Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
  • A61N1/02—Details
  • A61N1/04—Electrodes
  • A61N1/0404—Electrodes for external use
  • A61N1/0472—Structure-related aspects
  • A61N1/0484—Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
  • A61N1/02—Details
  • A61N1/025—Digital circuitry features of electrotherapy devices, e.g. memory, clocks, processors
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
  • A61N1/02—Details
  • A61N1/04—Electrodes
  • A61N1/06—Electrodes for high-frequency therapy
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
  • A61N1/18—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes
  • A61N1/32—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
  • A61N1/18—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes
  • A61N1/32—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents
  • A61N1/321—Electromedical belts
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
  • A61N1/18—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes
  • A61N1/32—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents
  • A61N1/36—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents for stimulation
  • A61N1/36014—External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N1/00—Electrotherapy; Circuits therefor
  • A61N1/18—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes
  • A61N1/32—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents
  • A61N1/36—Applying electric currents by contact electrodes alternating or intermittent currents for stimulation
  • A61N1/36014—External stimulators, e.g. with patch electrodes
  • A61N1/3603—Control systems
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61N—ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY
  • A61N5/00—Radiation therapy
  • A61N5/02—Radiation therapy using microwaves

Definitions

• the present invention relates to the technical field of methods and devices for curative and symptomatic treatment.
• the present invention relates to methods and devices for curative and symptomatic treatment by way of pieces of clothing provided with conductive electrodes.
• said electrodes are usually suitable for irradiating a part of the patient's body so as to localise the intervention where necessary.
• Document US4121592 discloses a device for heating fabrics, which can be used for treating tumours in humans and animals.
• an electrical field is produced between two electrodes and applied to the tissue region including and surrounding the tumour.
• the polarity and intensity of the applied radiofrequency electrical field are varied depending on the type of illness to be treated.
• Document US4197851 discloses a device for emitting high-frequency electromagnetic waves, comprising a power supply and an antenna comprising at least one conductor and a flexible insulating support such that it can be shaped so as to be applied directly to parts of the human body.
• the antenna may be linked to current-emitting electrodes, and said current may be emitted alternately or simultaneously with the electromagnetic field emission brought about by the antenna.
• Document US5507743 discloses a further device for treating tumorous tissues, comprising a pair of electrodes, one active and one passive.
• the active electrode may be in the form of a probe which can be introduced into the tissue to be treated, whilst the passive electrode may be in an extended form so as to be applied around the region involved in the treatment.
• the passive electrode is coupled to a microwave generator, whilst the active electrode is connected to a power supply so as to act as an ablation electrode.
• document ⁇ 130 ⁇ 241 discloses a device for treating patients which is based on a radiofrequency generator provided with one or more electrodes connected to the earth connection of the generator. Said electrode acts so as to direct the electromagnetic current induced in the generator into the patient's body in a suitable manner. Said electrodes are provided in a suitable manner, depending on the requirements of the treatment to be applied, in the form of leads, probes, plates or extended conductive sheets.
• one of the treatments which can be applied to the patient provides the use of extended conductive electrodes which are suitable for application to large portions of the patient's body.
• these electrodes are suitable for directing, into the patient's body, the electromagnetic currents induced by the electromagnetic field generated by the device in the space surrounding the actual patient.
• said electrodes contribute to shielding, albeit in part, the electromagnetic field produced by the generator from the portions of the body protected by the said electrodes, and this limits the level and intensity of the induced electromagnetic currents, and consequently the effectiveness of the treatment.
• One object of the present invention is therefore a device for treating patients which is based on a radiofrequency generator provided with one or more electrodes connected to the earth connection of an electromagnetic radiation generator - for example of the type disclosed in patent ⁇ 130 ⁇ 241 - comprising extended electrodes formed using conductive fabrics so as to have a limited shielding effect against the electromagnetic radiation emitted by said radiofrequency generator.
• a further object of the present invention is a device for treating patients which is based on a radiofrequency generator provided with one or more electrodes connected to the earth connection of an electromagnetic radiation generator - for example of the type disclosed in patent ⁇ 130 ⁇ 241 - comprising extended electrodes in the form of clothing, formed using fabrics which are made conductive, so as to have a limited shielding effect against the electromagnetic radiation emitted by said radiofrequency generator.
• Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a first preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprising a bandage of a fabric which is made conductive, electrically connected to the earth connection of the transmitter.
• Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a second preferred embodiment of the present invention, comprising a mesh of a fabric which is made conductive, electrically connected to the earth connection of the transmitter.
• the apparatus comprises a low-power radiofrequency generator linked to at least one electrode comprising a conductive fabric connected to the earth connection of the circuitry of said radiofrequency generator.
• conductive fabric means any fabric comprising a conductive part, formed by using a number of fibres of conductive material in the weft or warp of the fabric itself, or by way of electrically interconnected conductive plates or strips of various shapes and sizes integrated into the fabric itself.
• Said low-power radiofrequency generator comprises at least one transmitter 13 for producing a radiofrequency electromagnetic field, "radiofrequency electromagnetic field” meaning a high-frequency electrical signal or electromagnetic wave which propagates in a vacuum at an oscillation frequency which may be between a few kHz and 300 GHz, and with a wavelength with accordingly varies between approximately 00 km (at 3 kHz) and 1 mm (at 300 GHz).
• Said transmitter 13 is linked to a control module 18, which is in turn linked to a suitable user interface 19, to at least one antenna 14 and to at least one electrical conductor 15, which is connected, at one end, to the earth connection of the circuitry of said transmitter 13 and, at the other end, to said at least one electrode 10.
• Said transmitter 13 may be formed in the manners known from the existing prior art.
• said control module 19 further comprises programmable modulation means for modulating the electromagnetic field produced by said transmitter 13.
• said programmable modulation means may be of the ON/OFF type and basically be suitable for periodically enabling and disabling the emission of said electromagnetic field, using ON and OFF times which can be programmed as the user desires.
• said transmitter has an oscillation frequency of 2.45 GHz and a power, measured close to the antenna 14, of less than 100 mW.
• the power of the radiofrequency electromagnetic field emitted during the operation of the apparatus according to the present invention is such as not to bring about significant heating effects in the patient's body.
• Said electrodes 10 are provided in a suitable manner, depending on the requirements of the treatment to be applied, in the form of sheets or extended conductive plates
• the extended conductive sheets (or plates) are used when extended regions of the patient's body are to be treated, for example for rehabilitative therapeutic treatment after traumas or extended infections.
• the apparatus according to the present invention is used as follows.
• the transmitter is positioned so as to irradiate the patient's body, which is kept insulated from the ground and from any other connection to the earth, diffusely by way of the generated electromagnetic field.
• the patient's body will be provided with a flow of radiofrequency currents of a frequency, duration and modulation selected by the medical operator in accordance with the specific case protocol.
• Said radiofrequency currents are thus directed in a suitable manner by the electrode 10 connected to the electrical conductor 15 of said transmitter 13, so as to be concentrated in the part of the patient's body undergoing the treatment.
• the low-power radiofrequency generator of the apparatus according to the invention may comprise a plurality of electrical conductors 16, each suitably connected to at least one further electrode 17. This makes it possible to apply a plurality of electrodes to the patient, each provided with radiofrequency currents of the same frequency, modulation and intensity.
• the low-power radiofrequency generator of the apparatus may comprise a plurality of transmitters 13, each suitably connected to one conductor 16 of said plurality of electrical conductors, said conductor 16 in turn being suitably connected to at least one further electrode 7.
• a plurality of electrodes to the patient, each provided with radiofrequency currents of the same frequency, modulation and intensity.
• the electrodes 10, 17 have an extended surface area, so as to be suitable for application to large portions of the patient's body, said electrodes contribute to shielding, albeit in part, the electromagnetic field produced by the generator from the portions of the body protected by said electrodes, and this limits the level and intensity of the induced electromagnetic currents, and consequently the effectiveness of the treatment.
• said extended electrodes prefferably be such as to maintain the conductive properties thereof whilst simultaneously reducing the shielding power against the electromagnetic field produced by said radiofrequency generator.
• a solution to the stated problem may be obtained by using electrodes comprising fabrics 20 which are made conductive, so as to bandage the region of the patient's body to be treated and be passed through, at least in part, by the electromagnetic field produced by said generator.
• Said conductive fabrics 20 may incorporate conductive plates or strips 21 of various shapes and sizes within the fabric itself, or may be woven, in whole or in part, with conductive threads. Further, said conductive fabrics 20 may advantageously be in the form of clothing so as to make them simpler and easier to apply to the patient.
• a first example of an electrode according to present invention involves a fabric 20 comprising a series of integrated, electrically interconnected conductive strips 21.
• the electrode may advantageously comprise a terminal 22 for the connection, via an electrical conductor 15, to the earth connection of the circuitry of said transmitter 13, said terminal being electrically connected to said conductive strips 21.
• the spacing and sizes of said integrated conductive strips 21 may vary for example depending on the treatment to be applied and the frequency supplied by said transmitter 13.
• Said fabric 20 may advantageously be provided with fixing means to allow it to be applied to the patient.
• Said fixing means may for example comprise buttons and buttonholes, hooks and loops or suitably arranged strips of Velcro.
• a second example of an electrode according to the present invention involves a fabric comprising conductive fibres.
• Said fibres are part, for example, of the weft or warp of said fabric, or are linked to the weft or warp threads of said fabric.
• Said fibres are further electrically interconnected and preferably connected, in this case too, to a terminal for the connection, via an electrical conductor 15, to the earth connection of the circuitry of said transmitter 13.
• the spacing and sizes of said conductive fibres may vary for example depending on the treatment to be applied and the frequency supplied by said transmitter 13.
• a third example of an electrode according to the present invention involves a piece of clothing 23 comprising a fabric of the type described above.
• Said clothing may advantageously be elasticised, so as to stick to the part of the patient's body to be treated and to stay in the position where it is arranged.
• said clothing may comprise a bandage for application to the upper or lower limbs or to the chest or abdomen, gloves for treating the patient's hands, socks for treating the patient's feet, vests for treating the patient's torso, or shorts for treating the abdomen and the groin region etc.
• extended electrodes such as those described, made of fabrics which are made conductive by way of electrically interconnected conductive plates or strips integrated into said fabrics, or even by way of fabrics comprising electrically interconnected conductive fibres which are part of the weft or warp or are linked thereto, the shielding of the electromagnetic field emitted by said transmitter is reduced, thus avoiding excessively limiting the level and intensity of the induced electromagnetic currents, and consequently the effectiveness of the treatment carried out.
• the extended electrodes according to the present invention provide the option of altering the shielding effect thereof by way of the sizes and shaping of the network of fibres or conductive strips which is formed within the conductive fabrics forming said electrodes.
• said electrodes 10 in the form of wearable fabric or clothing guarantees more effective application to the patient.
• said fabrics may be made elasticised so as to stick perfectly to the part of the patient's body to undergo the treatment, and may thus be precisely positioned and kept in the correct position, whilst simultaneously guaranteeing freedom of movement for the patient.
• said electrodes in the form of conductive fabric and clothing may be provided with pockets for containing the low-power radiofrequency generator of the apparatus according to the present invention, suitably provided in a miniaturised, portable, battery-powered version. This guarantees complete freedom of movement for the patient during the treatment using the apparatus according to the invention, even in the case of long-term treatments.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Biomedical Technology (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Radiology & Medical Imaging (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Nuclear Medicine, Radiotherapy & Molecular Imaging (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Heart & Thoracic Surgery (AREA)
• Pathology (AREA)
• Biophysics (AREA)
• Electrotherapy Devices (AREA)
• Magnetic Treatment Devices (AREA)
• Neurology (AREA)
• Radiation-Therapy Devices (AREA)

Priority Applications (5)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

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Citations (7)

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• 2014
  • 2014-07-25 WO PCT/IB2014/063413 patent/WO2016012842A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2014-07-25 KR KR1020177005454A patent/KR20170048367A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2014-07-25 CN CN201480077843.XA patent/CN106659881B/zh active Active
  • 2014-07-25 JP JP2017504179A patent/JP6445133B2/ja active Active
  • 2014-07-25 RU RU2017104986A patent/RU2663637C1/ru active

Patent Citations (7)

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