U.S. patent number 3,664,331 [Application Number 04/854,905] was granted by the patent office on 1972-05-23 for apparatus for medical treatment by vibrations.
Invention is credited to Gheorghe Filipovici.
United States Patent |
3,664,331 |
Filipovici |
May 23, 1972 |
APPARATUS FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT BY VIBRATIONS
Abstract
A device for the medical treatment of organic tissues by
vibrations having a lever with two opposite ends and a longitudinal
axis between them, and a bumper rigidly attached to one end of the
lever, the lever being mounted for universal pivoting movement and
for limited movement in the direction of its longitudinal axis. The
end of the lever opposite to the end at which the bumper is mounted
is arranged to engage a rotating eccentric cavity when pressure is
put on the bumper.
Inventors: |
Filipovici; Gheorghe
(Bucharest, RU) |
Family
ID: |
25319831 |
Appl.
No.: |
04/854,905 |
Filed: |
September 3, 1969 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
601/97 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61H
23/0254 (20130101); A61H 2201/1604 (20130101); A61H
2201/1685 (20130101); A61H 2201/1678 (20130101); A61H
2201/0153 (20130101); A61H 2205/026 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61H
23/02 (20060101); A61h 007/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/44-47,24.2,51-53 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Trapp; L. W.
Claims
I claim:
1. An apparatus for the medical treatment of organic tissue by
vibrations comprising, in combination:
a. a lever having two opposite ends between which extends a
longitudinal axis;
b. a bumper rigidly attached to one end of said lever;
c. means mounting said lever at a point intermediate its ends for
pivoting movement in all directions about such point and for
limited movement in the direction of its said longitudinal axis
between a first position and a second position;
d. means for biasing said lever toward said first position;
e. means mounted for rotation about an axis and defining a cavity
with an open end and an enclosed end, said cavity being in the
slope of a truncated cone with an open larger end and disposed
eccentrically with respect to the axis for rotation of said means
defining a cavity; and
f. engaging means rigidly attached to the other end of said lever
and arranged inside of said cavity and out of contact with the
sides of said cavity when said lever is in said first position, and
in contact with the sides of said cavity only when said lever is
pressed into said second position against said means for biasing so
that said means defining the cavity causes vibrations to be set up
in said engaging means, which vibrations pass through said lever to
said bumper.
2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including a
framework for partly housing said lever, said lever mounting means
said means mounted for rotation and said engaging means; a spindle,
two bearings mounting said spindle for rotation, one end of said
spindle having means for attachment to a rotating member and the
other end of said spindle being rotatably attached to said means
mounted for rotation.
3. An apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said lever defines a
sphere between its two ends and said means mounting said lever has
a sustaining bushing defining a seat to mate with said sphere of
said lever, and said means for biasing has a helicoid spring with a
flat end arranged to bias said sphere of said lever toward the
spherical fitting of said sustaining bushing, and an adjusting
screw nut attached to said framework and arranged to vary the
tension on said spring.
4. An apparatus as defined in claim 14, wherein said lever has a
bushing means at said one end for providing a quick disconnect and
an electrical isolation for said bumper.
5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein said bumper has a
bent vibrating arm, is interchangeable, and is hollow to hold oily
and paste vitaminic substances.
6. An apparatus as defined in claim 5, wherein said bearings for
mounting said spindle are interchangeable and removable from said
framework, and said connecting means defines a square opening for
receiving a mating section of said spindle; further including two
thin plates adjacent the square opening, a pin member passing
through transverse openings defined in said spindle and said
connecting means to secure said spindle with said connecting means,
and a sleeve arranged around said connecting means to protect said
connecting means, said sleeve being equipped with release means for
coupling with the end of a flexible cable of a dental unit grinder,
and a tightening screw nut means for connecting said connecting
means in said sleeve to said framework.
7. An apparatus as defined in claim 6, wherein said framework has a
conical piece for partly housing said lever and said adjusting
screw nut is fastened to said conical piece, and said sphere of
said lever is constructed of a hard alloy and defines a hole
through its diameter; further including a fastening screw securing
said screw nut to said conical piece, and a conducting pin passing
through the opening defined in said sphere.
8. An apparatus as defined in claim 7, wherein said one end of said
lever is a hollow support piece with a metallic bushing arranged
inside thereof, said bushing mounting said bumper being arranged
within said metallic bushing, and further including a counter nut
to retain said bumper in said bushing.
9. An apparatus as defined in claim 8, further including a
plurality of felt gaskets, an orifice defined in said framework and
a screw in said orifice, so that said spindle may be continuously
greased.
10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the frequency of
the vibrations at said bumper is varied by the rate of rotation of
said means mounted for rotation, the amplitude of the vibration at
said bumper is varied by varying the position of said engaging
means with respect to said cavity along said longitudinal axis, and
the intensity of the vibrations at said bumper is varied by varying
the pressure of said bumper on the organic tissue.
11. An apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein said turning nut
is so dimensioned that when it is rotated counterclockwise
360.degree. from the point at which vibrations have ceased, an
amplitude of vibration of 0.2 mm is obtained, and by repeating the
360.degree. rotation, amplitudes of 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 . . . mm are
obtained, and if said turning nut is rotated counterclockwise
180.degree., amplitude of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4 . . . mm are obtained,
and by turning said turning nut in the clockwise direction, the
amplitude of vibration is proportionately reduced.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention refers to an apparatus for medical treatment
by vibrations with prophylactic and curative application in a
series of diseases of some external and internal tissues and mucous
membranes of the human body, having a stimulating effect on the
peripheric circulation, positive results in the treatment of
superficial and progressive, acute and chronic deficiencies
specific for some tissues with adulterated trophicity.
The invention finds a larger application field in stomatology,
especially in some gum diseases, for example paradontal
deficiencies, affections of sinus etc. both in the incipient stage
and in prophylactic conditions.
There are already known apparatus for medical treatment by
vibrations, also called massage devices, which act on some tissues
and mucous membranes like gums, in which vibrations are produced by
an eccentric member; the to-and-fro movement being transmitted
further on as a similar to-and-fro movement or transformed into a
vibrating movement. These apparatus were further improved by
providing a four bevelled faced cylinder fitted at the end of the
driving spindle and acting on an arm equipped with an exchangable
massage bumper. This bumper comes back to its initial position each
time thanks to a special spring which provides counter pressure. To
drive these devices they can be fitted to a dental unit with a
flexible shaft or to the dental grinder.
These devices have limited performances, however, since only the
vibration frequency can be varied due to the variable speed motor
which is fitted to the dental unit, but the vibration amplitude and
intensity produced by the bumper cannot be varied. However, in
prophylactic and curative therapy of these diseases, besides the
variation of vibration frequency, the variation of vibration
amplitude and intensity are also necessary for the paradontal
tissular therapy, in relation to the sensitivity and endurance
possibilities of the patients. At the same time, the known devices
do not have an electric protection or isolation system to exclude a
possible electrocution of the patient, and the form and size of the
element which acts as the bumper, representing the active part
entering the patient's buccal cavity, is too big and difficult to
support and be moved in some areas of difficult access due to the
small available space in the buccal cavity.
From the standpoint of a thorough sterilization of the bumper
equipped arm for each patient, this cannot be satisfactorily
achieved, due to the fact that the active piece cannot be quickly
disassembled under sterile conditions from patient to patient, so
that maintenance becomes difficult.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These shortcomings are resolved by the device according to the
present invention, which in order to achieve a more complete
treatment, with prophylactic and curative application in various
diseases of some tissues and external and internal mucous membranes
of the human body, as for example gums, uses vibrations, with
stimulating effect on the peripheral circulation, conveyed by
bumpers. These vibrations have variable frequency, amplitude and
intensity by means of a vibratory system composed of a lever
equipped at one end with the bumper which is slightly pressed onto
the tissue, in the middle area with a joint sphere and at the other
end a little sphere which is in a bushing having a truncated cone
boring eccentric to the bushing spindle which is drawn into rotary
motion in order to transmit by friction to the bumper a vibrating
impulse at the contact between the sphere and boring at every
rotation of the busing.
Frequency variation of the vibrations is obtained by the variable
revolution of the bushing, the vibration amplitude variation is
obtained by the moving vibrating lever equipped with the small
sphere forwards and backwards in the eccentric truncated cone
boring, and the vibration intensity variation is achieved by
variation of the bumper pressure on the massaged tissue.
The above mentioned vibrating system is applied to a framework
which is used also as the handle of the device, and on whose
geometric axis is a spindle rotating in two bearings, which at one
end bears the connection means to a flexible cable driven by a
motor with variable speed and at the other end the busing with the
eccentric boring in the shape of a truncated cone. The handle bears
in front of the busing a gearing composed of the vibrating lever
with joint sphere and the means of moving the lever forwards and
backwards in comparison to the bushing with the eccentric and
truncated cone like boring.
The joint with the sphere, in which are included the sphere and the
vibration transmitting lever, is composed on one side of a
sustaining bushing with a spherical fitting and on the other side
of an helicoid spring with a flat processed end, and can be moved
forwards and backwards inside the handle by screwing up on
unscrewing the terminal nut of the handle under the spring's
tension.
The vibration transmitting lever bears a bushing on the outer side
of the handle for the connection of the bumper ended arm, which has
means for quickly changing and fixing the different bumper types,
as well as providing an electric isolation of the bumper equipped
arm.
The bumpers can have different shapes and hollows to place therein
vitaminic substances, oily or as paste, in order to control local
infectious agents and excite the nervous system at the paradontal
tissular lever; and by fixing the drug in the respective area, by
the transtissular approach, producing also a slight
hypertension.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional, partly schematic, side elevational
view through the apparatus for treatment of the gum tissues by
vibrations according to the present invention.
FIGS. 2a-d are cross-sectional views through different bumper
shapes.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The device according to the present invention includes a framework
1, which forms the device's handle and through which passes a
spindle 2, which rotates in two interchangable and removable
bearings 3,4; one end of the spindle 2 entering into an
eccentrically bored out truncated cone bushing 5, constructed of a
hard material to allow a frequency up to about 18,000 vibrations
per minute. One end of spindle 2 is secured to the bushing 5 by a
screw 6, the other end of the spindle 2 being fixed in a coupling
bushing 7, having a square hole with two thin plates; the securing
with the spindle 2 being made by pin 8. The bushing 7, with a
square hole, is protected at the exterior by a bushing, or sleeve,
9 equipped with a release a for the coupling of the flexible
cable's terminal part from the dental unit or dental grinder, which
is coupled to the device by the tightening screw nut 10. The
actuating spindle 2 is continuously greased by means of some felt
gaskets, 11,12, the oil being supplied through an orifice with
screw 13. To the handle 1, is bound by the screw thread, a conical
piece 14, houses inside the vibrating system composed of the
bushing 5 with a truncated cone like eccentric boring, or cavity,
within which a vibrating lever is sliding; this lever is formed of
a conical spindle 15 constructed, out of a hard alloy, with a
sphere c equipped joint, and is, provided at one end with a small
sphere, b. The spindle 15 is maintained in position by a helicoidal
spring 16 with a flat processed end resting on sphere c of the
joint, through which passes the conducting pin 17, of the spindle
15, on an axial course to be manipulated by an adjusting screw nut
18, for varying the vibrations amplitude. This is due to the face
that the small sphere b engages in and moves on variable sections
of the eccentric truncated cone like bushing 5. The connection
between the screw nut 18 and the sphere c is made by means of a
plastic sustaining bushing 19, which has a spherical fitting
permanently biasing, or pressing the joint sphere c against the
spring 16, the shifting of the joint sphere c between a first
position and a second position being limited by pin 17 engaging
another plastic bushing 20. The vibrations adjusting screw nut 18,
is secured to the conical piece 14 by a fastening screw 21. Inside
the conical spindle's end opposite to the small sphere b, is an
orifice with screw threads in which a straight or bent vibrating
arm 22, is screwed up; born by a supporting piece 23, which has
inside an electrical isolated bushing 24, in order to protect the
buccal cavity against electrocution, and a metallic bushing 24'
into which the vibrating arm 22 is threaded. Arm 22 supports a
bumper 26 at its other end, the latter can have several shapes A,
B, C, D, E (FIGS. 1 and 2a-2d) and hollows which can contain drugs,
being ensured against unscrewing by a screw, or counter, nut
27.
The device introduced in the buccal cavity, although set into
motion, produces vibrations only in the moment the bumper is passed
onto the gums; that is the small sphere b receives the vibrating
impulses due to the conical bushing 5 and it transmits the
vibrations through the vibrating arm onto the pressed area.
To adjust the vibrations amplitude 2a the device is held with one
hand and with the other the screw nut 18 is rotated in the
direction of the clock's hands until the vibrations cease
completely; subsequently the screw nut is turned with 360.degree.
in the counterclockwise direction and a vibration amplitude is
obtained of 0.2 mm. and by repeating this action amplitudes of 0.4;
0.6; 0.8 are obtained, or by rotating with 180.degree. amplitudes
of 0.1; 0.2; 0.3; 0.4 . . . .
By rotating in the opposite direction the amplitude of the
vibrations is adequately, or proportionately reduced.
Beside this method of increasing or decreasing objectively the
amplitude of the vibrations, the intensity of the vibrations can be
changed subjectively by pressing more or less the bumper 26 on the
treated area of the buccal cavity.
The device according to the present invention has the following
advantages the fact that by massaging the gingival line and the
interdental papilla of the paradontal tissue, it activates the
circulation improving the adulterated trophicity of the paradontal
tissues; the device can be used by the patient himself who can pass
the bumper on the gums according to what extent he supports
vibrations of certain intensities without having the disagreeable
sensation of introducing the device in the mouth with the vibrating
arm set to work; it can be simply sterilized by unscrewing only the
vibrating arm from the rest of the apparatus and introducing it in
the sterilization solution, and it avoids the peril of the
patient's electrocution during the treatment.
* * * * *