Apparatus for reactively applying electrical energy pulses to a living body

• US 4,654,574 A
• Filed: 03/20/1984
• Issued: 03/31/1987
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PTA Corp.
• Original Assignee: Sheldon Thaler
• Inventors: Thaler, Sheldon
• Primary Examiner(s): Hickey, R. J.
• Application Number:
  US06/591,476
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 320/14, 320/21, 320/2, 128/1.5, 128/419 R, 128/419 PG, 128/419 PS, 128/800, 128/801
• US Class Current: 320/128
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 2/02 using magnetic fields produced by coils, including single turn loops or electromagnets A61N2/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/29 Transformer having plural secondaries
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 320/31 Plural rectifier systems

Abstract

A device for therapeutic treatment of cells and tissues in a living body by non-invasively applying a developed field of pulsating electrical energy to a body site to stimulate repair or growth of bone structure at the body site containing electronic counters to control the desired number of pulses, the pulse repetition rate and the pulse duty cycle. A sensor may be used to detect the occurrence of an applied pulse and produce a signal to control the developed field and may also be used to feed a circuit which tests the developed field to determine if it is adequate for the intended purpose. As an added feature, a circuit is provided to recover a portion of the energy in the developed field, during its decline, to reduce power consumption and dissipation.

Claims

1. In a device for reactively applying to a body site a varying electrical energy field developed from an originating battery source for stimulating repair or growth of tissue or bone structure in the body:

means coupled to said applied field for extracting energy from said field during a portion of the varying field cycle; and

means for restoring said extracted energy to the originating battery source.

2. The device as in claim 1 wherein the energy is extracted during the declining portion of the varying field cycle.

3. The device as in claim 1 wherein said means for extracting the energy comprises coil means in which the varying field induces a voltage, and said means for restoring the energy comprises circuit means for rectifying the induced voltage from said coil means and feeding it to said originating battery source.

4. In a device for reactively applying to a body site a varying electrical energy field developed from an originating battery source for stimulating repair or growth of tissue or bone structure in the body:

means coupled to said applied field for extracting energy from said field during the declining portion of the varying field cycle; and

means for using the extracted energy for controlling the rate of decline of the field.

5. The device as in claim 4 wherein said means for extracting the energy comprises coil means and said means for controlling the rate of field decline comprises a load across said coil means.

6. In a device for reactively applying to a body site a varying electrical energy field developed from an originating battery source for stimulating repair or growth of tissue or bone structure in the body:

a permeable core;

first electrical coil means wound around said core coupled to the originating energy source for developing said varying field from energy supplied by said originating energy source;

second coil means wound around said core for extracting energy from said varying field during the declining portion of the varying field cycle; and

means coupled to said second coil means for restoring said extracted energy to the originating battery source.

7. The device as in claim 6 wherein said varying field induces a voltage in said second coil means and said means for restoring the energy comprises circuit means connected to said second coil means for rectifying the induced voltage and feeding it to said DC energy source.

8. The device as in claim 6 wherein said second coil means comprises a plurality of separate windings distributed over the length of said core.