| Claims 1. An apparatus for treatment of skin or hair thinning/balding ailments on the scalp of a human, characterized in that the apparatus comprises treatment carriers (3), a guide means (1) having a curved configuration, and holding means (2) connected to the guide means and adapted for holding the guide means to the head when placed over the scalp to be treated, the treatment carriers incorporating spacers (12) to be rested against the scalp of a user in order to maintain a predetermined distance between the treatment carriers and the scalp, and in that said guide means (1) comprises memory means (13; 14; 15) integrated with said curved guide means for arresting the treatment carriers at predetermined positions on the guide means . 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the holding means (2) are adapted to be placed on each side of the head, the guide means (1) being resilient in order to be able to exert a clamping force on the holding means for maintaining a desired position of the apparatus on the head. 3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide means comprises two curved rails (4) arranged in parallel with each other, the ends of which being anchored in said holding means . 4. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the guide means (1) comprises one single guide rail having an angular cross section, the ends of which being anchored in said holding means. 5. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 - 4, comprising two treatment carriers (3) arranged to be guided by said guide means (1) . 6. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 - 4, wherein said curved guide means (1) comprises memory means in the form of indents (13) , which arrest the treatment carriers (3) at predetermined positions in relation to the scalp in cooperation with resilient means (14; 15) on said carriers (3) , adapted to require only a small force to be overcome when moving the treatment carriers into new positions. 7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein there are three predetermined positions for each treatment carrier. 8. The apparatus according to any of claims 1 - 7, wherein the treatment carriers carry an array of laser diodes (7) . |
Technical field
The invention relates to a device for the treatment of skin or hair thinning/balding ailments on the scalp of a human.
Background
Today, in the treatment of the scalp of a human suffering from skin or hair thinning/balding ailments, hand operated pads, brushes and combs are used. However, they interfere physically and mentally with other activities and are also prone to erratic treatment. Mostly, these kinds of treatment are performed in clinics using clinical treatment hoods. However, these treatments last for long periods, which necessitates a large number of treatments in a clinic, and which treatments are quite expensive, and are therefore not an option for most people .
Clinical treatment hoods are quite expensive, clumsy and could not be used for self treatment at home.
Thus, there is a need for an improved apparatus for treating the scalp suitable for home use making possible a precise and effective treatment.
The invention
The object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for treatment of ailments affecting the scalp of a human by the individual himself or herself, which apparatus solves the problems of erratic inconvenient and crippling treatments/procedures to cure a variety of skin or hair thinning/balding ailments of the scalp. This object is achieved with the apparatus as defined in the main claim. Preferred embodiments and developments are defined in the dependant claims.
Brief description of the drawings
Further objects, advantages and characteristics of the invention will be evident from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which
Fig. 1 shows a schematic view of one embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention,
Figs. 2a, 2b illustrate two different memory means arrangements for the apparatus according to the invention,
Fig. 3 shows a top view of head mapped with "bands" and "quadrants", and
Fig. 4 shows the apparatus according to the invention applied in positions for treating the 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd quadrants, respectively.
Detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention
The invention will now be described in the context of personal treatment or home treatment of ailments affecting the scalp of a human, the invention being aimed to solve the problems of erratic, inconvenient or crippling treatments/procedures to cure a variety of skin or hair thinning/balding ailments. To that end an apparatus is provided making possible a method to administer a precise and effective treatment, not interfering with any activities involving the use of the hands of the person being treated, in contrast to the use of hand operated pads, brushes and combs, the use of which interferes physically and mentally with other activities and also are prone to erratic treatment as the procedure is memory-less.
In Fig. 1, a view in perspective is shown of a preferred embodiment of the apparatus according to the invention. The apparatus according to the invention has holding means 2 to be applied against the head of a wearer to be treated, guide means 1 connected to said holding means 2, and treatment carriers 3 arranged on said guide means 1. The guide means according to this preferred embodiment of the invention comprises two curved rails 4 connected to said holding means 2. The material of said guide means is resilient, applying a high enough force to hold the apparatus onto the head of a person being treated, but still weak enough not to create discomfort for the wearer. Said two curved rails 4 run in parallel forming a guide means for two treatment carriers 3, which, in the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, are in the form of square carriers each carrying an array of laser diodes 7 and with a protrusion 8 on each side with a guide channel 9, in which said guide rails run.
Obviously other guide means with a corresponding function can be used instead of the above mentioned pair of guide rails. For example one guide rail could be used, having an angular configuration in order to give a firm guidance for the treatment carriers. Said carriers would then be provided with a guide channel having the same configuration as the single guide rail, on the side facing away from the scalp when the head gear is placed on the head.
The holding means are shown in the form of brackets 10 with pads 11 to bear against the side of the head. These holding means can have any suitable form provided that they provide a secure grip against the head while at the same time they should not exert a pressure that is experienced as uncomfortable. Further, suitable pads 12 are preferably arranged on that side of the treatment carriers that faces the head, in order to obtain a predetermined distance between the carriers and the head.
Memory means are preferably integrated with said guide rails, as is illustrated in Figs. 2a and 2b. These memory means can for example be provided in the form of indents 13 in the rails at each desired memory position for the carriers to cover the areas of a scalp to be treated in a non-overlapping fashion, which indents 13 cooperate with a spring element 14 on each of said protrusions 8 on the treatment carriers as is illustrated in Fig. 2a, or a spring loaded ball 15 in each guide channel 9 of the respective treatment carrier as is illustrated in Fig. 2b. These memory positions should be clearly distinguishable when moving the carriers along the guide rails, but should only demand a small force to be passed by, when moving the carriers by hand, which is accomplished using said stop indents and spring elements or spring loaded elements.
The objects of the invention are achieved with an apparatus according to the invention, making possible the treatment of a desired area of the scalp in a precise and repetitive manner according to a matrix, which in the embodiment shown in the drawings, is obtained by dividing the scalp into three (3) lateral curved rectangular areas or bands from the fore-head to the crown. Each band is divided into six (6) square shaped areas or quadrants, forming a treatment matrix, which is illustrated in Fig. 3. Q stands for "quadrant".
In Fig. 3 is shown three bands with 6 different quadrants each of the head to be treated with the apparatus according to the invention using the above mentioned treatment matrix, and in Fig. 4 is shown the apparatus applied on the head for treatment of the different quadrants in the treatment matrix. During the treatment of the scalp the 1 st and 2 nd quadrants Ql and Q2 of band 1 are treated with the two treatment carriers together covering said quadrant. In the next step the two carriers are moved to cover a 3 rd quadrant Q3 and a 4 th quadrant Q4 of band 1, respectively, and in a third step the carriers are moved to cover a 5 th quadrant Q5 and a 6 th quadrant Q6 of band 1, respectively. This process is repeated for band 2 and band 3, respectively, when needed. The memory means of the guide means make it possible to move the carriers to exact positions on the guide means fore correct covering of the respective quadrants, and avoiding the risk of overlap between the treated areas .
The adjustment of the carriers on the guide means is very quick and exact thanks to memory means detachably locking the carriers on the guide means, while at the same time a very small force is needed to move the carriers past said memory positions. Repositioning of the apparatus is also a very quick process, and the treatment will thus not affect the business at the hands of the person being treated.
Thus, the invention provides an apparatus allowing high density precision treatment equalling the clinical treatment stations (hoods) but to a fraction of both cost and size. Unlike combs and brushes it enables a time and space-wise precise treatment of quadrants of the scalp and side lobes, while for the period of the treatment it releases hands and mind for other duties and tasks. The notion of precise treatment means minimizing under or over treatment (overlap and gaps) while optimizing the treatment itself by implementing a positioning "memory" in tandem with the timing aspect. The novelty of the apparatus lies in that it does implement a mechanism that makes possible a method for achieving precise treatment in contrast to hand/arm operated pad, brush and comb treatment devices.
It does neither interfere with office labour, making and receiving calls with or without headsets or hands-free equipment, listening to music with or without headphones as these aspects were included in the innovation conceptual design. Hand operated pads, brushes and combs are inconvenient as they interfere physically and mentally with other activities and also are prone to erratic treatment as the procedure is memory-less.
In the example of thinning/balding hair the design facilitates precise treatment of virtually all situations of thinning/balding hair without offering too much or too little. Patients with a receding hairline but no thinning at the crown or the opposite will have a very simple scheme to follow; that is positioning the apparatus at the same spot with the same configuration every other treatment day. Persons affected by complex thinning will be positioning the apparatus at the front and back of the scalp between treatment days using a 3 tier configuration, top, middle and sidewise of the treatment carriers, as needed. In the case of a skin ailment the apparatus will be deployed as described above.
The apparatus unique design is based on some important features of the anatomy of the human head and may therefore be used by a wide range of head-sizes and for virtually all ages without adaption/modification.
The apparatus does treat virtually any spot on the frontal, top and side-lobes of the head. The most important design considerations can be summarized as follows :
- precise and effective treatment
convenient, comfortable and pleasant form of treatment
- minimal interference with labour and leisure activities
affordable for the consumer
- profitable for the manufacturer and retail chain
- hands-free treatment
- one size fits all, which is almost true, small discrepancies can be taken care of with adaptors delivered together with the headgear
- portable, i.e. small footprint and light-weight.
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