US2109726A - Artificial fever apparatus - Google Patents

Description

March 1, 1938.

H. K. HUPPERT 2,109,726

ARTIFICIAL FEVER APPARATUS Filed Aug. 20, 1964 IN VENTOR.

HENRY/702 597 BY 7 I v 3708 A'IZRNEY j.

Patented Mar. 1, 1938 UNITE STATES PATENT OFFIQE ARTIFICIAL FEVER APPARATUS fornia Application August 20, 1934, Serial No. 740,617

1 Claim.

My invention relates to artificial fever apparatus andmore particularly to a device adapted to raise localized volumes of living tissue to a relatively high temperature.

'5 Among the objects of my invention are:

To provide an artificial fever apparatus adapted to raise the temperature of localized volumes of living tissue.

To provide a cabinet for artificial fever appa- '10 ratus having attached thereto adjustable applicator electrodes.

To provide an artificial fever apparatus with insulated adjustable arms carrying electrodes adapted to be opposed.

To provide an artificial fever apparatus with opposed applicator electrodes adapted to be adjusted to include various portions of the body therebetween, together with means for maintaining said electrodes in adjusted position.

To provide a cabinet housing an artificial fever apparatus having electrodes adjustably connected with said cabinet for raising the temperature of selected portions of the human body, and control means for said fever apparatus positioned :25 within reach of the person to be treated.

To provide a semi-portable, compact artificial fever apparatus having attached applicator electrodes separately adjustable as to position.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent 30 or will be specifically pointed out in the description forming a part of this specification, but I do not limit myself to the embodiment of the invention herein described, as various forms may be adopted within the scope of the claim.

For the purposes of this specification, artificial fever apparatus is defined as apparatus electrical in character adapted to produce high frequency radio oscillations, preferably below 100 meters in wave length, and preferably adapted to produce a sufficiently high intensity electrostatic field between opposed electrodes to raise living tissue positioned between the electrodes to a temperature higher than normal.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure l is a perspective view of a preferred form of my apparatus showing the control pane and adjustable applicator arms.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken through the basel arm hinge.

Figure 3 is a sectional view of a rotating arm joint.

Figrue 4 is a greatly simplified diagram showing connections to the applicator plates.

Recent research has indicated that high body 55 temperatures are decidedly useful in therapeutic treatment, one of the most important uses being the destruction of Spirochaeta pallida as body temperatures approach 106 F. It has also been found that such temperatures, may be obtained by placing the body in a high frequency alternating current field. It is very'important however that thebody temperature be not allowed to go a great deal above 106 F., as certain protein constituents of the body are thereupon. coagulated, with consequent injury. It-has been further noted that many other human ailments re-.

spond in various degrees to heat uniformly applied throughout bodily volumes, arthritis being particularly responsive.

Much of the prior use of artificial fever apparatus has taken the form of almost complete immersion of the body within the active field, this method however being subject to a disad- Vantage as, when treating local areas, other areas, normal in every way, are often included. Again, other areas having ailments deleteriously af fected by heating might be included, with consequent injury. I have, therefore, designed the apparatus of my invention for treatment of localized body volumes only, and the novel features disclosed and claimed herein are directed toward the efficient and useful application of the high frequency field to such localized body portions, wherever located.

The broad aspect of my invention may be more readily understood by reference to the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention.

A cabinet I is provided with an inclined control panel 2. The cabinet is adapted to contain a high frequency oscillator, preferably of the vacuum tube type, the controls. of which are mounted on the inclined panel. While there will be some variation in the controls,-I prefer to mount on the panel a tube filament switch 4 and an anode potential switch 5, both of which may conveniently be provided with pilot lamps l5. As I also prefer to utilize a range of frequenciesl find it desirable to mount an inductance changing control 'lbetween the two switches.

I also provide the panel with a tuning condenser 9 to obtain close frequency regulation, and a wave meter condenser Ill connected with a circuit not shown, coupled to the oscillator output, and equipped with a resonance lamp ll. All of these controls and their circuital inclusions are within the knowledge of those skilled in the art. I- measure the output power of the device by a high frequency meter l2 inserted at a convenient point in the oscillating circuit. '1

have found that a wave length range of from 10 to 30 meters is sufficient to obtain proper thermal action, and there is some evidence to show that certain wave lengths may be more effective than others in specific instances.

In Figure 4 I have diagrammatically shown a preferred circuit for connecting applicator plates M to the output circuit I5 of the oscillator IS A pair of coupling coils I! are positioned, one'at each end of the output circuit 15, connected toe,

gether, and each to an applicator plate. In this way I split the high frequency voltage, both plates being energized to the same potential,

rather than having one plate at ground potential and the other at the highest potential of the circuit. I thus reduce danger of insulation breakdown, or of burns through leakage of current into the patient or operator. The coupling,

of course, between the output circuit and the,

As the high frequency current on the applicator plates is highly dangerous to tissue, particularly when an arc is formed therewith, it is desirable to completely insulate the plates'and the leads thereto, as it is only the field between the plates that is useful for the purposes described. It is also desirable to be able to adjust and locate the applicator plates so that any portion of the body may be included between them, opposition being preferably maintained in all positions.

This-I accomplish by attaching the plates to' the cabinet by a pair of adjustable arms, each of which are substantially alike. A description of one will therefore apply to both.

Referring to Figure 2, I prefer to provide the side walls IQ of the cabinet with a hinge block 2a of insulating material, preferably hard rubber. This block closes an aperture in the side wall and is fastened to the wall by wall screwsll. A hinge pivot 22 is fastened to the centerof the block, held in place by pivot screws 24, and a connecting screw 25, to which an oscillator lead wire 26 is attached. 1

An arm block 2'! also of hard rubber is journaled on the hinge pivot 22 and is provided with an inner conducting face plate 29. This face plate is covered by a flange extension 30 of the arm block, and is provid'ed'with a beveled edge 3| cooperating with a countersink 32 on the hinge block. An insulated lock'scfr'ew 34 is threaded into the end of the hinge pivot, and

serves to press the arm block against the hinge block, the bevel edge 3| and the countersink engaging to lock the arm block in any rotative position desired. At the same time, a slight release of the lock screw enables the arm block to be freely turned. r v

Projecting from one side of the arm block is an arm receptable 35 bored out to receive an inner arm tube 36, of insulating materialand.

sing- 45. half as long as the flexible tube is slipped over allel planes. A connection wire 40 connects the metal parts of the two hinges.

Shortly beyond the second hinge I prefer to insert a swivel joint as shown in Figure 3. This joint may be made in any convenient manner, but I prefer to insert a metal connection block 4] in the outer end of the outer arm tube, and connect this block by the wire 40 to the metal parts of the first hinge.

A flexible metal tube 42 is capped with an end block 44 and is'covered with a soft rubber coat- A hard rubber tube, preferably about the rubber coating and provided with an end shoulder 46 adapted to retain an insulating locking cap 4'l thereon, this cap being internally threaded and screwed into threads 49 on the end of the inner arm tube. The cap may be used to free or lock the joint and allow rotative adjustmerit of the flexible tube on the inner arm tube.

- The electrode plates are preferably totallyenclosed in between hard rubber discs 53, and connection made to the flexible tube by-an insulating boss 5| one on each set of discs. Electrical connection is made to the plates by an electrode wire 52 connected at one end to the end block 46 through the flexible tube.

' The arms when assembled provide complete position adjustment for the electrodes, angular positioning of the plates being obtained by use of the swivel joint and bending of the flexible tubes. These flexible tubes, however, are sufficiently stiff to maintain the electrodes in position after being bent.

It will be noted that while electrical connection passes through the hinges and swivel joints by contact, no wires cross the joints. Thus any rotative adjustments may be made withou danger of wire breakage due to twist.

While it is obvious that the arms may be rotated so that a patient may be treated on the side of the cabinet opposite the control panel, I prefer to position the patient on the control side. The reason for this is that I prefer to allow the patient to control, at least to be able to control, thegamplitude of current.

I have found that many treatments require some length of time and that movement within the field may change the field strength by changing the constants of the applicator circuit. attendant would be necessary unless the patient himself be given the controls and told to maintain the output at a given amount. Furthermore, I find that if body temperatures rise above 106 F. the heat sensation becomes practically unbearable, and by allowing thepatient to operoverheating as they themselves will reduce the intensity.

I In operation of the device, the patient is placed in front of the cabinet. loosens the loclL'ng nuts on the applicator arms and positions the applicator plates one on each side of the bodily portion to be treated, and preferably in opposed relation. Slight angular adjustments may be made by bending the flexible tubes adjacent the plates. After the arms are adjusted, the nuts are turned to lock them firmly in position, the oscillator energized and treatment started, with the patient preferably having an arm free for control'of the oscillator output in accordance with directions. Inasmuch as the applicator plates are fully insulated, the

The operator then patients clothing need not be removed, nor need the plates be placed in contact with the patient, although close approach is desirable in order to maintain a high field intensity with minimum power input.

I claim:

In combination with a cabinet containing a source of high frequency alternating current and an exterior completely insulated applicator plate, means for movably connecting said source with said plate comprising an insulating block closing an aperture in said cabinet and having an.

outer circular recess having a beveled edge, a central conducting bearing pivot, a portion of said pivot extending along the bottom of said recess, an insulating block having a central aperture fitting said pivot and longer than said pivot, a loose circular contact plate having a central aperture fitting said pivot and having a peripheral beveled edge fitting the beveled edge of said block and contacting that portion of the pivot extending along the bottom of said recess, an insulating tubular arm attached to said block, a conductor in said arm and terminally attached to said loose contact plate, and means for forcing said block against said plate to engage said beveled edges and thereby lock the hinge formed and provide electrical connection through the hinge.

' HENRY K, HUPPERT.

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