Field of the art

The invention concerns a device for pulsed magneto-light surface therapy of acne, formed by a system of switches, to which a combined applicator is connected.

State of the art

Acne is a chronic skin disease caused, among other things, by excessive production of sebum and manifested in the form of pimples, papules and perceptible spots. Sebum is produced in sebaceous glands and conveyed via excretory ducts to the skin surface. If for one reason or another the sebum cannot flow out freely, it accumulates in the gland and can cause an inflammation. Most acne types are inflammatory and appear during adolescence in particular. Acne affects 85% of the world population at the age of 12 to 24, and the disease may continue until adulthood. The best-known form of the disease is referred to as "acne vulgaris", which most of the afflicted people suffer from. It appears most frequently on the neck and face but also on the shoulders, chest and back. The disease can be considered grave in that it has an impact on young people's psyche and can lead to the inferiority complex and reluctance to communicate with other people.

There are many methods for the therapy of acne ^: which make use of the biochemical or biophysical therapy or their combination. Devices for biophysical therapy employ in most cases pulsed low-power lasers producing red or blue light. For the combined biochemical and biophysical therapy, one of the photo-serisitizers, from the porphyrin group in particular, is applied to the skin. After th application of light whose wavelength is in the region of 630 nm, which is one of the peaks of the spectral characteristic of porphyrins, free radicals get released, i.e. there is a photodynarhic reaction. This reaction leads to an almost necrotic decay or destruction of the undesirable tissue while the healthy tissue remains unaffected. The porphyrins used have also a signific nt effect on bacterial flora, one of the causes of ache;

If the therapy of acne begins immediately in its early phase, a more complex stage of the disease can be prevented, when cysts -are formed under the skin that result in scars which are difficult to remove. In addition to devices designed for the therapy of acne, there are also devices and methods aimed at removing such scars. ^{t ! .} η - - ^.

One of the possible therapy Methods is pulsed low-frequency magnetotherapy/ he essence of this method consists in the induction and force effects of variable magnetic field on the appearance and motion of electrically charged particles in the dissociated medium of human tissue. Owing to the;; variable magnetic fields the permeability of intercellular membranes increase and so does the supply of nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and the removal of the products of metabolism is improved; Since a living organism is mostly diamagnetic, magnetic field can penetrate it without limitation. This fact, however, limits the therapy in the region of cranium, in addition to other limiting contraindications, because variable magnetic field can stimulate undesirable phenomena in the brain. Present-day devices have applicators, i.e. magnetic field exciters, in the fdrm of one or more big coils of insulated conductor, and the generated field penetrates deep below the surface of the organism. On these grounds it is almost ruled out to use pulsed magnetic field in the therapy of skin diseases on or near the head.

Another possible therapy method is pulsed non-invasive phototherapy. The substance of this method consists in in the optic frequency band, produced by low-power light emitting diodes (lasers) drid focused on a relatively srnall ^a a of the surface of the organism. In addition to a negligible heat 'effect, this field has a . pronounced biochemical effect that supports Cell regeneration, arid 'also anti-inflammatory arid arialge c ingle-laiser connected via an electric connection to the ¹ p wei ^{i ;} supply unit. ^: T3Cvices with a different t pe ^! bf iaser have ^; the laser placed in the supply unit arid via an optic connection the light is conveyed into the applicator. There are a riu riber of contraindications ¹ for this method too; Since the penetration of light radiation into the skin is not great, major contraindications concern mainly the region close below the surface, as' is the case of the occurrence of malign skin diseases. A generally acknowledged contraindication is the direct irradiation of the retina ¹ w rl ^" the laser

with both the time and area synchronized with the ^: pitlsed magnetic fiel , ^' -' -· ^' c) they mostly require the physical presence of and intervention by technical staff: ^n■ ' · ^{11 :} Summary of the invention

The above drawbacks of the state of the art are solved by means of a device for planar pulsed magneto-light therapy of acne containing a control unit and an applicator. On the functional surface of the applicator an array of light-emitting diodes is arranged in nests, and on the side opposite to the functional surface of the applicator an array of flat coils is arranged above the array of light-emitting diodes. Each flat coil is associated with a nest of diodes that is above the coil. The supply inputs of the flat coils are connected to the outputs of the circuit of flat coil switches while the nests of light-emitting diodes have their supply inputs connected to the outputs of the circuit of switches of the nests of light-emitting diodes. The first output of the control unit is connected to the control input of the circuit of flat coil switches, to the input of the circuit of common switches and to the first input of the signal multiplier while the second output of the control unit is connected to the second input of the signal multiplier, whose output' is connected to the control input of the circuit of nests of light- emitting diodes. This arrangement makes it possible to sequentially connect to the supply circuit each individual nest of light-emitting diodes together with the flat coil associated by the common switch circuit with each individual nest of light-emitting diodes. At the same time, this arrangement enables the power supply of nests of light-emitting diodes to be interrupted while they are being connected by the common switch circuit to the power supply circuit, with a frequency given by the signal multiplier: ί

In an advantageous embod ment of the device for planar pulsed magneto-light therapy of acne according to the invention a _: signal multiplier is formed for the generation of a pulsed signal whose frequency is at least one order higher than the switching frequency of the circuit of flat coil switches for at least ten connections of the circuit of switches of the nests of light- emitting diodes in the course of a single connection of the circuit of flat coil switches. Thus in the time interval when the flat; coil generates a steady magnetic field the nest of light-emitting diodes arranged below the flat coil produces a rectangular light signal so that the number of connections and thus also the number of rectangular signals in the course of a single connection of the circuit of flat coil switches is at least ten.

In another advantageous embodiment of the device for ^' planar pulsed magneto-light therapy of acne according to the invention, the flat coils, the nests of light-emitting diodes and the size of supply current from dc supply source intended to improve the therapeutic effect are dimensioned for heating the applicator to a temperature ranging from 37°C to 45°C. !

In yet another advantageous embodiment of the device for planar pulsed magneto-light therapy of acne according to the invention the applicator is on the side opposite to its functional surface provided with at least one non-conductive non-magnetic carrier pad for fixing the coils of the flat coil array and the nests of diodes of the light-emitting diode array, with the applicator being provided with a translucent protective layer on its functional surface. This type of therapy, using a combination of planar low-frequency pulsed magnetic field and high-frequency pulsed light field for therapeutic and cosmetic purposes has been tested clinically by the applicant over a long time with positive results.

Brief description of the drawings

In the following, the invention will be described in detail using the drawings enclosed, wherein Fig. 1 shows a block diagram of the connection of the device for planar pulsed magneto-light therapy of acne according to the invention, Fig. 2 illustrates the principle of the arrangement of one coil of the ^' Hat coil array and its associated nest of diodes of the array of nests of light-emitting diodes inclusive' of the translucent protective layer of the applicator. Exemplifying embodiments of the invention l

The block diagram of the connection Of the device for planar pulsed magneto-light therapy of acne in Fig. 1 includes an applicator 1 and a control unit 6. In the applicator 1, an array 2 of light-emitting diodes 12 is arranged in nests, with the array 2 disposed above an array 3 of flat coils 11. As shown in Fig. 2, in the exemplifying embodiment there is always one nest of light-emitting diodes 12 associated with one flat coil 11. Flat coils 11 are connected via their supply terminals to the outputs of a circuit 4 of the switches of flat coils 11, while nests of light-emitting diodes 12 are connected to the outputs of a circuit 5 of the switches of nests of light-emitting diodes 12. The first output of the control Unit 6 is connected to the input of the circuit 4 of the switches of flaf ic ils ll, to the output. Of a circuit 7 of the common switches and to the first input of a signal multiplier 8, while the second output of the control unit 6 is connected to the second input¾f ;the signal multiplier .8. The output of the signal multiplier 8 is connected to the circuit 5 of the switches of nests of light-emitting diodes 12,■ which provides, by means of the circuit 7 of common switches, for simultaneous connection of nests of light-emitting diodes 12 ¾hd their respective flat' coils 11, while multiplying the pulsed signals from the outputs of the control unit 6 by the ^" signal multiplier 8 ensures a greater number of short current pulses for each nest of light-emitting diodes 12 for the duration of a single current pulse flowing through the respective flat coil 11. The supply of electric power to all the circuits of the deviceUs ^ provided by a dc supply source 9. : i . The design of the applicator i shown in Fig. 2 includes a non-conducting non-magnetic pad 10, on which are mounted flat coils 11 of the array 3 and nests of light-emitting diodes 12 of the array 2, with each flat coil 11 having above itself the respective dimensionally corresponding nest of light-emitting diodes 12. The array 2 of nests of light-emitting diodes 12 is provided with a translucent protective layer 13 so that the applicator contains the translucent protective layer 13, which is applied to the skin under therapy; adjacent to the translucent protective layer 13 is a layer of nests of light-emitting diodes 12 while adjacent to the layer of nests of light-emitting diodes 12 is a layer of flat coils 11 such that arranged above each nest of light-emitting diodes 12 is one associated flat coil 11. Adjacent to the layer of flat coils 11 on the side of the applicator 1, opposite the translucent protective layer 13 is the non-conducting non-magnetic pad 10.

The essence of the functiohing ^: of the device for 'planar pulsed maghetb-light' therapy ' of aerie according to the invention is a sequential generation of planar pulsed magnetic ' rid ligKt fields using the applicator ⁵ 1, ;with the irne dependence ¹ and planar distribution ¹ of the two fields being determined b the ¹ control unit 6 in accordance ^' with the therapy programme 'such tliat always at the instant of the activa'tiori of a flat coil Π. the nest of light-emim¾ diodes ¹ 12 closely adjacent to this flat coil 11 is simultaneously activated.

^; The ; proper functioning of the device for planar 'pulsed magneto-light therapy of acne according to the invention proceeds such that the control unit 6 produces a low-frequency pulsed signal for the control of the circuit 4 of Hat coir switches, for the control of the circuit 7 of common switches, and for the first input of the signal multiplier 8, and a high-frequency pulsed signal for the second input of the signal multiplier 8. In accordance with the program of the control unit 6, electric ¹ c'urfent from the dc supply 'source 9 is conveyed by the circuit 4 of the respective switches to fiat coils 11 and simultaneously by the circuit 5 to the nests of light-emitting diodes 12 of the applicator 1. At the time the current pulse passes through a certain flat coil 11, the nest of light-emitting diodes 12 disposed above the respective flat coil 11 is simultaneously supplied wifti a great number of current pulses. ^{1 ;} The control unit 6 thus sequentially connects individual flat coils 11 or groups of flat coils ll, and at the time when tlie given individual flat coils 11 or groups of flat coils 11 are connected to the dc supply source ^ it triggers the signal multiplier 8, which with a frequency at least one or two orders higher than ^' the frequency of the pulsed supply current of flat coils 11 connects/disconnects the dc ^" supply source 9 to/from the flat coils 11 associated with the nests of light-emitting diodes 12. This results in that i a selected area of the surface ^{^} of the applicator 1 the flat coils ll' or groups of flat coils ll are current-supplied and thusi act by their magnetic field on that part of; the skin being treated which is adjacent to this activated part of the applicator 1, while at the time when these flat; coils 11 or groups of flat coils 11. are connected to the dc supply source- 9 . the same part of the skin being treated is also acted on by light from nests of light-emitting . _; diodes 12 such that in the course of one pulse pf the magnetic field acting on the skin being treated this skin is being acted on by at least ten, preferably over one hundred light pulses. This is because it has been established that it is in particular the abrupt change in lighting in the course pf the magnetic field action that has healing effects on the skin being treated.

The array 3 of flat coils 11 and the array 2 of nests of light-emitting diodes 12 thus generate a sequential pulsed magneto-light field, which in view of the size, shape and location of flat coils 11 and nests of light-emitting diodes 12 can be regarded as planar with a small penetration depth. ; J;;÷ ° ; ,

Flat coils 11, nests of light-cniitting diodes 12 and the magnitude of supply current from the dc supply source 9 are dimensioned for the heating of applicator 1 to a temperature of 37°C to 45°C because it has also been found that commensurate heat increases the therapeutic efficacy.

Industrial applicability

The device for planar pulsed ffiagneto-light therapy of acne according to the invention can be manufactured industrially and applied in therapeutic ¹ and cosmetic practice.