Apparatus for producing fields for treatment of bodily parts of living organisms for healing purposes

• US 20090082614A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mega-Wave-GmbH
• Original Assignee: Mega-Wave-GmbH
• Inventors: Feucht, Peter
• Granted Patent: US 8,419,608 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/14
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/40 Applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling microwave apparatus A61N5/00; Applying radio-frequency signals

Abstract

In the process of generating high frequency magnetic fields for treating living organisms, an apparatus for limiting undesirable interference and disturbance that may be caused by electromagnetic radiation from said fields.

Claims

1. A field producing apparatus for high frequency treatment of bodily parts of living organisms for the purpose of healing thereof comprising:

a) a field producing apparatus (1) including a high frequency generator (sender) (5) for the production of a high frequency current at a sender level;

b) said field producing apparatus (1) including a thereon attached treatment capsule (8), which possesses at least one magnetic coil (9) for the generation of a high frequency field strength which is correlated to the actual field level of said sender (5), said capsule (8) having a treatment position for orderly placement on a bodily part of a living organism for the high frequency treatment thereof and a state of load-free portion, when not in a functional position on a bodily part of a living organism and under such circumstances being devoid of damping of a high frequency field by living tissue whereby unacceptable high-frequencies can be radiated into the ambient environment;

c) said field producing apparatus (1) including controller (12) with a regulator for the operational regulation of the high frequency level of the sender;

d) an indicator (29) enabled directly or indirectly to compare the value of the high frequency current from the sender (5) to the treatment capsule (8) and to set the same in a ratio, wherein said ratio indicates the field strength values for the capsule (8) in the treatment position and in the load-free position and can make known the values of the same;

e) whereby indicator (29), in detecting a load-free condition, issues a shifting signal for switching of the field producing apparatus (1) to a safety position so that said field producing apparatus (1) remains in the shutoff condition until the value of the sending level and associated field strength, due to the action of a field-strength limitation feature are reduced to a specified value, and in a load-free condition, and no unacceptable high frequency disturbing level can be emanated by the treatment capsule.

2. A field producing apparatus in accordance with claim 1, including a field strength sensor (10;

26), assigned to the treatment capsule (8), for the determination of the actual value of the field strength of the magnetic coil (9) said sensor being electrically connected to the indicator (29) and, if required, is enabled to act as field strength source for the controller, and, further including a field strength level sensor (24) for the detection of the actual sender level which is connected to the indicator (29) to enable a comparison between the assigned actual field strength and the load-free field strength, whereby, from the said result of the said comparison, the functional position or the load-free position of the capsule is determined.

3. A field producing apparatus in accordance with claim 2, including a field strength sensor (10) placed within the treatment capsule (8) and wherein the electrical current and/or the electrical voltage of the magnetic coil is detected, so that the rectified value, in linear or logarithmic terms, is directed through a signal wire (11) to the controller (12), in which the indicator (29) is located.

4. A field producing apparatus in accordance with claim 3, including a field strength sensor and a control sensor in connection with indicator (29) to determine a direct and indirect value of the field strength in comparison to the sender level and including a directional coupler (26) located on the high frequency output of the field producing apparatus to determine a standing wave measurement for the computation of a so-called standing wave ratio, so that, with the aid of the said standing wave ratio determination may be made as to whether or not the capsule (8), in its properly ordered treatment position, has damped high frequency transmission by tissue absorption or is operating in a load-free condition, in the latter condition, the high frequency broadcast is not tissue-related-damped and in accordance with the detected presence of a load-free condition, a specific control is sent to the weakener (6) for the reduction of the sender level, or the field treatment itself is shut down.

5. A field producing apparatus in accordance with claim 4 including a micro controller (18) co-acting with a controller (12) to which is delivered the actual field strength as well as the set value, which set value has been established by the set-value-feature, and which said controller (12) also yields an adjustment signal (25) based on the said set value comparison by means of a predetermined logarithmic adjustment signal, and including a sender weakener assembly (4), containing a resistance weakener (6), which latter serves as an adjustment member, and is fed by an adjustment signal released by the control of the indicator (29), so that, in a case of a deviation from a set value opposed by an actual value greater than the that of the said set value, the above said adjustment signal will serve to reduce the sender level and thereby also the actual field strength, and vice-versa, and in a case of a comparatively lower actual value of the actual sender level, will increase the same.

6. A field producing apparatus according to claim 5 including a set value determinator of high frequency field level, to limit the specified electromagnetic field strength and to prevent an unacceptable high frequency disturbance level in the environment during a high frequency, bodily application utilizing a treatment capsule (8).

7. A field producing apparatus, in accordance with claim 6, the field strength limitation determination includes an initialization procedure, wherein the sender is directed to deliver such a low, predetermined, starting level, following the first activation of the field producing apparatus, that it becomes impossible, in one of the two operational conditions, where such conditions comprise either a treatment position or a load-free position of the capsule (8), that a higher field intensity in the disturbance range can be overstepped at the activation of said capsule, since a specified, low damped initialization field strength is allotted to the starting level in the case of a capsule placed upon a bodily tissue, and conversely, in a case of a capsule not being placed on a bodily tissue, a defined higher load-free, initializing field strength would be allowed;

including a threshold means for indicating the actual value of the field strength and acting upon the bordering value between the damped initializing field strength and the load-free field strength and including an optical and an acoustical alarm that upon an overstepping of the said threshold value in the initialization mode, said alarm is activated, to advise the service person in regard to the failure of the placement of the capsule on organic tissue;

whereby upon an understepping of the said threshold value in the initialization mode, correspondingly, the initialization mode in regard to a capsule placed on organic tissue is terminated and a release of the controller (12) is carried out.

8. A field producing apparatus in accordance with claim 7, including a timer device for activation in the start up of said field producing apparatus, following a specified duration of high voltage treatment, whereby when the said field producing apparatus is automatically shut down, if therapeutically required, said apparatus can be reactivated in the initialization mode.

9. A field producing apparatus in accordance with claim 8 including a respective controller (12, 18) for each treatment capsule for operation with respective indicators (29).

10. A field producing apparatus in accordance with claim 9, including a high frequency oscillator (2) for producing a high frequency signal at a predetermined value in the range of 100 to 200 MHz, preferably of 150 MHz, and including means for modulating the high frequency signal by a predetermined low-frequency and/or by a predetermined tact frequency.