TECHNICAL FIELD

This invention, a dry salt aerosol generation system, belongs to the field of medical technology and it can be used for performing halotherapy at room temperature in the atmosphere of dry NaCl aerosol in a salt chamber or salt cocoon.

STATE OF THE ART

Earlier patients were placed inside salt chambers in the atmosphere of passive salt dust where the duster, depending on the signals from the salt dust concentration sensor, periodically sprayed previously loaded milled salt dust into the salt chamber. It has proved more effective to inhale activated salt aerosol that is supplied from a salt disintegrator, working in a non-stop regime, to the salt chamber directly in the course of salt disintegration.

There are known salt aerosol generators working in a pre-determined "non-stop" regime that allows re-creating the atmosphere of salt aerosol in the salt chamber for each following treatment session in accordance with the dosing regime pre-set via the control desk. However, the generator does not have a sensor and it is not possible to monitor the concentration of the salt aerosol in real time.

Invention EE 00833 Ul, WO 2008/092465 Al provides a device of individual halotherapy that works in the non-stop regime and allows creating a pre-determined atmosphere of dry salt aerosol in a salt chamber or salt cocoon, but the device does not allow monitoring the concentration of the salt aerosol in real time.

There is known invention EE 00860 Ul "Salt aerosol saturation device" that is placed inside a salt chamber or salt cocoon and is intended for saturating the dry salt aerosol passing through the device with salt particles in the "non-stop" regime. The device does not allow monitoring the concentration of the salt aerosol in real time. Invention EE 00431 Ul that provides a method for obtaining dry salt aerosol with a pre-set concentration in the non-stop regime based on the pre-determined dosing of raw salt prior to directing it to an instrument intended for crystal structure disintegration.

The salt aerosol is formed when the salt particles are mixed with air by means of an air compressor. The concentration of the outgoing aerosol is rigidly determined, but can not be monitored in real time.

There is known a method of preparing dry salt aerosol, patent SU 1793932, where salt aerosol is prepared by a salt aerosol generator working in the "start-stop-start regime". The generator is controlled automatically by the signals of the laser sensor placed into the atmosphere of salt aerosol. The concentration indicators received from the laser sensor are shown on the display. However, the laser optics of the sensor is constantly exposed to contamination by salt particles posing a crucial problem in achieving the adequacy and reliability of the process.

The displayed information about the concentration of the salt aerosol is not adequate enough and there are recurrent 3-5 minute pauses in the generation of the salt aerosol and feeding thereof into the salt chamber.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of this invention is to provide a system for generating dry salt aerosol in the non- stop regime that in the case of each specific salt chamber configuration (2-80 m ) enables to display the actual concentration of the salt aerosol in the treatment environment within the salt chamber indirectly, without a sensor and with high precision.

Another object of the invention is to form an archive of databases with salt aerosol concentrations for salt chambers with different configurations in order to avoid the labour- intensive process of forming a database of salt aerosol concentrations in a salt chamber on many occasions.

The salt aerosol generation system, created for achieving the objects, forms a part of a salt chamber or salt cocoon that does not have a salt aerosol concentration sensor but allows achieving the desired dry salt aerosol atmosphere in a salt chamber or salt cocoon and indirect real-time monitoring of the concentration of the salt aerosol on the display. The system contains a traditional pre-determined dry salt aerosol generator, working in the "nonstop" regime and equipped with a memory block and digital control block.

The memory block, intended for a salt chamber with a specific configuration and air capacity, contains a database that has been created on the basis of the results of single tests performed in different regimes.

Later on, it is possible to use the existing database in the course of constructing salt chambers with similar configurations and air capacities and, thus, to avoid repeating labour-intensive tests of salt chambers for the purpose of creating a new database of salt concentrations.

The digital control block allows selecting operation regimes for the system, displaying the number of the selected regime, duration of the session and salt concentration in real time.

The adequate determination, achievement and display of the concentration of the salt aerosol in the treatment environment is based on the pre-determined dosing of the quantity of raw salt that falls in the non-stop regime into the salt mill and is supplied during the halotherapy session in the form of a salt aerosol in the non-stop regime via the ventilator from the generator into the treatment environment.

The generation process of salt aerosol is rigidly pre-determined since the flow of raw salt falling into the mill is fed slowly below a spiral. The spiral is connected with a motor with a 6-12 V reductor, the rotation speed of which can be selected within a range of 0.5 rpm up to 20 rpm and is also determined via the control block in accordance with the pre-set regime.

Visually, the concentration of the salt aerosol in the treatment environment is shown on the display in accordance with the results of the single tests performed beforehand, i.e it is possible to monitor the concentration of the salt aerosol on the display in accordance with the salt chamber with the specific configuration and air capacity.

There is a common database for all salt cocoons, i.e. there is no need to repeat the tests on every occasion.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 shows an example of the general embodiment of the system according to the invention illustrated by the following figures. Figure 2 shows the change in the concentration of the salt aerosol over time according to the selected regimes 1 to 6.

Figure 3 shows a variant of use of the system.

EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT The dry aerosol generation system provides the determined "non-stop" generator without sensors which comprises the raw salt container 1 , the feeder on the basis of the rotating spiral 2, the flows of dry aerosol 3, the engine-driven dry raw salt mill which works as the crystal structure disintegrator 4, the DC reducer engine of the feeder 5, the digital control block 6 with programming keys 7, the display of the chosen regime 8, the display of the session time 9, the display of the salt aerosol concentration in real time 10, the memory block 11 , which consists of an archive of measurements performed earlier.

Figure 1 shows the determined "non-stop" dry salt aerosol generator without a sensor, which includes the container 1 of dry raw salt (consists of salt particles with a diametre of 0.5 to 2.0 mm, i.e. the so-called "pharmasalt").

The rotating spiral of 2 of the feeder transports determined quantities of raw salt from the container 1 into the mill 4 which works as a disintegrator. The salt mill 4 disintegrates the crystal structure of the salt particles of 0.5 to 2.0 mm, and produces a saturated flow 3 of dry salt aerosol with 2-5 mkm activated salt particles.

The spiral 2 of the dosator is powered by the DC reducer engine 5 of 6-12 V to rotate with a speed of 0.5 to 20 rpm.

The rotation speed of the spiral 2 is determined via the digital control block 6 in accordance with the corresponding regimes "1"; "2"; "3"; "4"; "5" or "6".

The rotation speed of the spiral 2 according to the selected regime remains constant throughout each treatment session; hence, the quantity of salt that passes through the salt mill 4 and enters in form of a salt aerosol the salt chamber is strictly determined.

Figure 2 shows the results of the tests performed in a salt chamber to measure the concentration of the salt aerosol for spiral speeds of "1"; "2"; "3"; "4"; "5" or "6".

Prior to the session, the salt chamber was well ventilated, the speed was selected as "1"; "2"; "3"; "4"; "5" or "6" and, subsequently, the salt generator was started.

The concentration of the salt aerosol was recorded at 1 minute intervals. The concentration of the salt aerosol measured with a calibrated measuring instrument of the type of DustTrak II Aerosol Monitor.

The graphs in Figure 2 show the change in the concentration of the salt aerosol in the halotherapy environment in the salt chamber during a halotherapy session from starting the generator until a lapse of 30 minutes.

Each selected speed of the rotating spiral 2 of the feeder has a corresponding distribution curve of "1"; "2"; "3"; "4"; "5" or "6".

Figure 3 shows the non-stop generator that is equipped with the electronical memory components and allows visual (real-time) monitoring of the concentration of salt aerosol in the halotherapy environment throughout each session of halotherapy.

The control block 6 includes keys 7 for the halotherapy regimes of "1"; "2"; "3"; "4"; "5" and "6". The number of the selected regime is shown on display 8 and the duration of the session (in minutes) on display 9. The concentration of the salt aerosol in the environment of halotherapy (salt chamber) is monitored in real time via the display 10. The memory block 1 1 is equipped with a display that illustrates the ongoing halotherapy process with a "spot" that moves in real time along the graph of the selected regime.

The invention allows assembling each new salt chamber without an expensive aerosol sensor that calls for a labour-intensive salt dust removal process prior to each session of halotherapy.

The selection, achievement and adequate real-time display of the salt aerosol concentration are determined by means of the controlled quantity of raw salt that falls from the container 1 into the salt mill 4 and exits in form of salt aerosol 3 during a session of the halotherapy.

The controlled quantity of the raw salt falling into the salt mill 4 is ensured by the spiral 2 of the feeder that rotates at a controlled speed throughout a session.

The visual display of the salt concentration levels on the display 10 is based on the database of the salt concentrations in the particular salt chamber. The concentration of the salt aerosol is shown in real time on the display 10 in accordance with the salt chamber with the specific configuration and air capacity.

The memory block 1 1 contains the results of the tests performed earlier for salt chambers with various configurations and dimensions. Only one test has been performed for salt cocoons.

Thus, the salt aerosol generation system according to the invention provides an advanced "non-stop" generator without a sensor that allows achieving the desired environment of dry salt aerosol in a salt chamber or salt cocoon, adequate monitoring of the concentration of the dry salt aerosol in real time on the display and its work is determined on the basis of the tests performed by using precision measuring instruments beforehand.

The selection of the salt aerosol concentration and determined achievement thereof in the environment of halotherapy is carried out on the basis of the database of the single-time tests performed beforehand.

It is clear for those skilled in the art that the protection scope of the claimed invention is not limited to the aspects shown in the figures but it covers all the embodiments that differ from those described herein by features that are insignificant in terms of the essence of this invention.