Shockwave or pressure-wave type therapeutic apparatus

• US 20050010140A1
• Filed: 05/28/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dornier MedTech Systems GmbH
• Original Assignee: Dornier MedTech Systems GmbH
• Inventors: Forssmann, Bernd
• Application Number:
  US10/857,162
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010140A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/4
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22004 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic shock waves A61B17/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2251 characterised by coupling elements between the apparatus, e.g. shock wave apparatus or locating means, and the patient, e.g. details of bags, pressure control of bag on patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/22009 reduced or prevented

Abstract

A shockwave or pressure-wave therapeutic apparatus is provided in which a therapy head is equipped with a shockwave source. The shockwave source is connected via a shock generator to a control means which controls the release frequency of shockwaves as a function of the pulse energy thereof in such a manner that higher pulse energies correlate with lower release frequencies of the shockwaves and vice versa.

Claims

1. A shockwave or pressure-wave type therapeutic apparatus, comprising a therapy head equipped with a shockwave source, wherein the shockwave source is connected via a shock generator to a control means which controls a release frequency of shockwaves as a function of a pulse energy thereof so that increased pulse energies correlate with lower release frequencies of the shockwaves and decreased pulse energies correlate with higher release frequencies of the shockwaves.

2. The shockwave or pressure-wave type therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the correlation between the release frequency and the pulse energy of the shockwaves can be set according to software and/or hardware.

3. The shockwave or pressure-wave type therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the release frequency of the shockwaves is below a half-life period or a similar critical value.

4. The shockwave or pressure-wave type therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control means is connected to an alarm means.

5. The shockwave or pressure-wave type therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control means automatically controls the shock generator according to a fixed program according to the limit values entered for pulse energy and release frequency of the shockwaves.

6. The shockwave or pressure-wave type therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, wherein the shockwave source can exclusively be switched on via the control means and is only operative via the control means as long as the control means controls a therapy according to a predetermined correspondence curves of release frequency and pulse energy.

7. The shockwave or pressure-wave type therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a detector arranged in a coupling pad connected to the shockwave source, wherein the detector corresponds with a transmitter for checking the intensity of cavitation bubbles in a coupling liquid or in a transfer medium and the detector passes on detected signals via an analyzer to the control means.

8. The shockwave or pressure-wave type therapeutic apparatus of claim 7, wherein the transmitter is designed as a light source so that light scattering and/or absorption of the cavitation bubbles is detected by the detector and can be passed on via the analyzer to the control means.

9. The shockwave or pressure-wave type therapeutic apparatus of claim 8, wherein the transmitter is designed as an ultrasonic generator and the detected signals are passed on to the control means.

10. The shockwave or pressure-wave type therapeutic apparatus of claim 1, wherein an intensity of cavitation bubbles is detected by means of a transmitter or a detector directly in a body of a patient and is passed on via an analyzer to the control means.

11. The shockwave or pressure-wave type therapeutic apparatus of claim 10, wherein the transmitter is designed as an ultrasonic generator.