Acoustic therapy apparatus

• US 6,471,662 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2000
• Issued: 10/29/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Richard Wolf GmbH (Richard & Annemarie Wolf- Stiftung)
• Original Assignee: Richard Wolf GmbH (Richard & Annemarie Wolf- Stiftung)
• Inventors: Jaggy, Peter, Krauss, Werner, Bauer, Edgar
• Primary Examiner(s): Lateef, Marvin M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lin, Jeoyuh
• Application Number:
  US09/689,579
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 310/322, 310/323, 310/334, 601/12, 601/6, 601/7, 601/46, 601/48, 604/22
• US Class Current: 601/2
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 17/2251 characterised by coupling elements between the apparatus, e.g. shock wave apparatus or locating means, and the patient, e.g. details of bags, pressure control of bag on patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2090/0813 Accessories designed for easy sterilising, i.e. re-usable

Abstract

An acoustic therapy device is provided including a housing, an electro-acoustic transducer, a coupling element and coupling cushions. The electro-acoustic transducer is arranged in the housing which includes a shell. The coupling element has a coupling surface flush with edges of the shell. Another coupling surface of the coupling element is on the sound irradiation surface of the transducer and sound waves from the sound irradiation surface are directly coupled into the coupling element. An elastic coupling cushion is connected to a surface of the coupling element. One coupling surface of the coupling element and an exterior coupling surface of the coupling cushion define a sound advance path the length of which may, along with a penetration depth of the sound waves, be varied.

Claims

1. An acoustic therapy apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

an electro-acoustic transducer having a sound irradiation surface and elements, the transducer being operatively arranged in a housing, whereby the housing forms a shell having edge regions and has a carrier for the transducer elements;

at least one coupling element having a first coupling surface and a second coupling surface, the coupling element being cast in the shell of the housing and filling the shell such that the second coupling surface is flush with the edge regions of the shell and the first coupling surface is fixedly arranged on the sound irradiation surface of the transducer, wherein sound waves from the sound irradiation surface are directly coupled into the coupling element; and

an elastic coupling cushion having an interior coupling surface and an exterior coupling surface, the coupling cushion being releasably connected to the second coupling surface of the coupling element, the first and second coupling surfaces of the coupling element defining a first sound advance path therebetween, while the the interior and exterior coupling surfaces of the coupling cushion define a second sound advance path therebetween, whereby both a length of the second sound advance path and a penetration depth of the sound waves are variable in dependence upon the thickness of the coupling cushion.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coupling element comprises a hard elastic material and the coupling cushion comprises a soft elastic material.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second coupling surface of the coupling element is planar and the interior coupling surface of the coupling cushion is concave.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the carrier and the housing laterally encase the coupling element.

5. An acoustic therapy apparatus, comprising:

a housing;

an electro-acoustic transducer having a sound irradiation surface and elements, the transducer being operatively arranged in a housing, whereby the housing forms a shell having edge regions and has a carrier for the transducer elements;

at least one coupling element having a first coupling surface and a second coupling surface, the coupling element being operatively arranged in the shell of the housing and the second coupling surface being flush with the edge regions of the shell, wherein the first coupling surface is fixedly arranged on the sound irradiation surface of the transducer so that sound waves from the sound irradiation surface are directly coupled into the coupling element; and

an elastic coupling cushion having an interior coupling surface and an exterior coupling surface, the coupling cushion being releasably connected to the second surface of the coupling element, the first and second coupling surfaces of the coupling element defining a first sound advance path therebetween, while the interior and exterior coupling surfaces of the coupling cushion define a second sound advance path therebetween, whereby both a length of the second sound advance path and a penetration depth of the sound waves are variable in dependence upon the thickness of the coupling cushion, wherein the second coupling surface of the coupling element and the interior coupling surface of the coupling cushion are connectable by a vacuum produced between the surfaces.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the second coupling surface of the coupling element is planar and the interior coupling surface of the coupling cushion is planar.

7. The apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a suction pump; and

a valve operatively attachable to the suction pump, wherein the coupling element further comprises a plurality of suction channels, a first end of the suction channels being open at the interior coupling surface of the coupling element and a second end of the suction channels being selectively connectable to the suction pump via the valve.