Device and method for the treatment of pain with electrical energy

• US 20070106342A1
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: True Relief LLC
• Original Assignee: Newlife Sciences LLC
• Inventors: Schumann, Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,108,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 607/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/053 Measuring electrical impedance or conductance of a portion of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/002 Using electric currents electrotherapy A61N1/32
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0472 Structure-related aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain

Abstract

An electronic pain treatment device delivering electrical energy to the tissue of a patient in pain is provided which includes a variable wave generator, an impedance measurement circuit, and at least one electrode probe. Associated methods for treating pain are also disclosed.

Claims

1. An electronic pain treatment device for treating painful innervated tissue of a patient comprising:

a first circuit operable to measure impedance;

a second circuit operable to generate electrical waveforms of variable frequency and variable amplitude;

first and second electrodes operable to supply electrical energy to and to receive electrical energy from trigger points of painful innervated tissue of a patient;

a first means for selectively electrically interconnecting at least one of said electrodes with said first circuit and causing thereby a quantitative measurement of the severity of pain of the innervated tissue by said first circuit;

a second means for selectively electrically interconnecting at least one of said electrodes with said second circuit and causing thereby the supply of electrical energy to the innervated tissue by said second circuit; and

,

a third means for determining as a function of the quantitative measurement the time period during which the second means supplies electrical energy to the innervated tissue.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a display receiving signals from the first circuit, the display providing a quantitative indication of impedance.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising a voltage limiter and a current limiter for limiting respectively the rate of increase of voltage and current to pre-selected values.

4. The device of claim 3 further comprising means for adjusting the allowed rate of current increase as a function of one or more measured impedances.

5. The device of claim 4 further comprising means for supplying the electrical energy as a series of pulses.

6. The device of claim 5 further comprising a probe having mounted thereon the two electrodes said probe having an opening separating said electrodes and said opening exposing the patient'"'"'s skin and receiving an injection needle while the second circuit supplies electrical energy via the electrodes to innervated tissue being injected.

7. The device of claim 5 further comprising a probe, a display and a control for controlling the electrical supply of the second circuit, said display and said control being integral with said probe.

8. The device of claim 5 further comprising a polarity switch for reversing the polarity of the two electrodes.

9. The device of claim 5 further comprising a rotatable conductive wheel integral with one or more electrodes for traversing and treating a painful tissue.

10. The device of claim 5 further comprising a totalizer for deactivating the device when a pre-determined totalization of at least one of device time of use or device energy consumed is reached.

11. A method for relieving pain comprising the following steps:

(a) providing means for locating first and second trigger points on painful innervated tissue of a patient;

(b) placing a first electrode on the first trigger point and a second electrode on the second trigger point;

(c) measuring an impedance of the tissue between the two electrodes;

(d) providing means for determining a treatment time period;

(e) treating the patient by supplying electrical energy to the tissue via the electrodes in the form of a pulsed electric waveform during the treatment time period;

(f) measuring an impedance of the tissue between the two electrodes;

(g) evaluating an impedance change; and

,

(h) providing means for determining whether steps e-g are repeated.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the means for locating the trigger points further comprises the steps of:

palpating areas indicated by the patient to elicit the patient'"'"'s qualitative indication of the most painful spots; and

,

confirming the qualitative indication of the most painful spots by measuring the impedance there between and comparing it with impedance readings taken for other nearby spots.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the means for determining whether steps e-g are repeated further comprises the step of comparing the last measured impedance to a first pre-selected impedance value and ending the treatment when the measured impedance falls below the first pre-selected impedance value.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the means for determining whether steps e-g are repeated further comprises the step of comparing the impedance change during the last treatment to the impedance change during the treatment immediately prior to the last treatment and ending the treatment when the difference between the two impedance changes falls below a second pre-selected impedance value.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the means for determining whether steps e-g are repeated further comprises the step of comparing at least two impedance measurements taken after the last treatment to determine the tendency of the impedance to increase between measurements and ending the treatment when the rate of change of impedance between measurements falls below a pre-selected impedance rate of change value.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the means for determining whether steps e-g are repeated further comprises the steps of:

comparing the last measured impedance to a first pre-selected impedance value and ending the treatment when the measured impedance falls below the first pre-selected impedance value;

comparing the impedance change during the last treatment to the impedance change during the treatment immediately prior to the last treatment and ending the treatment when the difference between the two impedance changes falls below a second pre-selected impedance value; and

,

comparing at least two impedance measurements taken after the last treatment to determine the tendency of the impedance to increase between measurements and ending the treatment when the rate of change of impedance between measurements falls below a pre-selected impedance rate of change value.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

placing two electrodes on the skin of the patient adjacent to a site of a medical procedure selected from the group consisting of injection, incision, and surgery;

supplying electrical energy to the site of the medical procedure via the electrodes for treating pain caused by the medical procedure.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the treatment for pain begins before said medical procedure.

19. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

placing two electrodes on the skin of the patient adjacent to a site of an injury;

supplying electrical energy to the site of the injury via the electrodes for treating pain caused by the injury.

20. A method for relieving pain comprising the following steps:

providing means for locating first and second trigger points on painful innervated tissue of a patient;

placing a first electrode on the first trigger point and a second electrode on the second trigger point;

treating the patient by supplying electrical energy to the tissue via the electrodes in the form of a pulsed electric waveform;

providing means for identifying the shape of the waveform;

identifying a transition of a portion of the waveform from a square-like wave having two peaks to a triangle-like wave having a single peak; and

,

ending treatment after the transition to the triangle-like wave has occurred.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising;

locating the electrodes at trigger points identified by the patient; and

,

confirming the location of the trigger points based on one or more impedance measurements.