GB2181353A

GB2181353A - Therapeutic aids

Info

Publication number: GB2181353A
Application number: GB08622232A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Charles Arthur Hughes
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1985-10-10
Filing date: 1986-09-16
Publication date: 1987-04-23
Also published as: GB8525000D0; GB8622232D0

Abstract

A therapeutic aid for use in the treatment of stiffness and insufficient mobility in joints, and other complaints, comprises a sheet of copper-containing material having a flexibility similar to that of paper and having secured thereto a reinforcement covering at least one side of the copper sheet and serving to resist tearing thereof. The copper sheet material may be incorporated into clothing or bed clothing, for example a sleeping bag. The therapeutic effect of the copper is increased by the relatively large surface area thereof in relation to the body area of the user. The copper sheet material may be incorporated into clothing and/or floor and wall coverings.

Description

SPECIFICATION Therapeutic aids This invention relates to therapeutic aids. An example of the application of the invention relates to a therapeutic aid for the treatment of a variety of complaints ranging from those producing stiffness and insufficient mobility in the joints, for example arthritis, to those which cause tumorous growths, including cancer.

In the field of therapeutic aids for treatment by methods lying outside the field of direct intervention with the body by means of surgery or chemotherapy, a variety of devices have been proposed, and these include such articles as copper bracelets and the like. These articles have their adherents who accept that they have some degree of beneficial effect. Nevertheless, such articles are not generally considered to be of proven efficacy and for this reason are generally relegated to the field of fringe medicine and quack remedies.

However, it must be accepted that a therapeutic aid which effected therapy by the simple method of non-direct intervention with the body in the manner of these prior devices, would fulfil a great need of a considerable number of people, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a therapeutic aid of this general character offering improvements in relation to one or more of the matters discussed above, or generally.

According to the invention there is provided a therapeutic aid comprising an article or clothing or bed clothing, or bed linen adapted to cover or be in proximity to a significant proportion of the human body, characterised by an area of copper containing flexible sheet material incorporated in said article, and extending over a major portion of the area thereof, which article thereby constitutes means to maintain said sheet material in effective proximity to the body of the user.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a therapeutic aid comprising a sheet of copper-containing metallic material of at least 900 square centimetres area, characterised in that said sheet is of a thickness such that it has a flexibility similar to that of paper and has secured thereto a reinforcement covering at least one side thereof and serving to resist tearing of the sheet.

Preferably, the area of the sheet material is greater than 900 square centimetres. In the case where the article is in the form of bed clothing or bed linen, the area of the sheet material may conveniently lie in the range of 1,000 to 10,000 square centimetres. For example, an area of 75 centimetres square may well be convenient and commercially attractive while meeting therapeutic requirements. However, in many cases, it is more convenient simply to provide an article of bed clothing comprising the sheet material, the article and the sheet material covering substantially the entire bed surface area which, even in the case of a single bed, would amount to a surface area of at least 1250 square centimetres.Conveniently, the sheet material of the therapeutic aid may cover substantially the whole area of the support surface (such as the upper surface of a bed, with which a person to be treated may make contact.

In the method of treatment which the therapeutic aids of the invention provide, the significant areas of copper containing flexible sheet material provided by the aid are maintained in proximity to a significant proportion of the body of the user. For example, at the very least, the sheet material is sufficient to cover or enclose substantially an entire joint of the body of the user, wherby the therapeutic effect of the copper is greatly enhanced and significent improvements in therapy with respect to those results achieved by previously known copper bracelets and the like are achieved.

For the purpose of the invention, a significant proportion of the human body to be treated by a therapeutic aid according to the invention may be considered to be any part of the body which can be covered or surrounded or enclosed by a sheet of the copper containing flexible sheet material having an area of 900 square centimetres or more.

With regard to the proximity to the body of the user in a method of treatment effected by a therapeutic aid according to the invention, the degree of proximity is preferably as great as possible. The sheet of copper containing flexible material may vary from direct, or almost direct, contact with the user's body to a proximity of 15 centimetres or somewhat greater. The therapeutic effect of the copper containing material can still produce beneficial results even when separated from the body of the user by, for example, significant thicknesses of bedding material, or even the body of a mattress.

Atherapeutic aid according to the invention may be in the form of an article or bed clothing, or example a blanket, sheet or the like to be placed on a mattress of a bed. Alternatively, the copper containing flexible sheet material may be incorporated into a mattress of a bed, or mounted on or in relation to another supporting structure of a bed. Where the invention is used in relation to articles of clothing, the flexible sheet material may be incorporated in any suitable article of clothing.

With certain articles of clothing, a reduced area of copper containing flexible sheet material may be sufficient to produce a significant beneficial effect.

For example, where it is sufficient to provide treatment of a relatively confined area of the body, an area of metallic sheet of, for example, approximately 100 square centimetres may be sufficient. Other applications of the invention include floor and wall coverings in which the copper containing sheet material may be incorporated. In such applications, the degree of flexibility necessary can be significantly reduced where this suits manufacturing and/or cost requirements. In such applications of the invention, the area of copper containing sheet material is usually much greater than the minima mentioned above.

In an embodiment described below there is provided a substantial area of copper containing flexible sheet material in effective proximity to the body of the user during a period of time sufficient to effect the required therapy, and this exposure of the body to the healing effects of the copper in the manner produced by the invention leads to significant beneficial results.

The copper containing metallic material of a therapeutic aid according to the invention should preferably be as high in copper as possible. Alloys having copper in the range of 75% copper by weight or more are suitable, and preferably sheet material containing nominally, 100% copper should be employed. The preferred percentage range for copper content is 90% to 100% by weight.

As regards acceptable alloying materials, these should be chosen so as to provide the resulting product with the required degree of flexibility needed for the purpose of the invention. Two or more sheets of metallic material may be employed in an aid according to the invention. These may be face to face or separated by one or more layers of reinforcement or spacer material.

As regards the copper containing flexible sheet material itself, its thickness may lie in the range 12 to 50 microns (0.012 millimetres to 0.050 millimetres). Preferably, the thickness lies in the range of 30 to 40 microns, and 33 to 37 microns being particularly preferred. However, the choice of material depends also upon the latter's flexibility, which itself relates to the nature and quantities of the alloying materials employed (where pure copper is not being used, and thus the flexibility needed for the purpose of the invention can be defined as lying, preferably, in the range of flexibility corresponding to that of paper, though for certain applications, a stiffer sheet material may be acceptable on therapeutic grounds though possibly unacceptable for commercial reasons.A particularly suitable degree of flexibility corresponds to that of the aluminium foil commonly used in domestic cooking operations.

With regard to the reinforcement of the copper containing flexible sheet material, suitable reinforcements include cotton sheet, woven or nonwoven textile materials, these being natural or synthetic, and plastic sheets materials and film.

Other reinforcements may also be suitable and the major requirement is to protect and strengthen the otherwise somewhat vulnerable thin copper sheet material. Preferably, the reinforcement should be provided on both sides of the copper containing sheet material. The reinforcement may be bonded thereto by any suitable adhesive system, or the reinforcement may be sewn to the copper sheet by machine or other sewing techniques.

An embodiment of the invention will now be described.

A Atherapeutic aid in the form of an article of bed clothing is provided. The aid is in the form of a blanket or the like proportioned so as to lie on and just cover the upper surface of a bed mattress. The aid comprises a sheet of copper, nominally containing 100% copper, though minor amounts of impurities are not significant for the purpose of the invention. The flexibility of the copper sheet is approximately that of the well known domestic aluminium foil, and the copper's thickness corresponds to this requirement accordingly.

Secured to the copper by bonding on both faces thereof is provided a reinforcement in the form of a woven cotton envelope, completely enclosing the copper sheet. The copper sheet is adhered to the woven cotton by bonding over substantially its entire surface area on both sides.

In use, the therapeutic aid is merely placed on the mattress of the bed and the latter is then provided with conventional bed clothing and made up in the usual way. The presence of the therapeutic aid during the entire resting period of the user has a remarkable beneficial effect with respect to a variety .of ailments. Moreover, it will be appreciated that once installed, the therapeutic aid is completely unobtrusive and exterts its therapeutic effect on a nightly basis without requiring any positive action by the user. Indeed, the aid may feature as a permanent healing influence which remains installed in the bed of the user over a very extended period of time.

twill be appreciated that the embodiment of the invention enables the therapeutic effect of copper to be greatly enhanced by the concentration of the effect over a significant proportion of the body of the user. Such an effect has, it is believed, never hitherto been possible. Moreover, this effect is achieved at a commercially acceptable cost and in a manner which is well adapted for use on a daily basis by any person requiring treatment.

In a further embodiment, a therapeutic aid is also in the form of an article of bed clothing, namely a sleeping bag. The sleeping bag incorporates throughout substantially its entire internal area, a sheet of copper and associated reinforcements formed substantially as described above in the first embodiment. The copper sheet is secured to and forms part of the sleeping bag's internal structure. In use, the copper sheet substantially encloses a major proportion of the body of the user.

The sleeping bag itself may have varying amounts of thermal insulation according to requirements, varying from negligible or zero additional thermal insulation (for the situation where the sleeping bag is to be employed within a conventional bed, to very substantial thermal insulation layers for use in outdoor situations with no additional cover.

Claims

1. therapeutic aid comprising an article of clothing or bed clothing or bed linen adapted to cover or be in proximity to a significant proportion of the human body, characterised by an area of copper-containing flexible sheet material incorporated in said article, and extending over a major portion of the area whereof, which article thereby constitutes means to maintain said sheet material in effective proximity to the body of the user.

2. A therapeutic aid comprising a sheet of coppercontaining metallic material of at least 900 square centimetres area, characterised in that said sheet is of a thickness such that it has a flexibility similar to that of paper and has secured thereto a reinforcement covering at least one side thereof and serving to resist tearing of the sheet.

3. An aid according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the area of the sheet material is greater than 900 square centimetres.

4. An aid according to claim 3 wherein the area of the sheet material lies in the range of 1,000 to 10,000 square centimetres.

5. An aid according to claim 4 in the form of an article of bed clothing adapted to cover substantially the entire surface area of a bed.

6. An aid according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in the form of an article of clothing adapted to cover or enclose substantially an entire joint of the body or the user.

7. An aid according to any one of claims 1 to 4 in the form of a blanket or sheet.

8. An aid according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said sheet material is incorporated in a mattress.

9. An aid according to any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein said sheet material is incorporated into a sleeping bag.

10. An aid according to claim 2 wherein said sheet material is in the form of a floor or wall covering.

11. An aid according to any one of the preceding claims wherein said sheet material has a thickness lying in the range of 12 to 50 microns.

12. An aid according to claim 2 or any other of the preceding claims when dependent on claim 2, wherein said reinforcement comprises woven or non-woven textile material or plastic sheet material.

13. An aid according to claim 12 wherein said reinforcement is provided on both sides of the sheet material.

14. An aid according to claim 12 or claim 13 wherein said reinforcement is bonded to the sheet material by an adhesive or is sewn thereto.

15. An aid according to claim 12 wherein said reinforcement is in the form of a woven cotton envelope completely enclosing said copper sheet material and adhered to said sheet material by bonding over substantially the entire surface area thereof.

16. A therapeutic aid substantially as described herein.