FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The invention relates to a hand held ultrasound device that kills lice and lice eggs. More particularly, the invention provides a convenient, safe and rapid method for killing micro-organisms and insects such as lice, lice eggs, pest, ticks and fleas residing on human hair and animal fur using ultrasound waves.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Historical and archeological evidences show that human lice infestations were present throughout the world thousands of years ago. Infections carried out by body lice, such as epidemic or louse-borne typhus, louse-borne relapsing fever and trench fever, killed millions of people over the world. Furthermore, body louse infestations, and louse-borne diseases frequently appear due to poor living conditions and limited access to healthcare systems.

[0003] Many pediculicidies (chemical compositions) for killing lice are offered on the market, which normally contain an active ingredient for killing lice. However, these pediculicidies do not kill lice eggs. Furthermore, head lice as well as other insects, develop resistance to the pediculicidies active ingredient and become insensitive to the treatment.

[0004] Furthermore, prior art pediculicides must remain on the infected hair for a considerable period of time. Many of the pediculicides are toxic, may have an uncomfortable smell and may cause an irritating sensation on the skin. Therefore, the overall experience is troublesome and inconvenient for children and animals.

[0005] Before the development of modern insecticides, various botanical treatments, inorganic poisons, and petroleum products were used to treat head lice infestation, but these treatments were very distressing to children and animals. Another method for head lice removal is using a fine tooth hair comb. Fine tooth hair combs are ineffective and cause pain when passing through thick, entangled or long hair or animal fur.

[0006] There is therefore a long felt need to provide a device and a method for safe and rapid killing of insects, such as lice, lice eggs, pest, ticks and fleas from human hair and animals' fur. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] Embodiments of the present invention disclose a hand-held ultrasound device that includes (a) a first arm that includes further an ultrasound wave transducer, (b) a handle, and (c) a second arm, wherein one of the arms is rigidly attached to the handle, and another of the arms is pivotably attached to the handle for holding a hank of hair between the first arm and the second arm for using the ultrasound wave transducer to kill an infestation residing on hair.

[0008] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, a method for killing infestation residing on hair is provided. The method includes the steps of (a) clasping a hank of the hair between arms of a hand-held device; one of the arms having installed therein an ultrasound wave transducer; and (b) transmitting ultrasound waves from the ultrasound wave transducer to the hank of the hair for killing the infestation.

[0009] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasound device further includes control buttons provided in the ultrasound device's handle for switching on and off the device and for selecting the transmitted ultrasound wave frequency, pulse energy and pulse duration.

[0010] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasound device further includes a heat energy source, in one of the arms, for increasing the effectiveness of killing the infestation.

[0011] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasound device further includes a built-in hair comb, on one of the arms, for removing debris of the infestation from the hair.

[0012] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the ultrasound device further includes a vacuum pump installed in the first or the second ultrasound device arms used for removing the debris from the hair.

[0013] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the hair is a human hair of an infected human scalp.

[0014] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the hair is animal's fur of an infected animal.

[0015] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the infestation includes insects such as: lice, fleas and ticks.

[0016] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the infestation includes micro-organisms such as: spores, virus, fungus and bacteria. [0017] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the method for killing infestation residing on hair includes further the step of selecting the transmitted ultrasound waves frequency, pulse energy and pulse duration using control buttons provided on a handle of the hand-held device.

[0018] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the method includes further the step of transmitting heat energy from one of the arms in addition to the transmitted ultrasound waves for increasing the effectiveness of killing the infestation.

[0019] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the method includes further the step of removing debris of the infestation from the infected hair using a built-in hair comb included in the device.

[0020] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the method includes further the step of removing debris of the infestation from the infected hair using a vacuum pump included in the device.

[0021] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the hank of hair is a human hair of an infected human scalp.

[0022] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the hank of hair is an animal's fur of an infected animal.

[0023] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the method includes further the step of spreading ultrasound conductor gel on the infected hair prior to applying the ultrasound waves.

[0024] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the infestation includes lice and lice eggs

[0025] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the infestation includes fleas and ticks.

[0026] According to a further feature of an embodiment of the present invention, the infestation includes micro-organisms.

[0027] Additional features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following drawings and description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] For a better understanding of the invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, purely by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals designate corresponding elements or sections throughout.

[0029] With specific reference now to the drawings in detail, it is stressed that the particulars shown are by way of example and for purposes of illustrative discussion of the preferred embodiments of the present invention only, and are presented in the cause of providing what is believed to be the most useful and readily understood description of the principles and conceptual aspects of the invention. In this regard, no attempt is made to show structural details of the invention in more detail than is necessary for a fundamental understanding of the invention, the description taken with the drawings making apparent to those skilled in the art how the several forms of the invention may be embodied in practice. In the accompanying drawings:

[0030] FIG. 1 illustrates a hand-held ultrasound device for killing lice, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] FIG. 2 illustrates the ultrasound device for killing lice that includes a built- in hair comb and control buttons, according to an embodiment of the present invention;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] Sound waves at low frequency of less than 20 Hz are defined as infrasound and sound wave with higher frequency above 16 KHz are defined as ultrasound and are out of the range of the human ear.

[0033] Ultrasound may modify matter by two mechanisms: (1) generating heat, which is a negligible effect at low power applications (used mainly in medical devices), and (2) generating cavities that are formed and collapse in liquids and dissolved gases. The collapsing cavities apply pressure that destroys cell membranes. Insects contain microscopic air pores in their tissues and the applied ultrasound waves generate cavities in these air pores. The insects die instantly from the applied ultrasound waves due to the pressure applied by the collapsing cavities that destroy the insects' cell membranes.

[0034] According to embodiments of the present invention, a hand held ultrasound device that includes (a) a first arm that includes further an ultrasound wave transducer, (b) a handle, and (c) a second arm, wherein one of the arms is rigidly attached to the handle, and another of the arms is pivotably attached to the handle for holding a hank of hair between the first arm and the second arm for using the ultrasound wave transducer to kill an infestation residing on hair is provided.

[0035] Hereinafter the term infestation includes, but is not limited to, microorganisms including spores, virus, fungus, bacteria and to insects such as lice, lice eggs, fleas and ticks residing on hair.

[0036] Hereinafter the term debris refers to the killed micro-organisms, insects and insect eggs.

[0037] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for killing infestation residing on hair is provided. The method includes the steps of (a) clasping a hank of the hair between arms of a hand-held device; one of the arms having installed therein an ultrasound wave transducer; and (b) transmitting ultrasound waves from the ultrasound wave transducer to the hank of the hair for killing the infestation..

[0038] According to embodiments of the present invention, the provided method is based on transmitting ultrasound waves, which destroy the insect cell membrane and egg shell, killing them instantly.

[0039] According to a further aspect of the present invention, the killed insects and egg shells are removed using a hair comb built-in into the ultrasound device or using a vacuum pump provided with the ultrasound device for removal of the insect debris.

[0040] According to a further aspect of embodiments of the present invention, the method for killing micro-organisms and insects residing on infected hair using ultrasound waves can be applied to dry or wet hair and ultrasound conductor gel may be spread on the infected hair prior to applying the ultrasound waves. Advantageously, no need for toxic chemicals is needed for the killing of the insects.

[0041] FIG. 1 illustrates a hand-held ultrasound device for killing lice, according to embodiments of the present invention. Ultrasound device 100 has two arms, first arm 110 includes an ultrasound wave transducer and the second arm 120 is pivotably attached to the device handle 130 and is used to hold a hank of hair between the first and the second arm. Ultrasound device 100 has a connector to a power source 140. The first arm 110 and the second arm 120 are used to grab the hank of hair near the hair roots and pull slowly towards the other end of the hank of hair while generating an ultrasound wave for killing the infestation.

[0042] FIG. 2 illustrates the ultrasound device for killing lice that includes a built- in hair comb and control buttons, according to embodiments of the present invention. Ultrasound device 100 may include a built-in hair comb 210 for removing the killed lice and lice eggs from the hank of hair. Ultrasound device handle 130 may have control buttons 230 and 240 that may be used to switch on and off the hand held device and to select the ultrasound device operational modes, such as the transmitted wave frequency, the energy and the pulse duration for example.

[0043] According to embodiments of the present invention, ultrasound device 100 transmitted wave frequency typical range is 20 -200 KHz and typical the pulse energy range is 1-10 milliwatts per square centimeter but any other ultrasound wave frequency and pulse energy known in the art and that are safe to use may be used and are in the scope of the present invention.

[0044] According to embodiments of the present invention, ultrasound device arms 110 and 120 may be elongated rectangular arms for example, or may have any other elongated arm shapes, and the elongated rounded arms illustrated in FIGs 1 and 2 are shown by way of example only and for purposes of illustrative discussion of embodiments of the present invention.

[0045] According to embodiments of the present invention, ultrasound device handle 130 may have other convenient handle shape design and furthermore may be connected to ultrasound device arms 110 and 120 in a 90 degrees angle for example. Any convenient handle shape known in the art may be used in embodiments of the present invention and such handle shape designs are in the scope of the present invention.

[0046] Optionally, a heat energy source may be installed in the first arm 110 or the second arm 120 in ultrasound device 100 for increasing the effectiveness of killing lice and lice eggs using the transmitted ultrasound waves.

[0047] While FIGs.l and 2 illustrate an ultrasound device for killing head lice and lice eggs, however the present invention is not limited to killing lice and may be used to kill other insects, such as pest, fleas and ticks from human hair and animals' fur for example.

[0048] Furthermore, embodiment of the present invention ultrasound device may be used for killing any micro-organisms including spores, virus, fungus, bacteria and insects residing on infected hair, and lice, fleas and ticks are merely given as an example of insects and any other micro-organisms and insects that may be killed using ultrasound are in the scope of the present invention. [0049] Advantageously, the ultrasound device described above may be used to kill lice instantly and without using toxic chemicals.

[0050] Another advantage of the ultrasound device described above is that lice eggs are killed by the transmitted ultrasound as well in contrast to prior art chemicals applied for lice killing that do not kill the lice eggs.

[0051] Another advantage of the ultrasound device described above is that insects cannot develop resistance to the applied ultrasound waves.

[0052] In summary, the ultrasound device described above improve the prior art methods for treating head lice and provide a convenient, safe and rapid method for killing lice, lice eggs, ticks and fleas from human hair and animals' fur.

[0053] It is appreciated that certain features of the invention, which are, for clarity, described in the context of separate embodiments, may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features of the invention which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable sub-combination.

[0054] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as are commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Although methods similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, suitable methods are described herein.

[0055] All publications, patent applications, patents, and other references mentioned herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. In case of conflict, the patent specification, including definitions, will prevail. In addition, the materials, methods, and examples are illustrative only and not intended to be limiting.

[0056] It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described hereinabove. Rather the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and includes both combinations and sub-combinations of the various features described hereinabove as well as variations and modifications thereof, which would occur to persons skilled in the art upon reading the foregoing description.