Method for inflammatory response management

• US 5,172,692 A
• Filed: 12/05/1990
• Issued: 12/22/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Howard H. Kulow, William M. Hunsinger
• Original Assignee: Howard H. Kulow, William M. Hunsinger
• Inventors: Hunsinger, William M., Kulow, Howard H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): TSO, LAURA K
• Application Number:
  US07/622,769
• Time in Patent Office: 748 Days
• Field of Search: 128/24 R, 128/24.1, 128/24.2, 128/24.3, 128/41, 128/48, 128/54-56, 128/57, 128/58, 128/43-45, 128/421-423
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 7/00 Ultrasound therapy lithotripsy A61B17/22, A61B17/225; massage using supersonic vibration A61H23/00 ; using ultrasound for introducing media into the body A61M37/0092

Abstract

A therapeutic method for reducing the inflammatory response within an organic structure thereby accelerating the overall healing process. This method comprises the steps of generating a vibrational wave energy flow, determining a treatment area of the organic structure and subjecting the treatment area to the vibrational wave energy flow sufficient to diffuse inflammatory components from the treatment area.

Claims

1. In an organic structure having tissue exhibiting a healing process comprising a plurality of sequential phases including an initial inflammatory response, a method of controlling said inflammatory response to minimize interference with regeneration and repair of said tissue in said organic structure subsequent to wound sustainment, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a vibrational wave energy flow by means of a vibrational wave energy source;

determining a treatment area of an organic structure expected to exhibit the inflammatory response; and

,

subjecting the treatment area to the vibrational wave energy flow substantially immediately after said wound sustainment and during said inflammatory response for a predetermined period of time sufficient to diffuse inflammatory components, having accumulated in the treatment area, into the non-treatment area of the organic structure.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising placing the organic structure immediately adjacent the vibrational wave energy source.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising placing the organic structure immediately adjacent as to contact the vibrational wave energy source.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating step comprises generating a coherent acoustic wave energy flow.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating step comprises generating a coherent ultrasonic wave energy flow.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the subjecting step further comprises subjecting the treatment area to the vibrational wave energy flow for a predetermined period of time sufficient to diffuse the inflammatory components to a concentration below a predetermined first threshold level below which the inflammatory response is determined to be negligible.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the generating step comprises generating a mechanical wave energy flow by means of a mechanical wave energy source.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the subjecting step further comprises subjecting the treatment area to the vibrational wave energy flow during said inflammatory response and before said inflammatory components accumulate in the treatment area to a predetermined concentration level below which the inflammatory response is determined to be negligible.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the subjecting step further comprises subjecting the treatment area to the vibrational wave energy flow substantially immediately after said wound sustainment and before said inflammatory response.

8. A method for diffusing and dispersing inflammatory components from a wound site area of an organic structure into a non-wound site area of the organic structure, the method comprising the steps of:

generating a wave energy flow by means of an energy source;

determining a treatment area of the organic structure expected to exhibit an inflammatory response; and

,

subjecting the treatment area to the wave energy flow substantially immediately after wound sustainment to diffuse said inflammatory components having accumulated in the treatment area into the non-treatment area of the organic structure.

12. A method according to claim 8 wherein the subjecting step includes subjecting the treatment area to said mechanical wave energy flow substantially immediately after said wound sustainment and during said inflammatory response sufficient to diffuse said inflammatory components having accumulated in the treatment area into the non-treatment area of the organic structure.

13. A method according to claim 8 wherein the subjecting step includes subjecting the treatment area to said mechanical wave energy flow substantially immediately after said wound sustainment and during said inflammatory response sufficient to diffuse said inflammatory components having accumulated in the treatment area into the non-treatment area of the organic structure until the concentration of inflammatory components in the treatment area is below a predetermined threshold level.

14. A method according to claim 8 wherein the subjecting step includes subjecting the treatment area to a vibrational wave energy flow substantially immediately after said wound sustainment.

15. A method according to claim 14 wherein the subjecting step includes subjecting the treatment area to said vibrational wave energy flow substantially immediately after said wound sustainment and during said inflammatory response sufficient to diffuse said inflammatory components having accumulated in the treatment area into the non-treatment area of the organic structure.

16. A method according to claim 14 wherein the subjecting step includes subjecting the treatment area to said vibrational wave energy flow substantially immediately after said wound sustainment and during said inflammatory response sufficient to diffuse said inflammatory components having accumulated in the treatment area into the non-treatment area of the organic structure until the concentration of inflammatory components in the treatment area is below a predetermined threshold level.

17. A method according to claim 8 wherein the subjecting step includes subjecting the treatment area to a vibrational mechanical wave energy flow substantially immediately after said wound sustainment.

18. A method according to claim 17 wherein the subjecting step includes subjecting the treatment area to said vibrational mechanical wave energy flow substantially immediately after said wound sustainment and during said inflammatory response sufficient to diffuse said inflammatory components having accumulated in the treatment area into the non-treatment area of the organic structure.

19. A method according to claim 17 wherein the subjecting step includes subjecting the treatment area to said vibrational mechanical wave energy flow substantially immediately after said wound sustainment and throughout said inflammatory response sufficient to diffuse said inflammatory components having accumulated in the treatment area into the non-treatment area of the organic structure until the concentration of inflammatory components in the treatment area is below a predetermined threshold level.

9. A method for maintaining alignment of tissue adjacent either side of a laceration of an organic structure substantially immediately after sustaining laceration comprising:

generating a vibrational wave energy flow by means of a vibrational wave energy source;

determining a treatment area of an organic structure expected to exhibit an inflammatory response; and

,

subjecting the treatment area to the vibrational wave energy flow for a predetermined period of time during said inflammatory response and substantially immediately after said laceration sufficient to diffuse inflammatory components, that accumulate and cause a swelling in the treatment area, into the non-treatment area of the organic structure and sufficient to align tissue of the organic structure immediately adjacent the laceration.