Technical Field

The present invention relates, in general, to instruments for acupuncture and, more particularly, to a magnetic needle for acupuncture, attached to the surface of the skin around a meridian point having a fine electric current or electromagnetic waves so as to give a soft, stable and steady magnetic stimulus to the meridian point thus accomplishing an acupuncturing effect, and to perform finger-pressure treatment on the meridian point with a pressure projection thus improving the acupuncturing effect.

Background Art

In the Chinese medical art, acupuncture is a treatment for pain and illness in which thin needles are positioned just under the surface of the skin at special nerve centers around the body. In acupuncture, the special nerve centers are called meridian points, which are specifically distributed on both the twelve main meridians and the eight extra meridians at 365 positions.

Modern acupuncture finds that fine electric current or electromagnetic waves are formed in each of the meridian points. An electric needle for acupuncture is proposed to accomplish an acupuncturing effect expected by typical acupuncture with metal needles or typical cauterizing with oxa. Such a typical electric needle for acupuncture gives electric stimuli to the meridian points with high voltage pulse current while detecting the fine electric current or electromagnetic waves in the meridian

points•

However, the electric needle for acupuncture is problematic in that the high voltage pulse current stimulates each of the meridian points with instantaneous painful stimulus- The electric needle thus fails to accomplishing a desirable acupuncturing effect requiring formation of a steady reaction system around the main and extra meridians.

Disclosure of the Invention

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic needle for acupuncture which is attached to the surface of the skin around a meridian point, having a fine electric current or electromagnetic waves, so as to give a soft, stable and steady magnetic stimulus to the meridian point thus accomplishing an acupuncturing effect, and which performs finger-pressure treatment on the meridian point with a pressure projection thus improving the acupuncturing effect.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic needle for acupuncture which is detachably attached, by an adhesive fabric, to the surface of the skin around a meridian point in a manner similar to the typical acupuncturing method, thus being repeatedly and effectively used for a lengthy period of time.

In order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a magnetic needle for acupuncture, comprising: a magnet; an electromagnetic wave lens; and a housing having an opening and receiving both the magnet and the lens in the upper and lower parts of the opening

respectively, the housing also including: a pressure projection adapted for performing an finger-pressure effect; a fabric connection part adapted for connecting an adhesive fabric to the housing; and an electromagnetic wave guide passage adapted for guiding the electromagnetic waves of a meridian point to the lens.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a sectional view of a magnetic needle for acupuncture in accordance with the primary embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the magnetic needle of

Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of a magnetic needle for acupuncture, with a housing being altered in accordance with the second embodiment of the present invention; Fig. 4 is a bottom view of the magnetic needle of

Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an electromagnetic wave lens included in the magnetic needle of this invention; and Fig. 6 is a view showing the magnetic field formed around a meridian point by both the magnet and the electromagnetic wave lens of the magnetic needle of this invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

As well known to those skilled in the art, the electrons are influenced by a magnetic field. For example, when a magnetic field is formed around an electron beam, the electron beam is electromagnetically deflected.

In order to accomplish the above object, the present invention provides a magnetic needle for acupuncture, which is comprised of an electromagnetic wave lens, a magnet, a housing and an electromagnetic wave guide passage. The magnet forms a magnetic field around both the lens and a meridian point thus magnetically stimulating the meridian point and leading the electromagnetic waves of the meridian point into the lens. The housing receives the lens and has a pressure projection physically pressing the meridian point. The housing also has a fabric connection part for connecting an adhesive fabric to the housing. Meanwhile, the electromagnetic wave guide passage is formed on the housing and allows the electromagnetic waves of the meridian point to pass through, thus leading the wave into a plurality of waveguide apertures of the lens.

In the magnetic needle of this invention, the magnet is preferably selected from ferrite magnets and other magnetic materials, individually having an appropriate diameter and thickness suitable for effectively covering a meridian point. For example, the magnet preferably has a diameter of 2 -10 mm, a thickness of 0.5 - 4 mm and a magnetic flux density of 500 - 10,000 Gauss. The electromagnetic wave lens is a body made of, for example, a thin ceramic panel with a plurality of waveguide apertures being densely formed on the panel for

guiding the electromagnetic waves of a meridian point. It is preferable to densely form 100 - 1,000 waveguide apertures, individually having a diameter of 0.001 - 0.05 mm, on the disc panel having both a diameter of 2 -10 mm and a thickness of 0.5 - 4 mm. Typical waves such as electromagnetic waves are individually induced by a waveguide aperture with the wavelength of each wave being lengthened by the waveguide aperture.

The housing is preferably formed of iron, nonferrous metal or synthetic resin. Both the magnet and the electromagnetic wave lens are seated in the housing, with the electromagnetic wave guide passage being formed on the housing and guiding the electromagnetic waves of a meridian point into the waveguide apertures of the lens. When the housing is formed of synthetic resin, it is preferable to coat the internal wall of each waveguide aperture with a metal layer suitable for preventing leakage of the electromagnetic wave. The pressure projection for performing the finger-pressure effect is formed on the outer bottom center of the housing, while the fabric connection part forms the outside edge of the housing. The adhesive fabric is selected from a known medical adhesive fabric and is attached to the fabric connection part thus attaching the magnetic needle to the skin around a selected meridian point. The adhesive fabric is detachably attached to the skin so that the magnetic needle can be repeatedly and effectively used for a lengthy period of time while changing the existing fabric with a new one when necessary. Figs. 1 and 2 show a magnetic needle for acupuncture in accordance with the primary embodiment of this invention. As shown in the drawings, the magnetic needle of this invention is comprised of a magnet 1, an

electromagnetic wave lens 2 and a housing 3. The housing 3 has an opening, which is divided into two parts: upper and lower parts 32 and 31. The magnet 1 is seated in the upper part 32, while the lens 2 is seated in the lower part 31. A pressure projection 34 for performing an finger-pressure effect is formed on the outer bottom center of the housing's bottom wall 33, while a fabric connection part 38 forms the outside edge of the housing 3. The fabric connection part 38 allows an adhesive fabric 4 to the edge of the housing 3 so that the magnetic needle is attached to the skin at a position around a selected meridian point 5. An electromagnetic wave guide passage is formed on the housing 3 and allows the electromagnetic waves of the meridian point 5 to pass through, thus leading the waves into the lens 2. The electromagnetic wave guide passage comprises a wave converging chamber 35 and an electromagnetic wave guide central opening 36, which communicate with each other. The chamber 35 is formed in the housing 3 at a position under the lens 2, with a plurality of waveguide apertures of the lens 2 all communicating with the chamber 35, while the wave guide central opening 36 is axially formed on the pressure projection 34 so as to be positioned at the center of the chamber 35. The surface extending from the outside wall of the chamber 35 to the opening 36 is sloped downward.

Figs. 3 and 4 show a magnetic needle for acupuncture, with a housing being altered in accordance with the second embodiment of this invention. In the second embodiment, the magnet 1, lens 2, housing's structure for holding the magnet 1 and lens 2, and fabric connection part 38 remain the same as those of the primary embodiment of Figs. 1 and 2. However, the electromagnetic wave guide passage of the

second embodiment is altered in a way such that it is comprised of a wave converging chamber 35, a wave guide central opening 36 and a plurality of wave guide peripheral openings 37, which all communicate with each other. Both the chamber 35 and the central opening 36 remain the same as described for the primary embodiment. Meanwhile, the peripheral openings 37 are formed on the bottom wall 33 of the housing at positions around the projection 34 at regular intervals. The central and peripheral openings 36 and 37 improve wave convergence efficiency and allow the skin to smoothly breathe.

In order to use the magnetic needle for acupuncture of this invention, the magnetic needle is attached to the skin at a position around a selected meridian point using an adhesive fabric 4. In detailed description, a plurality of magnetic needles of this invention are attached to the surface of the skin around the meridian points 5 in the same manner as in typical acupuncturing art, with the wave guide central opening 36 of each magnetic needle being precisely positioned on each meridian point 5. In this case, the magnet 1 of each magnetic needle forms a magnetic field around both the lens 2 and a meridian point 5, thus magnetically stimulating the meridian point 5. In addition, the electromagnetic waves 51 of the meridian point 5 are guided into the waveguide apertures 21 of the lens 2 through the wave guide passage comprising the wave guide opening(s) 35, 36 and the wave converging chamber 35. In the waveguide apertures 21 of the lens 2, the wavelength of each electromagnetic wave 51 is changed. The electromagnetic waves with the changed wavelengths give a soft, stable and steady magnetic stimulus to the meridian point 51 having fine electric current or

electromagnetic waves, thus accomplishing an acupuncturing effect. In addition, the pressure projection 34 of the magnetic needle physically presses the meridian point 51, thus performing finger-pressure treatment and improving the acupuncturing effect.

The peripheral openings 37 formed on the bottom wall 33 of the housing 3 allows the skin to smoothly breathe, thus making the magnetic needle have an affinity to the skin. The following example is merely intended to illustrate the present invention in further detail and should by no means be considered to limitative of the scope of the invention.

Example 1

A magnetic needle for acupuncture with the following specifications was produced.

1. Magnet : 5 mm (diameter), 1.5 mm (thickness), 1,500 gauss (magnetic flux density)

2. Configuration of the magnet : circular disc 3. Electromagnetic wave lens silicon-alumina ceramic lens of 5 mm (diameter), 0.6 mm (thickness)

4. Configuration of the Lens : circular disc

5. Waveguide apertures : 0.01 mm (diameter), 600 (the number of apertures), 90 % (total volume of apertures/volume of lens x 100 %)

6. Housing : synthetic resin housing formed through a molding process

7. Adhesive fabric : medical adhesive fabric

The above magnetic needle effectively gives a soft,

stable and steady magnetic stimulus to a selected meridian point, thus accomplishing an acupuncturing effect relieving pain and curing disease as expected by typical acupuncture. The magnetic needle also physically presses the meridian point, thus performing finger-pressure treatment and improving the acupuncturing effect.

Industrial Applicability

As described above, the present invention provides a magnetic needle for acupuncture. A plurality of magnetic needles of this invention are attached to the surface of the skin around the meridian points in the same manner as in typical acupuncturing art. Each of the magnetic needles gives a soft, stable and steady magnetic stimulus to each meridian point having fine electric current or electromagnetic waves, thus accomplishing an acupuncturing effect relieving pain and curing disease as expected by typical acupuncture. The magnetic needle physically presses the meridian point, thus performing finger-pressure treatment and improving the acupuncturing effect.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.