Apparatus and Method for the Conditioning of Muscular Fibrils Reaction Coordination Capacity by Means a Pressure Wave, and Eesthetic and Therapeutic Application Thereof

• US 20080064994A1
• Filed: 12/06/2005
• Published: 03/13/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vissman S.R.L.
• Original Assignee: Vissman S.R.L.
• Inventors: Polidori, Claudio, Guantera, Giuseppe
• Granted Patent: US 8,105,254 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 601/149
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/008 using shock waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 9/0071 by localized pressure, e.g. air streams or jets

Abstract

It is disclosed an apparatus and a method for the conditioning of muscular fibrils reaction coordination capacity in consequence of an original motor exciter pulse, by means of the application on the muscle in isometric contraction, even a light contraction, of a succession of mechanic pulses, comprising means for the production of pressure pulses, means for the application of said pulses on the epidermis adjacent the muscle and means for the transmission of said pulses from said production means to said application means, wherein said application means and said means for the transmission of said pulses from said production means to said application means constitute a closed circuit inside which a compressed fluid or a substantially uncompressible fluid is present.

Claims

1. Apparatus for the conditioning of muscular fibrils reaction coordination capacity in consequence of an original motor exciter pulse, by means of the application on the muscle in isometric contraction, even a light contraction, of a succession of mechanic pulses, comprising means for the production of pressure pulses, means for the application of said pulses on the epidermis in correspondence of the muscle and means for the transmission of said pulses from said production means to said application means, characterised in that said application means and said means for the transmission of said pulses from said production means to said application means constitute a closed circuit inside which a compressed fluid or a substantially uncompressible fluid is present.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that said uncompressible fluid is water.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that said transmission means comprise at least a flexible pneumatic conduit and a variable volume pneumatic chamber, having a hollow rigid body, open on a side, on which an elastic membrane is placed with airtight, with at least an opening on the rigid body of the chamber for airtight connection with said at least one pneumatic conduit, said membrane being stressed directly or indirectly by said pressure pulses production means.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that said pressure pulses production means comprise at least a flux modulator.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that said pressure pulses production means further comprise a compressor and said flux modulator comprises a modulation element provided with a plurality of communication passages between a conduit of said pneumatic chamber on one side and a compression conduit and a decompression conduit on the other side, said compression and decompression conduits being respectively connected to the compression outlet and to the aspiration inlet of said compressor, the ends of said compression and decompression conduits being substantially in contact with the surface of said modulation element, said modulation element being in relative movement with respect to said conduits so that the passages of said modulation element and the ends of said conduits are respectively placed in such a way that when one of the two compression and decompression conduits is placed in correspondence of a passage of the modulation element, therefore in connection with said conduit of said pneumatic chamber, the other of the two conduits is in correspondence of an area of the modulation element without passages.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that said compression conduit and said decompression conduit are placed on a rotating element, turning about an axis in coincident with the centre of said modulation element, said modulation element being provided with an odd number of passages.

7. Apparatus according to claim 5, characterised in that said compression conduit and said decompression conduit are fixed, said modulation element turning with respect to them.

8. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that said flux modulator is constituted by a body comprising said variable volume pneumatic chamber, on the elastic membrane of which, externally to the pneumatic chamber, inside a cylindrical housing obtained inside a magnet, is placed a hollow cylindrical piston, at least partially covered with one or more coils of an electric cable and oscillatory moving, along said housing, in a direction perpendicular to that of development of the oscillating membrane, said oscillatory movement being produced by the passage of an alternative electric current in said electric cable.

9. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that said flux modulator is constituted by a body comprising said variable volume pneumatic chamber, wherein the elastic membrane is replaced by a piezoelectric disc, constituted by a piezoelectric ceramic material, affixed to the walls of said pneumatic chamber by means of a couple of metallic rings placed on the perimeter of the two faces of said piezoelectric disc, and by means of supply of said piezoelectric disc.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that said means for the application of said pulses on the epidermis comprise one or more transducers consisting each of a body having rigid walls, replaced on the side to be applied to the epidermis by a membrane, said walls and said membrane forming at least a storage chamber of said fluid, having an opening for the connection with said transmission means.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterised in that said one or more transducers comprise a plurality of divided chambers, each independently connected with said transmission means and, through them, with different means for the production of said vibration.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1 characterised in that said means for the application of said pulses on the epidermis further comprise at least a band to maintain them in touch with the epidermis.

13. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterised in that, in the case of a plurality of transducers, they are connected to each other in parallel.

14. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterised in that, in the case of a plurality of transducers, they are connected to each other in series.

15. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterised in that, in the case of a plurality of transducers, they are independently connected to one or more variable volume pneumatic chambers.

16. Apparatus according to claim 14, characterised in that said transducers are connected with said pulse production means so to work in an asynchronous way.

17. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterised by further comprising means for regulating of the vibration frequency.

18. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterised by further comprising means for detecting the muscular reaction to given stimulus.

19. Apparatus according to claim 17, characterised in that said means for regulating the frequency are automatically regulated by said means for detecting the muscular reaction.

20. Apparatus according to claim 17, characterised by further comprising means for the automatic elaboration of the vibration frequency cycles.

21. Apparatus according to claim 17, characterised in that the vibration frequency is lower than 400 Hertz.

22. Apparatus according to claim 17, characterised in that the vibration frequency is comprised between 10 and 400 Hertz.

23. Apparatus according to claim 17, characterised in that the vibration frequency is comprised between 40 and 200 Hertz.

24. Method for the conditioning of muscular fibrils reaction coordination capacity in consequence of an original motor exciter pulse, by means of the application on the muscle in isometric contraction of a mechanic vibration, characterised in that said vibration has a frequency comprised between 1 and 400 Hz and is applied in one or more separated areas of the same muscle or of different muscles, possibly with different frequencies.

25. Method for the conditioning of muscular fibrils reaction coordination capacity in consequence of an original motor exciter pulse, by means of the application on the muscle in isometric contraction of a mechanic vibration, characterised in that said vibration has a frequency comprised between 60 and 150 Hz and is applied in one or more separated areas of the same muscle or of different muscles, possibly with different frequencies.

26. Method for the conditioning of muscular fibrils reaction coordination capacity in consequence of an original motor exciter pulse, by means of the application on the muscle in isometric contraction of a mechanic vibration, characterised in that said vibration has a frequency comprised between 1 and 400 Hz and is applied in one or more separated areas of the same muscle or of different muscles, possibly with different frequencies.