Consecutive acupuncture device

• US 8,038,695 B2
• Filed: 02/14/2006
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Neo Dr. Inc.
• Original Assignee: Neo Dr. Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Hyeon Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Anhtuan
• Assistant Examiner(s): SZPIRA, JULIE ANN
• Application Number:
  US11/718,818
• Publication Number:
  US 20080097505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,072 Days
• Field of Search: 606/189, 606/186, 606/181, 606/182
• US Class Current: 606/189
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2230/65 Impedance, e.g. skin conductivity; capacitance, e.g. galvanic skin response [GSR]
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/02 Devices for locating such points
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 39/08 Devices for applying needles to such points, i.e. for acupuncture ; Acupuncture needles or accessories therefor

Abstract

A consecutive acupuncture device for consecutively inserting needles into afflicted sites of the body. The device comprises a cartridge charged with and storing one or more needles, a first magnet positioned at a side of the cartridge to pull a needle stored in the cartridge by magnetic force and automatically place the needle at a striking position, striking means positioned on the cartridge to strike the needle placed at the striking position and insert the needle into an afflicted site of the body, and a discharge section positioned underneath the cartridge and defined with a hole through which the needle struck by the striking means is discharged. By storing one or more needles in the cartridge in a disarranged state and pressing a button, the stored needles can be driven one by one into the afflicted sites of the body.

Claims

1. A consecutive acupuncture device for consecutively inserting needles into afflicted sites of the body, the device comprising:

a cartridge charged with and storing one or more needles;

a first magnet positioned at a side of the cartridge to pull a needle stored in the cartridge by magnetic force and automatically place the needle at a striking position;

a striking element positioned on the cartridge to strike the needle placed at the striking position and insert the needle into an afflicted site of the body;

a discharge section positioned underneath the cartridge and defined with a hole through which the needle struck by the striking element is discharged; and

a second magnet positioned on top of the cartridge above and adjacent to the head ends of the needles, the second magnet facing the head ends of the needles and being configured to suspend the needles stored in the cartridge and to prevent pointed ends of the needles from being brought into contact with a bottom surface of the cartridge.

2. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the cartridge is defined with a slot which communicates with a needle storage space and allows the needles to pass through it only one by one, and a passage is defined in the cartridge to communicate with an end of the slot such that the needle struck by the striking element can be moved through the passage to then be discharged through the discharge section.

3. The device as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

a guide coupled to the discharge section such that the guide can be extended out of and retracted into the discharge section to adjust a depth to which the needle is inserted into the body.

4. The device as set forth in claim 1 or 3, further comprising:

an acupuncture spot detection unit having one terminal which is formed on the discharge section and the other terminal which is configured to be brought into contact with a portion of the body.

5. The device as set forth in claim 1, wherein the striking element comprises:

a button installed on the cartridge and biased upward by a first spring;

a striking rod installed in the button and biased downward by a second spring;

a nose part formed on a side of the striking rod and having an inclined surface;

an engagement projection positioned below the nose part such that, when the button is pressed, the nose part is engaged with the engagement projection to compress the second spring to a predetermined degree; and

a release protuberance brought into contact with the nose part such that, when the second spring is compressed to the predetermined degree, the release protuberance presses the inclined surface of the nose part to dispense the nose part from the engagement projection.

6. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein the striking element comprises:

a switch manipulated by a user;

an actuator driven by receiving poser upon manipulation of the switch; and

a striking rod raised and lowered by the actuator to strike the needle toward the afflicted site of the body.