Method and device for application of endermic electrotherapeutic treatments to a human body

• US 6,151,528 A
• Filed: 01/13/1999
• Issued: 11/21/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zot Nederland B.V.
• Original Assignee: Innuendo S.r.l.
• Inventors: Maida, Massimo Maurizio
• Primary Examiner(s): Dvorak, Linda C. M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ruddy, David M.
• Application Number:
  US09/229,537
• Time in Patent Office: 678 Days
• Field of Search: 607/46, 607/152, 607/50, 607/115, 607/139, 607/140, 607/148, 607/149, 607/72, 607/74-76, 600/384, 600/390, 600/396, 600/388, 600/389, 600/393, 600/395
• US Class Current: 607/149
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0484 Garment electrodes worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/32 alternating or intermittent currents applying electric fields by inductive or capacitive coupling A61N1/40; microwave apparatus A61N5/02

Abstract

A method for carrying out endermic electrotherapeutic treatments by employing pulse-current generator (12) and a garment (11) adapted to be worn by a patient. The garment (11) is comprised of a plurality of electrically conductive discrete portions (13, 14, 15) for contact with relatively large areas of the patient'"'"'s skin, and connected with insulating portions (16) intermediate between said conductive portions. The conductive portions (13, 14, 15) are provided with respective terminals (17, 18, 19) connected to the generator (12) by conductors (20, 21, 22).

Claims

1. A device for carrying out endermic therapeutic treatment of cellulitis, comprising a pulse-current generator and a layer of fabric forming a garment adapted to be worn by a patient, said layer of fabic including a plurality of spaced electrically conductive discrete portions thereof made of a cotton yarn fabric consisting of textile fibres and metal wire, and disposed to be engaged with spaced areas of the patient'"'"'s skin, and insulating portions thereof made of cotton yarn fabric and extending between and interconnecting said conductive portions, each of the conductive portions of said layer being made to engage at least an 80 cm.² surface area of the patient'"'"'s skin, and being provided with respective terminals connected to the generator by conductors, thereby to distribute electric current homogeneously through the engaged portions of said skin.

2. A device according to claim 1, characterized in that each of said terminals comprises an elongate, electrical conductor strip secured to a respective conductive portion of said layer of fabric.

3. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the discrete electrically conductive portions consist of a first conductive portion in the form of a belt disposed at the patient'"'"'s waist, and second and third conductive portions in the form of leggings disposed at the patient'"'"'s thighs.

4. A device according to claim 2, characterized in that the conductive portions and insulating portions are externally covered with an insulating coating layer giving the garment particular elasticity.

5. A device according to claim 1 characterized in that the current generator is adapted to generate electric currents with H waves, to create electric fields between the conductive portions of the garment, and wherein the H wave produced in each conductive portion is formed of trains or alternating pulses separated by 15 milliseconds and having maximum voltage values of +80 volts and a duration of 1 millisecond each pulse, each train having four positive/negative pulses.

6. A device according to claim 3, characterized in that the current generator comprises a device for selectively connecting the output of the generator to the electrically conductive portions so as optionally to connect the generator output only to the second and third conductive portions or to the second and third conductive portions and the first conductive portion.

7. A method for curing a patient of cellulitis by means of an endermic electrotherapeutic treatment, comprising providing a layer of fabric and forming a garment adapted to be worn by the patient, said layer of fabric including a plurality of spaced electrically conductive discrete portions thereof made from a cotton yarn consisting of textile fibers and metal wire, and insulating portions thereof made of a cotton yarn fabric and extending in said layer between and interconnecting said conductive portions, positioning each of said conductive portions in said fabric layer so as to engage at least 80 cm.² of the patient'"'"'s skin when the garment is worn, providing the conductive portions of said layer with respective terminals connected to a pulse current generator by electric conductors, and causing said generator to apply a pulsating current to said conductive portions of said fabric layer, and to discrete portions of the patient'"'"'s skin engaged by such conductive portions, thereby to distribute the pulsating current continuously and homogeneously just beneath the patient'"'"'s skin through the cellulitic mass.

8. A method according to claim 7, including causing the pulsating current to be applied at the patient'"'"'s waist and at the patient'"'"'s thighs by means of respective portions of said spaced electrically conductive discrete portions.

9. A method according to claim 7, including causing the pulsating current to be applied onto the patient'"'"'s skin in the form of a H-waves current, to create electric fields between said discrete, wide portions of the patient'"'"'s skin.

10. A method according to claim 9, including causing the H-wave to be made of trains of alternating voltage pulses, each train having a length of 15 milliseconds and maximum voltage values of +80 volts and consisting of four positive/negative pulses, each pulse having a duration of 1 millisecond.

11. A method according to claim 10 including causing the initial edges of successive trains of voltage pulses to be spaced by 1000 milliseconds.