Acupuncture as a well known treatment takes influence in order to reach a desired therapy purpose by stimulation of certain points of skin surface. Most common way of application when stimulation is reached by sticking thin needles into the skin. A recently developed method, so called electropuncture is also known. Electropuncture provides an effect similar to the needle-sticking treatment by means of electrical voltage pulses. This method is advantageous due to its enhanced hygiene, and eliminates the necessity of needle sterilisation.

Pulses of variable frequency, amplitude and amperage are applied on acupuncture needles as it has been'described for example in patent specification US 3,908,669, while suitable electrodes can be used for instance according to US 5,385,150. In both cases a method or a device increasing the efficiency of the acupuncture treatment or yielding ex- tra effect has not been applied beyond the above mentioned methods. Although it can be found reference to the advantage of applying magnetic and electric field simultaneously in US 4,508,119 but, however, it is definitely about needles stuck through skin.

In the knowledge the before mentioned facts the object of the present invention a simple and easy to use device for the stimulation of acupuncture points which device is applicable without special medical skills to the own individual self-treating use of the per- son to be treated. Another object of the present invention is to replace the electrical elec- trodes known from the prior art by more effective ones.

In one aspect of the present invention the skin touching end part of the electrode connected to the connecting point of the pulse output is formed with a disc shaped per- manent magnet of electrically conducting material.

The invention is based on an experience that the magnetic property of the elec- trode part being in contact with the skin surface enhances the effectiveness of a given treatment. Accordingly, fewer treatments can be sufficient to reach the same result, than using any state of art electrode. Furthermore it was found that using an electrode pro- vided with a disc shaped, plane end part of relatively great diameter is more advanta- geous because the person carrying out the treatment must not maintain as sharp posi- tional accuracy as necessary with needles or needle-like electrodes.

The invention will be described in more details with references to drawings.

Figure 1 is a preferred electrical arrangement of the electrical device according to the invention in a simplified functional block diagram; Figure 2 shows a possible output pulse form of the pulse generator device; Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of a preferred embodiment of the electrode according to the invention.

Figure 1 shows the arrangement of a preferred embodiment of the electrical device according to the invention in a simplified functional block diagram. Power supply 11 is advantageously one or more dry cell or battery, which serves as a power source for the pulse generator 12. The output frequency can be adjusted on input F and the output volt- age amplitude can be adjusted on input U. Embodiments of inputs F and U can be of any known electrical component, such as potentiometers, or multiple switches selecting pre- ferred fix frequencies and the voltage amplitude values. The pulse generator 12 in itself is of known circuitry and is provided with two outputs. Through electrical connecting point 13 the necessary body potential has been ensured for establishing the ground zero level of the pulses to be formed. An electrode, constituting a grounding point in contact with the body surface of the person to be treated, is connected electrically to the connecting point 13. Alternatively a single electrode can also be used with the apparatus, in which case an electrically conducting part of the single electrode is adapted to get into contact with the skin of the person to be treated. This part can be formed for gripping and connected to point 13 through a cable or wire. When using two distinct electrodes, the connecting point 13 is also connected by means of a cable to an electrode having a relatively large metal surface ensuring a good contact with the body surface. This can be reached obviously by using an electrode fitting in palm.

The other electrode, or in case of a single electrode the remote end part of the electrode is attached to the connecting point 14. The skin touching end part of the active electrode, i. e. of the electrode attached to the connecting point 14 receives the pulses generated by the pulse generator 12 regardless the number of electrodes.

By their voltage amplitude of sufficient value the above mentioned pulses serve to exert an effect on the corresponding acupuncture points of the person to be treated, to stimulate them. Practical experiments confirmed that appropriate stimulation results could be obtained when the repetition frequency of the applied pulses is in the range of 2 to 30 Hz. The pulse amplitude, i. e. the voltage U was between 5 and 300 V of negative polarity relative to the body potential, The adjusted voltage U can be determined partly in connec- tion with the applied frequency, and also depending on the individual sensitivity of the person to be treated, It is obvious that in some embodiments of the device according to the invention, particularly in the embodiments dedicated for self-treatment for persons without special medical and acupunctural skills, some voltage amplitude values lower than said voltage range, and preferably set to some fixed values must be determined.

This lower voltage limit can be sufficient to obtain the desired result. For instance in the case of a given embodiment it is possible to choose between two amplitude-values where e. g. U equals to 40 V, and U equals to 110 V respectively.

Fig. 2 illustrates a possible output pulse shape generated by the pulse generator 12. On the top part of the shown pulse with fast leading edge it can be seen a decrease with exponential damping of greater time constant, whereas on the trailing edge it can be seen a decrease with exponential damping of smaller time constant, which are ap- proaching an ideal rectangular pulse. Of course signal shapes closer to the ideal rectan- gular pulse can be generated by means of more complicated circuits, however experi- ments confirm that the signal shape shown in Fig. 2 is fairly sufficient to ensure good treatment results. The time interval between the leading edge at T1 and the trailing edge at T2 was 0.3 ms. However pulses of different length can be used taken into account that the pulse ratio at a given frequency is preferably less than 50 %. It must be noted that the pulse is negative in relation to the body potential. This has been indicated by the-U des- ignation of the coordinate axis.

Corresponding to experiences the amplitude value of the applied voltage is to be decreased with the increase of the frequency. The relationship can't be exactly deter- mined and depends mainly on the individual sensitivity of the persons to be treated.

Fig. 3 shows a schematic cross-sectional view of an electrode being the substan- tial element of the device according to the invention. Electrode 30 is formed in a housing 31 made of electrically non-conductive material in which at least one conductor 34 con- nected to connecting point 14 enters. Conductor 34 is attached to a bolt 33 made of metal and fastened in the housing 31. Fastening can be carried out in any known way. Housing 31 can be provided for example with thin walls, and fastening can be formed for example by means of an intermediate element. When housing 31 is a solid piece of isolating mate- rial, it can contain a longitudinal threaded bore in which bolt 33 can be screwed in, and conductor 34 connected to it can be lead out on the top. In Fig. 3 housing 31 is shown schematically by its outer contours. Connection of bolt 33 and conductor 34 fastened to it can be a pressed or welded or soldered joint. Of course instead of bolt 33 another similar element can be formed however the most simple solution is an iron or steel bolt 33 having a large flat head.

The place of bolt 33 in housing 31 of electrode 30 is designed as to have a circular cavity over the plan head of the bolt after screwing it in. Said cavity is circularly defined by raised edge 35 at the end part 36 of housing 31. A disc shaped permanent magnet 32 fits in said cavity. Permanent magnet 32 is fastened magnetically to the bolt 33 of iron or steel material. Raised edge 35 of corresponding cavity in housing 31 prevents lateral dis- placement of permanent magnet 32. Considering that the pulses are to be applied to the skin surface of the person to be treated through permanent magnet 32, it must possess high electrical conductivity. A further requirement on permanent magnet is the great mag- netic field strength, that is the magnetic flux density B at the surface exceeds the 0,6 T (Tesla) value. The preferred magnetic flux density B is greater than 1 T. Both require- ments, i. e. great magnetic field strength and high electrical conductivity are met using for example steel-alloy magnets, which were successfully used in the electrode according to the invention. Several up-to-date steel-alloy magnets are commercially available descrip- tion of which is not detailed here.

The skin touching end part 36 of the illustrated electrode 30 differs from the prior art usual electrodes in that it is not point like, sharp or needle like, but has a relatively large flat front face making possible the effective treatment also in the case when the per- son making the treatment does not find quite exactly the given acupuncture point on the skin surface. For this purpose permanent magnet 32 should have a sufficiently large disc shaped, plan or substantially plan surface in contact with the skin surface. Experiences show that the size of the magnet 32 is the best when its diameter is between 10 and 24 mm.

In the case of another embodiment using a single electrode 30 in the electrical stimulating device, the electrical contacting surface ensuring the body potential is dis- posed on the upper mantle surface of electrode 30, that is higher than end part 36, in di- rection of the conductor 34. In this case a part of the surface of housing 31 can be pro- vided with a coating of metal or of a material of high conductivity, which is connected to the connecting point 13 of the pulse generator 12 by means of a further wire similar to conductor 34, but differing from it. This is not illustrated. The two wires can constitute a common cable for the electrode 30.

The design of the electrode according to the invention preferably makes possible the easy gripping and therefore it can be easily directed to the desired skin surface.

For using the device and the electrode first the frequency and the amplitude are set on inputs F and U of puise generator 12. In practice a smaller value is to be chosen, and then gradually increased. The electrode ensuring body potential or in case of the em- bodiment with a single electrode the part of housing 31 of electrode 30 where the con- tacting surface is formed, is held or gripped by hand. With the end part of the electrode a slight pressure is exerted on the corresponding acupuncture point of the skin surface and stimulated for a time recommended in the treatment instruction. The appropriate acu- puncture points and the selection between them are not in the scope of the invention.

Experiences show that the active treatment electrode 30 formed with a the described end part 36 including disc shaped 32 magnet exerts a greater effect by the simultaneous use of electrical stimulation and magnetic field than solely electrical stimulation. This appears for example in the fact that in case of a treatment series made by means of the device according to the invention and particularly by means of the electrode according to the invention the same results are obtained with substantially less number of treatments in comparison to the known commercially available electro-acupuncture devices. The device ensures good results among others in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, malignant tumours and liver diseases.