds and a pulse interval of between 1/300 and 1/20 seconds.
4. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the inner sides of said electrodes are inwardly curved.
5. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the low-frequency generator comprises two multivibrator circuits.
6. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the electrode plate is covered with an absorbent material.
7. An apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the area ratio of the negative electrode to the positive electrode is within the range of 2 to 5.
8. An electrotherapeutic apparatus comprising a plurality of electrodes coupled together to form a chain and one or more retaining belts coupled to the ends of said chain, and further comprising a lowfrequency generator carried by one or more of said electrodes, said generator being electrically coupled to said electrodes such that some of the electrodes are negative and others are positive, the area of the negative electrodes being greater than that of the positive electrodes.
9. An electrotherapeutic apparatus substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.