Proctologic device for the therapeutic treatment of hemorrhoids
First Claim
1. A proctologic device for the therapeutic treatment of external and/or internal hemorrhoids projecting from the wall of a patient'"'"'s anal canal which extends from the anus to the rectum and is surrounded by sphincter muscles;
- comprising;
an anal canal appliance for insertion into the anal canal through the anus;
said appliance having an elongated cylindrical body with an external heat transfer surface extending from a front end to a rear end for intimately contacting the anal canal wall and the projecting hemorrhoids;
said external heat transfer surface having a diameter sufficient to effectively transfer heat from the heat transfer surface to the anal canal wall and the hemorrhoids without painfully stretching the sphincter muscles;
said appliance having an electrical resistor heating element mounted internally within the cylindrical body for converting electrical energy to thermal energy to heat the heat transfer surface;
a source of electrical energy;
cable means extending between the source and the appliance for operatively connecting the source to the electrical resistor heating element;
a temperature transducer mounted in the appliance for sensing the temperature of the external heat transfer surface and for producing an electrical temperature signal corresponding to the temperature of the external heat transfer surface;
control means operatively connected to the source and responsive to the electrical temperature signal for automatically regulating the amount of electrical energy applied to the electrical resistor heating element to heat the external heat transfer surface and to maintain the external heat transfer surface at preset temperature above body temperature;
safety network means independent of said control means with a high temperature circuit responsive to the electrical temperature signal for automatically terminating the application of electrical energy to the electrical resistor heating element should the temperature sensed by the temperature transducer exceed a preset elevated temperature;
wherein the high temperature circuit includes a voltage comparator for receiving the electrical temperature signal and in comparing the voltage of the electrical temperature signal with a preset voltage of a reference signal corresponding to the preset elevated temperature to terminate the application of electrical energy to the electrical resistor heating element when the differential voltage between the electrical temperature signal and the reference signal reaches a preset value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A proctologic device is described for therapeutically treating hemorrhoids extending from the anal canal wall of a patient. The device includes an anal canal appliance for intimately contacting the anal canal wall and hemorrhoids. The appliance has sufficient length to extend from the anus to the rectum and sufficient diameter to intimately contact the wall tissues without overly stretching the sphincter muscles. The appliance contains an internal electrical resistor for generating heat in response to the application of electrical energy and a temperature transducer for sensing the temperature of the appliance in the anal canal. The device has a portable case containing an electrical energy storage battery and a control circuit for controlling the application of the electrical energy to the resistor to maintain the temperature of the appliance above body temperature. The control circuit has safety network for discontinuing the application of heat to the appliance should the sensed temperature fall below a preset low temperature or go above a preset elevated temperature.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A proctologic device for the therapeutic treatment of external and/or internal hemorrhoids projecting from the wall of a patient'"'"'s anal canal which extends from the anus to the rectum and is surrounded by sphincter muscles;
- comprising;
an anal canal appliance for insertion into the anal canal through the anus; said appliance having an elongated cylindrical body with an external heat transfer surface extending from a front end to a rear end for intimately contacting the anal canal wall and the projecting hemorrhoids; said external heat transfer surface having a diameter sufficient to effectively transfer heat from the heat transfer surface to the anal canal wall and the hemorrhoids without painfully stretching the sphincter muscles; said appliance having an electrical resistor heating element mounted internally within the cylindrical body for converting electrical energy to thermal energy to heat the heat transfer surface; a source of electrical energy; cable means extending between the source and the appliance for operatively connecting the source to the electrical resistor heating element; a temperature transducer mounted in the appliance for sensing the temperature of the external heat transfer surface and for producing an electrical temperature signal corresponding to the temperature of the external heat transfer surface; control means operatively connected to the source and responsive to the electrical temperature signal for automatically regulating the amount of electrical energy applied to the electrical resistor heating element to heat the external heat transfer surface and to maintain the external heat transfer surface at preset temperature above body temperature; safety network means independent of said control means with a high temperature circuit responsive to the electrical temperature signal for automatically terminating the application of electrical energy to the electrical resistor heating element should the temperature sensed by the temperature transducer exceed a preset elevated temperature; wherein the high temperature circuit includes a voltage comparator for receiving the electrical temperature signal and in comparing the voltage of the electrical temperature signal with a preset voltage of a reference signal corresponding to the preset elevated temperature to terminate the application of electrical energy to the electrical resistor heating element when the differential voltage between the electrical temperature signal and the reference signal reaches a preset value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
- comprising;
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9. A proctologic device for the therapeutic treatment of external and/or internal hemorrhoids projecting from the wall of a patient'"'"'s anal canal which extends from the anus to the rectum and is surrounded by sphincter muscles;
- comprising;
an anal canal appliance for insertion into the anal canal through the anus; said appliance having an elongated cylindrical metal envelope with an external heat transfer surface extending from a front end to a rear end for intimately contacting the anal canal and the projecting hemorrhoids; said external heat transfer surface having a diameter sufficient to expand the anal canal and effectively transfer heat from the heat transfer surface to the anal canal wall and the hemorrhoids without painfully stretching the sphincter muscles; said appliance having an electrical resistor heating element mounted internally within the cylindrical metal envelope for converting electrical energy to thermal energy; said electrical resistor heating element comprising a cylindrical thermal insulative ceramic core mounted coaxially within the cylindrical metal envelope and an electrical resistor conductive material mounted on the insulative core; a temperature transducer in direct engagement with the front end of the metal envelope to produce an electrical temperature signal corresponding directly to the temperature of the external heat transfer surface; wherein the thermal insulation core is mounted within the metal envelope interposed between the electrical resistor conductive material and the transducer to form a thermal barrier to prevent direct heat transfer from the electrical resistor conductive material and the temperature transducer to minimize temperature sensing error; a source of electrical energy; a cable means extending between the source and the appliance for operatively connecting the source to the electrical resistor heating element; control means operatively connected to the electrical energy source and responsive to the electrical temperature signal for automatically regulating the amount of electrical energy applied to the electrical resistor heating element to heat the external heat transfer surface and to maintain the external heat transfer surface at a preset temperature above body temperature to thereby relax the sphincter muscles and to facilitate the opening of vascular channels of the homorrhoids to facilitate shrinkage of the hemorrhoids. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
- comprising;
Specification