Method for facilitating safe removal of ticks from host victim using electrical pulses

• US 5,374,274 A
• Filed: 09/27/1993
• Issued: 12/20/1994
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Frank Ellul, Joseph Sproviero
• Original Assignee: Frank Ellul, Joseph Sproviero
• Inventors: Ellul, Frank, Sproviero, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Pellegrino, Stephen C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dawson, Glenn K.
• Application Number:
  US08/126,606
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 606/1, 606/32, 606/34, 606/41, 606/49, 606/52, 606/131, 606/205-211, 452/58, 452/57, 128/898
• US Class Current: 606/131
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/50 Instruments, other than pincettes or toothpicks, for removing foreign bodies from the human body locating otherwise A61B5/06; locating by radiation A61B6/00; removing calculi A61B17/22; from the eyes A61F9/00709
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2017/505 Parasite, e.g. tick, removers

Abstract

A tick extracter consisting of a pair of manually operable, electrically insulated jaws in the form of tweezers adapted to grasp the body of the tick, and an electrical source to supply one or more electrical pulses to the jaws so as to jolt the tick and cause it to loosen its grip on the flesh of the victim. The electrical source can be a piezo-electric crystal connected to the jaws of the tweezers by a flexible electrical cord, and can be manually controlled as by another hand, to effect the production of the electrical pulses from the crystal.

Claims

1. A method of extracting a tick from the flesh of a victim, including the steps of applying a pair of jaws to the body of the tick and thereafter applying an electrical pulse to the body of the tick to jolt the tick into releasing its grip on the flesh of the victim.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical pulse comprises a waveform having consecutive peaks all of the same polarity.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a) the jaws are applied to the tick with one hand, and the electrical pulse is produced using another hand.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a) the pair of jaws constitutes a tweezers having prongs which are insulated from each other and the applying of an electrical pulse includes connecting the prongs respectively to flexible lead wires to which the pulse is initially applied.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a) one of the jaws is electrically conductive, and the step of applying the electrical pulse to the body of the tick comprises electrically energizing the said conductive jaw while it is in physical contact with the body of the tick.

8. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

a) the electrical pulse is generated by a manually operable piezoelectric crystal generator.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

a) additional pulses are generated at a rate controlled by the rate of manual operation of the piezoelectric crystal generator.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein:

a) the piezoelectric crystal generator is capable of being manually operated in repeated, successive steps, while said jaws are in physical and electrical contact with the tick'"'"'s body.

11. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the electrical pulse comprises a sparking voltage.

5. The method of claim l, wherein:

a) the electrical pulse comprises a waveform having peaks of opposite polarities.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein:

a) the electrical pulse comprises a waveform of a frequency substantially exceeding 60 cycles.

12. A method of two-handed extraction of a tick from the flesh of a victim, including the steps of applying a gripping instrument to the body of the tick with one hand, and actuating an electrical pulse generator with the other hand simultaneously applying an electrical pulse to said gripping instrument and the body of the tick held thereby so as to jolt the tick into loosening its grip on the flesh of the victim.