Pain relief device

• US 7,860,571 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Frederick William Pollock
• Original Assignee: Frederick William Pollock
• Inventors: Pollock, Frederick William
• Primary Examiner(s): MANUEL, GEORGE C
• Application Number:
  US12/061,018
• Publication Number:
  US 20080221639A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 607/46, 600/548
• US Class Current: 607/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0492 Patch electrodes A61N1/0412, A61N1/0428 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/205 for promoting a biological process
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36021 for treatment of pain
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/378 Electrical supply

Abstract

The Pain relief device used to relieve pain and promote faster healing in the bodies of humans and animals safely. A positive electrode touches the skin at the site of an injury and a negative electrode completely shielded with insulation is place on the skin at a spaced distance form the positive electrode. A low voltage direct current power source supplies a positive voltage to the positive electrode and a negative voltage to the negative electrode. Electrical stimulation occurs harmlessly, because the shielded negatively charged electrode or insulated pad, being an insulated sheet of aluminum foil produces an electric field in the body that is strong enough to cause a current to flow into the body at the site of the positive electrode. However, no current can flow at the site of the negative electrode because it is insulated and therefore no burns to the skin.

Claims

1. A method of relieving pain and promoting recovery of a body injury, comprising the steps of:

providing an electrically conductive pad having an exposed conductive material;

connecting said conductive material to a positive pole of a low voltage power source;

providing an electrically insulated pad having a core of a conductive material that is completely electrically insulated;

connecting said core to a negative pole of said low voltage power source;

contacting said exposed conductive material of said electrically conductive pad to the bare skin of a patient;

contacting said electrically insulated pad at a spaced distance from said exposed conductive material to the bare skin of a patient;

applying a positive voltage to said exposed conductive material from said power source;

applying a negative voltage to said core from said power source;

generating an negative electric field about said electrically insulated pad;

causing current to flow from said positively charged exposed conductive material towards said negative electric field; and

preventing current flow between said bare skin and said electrically insulated pad.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

positioning said conductive pad and said insulated pad on opposite sides of a body portion of the patient.

3. A method of relieving pain through electric stimulation, comprising the steps of:

contacting the skin surface of a patient with an electrically conductive pad;

contacting the skin surface of a patient at a spaced location from said electrically conductive pad with an electrically insulated pad having an electrically conductive core that is electrically insulated against electrical current flowing therefrom into the skin surface;

applying a positive voltage to said electrically conductive pad from a power source;

applying a negative voltage to said electrically conductive core from said power source;

generating a negative electric field in the skin surface about said electrically insulated pad; and

causing electrical current to flow from said electrically conductive pad towards said negative electric field.