Pressure pulse/shock wave therapy methods and an apparatus for conducting the therapeutic methods

• US 20060100550A1
• Filed: 05/04/2005
• Published: 05/11/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Softwave Tissue Regeneration Technologies, LLC
• Original Assignee: General Patent, LLC (Tissue Regeneration Technologies LLC)
• Inventors: Schaden, Wolfgang, Warlick, John, Schultheiss, Reiner
• Granted Patent: US 7,470,240 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/22004 using mechanical vibrations, e.g. ultrasonic shock waves A61B17/225 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/225 for extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy [ESWL], e.g. by using ultrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0245 with ultrasonic transducers, e.g. piezoelectric

Abstract

The method of stimulating a substance is disclosed. The method has the steps of activating an acoustic shock wave generator or source to emit acoustic shock waves; and subjecting the substance to the acoustic shock waves stimulating said substance wherein the substance is positioned within a path of the emitted shock waves and away from a geometric focal volume or point of the emitted shock waves. In one embodiment the emitted shock waves are divergent or near planar. In another embodiment the emitted shock waves are convergent having a geometric focal volume of point at a distance of at least X from the source, the method further comprising positioning the substance at a distance less than the distance X from the source. The substance is a tissue having cells. The tissue can be an organ of a mammal. The mammal may be a human or an animal. The organ may be a heart, a brain, skin, a liver or a kidney or any other organ. The tissue may be muscle, cartilage, tendon, bone, teeth or gums. The tissue may be a part of the vascular system, a part of the nervous system, a part of the urinary or reproductive system, a part of the lymph node or pituitary systems, a part of the ocular system or a part of a skeletal system.

Claims

1. The method of stimulating a substance comprises the steps of:

activating an acoustic shock wave generator or source to emit acoustic shock waves; and

subjecting the substance to the acoustic shock waves stimulating said substance wherein the substance is positioned within a path of the emitted shock waves and away from a geometric focal volume or point of the emitted shock waves.

2. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 1 wherein the emitted shock waves are divergent or near planar.

3. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 1 wherein the emitted shock waves are convergent having a geometric focal volume or point at a distance of at least X from the generator or source, the method further comprising positioning the substance at a distance less than the distance X from the source.

4. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 1 wherein the substance is a tissue having cells.

5. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue is an organ of a mammal.

6. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 5 wherein the mammal is a human or an animal.

7. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 6 wherein the organ is a heart.

8. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 6 wherein the organ is a brain.

9. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 6 wherein the organ is skin.

10. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 6 wherein the organ is a liver.

11. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 6 wherein the organ is a kidney.

12. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue is muscle.

13. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue is cartilage.

14. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue is tendon.

15. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue is bone.

16. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue is teeth.

17. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue is gums.

18. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue is a part of the vascular system.

19. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue is a part of the nervous system.

20. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue is a part of the urinary or reproductive system.

21. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue is a part of the lymph node or pituitary systems.

22. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue is a part of the ocular system.

23. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue is a part of a skeletal system.

24. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the step of subjecting the substance to acoustic shock waves stimulates at least some of said cells within said substance to release or produce one or more of nitric oxygen (NO), vessel endothelial growth factor (VEGF), bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) or other growth factors.

25. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the substance tissue has a pathological condition.

26. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the substance tissues have been subjected to a prior trauma.

27. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the substance tissue has been subjected to an operative procedure.

28. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the substance tissue is in a degenerative condition.

29. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 1 wherein the substance tissue is in a degenerative condition:

30. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the step of subjecting the substance to acoustic shock waves includes the step of correcting a pathological growth of the epiphysial plate.

31. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 10 wherein the step of subjecting the substance to acoustic shock waves includes the step of treating cirrhosis of the liver.

32. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the step of stimulating includes stimulating wealthy or otherwise enriched cells to fight tumor cells within the tissue.

33. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 1 wherein the step of subjecting the substance to acoustic shock waves includes killing bacteria by destroying bacterial cell membranes or stimulating a biological defense mechanism within said substance by exposure to the acoustic shock waves.

34. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 15 wherein the bone has a non-union which is subjected to the acoustic shock waves to stimulate healing.

35. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 15 wherein the bone has an indication of bone cancer.

36. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 1 wherein the substance includes one or more vertebrae.

37. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 36 wherein the substance has an indication of myelodysplasia.

38. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the substance is the stomach.

39. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 38 wherein the stomach has one or more stomach ulcers.

40. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 15 wherein the substance further includes a joint and surrounding tissue.

41. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 40 wherein the substance has an indication of arthritis.

42. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 40 wherein the substance has an indication of gout.

43. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the substance has an indication of rheumatic disease.

44. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 43 wherein the rheumatic disease is Lupus.

45. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 9 wherein the substance is skin exhibiting one or more skin sarcomas.

46. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the substance is subcutaneous tissue.

47. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 46 wherein the substance exhibits cellulitis or other subcutaneous infections.

48. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the substance is skin and subcutaneous tissue.

49. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 48 wherein the substance includes a wound or scar tissue.

50. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 48 wherein the substance includes acne.

51. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 48 wherein the wound is a bum.

52. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 48 wherein the substance is skin exhibiting surface irregularities and wherein the exposure to the acoustic shock waves stimulates a skin smoothing reaction.

53. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 48 wherein the substance is skin and subcutaneous tissue having hair follicles, wherein the exposure to the acoustic shock waves stimulates hair growth.

54. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 48 wherein the skin and subcutaneous tissue exhibit cellulitis.

55. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the substance is a placenta having stem cells, or a patient having stem cells or a culture of stem cells.

56. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 55 wherein the shock waves stimulate the stem cells enhancing replication.

57. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue has an indication of diabetes.

58. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the tissue has an indication of cystic fibrosis.

59. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 19 wherein the nerves are damaged and the step of subjecting the tissue including said nerves to shock waves include to stimulate healing or stimulate finding of severed or otherwise damaged nerve ends.

60. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 19 wherein the patient has an indication of paraplegia.

79. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 1 further comprises a step of administering one or more antibiotics or other drugs to a blood stream within the substance, a blood stream being stimulated by the acoustic shock waves.

82. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the step of subjecting the substance to acoustic shock waves includes the step of treating osteoporosis.

83. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the step of subjecting the substance to acoustic shock waves includes the step of treating pseudoarthrosis.

84. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the step of subjecting the substance to acoustic shock waves includes the step of treating leprosy.

85. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the step of subjecting the substance to acoustic shock waves includes the step of treating HIV.

86. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the step of subjecting the substance to acoustic shock waves includes the step of treating AIDS.

87. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the step of subjecting the substance to acoustic shock waves includes the step of treating periodontal diseases.

88. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the step of subjecting the substance to acoustic shock waves includes the step of treating emphysema.

89. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the step of subjecting the substance to acoustic shock waves includes the step of treating wounds.

90. The method of stimulating a substance of claim 4 wherein the step of subjecting the substance to acoustic shock waves includes the step of treating ulcers.

61. A method of reducing or eliminating a mass within a substance comprises the steps of:

detecting the presence of said mass in said substance,

localizing said mass generally within said substance, and

stimulating said substance by subjecting low energy divergent, planar or near planar acoustical waves or convergent focused acoustical waves wherein a geometric focal point or volume of the focused waves is not focused at the mass at least for a predetermined time during the step of stimulating the substance.

62. The method of reducing or eliminating a mass within a substance of claim 61 further comprises the step of focusing the geometric focal volume or point of convergent high energy acoustical waves on the mass.

63. The method of reducing or eliminating a mass within a substance of claim 62 wherein the step of focusing convergent high energy acoustical waves on the mass generates cellular trauma within said mass.

64. The method of reducing or eliminating a mass within a substance of claim 63 wherein said cellular trauma essentially ruptures cells within said mass thereby reducing or eliminating said mass.

65. The method of non-invasively reducing or eliminating a mass within a substance of claim 62 wherein the substance is tissue having cells.

66. The method of reducing or eliminating a mass within a substance of claim 65 wherein the step of stimulating said substance activates at least some of said cells in proximity to said mass, said cells being enriched with mass destroying agents.

67. The method of reducing or eliminating a mass within a substance of claim 66 wherein said mass destroying agents include one or more drugs, chemicals or genetic therapeutic agents.

68. The method of reducing or eliminating a mass within a substance of claim 66 further comprises the step of:

surgically removing at least a portion of the mass.

69. The method of reducing or eliminating a mass within a substance of claim 61 further comprises the step of:

administering one or more drugs to be delivered to the substance or the mass within said substance.

70. The method of reducing or eliminating a mass within a substance of claim 61 further comprises the step of:

irradiating said mass.

71. The method of reducing or eliminating a mass within a substance of claim 61 wherein the substance is an organ of a mammal.

72. The method of reducing or eliminating a mass within a substance of claim 71 wherein the organ is a brain, heart, kidney, liver, skin or other soft tissued organ.

73. The method of reducing or eliminating a mass within a substance of claim 61 wherein the substance is a portion of a skeletal system, a tooth or a gum or other hard tissued substance.

74. The method of claim 61 wherein the mass is a tumor.

75. The method of preventive shock wave therapy comprises the steps of:

identifying an at risk patient, the patient having an at risk tissue; and

subjecting the at risk tissue to shock waves to stimulate tissue repair.

76. The method of preventive shock wave therapy of claim 75 wherein the step of identifying an at risk patient includes one or more indications of risk based on family history, genetic disposition, physical condition, or blood or tissue analysis.

77. The method of preventive shock wave therapy of claim 75 further comprises the step of testing the at risk tissue to establish measured baseline condition pre shock wave therapy.

78. The method of preventive shock wave therapy of claim 77 further comprises the step of post shockwave therapy testing the treated tissue for comparison to the baseline condition.

80. The method of treating a patient with an indication of one or more of the following:

acne, AIDs, Alzheimer'"'"'s disease, arthritis, bone cancer, bums, cancer, cellulitis, cirrhosis, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, emphysema, gout, HIV, leprosy, lupus, melanoma, myelodysplasia, nerve paraplegia, osteoporosis, periodontal diseases, pseudoarthrosis, rheumatism, scars, skin sarcomas, stomach ulcers or wounds;

comprising the step of subjecting the patient to acoustic shock waves.

81. The method of treating a patient with an indication of claim 80 wherein the step of subjecting the patient to acoustic shock waves further comprises the steps of:

activating an acoustic shock wave generator or source to emit acoustic shock waves; and

subjecting the substance to the acoustic shock waves stimulating said substance wherein the substance is positioned within a path of the emitted shock waves and away from a geometric focal volume or point of the emitted shock waves.