Method and device for loosening connective tissue and stimulating blood circulation

• US 5,484,387 A
• Filed: 08/12/1994
• Issued: 01/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sono-Therapy Institute Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sono-Therapy Institute Incorporated
• Inventors: Pitzen, Sylvester A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US08/289,414
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: 601/12, 601/15, 601/18-21, 601/46, 601/61, 601/63, 601/78-81, 601/155, 604/20, 607/2, 607/115, 607/116, 607/108-111, 607/145-151, 128/639, 128/644, 128/662.03, 128/734
• US Class Current: 601/15
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/322 Electromedical brushes, combs, massage devices
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/328 for improving the appearance of the skin, e.g. facial toning or wrinkle treatment

Abstract

A massaging electrode is pressed against discrete areas of a subject person'"'"'s scalp or body and worked from side to side or in a preferred or random massage pattern to thereby move the skin and its underlying layers relative to the underlying area. The electrode is a gold plated phonojack which is encased in silver solder to optimize transmission of electrical current. Electrical current is passed through the electrode and into the subject person'"'"'s scalp by connecting the electrode to an electrical conductor from an electrical current generating device which generates oscillating voltage to the pad in a low range and at a variation of voltages. The ground contact is hand held by the subject person so that electrical current is directed down through the skin layers during the massaging process.

Claims

1. A method wherein an operator applies a massaging operation to a subject for loosening connective tissue of the subject having areas of undesired tightness that restricts the flow of blood through arteries and veins that are rooted in the connective tissue, said connective tissue underlying the skin surface of a designated body portion of a subject and separated from the skin surface by multiple skin layers, said method comprising:

positioning a pair of electrodes, a first electrode having a blunt contact surface held by and positioned by the operator on the skin surface of the designated body portion, said blunt contact surface when pressed against the skin surface by the operator being highly conductive of electrical current to said skin surface, and remotely positioning and independently securing a second electrode on the skin surface of a second body portion of the subject at a position remote from the position of the first electrode and not in contact with the operator, said second electrode being highly conductive of electrical current to the skin surface of said second body portion whereby a shortest path connection between the electrodes passes from one electrode to the other electrode in a path that extends down through the connective tissue of said designated body portion;

passing electrical current between said electrodes wherein said current is in the form of a low frequency wave with an electrical potential sufficient to stimulate the connective tissue underlying the first electrode; and

systematically moving the first electrode by the operator from area to area on the designated body portion, and at each area clamping the electrode to the skin surface and moving the electrode and underlying skin layers relative to the body portion for determining areas of connective tissue tightness by the operator, and repetitively working the underlying skin areas of connective tissue tightness with said blunt contact surface of said first electrode pressed tightly to the skin by the operator for loosening connective tissue in the determined areas of tightness.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein each of said electrodes include copper portions with the second electrode held in the subject'"'"'s hand and a conductive gel interposed between the hand and the copper portion of said second electrode, and wherein the first electrode includes a copper portion applied directly in massaging fashion to the designated body portion.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said second electrode is electrically coupled at said subject'"'"'s hand with conductive gel interposed between the second electrode and the subject'"'"'s hand.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein said first electrode is used to massage said designated body portion and said second electrode is electrically coupled at the hand of said subject with conductive gel interposed between the hand and said second electrode.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein said designated body portion is at least one of a scalp, a leg, a face, a jaw, a shoulder, a torso, an abdomen, a hip, a neck, a chest, an arm, a hand, a foot, a knee and an ankle of said subject.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein said designated body portion is a scalp portion overlying the skull portion of the subject, and wherein the step of systematically moving includes positioning said first electrode to a specific area of the scalp portion relative to the undesired tightness connective tissue resists movement relative to the subject'"'"'s skull, and applying pressure thereto in a manner that produces a kneading motion with the electrode held in place relative to the skull portion until a release of the connective tissue tightness is detected, and moving the electrode from position to position in a close pattern surrounding said specific area of the body portion and repeating the process at each position for loosening the connective tissue in said body portion.