AN OPERATING HEAD FOR MEDICAL APPARATUS

Technical Field

The invention relates to an operating head destined for use in combination with medical apparatus for magnetic applications, in particular for magnetotherapy.

Background Art Magnetotherapy has been known for some time as a therapeutic method. Briefly, this type of treatment consists in influencing the behaviour of some types of cells by subjecting them to pulsating magnetic fields which can induce, especially at the membrane level, and to a lesser extent in the cytoplasm, weak electrical currents of an extremely low intensity, much lower than the level of current involved in natural stimulation of the excitable tissues.

Magnetotherapy can be performed locally in order to treat localised pathologies, for example repair of broken bones, or more widely, even involving the whole body structure. Localised therapy is done using special emitter heads which are substantially constituted by a generator of pulsating magnetic fields, which is connected to an apparatus able to supply the generator with a pulsating electrical current. The pulsating magnetic field generator generally comprises a coil wound about a ferromagnetic nucleus. During the therapy the operator holds the head in his or her hand and moves it, in contact with the skin, over the zone to be treated. The pulsating electrical current circulating in the coil creates a magnetic field, which interests the tissues surrounding the point of application of the head. One of the drawbacks noted in the known devices relates to the fact that the operator using the head is also, for several consecutive hours, subjected to the pulsating magnetic field generated by the coil, which enters the hand holding the head.

An extended and continuous exposure to the magnetic field causes disturbances of various natures.

The aim of the present invention is to obviate the drawbacks in the prior art, providing a simple and rational solution.

A second aim of the invention is to make available an operating head for magnetic applications which is able to render the therapeutic treatment swifter.

A further aim of the invention is to make available an operating head for magnetic applications in which the wave form of the impulsive current induced in the tissues to be treated has a particularly steeply rising front. Disclosure of Invention The invention achieves the set aims thanks to an operating head as described in appended claim 1.

In particular the invention achieves the set aims thanks to an operating head for magnetic applications, provided with a generator of pulsating electromagnetic fields which comprises a coil wound about a ferromagnetic nucleus, which in turn comprises a permanent magnet, and is destined to be crossed by electrical currents having a pulsating wave form. The permanent magnet creates a stationary magnetic field, which combines with the pulsating magnetic field generated by the electrical current circulating in the coil. The resulting magnetic field exhibits flow lines which are concentrated in the direction of the lower part of the head, i.e. in the direction of the zones of the tissues to be treated. Thanks to the presence of the magnet, on the one hand the therapeutic action is more effective, and on the other hand the magnetic field linking to the operator's hand is weaker than in the prior art devices, thus avoiding onset of disturbances connected with a long and continued use of the apparatus.

The dependent claims delineate details and preferred embodiments of the invention.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the ferromagnetic nucleus of the pulsating magnetic field generator comprises, apart from the permanent magnet, also a toroidal conductive ring. From an electrical point of view the ring behaves like a coil turn in partial short-circuit, generating Foucault

currents opposing the induced current which is circulating in the coil, giving the current itself a wave form having very steep rising fronts. It follows that the current induced by the magnetic field in the tissues also exhibits very steep rising fronts, in the order of 10 nanoseconds, with all the attendant advantages from the biological point of view. It is known that the steeper the rise in the wave front of the induced current at cellular level, the more effective the treatment.

In a variant of the invention, the head can also comprise means for performing a therapy of acoustic/sonic type. These means comprise a generator of pulsations or sonic waves which supply an acoustic/sonic transducer. The transducer can alternatively be of the piezo-electric type, or can be magnetostrictive.

Brief description of the Drawings

The characteristics and advantages of the present invention will clearly emerge from the detailed description that follows, made with reference to the figures of the accompanying tables of drawings which illustrate, purely by way of non-limiting example, two details and preferred embodiments of the invention.

Figure 1 illustrates a first embodiment of an operating head destined to be used with apparatus for magnetotherapy.

Figure 2 illustrates a second embodiment of an operating head destined to be used in combination with apparatus for magnetic and sonic therapies.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

With reference to figure 1 , the operating head 1 is illustrated, which comprises a tumbler-shaped external casing 2 for housing, internally thereof, a generator 3 of pulsating magnetic fields.

In detail, the casing 2 comprises an annular armature 20 which defines, in proximity of the bottom wall, a housing zone 21 for a fan 4 for cooling the head 1. The external casing, in proximity of the housing zone 21 , is provided on the lateral wall and bottom wall thereof with a series of holes 22 which are

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equidistant and which have the aim of causing the air moved by the fan to circulate.

An electronic card 5 is laid on the armature 20, which card 5 is connected to a microprocessor, not illustrated, which is inserted in the magnetotherapy apparatus, though not illustrated as it is of known type. The electronic card 5 comprises a heat sensor 6 for detecting the temperature internally of the head, and a memory unit 7 of the E ² Prom type, on which the technical parameters of the head are stored.

The pulsating magnetic field generator 3 is laid on the electronic card 5, which generator 3 comprises a coil or solenoid 8, wound on a reel 9 which is centrally provided with a through-hole 90. The ferromagnetic central nucleus of the coil is friction-inserted in the through hole 90 of the reel 9. The nucleus comprises a permanent magnet 10 constituted by a rare-earth alloy based on cerium, lanthanum, cobalt and iron, and a toroidal ring 1 1 made of an aluminium-silicon alloy having the following chemical formula: Mn ₃ AI ₂ Si ₃ Oi ₂ .

In the embodiment of figure 1 , the permanent magnet is shaped as a toroidal ring, but it could be different in other embodiments, as long as it is suitable for the aim.

The coil 8 is realised in copper wire, but alternatively could also be made of different materials as long as they are suitable for the purpose, for example enamelled silver.

Likewise, both the permanent magnet 10 and the toroidal ring 1 1 can be realised using different materials from those described herein.

The mouth of the casing 2, which is tumbler-shaped, is occluded by a lower wall 12 screwed to the threaded lower end of the casing 2.

Externally the casing 2 is provided with a series of rubber annular seals 13 which have the function of insulating the operator's hand from the head 1 , as well as facilitating grip on the head itself.

The permanent magnet 10 has the function of generating a constant static magnetic field (geomagnetic) which combines with and modulates the pulsating magnetic field generated by the coil 8. The result of the modulation

is a magnetic field the flow lines of which are more greatly concentrated towards the lower part of the device, i.e. towards the tissues to be treated. Thanks to the presence of the permanent magnet, therefore, a more efficient treatment of the tissues is obtained, as the tissues are crossed by a more concentrated magnetic flow, while at the same time there is the advantage that the hand of the operator gripping the operating head is crossed by a smaller number of flow lines and is therefore less subject to the magnetic field. The toroidal ring 11 has the function, on the other hand, of modifying the wave forms of the current induced in the tissues to be treated by the magnetic field resulting from the modulation of the geostationary field and the pulsating magnetic field. In particular these wave forms have a very steeply rising front, which, as is known, is particularly advantageous in magnetotherapy treatment. From the tests carried out, it has been seen that using the toroidal ring 1 1 the rising fronts are in the order of 10 nanoseconds, against a usual value of 50 nanoseconds obtainable with the prior-art heads. This is due to the fact that the toroidal ring behaves like a turn in partial short- circuit, generating Foucault currents which oppose the induced current in the solenoid, giving the current passing through the solenoid a wave form having very steeply rising fronts.

Figure 2 illustrates a second embodiment of the head of the invention which differs in that the operating head, apart from being a pulsating generator, also integrates means for applying a sonic-type therapy, for example an ultrasound therapy. In the description of the second embodiment of the invention, the same numerical references will be used to indicate identical components to those already described in reference to the first embodiment of the invention. Figure 2 shows an operating head 14 which can be used for magnetic applications, comprising both the generator 3 of pulsating magnetic fields described herein above as well as an acoustic/sonic transducer 15 for transmission of acoustic/sonic type signals to the skin. In particular the

transducer 15 is realised by means of a piezoelectric plate 16 supplied by a usual generator of sonic signals inserted internally of a special apparatus, not illustrated. In particular, the apparatus comprises a microprocessor for managing, alternatively or contemporaneously, both the generator 3 of pulsating magnetic fields and the generator of sonic signals, according to the treatment to be administered.

As can be seen in figure 2, an externally-threaded ring nut 17 is screwed onto the threaded lower edge of the casing 2, on which the upper edge of the piezoelectric plate 16 is laid. The plate 16 is held against the ring nut 17 by an annular body 18 for externally blocking, which exhibits a lower ridge 19 for supporting the piezoelectric plate 16. In more detail, the sonic waves generated by the generator of sonic signals, positioned in an apparatus (not illustrated), are supplied to the piezoelectric plate 16 via a metal stem 19 supported by an electronic card 24 which is substantially identical to the previously-described electronic card 5, which metal stem 19 crosses the central holes of the magnet 10 and the toroidal ring 1 1 ; the bottom end thereof is in contact with the piezoelectric plate 16, to which it transmits the sonic waves.