APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR REDUCING PAIN DURING SKIN PUNCTURING PROCEDURES

• US 20110270154A1
• Filed: 07/11/2011
• Published: 11/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Steven G. Goldberg
• Original Assignee: Steven G. Goldberg
• Inventors: Goldberg, Steven G.
• Granted Patent: US 8,668,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/22
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/0188 Illumination related features
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 2201/1688 disposable
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 23/02 with electric or magnetic drive
• CPC Class Codes: A61H 7/005 hand-held
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/59 Aesthetic features, e.g. distraction means to prevent fears of child patients
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 5/422 Desensitising skin
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 451/91 Ultrasonic

Abstract

A handheld instrument for minimizing pain during administration by injection of a liquid, such as, an anesthetic that has a main body, a vibration unit mounted in the main body when initiated to cause the main body to vibrate, and a detachable tip cantilever mounted on the main body to vibrate with it, the tip having a free end characterized by a bifurcation to form two spaced projections defining a space between them, whereby the spaced projections can be placed in proximity to, adjacent to and bracketing a preselected injection site on a human or animal and the tissue at said preselected injection site and vibrated while an injection is given.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of vibrating tissue of a human or animal in proximity to, adjacent to and bracketing a preselected injection site while simultaneously injecting by a needle or like instrument a fluid at the preselected injection site, wherein the step of vibrating tissue provides vibratory stimulus to facilitate pain reduction while the injection is being administered to the preselected injection site.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the bracketing is on spaced locations relative to the injection site.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the spaced locations are spaced between about ⅛

inches to about 1 inch apart.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the bracketing is on opposite sides of the injection site.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the tissue is vibrated by a vibration unit located in a main body of an instrument.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the vibration unit generates ultrasonic vibratory energy.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein a detachable tip is removably coupled to the main body, the detachable tip operatively associated with the vibration unit and having a tissue contacting end portion to thereby vibrate the tissue when the tissue contacting end portion is in contact with the tissue and the vibration unit is activated.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the tissue contacting end portion has a bifurcation to form two spaced projections defining a space between them.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the spaced projections are spaced between about ⅛

inches to about 1 inch apart.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein the instrument includes a light for illuminating the preselected injection site.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the main body includes rechargeable batteries as a power source to drive the vibration unit.

12. A method for minimizing pain during administration of a liquid by injection into tissue, the method comprising:

providing an instrument having a main body with a rear end and a forward end;

a vibration unit mounted in the main body to generate vibrations; and

a detachable tip having a rear section and a forward section, the rear section being detachably mounted on the forward end of the main body to extend forward axially and to receive the vibrations from the vibration unit, the forward section of the detachable tip having a tissue contacting end portion;

placing the tissue contacting end portion in contact with tissue in proximity to, adjacent to and bracketing a preselected injection site;

activating the vibration unit to generate vibrations, the vibrations transmitted from the vibration unit, through the tip to the tissue; and

injecting by a needle or like instrument a fluid at the preselected injection site, wherein the vibration of the tissue provides vibratory stimulus to facilitate pain reduction while the injection is being administered to the preselected injection site.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the tissue contacting end portion comprises two forwardly extending spaced projections that define the preselected injection site in a space in close proximity to the two forwardly extending spaced projections.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the two forwardly extending spaced projections of the detachable tip are spaced between about ⅛

inches to about 1 inch apart.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of retracting overlapping tissue or skin to expose the preselected injection site.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the detachable tip retracts the overlapping tissue or skin.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the instrument includes a light for illuminating the preselected injection site.