METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ULTRASONIC TREATMENT OF LOWER TISSUES SIMULTANEOUS WITH HEATING OF SUBCUTANEOUS, OUTER MUSCLE AND LOWER TISSUES

• US 3,828,769 A
• Filed: 02/28/1973
• Issued: 08/13/1974
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1973
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hal C. Mettler
• Original Assignee: Hal C. Mettler
• Inventors: Mettler, Hal C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trapp, Lawrence W.
• Application Number:
  US05/336,783
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 128/24A,24.5,303.1,362,65,24.2
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 8/0858 involving measuring tissue layers, e.g. skin, interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/0245 with ultrasonic transducers, e.g. piezoelectric
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/02 Localised ultrasound hyperthermia hyperthermia in general A61F7/00

Abstract

An ultrasonic frequency electro-mechanical therapeutic method and apparatus for treating an afflicted member, having skin, subcutaneous outer muscle and lower tissues, of a patient'"'"''"'"'s body, the lower tissues including muscle, nerve, bone or joint tissues. A therapeutic applicator has an electrically energizable crystal for generating a mechanical energy wave and has a first pair of substantially parallel sides spaced apart a distance determinative of a first resonant frequency and a second side normal to the first pair of sides determinative of a second resonant frequency of at least 150 kHz selected for heating the lower tissues of a patient'"'"''"'"'s body. The applicator includes a metallic electrode on each of the pair of sides, a housing in which the crystal is mounted and protective coating covering at least one of the pair of sides and forming an applicator side facing out of the housing. An ultrasonic energy generating circuit is coupled across the metallic electrodes and generates across the crystal an ultrasonic electrical signal and thereby a mechanical vibratory energy wave in the crystal, both having at least one frequency component equal to the second resonant frequency. Means generates heat adjacent the applicator side simultaneously with the mechanical vibratory energy and in the subcutaneous and outer muscle tissues of a patient'"'"''"'"'s body in the afflicted member. The heat is sufficient to cause a heat rise in the subcutaneous and outer muscle in a range of 1* C to 24* C.

Claims

1. A method of treating an afflicted member of a patient'"'"''"'"'s body comprising the steps of:

a. selecting such an afflicted member having skin, subcutaneous, outer muscle and lower tissues, the lower tissues including inner muscle, nerve, bone or joint tissues;

b. generating heat in the subcutaneous and outer muscle tissues at a localized area of the patient'"'"''"'"'s body in the afflicted member, causing an increase in temperature therein in the range of 1* C. to 24* C.;

c. generating an ultrasonic mechanical vibratory energy wave having a frequency of at least 150 kHz; and

d. simultaneously with the step of generating heat coupling said mechanical vibratory energy wave to the same localized area.

2. a housing in which said transducer is mounted, b. ultrasonic energy generating circuit coupled to the transducer for exciting the transducer with an electrical signal and thereby causes a mechanical vibratory energy wave, both having at least one frequency component equal to said frequency of at least 150 kHz;

and c. means for generating adjacent said applicator side simultaneously with said mechanical vibratory energy wave, and in such subcutaneous and outer muscle tissues sufficient heat to cause a heat rise therein in the range of 1* C. to 24* C.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating heat comprises the step of applying surface heat to the skin in the localized area.

4. a protective coating covering at least one of said pair of sides and forming an applicator side facing out of said housing, b. ultrasonic energy generating circuit coupled across the metallic electrodes and generating across said crystal an ultrasonic electrical signal and thereby mechanical vibratory energy, both having at least one frequency component equal to said second resonant frequency;

and c. means for generating adjacent said applicator side simultaneously with said mechanical vibratory energy, and in the subcutaneous and outer muscle tissues in the afflicted member sufficient heat to cause a heat rise therein in the range of 1* C. to 24* C.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the step of generating the first named mechanical vibratory energy wave comprises the step of generating energy waves having a frequency in the range of 150 kHz to 500 kHz.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of generating heat comprises the steps of generating a further mechanical vibratory energy wave moving in a direction substantially parallel to the surface of the skin and coupling the same to the subcutaneous and outer muscle tissues in the afflicted member, the further energy wave being selected to generate heat in the subcutaneous and outer muscle tissues and the first mentioned energy wave being selected and extending in a direction substantially normal to the further energy wave to thereby generate heat at the lower tissues, the combination of energy waves providing a continuous heating effect through the subcutaneous and outer muscle and lower tissues in the localized area.

7. The method of claim 6 including the step of separately controlling the energy level of one of the energy waves.

8. Ultrasonic frequency electro-mechanical therapeutic apparatus for treating an afflicted member, having skin, subcutaneous outer muscle and lower tissues, of a patient'"'"''"'"'s body, the lower tissues including inner muscle nerve, bone or joint tissues, the combination comprising:

a. therapeutic applicator comprising;

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said means for generating heat comprises a heat radiator.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein said heat radiator is positioned at said applicator side so as to be positioned in between the afflicted member and applicator side.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein said at least one side of said crystal has an area in the range of 2 to 15 cm2 thereby causing an ultrasonic mechanical vibratory energy wave to be formed, moving substantially parallel with said applicator side and thereby forming said means for generating heat in the subcutaneous layer.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 comprising cement connected between said crystal and housIng the cement and housing providing a space adjacent substantially all of said pair of sides to permit free movement of the applicator side in a direction normal to said pair of sides of the crystal to thereby cause a uniform distribution of energy across said applicator side.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said at least one side of said crystal has an area in the range of 2 to 15 cm2 thereby causing an ultrasonic mechanical vibratory energy wave to be formed, moving substantially parallel with said applicator side and thereby forming said means for generating heat in the subcutaneous and outer muscle tissues.

14. The generator of claim 8 wherein said second resonant frequency is in the range of 150 to 500 kHz.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein said heat radiator is positioned at said applicator side so as to be positioned in between the afflicted member and applicator side.

16. The generator of claim 11 wherein said second resonant frequency is in the range of 150 to 500 kHz.

17. The generator of claim 16 wherein said generating means comprises controllable signal generating means for controlling the level of mechanical vibratory energy generated at said first frequency.

18. The generator of claim 8 wherein said generating means generates an electrical signal having both said first and second resonant frequencies, the first resonant frequency being selected to generate said localized heat in the subcutaneous and outer muscle tissues.

19. Ultrasonic frequency electro-mechanical therapeutic apparatus for treating an afflicted member, having skin, subcutaneous outer muscle and lower tissues, of a patient'"'"''"'"'s body, the lower tissues including inner muscle, nerve, bone and joint tissues, the combination comprising:

a. therapeutic applicator comprising;

20. The generator of claim 19 wherein said second resonant frequency is in the range of 150 to 500 kHz.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein said means for generating heat comprises a heat radiator.

22. The generator of claim 19 wherein said generating means generates an electrical signal having both said first and a second resonant frequency, the second resonant frequency being selected to generate said localized heat in the subcutaneous and outer muscle tissues.

23. The generator of claim 22 wherein said generating means comprises controllable signal generating means for controlling the level of mechanical vibratory energy generated at said second frequency.

24. Ultrasonic frequency electro-mechanical therapeutic apparatus for treating an afflicted member, having skin, subcutaneous outer muscle and lower tissues, of a patient'"'"''"'"'s body, the lower tissues including inner muscle, nerve bone, or joint tissues, the combination comprising:

a. therapeutic applicator comprising;