Electrostatic shield for diathermy treatment head
First Claim
1. An electrostatic shield for use with shortwave diathermy apparatus having a diathermy applicator head, said shield adapted to be located between the diathermy applicator head having current carrying coils therein and the body of the patient being treated, said shield comprising:
- means for attenuating electrostatic energy emanating from said head reaching said patient, said attenuating means comprising electrically conductive strips located between said current carrying coils in said head and said patient; and
means for grounding and attenuating means.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for minimizing or preventing the deleterious skin heating effects associated with conventional short wave diathermy treatment. The disclosed method includes attenuation of the electrostatic field transmitted by the applicator head and transcutaneous transmission of the radiated electromagnetic energy substantially unimpeded to the deep body tissues to be treated. The attenuation of the electrostatic field is performed by an electrostatic shield, which is adapted to be positioned on the diathermy applicator head between the radiating electrode and the patient receiving treatment. However, the radiated electromagnetic field, which is primarily responsible for the therapeutic generation of heat in relatively deep body tissues, passes through the shield substantially unimpeded. The shield comprises a plurality of narrow, preferably metallic, spaced apart strips and an electrically conductive loop which surrounds the strips and is coplanar therewith. Each of the strips are oriented generally perpendicular with respect to both the current carrying coils in the applicator head (on which the shield is mounted) and the loop. The strips extend generally radially outwardly from the loop center area toward the loop, to which each of the strips is electrically connected. So positioned, the strips impede electrostatic field radiation while facilitating passage of the electromagnetic field. The loop further reduces electrostatic field radiation by discouraging fringing effects, but its radius is sufficiently large to prevent interference with the radiated magnetic field.
57 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An electrostatic shield for use with shortwave diathermy apparatus having a diathermy applicator head, said shield adapted to be located between the diathermy applicator head having current carrying coils therein and the body of the patient being treated, said shield comprising:
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means for attenuating electrostatic energy emanating from said head reaching said patient, said attenuating means comprising electrically conductive strips located between said current carrying coils in said head and said patient; and means for grounding and attenuating means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A variable electrostatic shield for use with shortwave diathermy apparatus, said shield adapted to be located between a diathermy applicator head having current carrying coils therein and the body of the patient being treated, said shield comprising:
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first and second shield surfaces, each of said surfaces comprising means for attenuating electrostatic energy reaching said patient and loop means for grounding said attenuating means, said attenuating means comprising a plurality of electrically conductive strips located between said current carrying coils and said patient; and means for mounting said first shield surface for rotation with respect to said second shield surface. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. A method for using a radio frequency diathermy apparatus with at least one applicator head in therapeutic heat treatment of internal body tissues and for simultaneously limiting the surface skin heating associated with said treatment, said method comprising the steps of:
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generating radio frequency electric currents in said diathermy apparatus to thereby produce electrostatic and electromagnetic energy in said treatment head; directing said electrostatic and electromagnetic energy toward the body tissue via said diathermy applicator head; attenuating at least a portion of said electrostatic energy reaching the exterior skin surface to thereby limit said exterior heating effect; and transcutaneously heating the body tissue to be treated by said electromagnet energy. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification