RU2299722C2 - Thermo-electric semiconductor device for local mechanical and temperature influence onto reflex areas of human body - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: device can be used for local temperature influence onto reflex areas of human body. Thermo-electric semiconductor device has members incorporated into rubber canvas. The members have to be thermo-electric module, which has first seams to be in thermal contact with applicator having metal protrusions, and second seams are in contact with liquid heat exchanger. Power circuits of thermo-electric members and channels for supplying and removing fluid from heat exchangers are put inside rubber canvas. Applicator is made in form of metal plate. One flat surface of plate has saw-shaped protrusions, and the other surface is in thermal contact with first seams. Space between metal plate and fluid heat exchanger, which space doesn't contain thermo-electric module, is filled in with dielectric compound. Thermo-electric modules are connected to power circuits for supply of hetero-polar electric current to adjacent thermo-electric modules.

EFFECT: creation of temperature gradient of applicator according to random scheme.

2 cl, 3 dwg

Description

The invention relates to medicine and is intended for local temperature effects on the reflex zones of a person, and can also be used for therapeutic massage.

Today, non-drug methods, among which the leading place is reflexotherapy, are becoming more widespread for therapeutic and prophylactic purposes [1].

Known applicators for influencing the reflex zones of the skin, made in the form of an elastic rubber plate and applicator rollers, based on which are fixed needles. These applicators are used for diseases of the peripheral nervous system, injuries of various kinds and degenerative-dystonic diseases of the joints during recovery, polyneuritis of the upper and lower extremities, etc.

Of the many factors of reflexotherapy, the most effective is thermal (warming and cooling), which is due to irradiation and the depth of heat penetration. Under the influence of heat, arterioles expand, pressure and blood flow in the capillaries increase. The expansion of blood vessels and increased blood circulation lead to hyperemia and an increase in skin temperature. Hyperemia is accompanied by an increase in metabolic processes, the formation of biologically active substances, which helps to strengthen the regeneration process, and resorption of tissue decomposition products. Thermal exposure promotes the expansion of blood and lymph vessels, relieving vascular spasms and facilitating the cleansing of blood and lymph, accelerates the metabolic processes in the body, destroys or inhibits the activity of many pathogens. All this causes an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antiseptic and absorbable effect. Local cold exposure leads to a local slowdown in the level of metabolic processes in chilled tissues, a decrease in their oxygen consumption (and the need for it) and nutrients by cells.

The closest analogue of the invention is an acupressure massager on active points of the foot with elements of temperature, antistatic and magnetic effects (RU 2314096 C1, 08/10/1999), containing a relief surface with spikes having electrically conductive inserts connected through electrically conductive fittings connected to the ground, while according to the invention, the body of the massager has two sealed, insulated compartments, each containing its own filler neck for filling the compartments with heat transfer liquid nergiyu on armature, and a relief surface with spikes has several profiles, the diameters and distances between centers of the different spikes. In addition, the plates of the thermionic battery are connected through inserts with electrothermally conductive fittings. As well as electrically conductive spike inserts contain permanent magnets, the mounting design of which ensures their orientation in space in an arbitrary way.

The disadvantage of this massager is the inability to accurately adjust the intensity and shape of the affected thermal fields, as well as the inability to create an arbitrary temperature gradient. In this device, half has a slightly elevated temperature, and the other half is relatively low. Obtaining any other thermal picture in this device is impossible. In addition, the constant switching on of the thermoelectric battery will lead to overheating of the hot junctions, since there is no heat loss from them, and if the thermoelectric battery is periodically turned off, as the authors of this invention suggest, the difference in the acting temperatures will be low.

The aim of the invention is to develop a device for the temperature effect on the reflex zones of a person, combining mechanical and thermal effects, as well as allowing the creation of an acting thermal field of arbitrary shape, characterized by reliability and easy to maintain.

To achieve this goal, the device shown in figure 1.

The device contains a thermoelectric module (TEM) 1, the first junctions in thermal contact with the applicator 2, made in the form of a metal plate, one of the flat surfaces of which has a sawtooth protrusions. The second junctions of the TEM 1 are in close thermal contact with the liquid heat exchanger 3. The gap between the metal plate and the liquid heat exchanger 3, free of TEM 1, is filled with dielectric compound 4. The elements thus formed are pressed into the rubber web 5, in which the TEM power supply circuit 6 is laid 1 and channels 7 for supplying and discharging liquid for liquid heat exchangers 3.

The device operates as follows. A reflex zone is selected for exposure, taking into account the symptoms and localization of the disease. In this case, the applicator is located under the reflex zone, and reflex irritation occurs due to mechanical pressure on it. The doctor begins the procedure by turning on the power supply (not shown in Fig. 1), which provides electric current for the required size and polarity of TEM 1. At the same time, some junctions of TEM 1 are heated, others are cooled, changing the temperature of the acting applicator 2. Polarity and power level varies according to the nature of the procedures. At the same time, heat is removed from the second junction of TEM 1 by means of a liquid heat exchanger 3.

The wiring diagram of the power circuits of thermoelectric modules in the fabric of the device is shown in figure 2. Thermoelectric modules are connected to power circuits in such a way that adjacent thermoelectric modules located in the same row (vertically or horizontally) are fed with a bipolar electric current. Connecting a TEM thus provides a checkerboard temperature field. By changing the polarity of the supply current, the exposure mode changes, i.e. thermal applicators are converted to cold and vice versa.

However, this TEM power circuit switching scheme limits the possibilities of modeling various thermal fields of influence. To eliminate this drawback, a wiring diagram of the power supply circuits of thermoelectric modules in the device blade is shown, shown in figa. Here, the thermoelectric modules are divided by a power circuit wiring diagram into four independent groups. Each group is formed by modules arranged in one row through an adjacent module (both vertically and horizontally according to figa). Nutrition of each of these groups is carried out separately. This scheme, although it is more complex, but allows you to simulate different patterns of exposure. Outside of the rubber web of the device, four pairs of contact leads are output. Depending on the polarity of the voltage supplied to them, various influencing temperature fields can be realized, some of which are shown in Fig. 3b.

This device is easy to manufacture, easy to maintain and highly reliable. The proposed device can operate in various temperature conditions, providing the possibility of alternating exposure to negative and positive temperatures. In addition, in addition to thermal effects, a reflex and mechanical effect is observed.

The constructive simplicity of the device and the possibility of changing modes in a wide temperature range ensures its use in various fields of medicine, in particular in rehabilitation departments and medical institutions of a wide profile.

Information sources

1. Yarotskaya Ya.P. Reflexotherapy, Kharkov, 1994.

2. Sobetsky VV Clinical reflexology. Kiev: Health, 1995.

Claims (2)

1. Thermoelectric semiconductor device for local mechanical and temperature effects on the reflex zones of the human body, containing elements included in the rubber sheet containing a thermoelectric module that is in first junctions in thermal contact with the applicator including metal protrusions, in the second junctions with a liquid heat exchanger, in a rubber sheet laid the power circuit of thermoelectric elements and channels for supplying and discharging liquid heat exchangers, characterized in that The applicator is made in the form of a metal plate, one of the flat surfaces of which has sawtooth protrusions, and the other is in thermal contact with the first junctions, the gap between the metal plate and the liquid heat exchanger, free of the thermoelectric module, is filled with a dielectric compound, and the thermoelectric modules are connected to power circuits with the possibility of supplying a bipolar electric current to neighboring thermoelectric modules. 2. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the thermoelectric modules are divided by a wiring diagram of power circuits into four independent groups, the power of which is carried out separately.

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