WO2010136637A1

WO2010136637A1 - Method for producing salt dust and a salt generator

Info

Publication number: WO2010136637A1
Application number: PCT/FI2010/000034
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kari Viherlahti
Original assignee: Kari Viherlahti
Priority date: 2009-05-25
Filing date: 2010-05-24
Publication date: 2010-12-02
Also published as: FI20090201A; FI20090201A0

Abstract

The invention is related to a method for producing fine salt dust used in salt therapy and a salt generator. The method employs a salt generator wherein the salt dust is provided by colliding salt particles with each other, the particles being caused to move by air flow. The number of collisions may be increased, and thus the formation of salt dust enhanced, by obstacles, such as nets placed in the vessel of the salt generator. In addition to colliding with each other, the salt particles caused to move will also collide with these obstacles.

Description

METHOD FORPRODUCING SALT DUST AND A SALT GENERATOR

The present invention is related to a method for producing fine salt dust in the breathing air by means of a device producing salt dust - i.e., a salt dust generator — and the salt dust generator used in the present method.

The method and the generator according to the invention are used, inter alia, in salt room therapy, wherein fine salt dust is blown by a salt dust generator into a room lined with salt. The salt dust provides the room air with negatively charged particles that, when inhaled, have infection-reducing and phlegm-detaching influence in the respiratory tract, thus opening the tract and easing respiration. In salt room therapy, the amount of salt that reaches the system is so small that it does not cause additional swelling or adverse increase in blood pressure. Typically, a treatment session takes about 40 minutes at a time for an adult and about 5-10 minutes for a child.

Currently, on the occasions described above, a method is used wherein the salt generator automatically measures out the right amount of granular salt into a steel tank, wherein blades operated by a motor consequently mill the salt fine. The salt dust thus provided is thereafter conducted by air flow into the air of the salt room to be inhaled by the patient. Salt particles are known to have a therapeutic effect when their size is less than 5 micrometres.

The main disadvantage of prior-art technique can be considered to be that a great proportion of the salt particles produced by prior-art methods are larger than 5 μmicrometres in size, rendering them useless for purposes of the therapy. Thus, a reasonable effort will not provide an optimal result with regard to the particle size of the salt.

The prior art described above is widely employed in salt therapies given in salt rooms. The prior art is referred to, e.g., on the Polar Health Oy Web site, www.suolahuone.fi.

The present invention aims to provide a method and an apparatus used therein for avoiding prior art disadvantages. The characteristic features of the method according to the invention are presented in the characterising part of ciaim i, ana me characteristics of the salt generator are presented in the characterising part of claim 4.

The main advantage of the invention, in relation to prior-art technique, can be deemed to be that all salt particles generated by the method according to the invention are therapeutically useful, less than 5 micrometres in size. Therefore, the therapy provided by the method is safer and can be targeted more accurately than that with prior-art technique. As an example of advantages obtained by using the method according to the invention, it can be mentioned that salt dust that is dry and fine enough also penetrates efficiently into the periphery of the respiratory tract. Also, when entering the skin pores, the salt dust absorbs moisture from the surrounding air even better than before and thus keeps the skin moisturised and elastic.

An indisputable advantage is achieved also with a salt dust generator according to the invention not including moving mechanical parts that are expensive to purchase and that have to be replaced and serviced from time to time, hi addition to a salt room, a salt tent or a mask placed on the patient's face can also be used for the treatment, which is an undeniable advantage achieved with application of the method according to the invention.

The term 'salt dust', when used in this description and the claims, is intended to refer to fine salt dust material blended into the air that is used in salt therapy having health effects.

The invention will be described in more detail by the attached drawings, wherein

Fig. 1 shows a vertical section of the schematic view of the salt dust generator according to the invention in operational readiness,

Fig. 2 shows a vertical section of the schematic view of the salt dust generator according to the invention in operation, and

Fig. 3 shows a schematic view of a salt room. Below, an advantageous embodiment of the invention will be described by way ot an example of its structure and function, with reference to the above-mentioned figures.

The salt generator, in this example, is formed by a vessel 1 with a cylindrical shape (see figures 1 and 2), preferably about 300 mm in height and about 100 mm in diameter. The vessel 1 is substantially vertical, and the bottom 2 of it is at least partially netlike. A layer about 20 mm thick of granular salt ('the Salt Layer') will be placed on the netlike bottom 2. The salt grains are larger in size than the mesh size of the netlike bottom 2 in order to keep them inside the vessel 1. An air flow 3 (Fig. 2) generated by a fan is conducted through the bottom of the vessel 2, thereby causing the salt grains to move. The salt grains are cut and ground when moving one against another, and their size is reduced and number increased. Inside the vessel 1, above the bottom 2, there are nets 4 of large mesh size on several levels, serving as obstacles to the moving salt particles and thereby causing the particles to break apart and to be ground even finer when colliding with the nets. The peripheral region z of the bottom 2 is closed, causing the air flow 3 to pass through the netlike central part y of the bottom, leaving the peripheral area of the bottom end of the cylinder in a stagnant state. Some of the floating salt particles x thus enter this space of weaker air flow and, when the air flow decreases, settle to the bottom 2 and then again enter upward-directed movement. The upper end of the vessel 1 has a lid 5 that is at least partially formed of a dense net - i.e., a screen 6 that allows passage of only salt dust 7 that is fine enough. The larger salt grains will continue their movement and collision with each other and with the nets 4 and the screen 6 inside the vessel 1 as a result of the air flow 3. When the salt particles reach sufficient fineness, they can pass through the screen 6. The vessel 1 will be emptied of salt when all of the salt grains have been ground / disintegrated into small enough salt particles — i.e., salt dust 7. The salt dust 7 that has passed through the screen will be conducted from the salt generator A (Fig. 3) with the air flow 3 through a channel B to the air of the salt room or a salt tent C or directly to a mask for the subject receiving salt treatment.

The shape and size of the salt generator according to the invention and its vessel 1 may also differ from what has been described in the above example. These features can be chosen according to prevailing conditions. Also, the amount of salt used may be varied, and it may be dependent on the above-mentioned characteristics of the salt generator and other prevailing conditions involved. The size of the sail grains useα does not limit the functional area of the method and the salt generator according to the invention; instead, their function may be adjusted according to the grain size used.

The ratio between the size of the salt generator vessel bottom 2 and/or the size of the closed peripheral region z of the lid 5, forming part of the method according to the invention, may be any useful ratio. The bottom 2 and/or the lid 5 may therefore also be entirely netlike.

The salt generator according to the invention may also be formed without nets 4 inserted inside the vessel 1 , thereby producing the salt dust mainly through the salt particles' collisions with each other.

The salt generator according to the invention may also be assembled in other positions than the substantially vertical position mentioned in the above example. Any position that is advantageous for producing salt dust according to the inventive thought presented by the claims may be considered.

The salt generator according to the invention may be composed of any material suitable for its intended use. One advantageous material for the vessel 1 is glass, through which formation of the salt dust can easily be monitored.

It is to be noted that, despite this description's presentation of a specified type of advantageous embodiment, it is by no means to be construed as limiting the use of the invention; rather, it sets forth an example of this type, and several variations will be possible within the scope of the inventive thought defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method for producing fine salt dust in the breathing air by a device producing salt dust, i.e., a salt dust generator, wherein the salt dust (7) is obtained in the salt generator by conducting an air flow (3) through granular salt (the Salt Layer) inside the vessel (1) of the salt generator, whereby at least some of the salt grains caused to move by the air flow collide with each other and are ground into smaller salt particles as an effect of these contacts, characterised in that at least one obstacle, such as advantageously e.g., a net (4), has been arranged in the vessel (1) of the salt generator, thereby enhancing the formation of salt dust (7) by increasing the relative number of collisions of the salt particles, wherein the size of the salt particles of the salt dust (7) is no more than 5 μm.

2. A method according to claim 2, characterised in that several obstacles, such as advantageously e.g., nets (4) have been arranged in the vessel (1) of the salt generator, at more than one different level/distance from the bottom (2) of the vessel (1), thereby enhancing the formation of salt dust (7) by increasing the relative number of collisions of the salt particles.

3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that substantially all of the salt particles obtained by the method are less than 5 μm in size.

4. A salt generator constructed to carry out the method according to any of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the two substantially opposing sides of the vessel (1), such as advantageously the bottom (2) and the lid (5), are formed of an at least partially netlike structure, whereby an air flow (3) may be conducted through the vessel (1) of the salt generator and, on the other hand, afford the prevention of salt particles that are greater in size than the mesh size of the netting from exiting the vessel (1) of the salt generator.