Patent EP0266907A2 successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
EP0266907A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Electrotherapeutic apparatus
Assignee: THERAFIELD HOLDINGS Ltd
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Filing: 1987-10-06
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-10-06
Abstract
Abstract Apparatus is provided for emitting high frequency electromagnetic waves (51) to a patient's body and comprises an antenna (5) operatively coupled to a switched pulsed high frequency source (3) and to a source (6) of electric lesser frequency pulsed signals (50) at a frequency within a range such that electromagnetic radiation from the antenna (5,10) has a transcutaneous nerve stimulation effect. The source (6) of pulsed electric signals being adapted to operate at a lesser pulse rate than that of the source (3) of high frequency signals (51). Clock means (8) is provided for controlling switching means (4,7) whereby the antenna (5) is arranged to radiate a series of electric pulses (50) at the lesser frequency, and between said electric pulses (50) to radiate trains of pulses (51) of the electromagnetic radiation at the high frequency. The apparatus provided enhancement of the pain relief effect of the transcutaneous nerve stimulation so that it persists for a substantially longer period.
Inventors
- 👤 Victor Marcel Fellus
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 02:28
CPC Classifications
A; A61; A61N; A61N1/00; A61N1/02; A61N1/04; A61N1/0404; A61N1/0408; A61N1/0456; A61N1/0472; A61N1/0492; A61N2/00; A61N2/002
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 8
Claim 1
Independent Claim
168 words
Electrotherapeutic apparatus emitting high frequency electromagnetic energy (51) comprising antenna means (5,13) for applying high frequency electromagnetic radiation (51) operatively connected via switching means (4) to a source (3) of pulsed high frequency signals, said high frequency being within a range such that said radiation is able to improve certain conditions, and via switching means (7) to a source (6) of electric lesser frequency pulsed signals (50), said lesser frequency being within a range such that electromagnetic radiation from said antenna has a transcutaneous nerve stimulation effect, said source (6) of pulsed electric signals being adapted to operate at a lesser pulse rate than that at which the source (3) of high frequency signals is adapted to operate and clock means (8) being provided for controlling said switching means (4,7) whereby said antenna means (5) is arranged to radiate a series of electric pulses (50) at said lesser frequency and between said electric pulses (50) to radiate trains of pulses (51) of electromagnetic radiation at said high frequency.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
168 words
Electrotherapeutic apparatus emitting high frequency electromagnetic energy (51) comprising antenna means (5,13) for applying high frequency electromagnetic radiation (51) operatively connected via switching means (4) to a source (3) of pulsed high frequency signals, said high frequency being within a range such that said radiation is able to improve certain conditions, and via switching means (7) to a source (6) of electric lesser frequency pulsed signals (50), said lesser frequency being within a range such that electromagnetic radiation from said antenna has a transcutaneous nerve stimulation effect, said source (6) of pulsed electric signals being adapted to operate at a lesser pulse rate than that at which the source (3) of high frequency signals is adapted to operate and clock means (8) being provided for controlling said switching means (4,7) whereby said antenna means (5) is arranged to radiate a series of electric pulses (50) at said lesser frequency and between said electric pulses (50) to radiate trains of pulses (51) of electromagnetic radiation at said high frequency.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
67 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that switching means (4,8) are settable such that either one of the signal generators (3,6) may be operated without the other, and the signal generators (3,6) are separately adjustable so that signal intensity, pulse rate and pulse width may be varied in each case for adjusting the therapeutic treatment and nerve stimulation of a patient to the patient's requirements.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
111 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that the source (6) of electric signals (50) of lesser frequency is arranged to operate at a repetition frequency of 100Hz with a pulse width of a millisecond and at 80 volts driving the antenna (5,10) through a 1-10 transformer and the high frequency signal source (3) is arranged to operate between 5 and 150MHz, using quartz, or transistor driven oscillators suitable for generating all possible harmonics, at a pulse width of between 10 and 200 microseconds and a repetition frequency of between 1 and 10,000Hz to give a signal of between 0.3 and 10 volts per square cm at the antenna (5,13).
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
54 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterised in that antenna means (5) is formed with a central laminar conductive electrode zone (10) for coupling to the low frequency electric source (6) and supplying the low frequency electrical energy (50), and a surrounding laminar zone antenna (13) for coupling to the high frequency source (3).
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 4, characterised in that the antenna means (5) is a laminar printed circuit having the central zone (10) forming an electric conducting pad on one side and the high frequency surrounding antenna (13) on the opposite side.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
14 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterised in that printed circuit (5) is flexible.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
40 words
Apparatus as claimed in claim 6, characterised in that the high frequency antenna (13) surrounding the central zone conducting pad (10) comprises a sinuous conductive track extending substantially entirely throughout the area of the laminar outside the central zone (10).
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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