Patent ID: 9572996
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: A61F,A61N

Claim:
1. An apparatus for stimulating thermal-receptors lying in the skin of a patient with thermal stimuli, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of non-invasive stimulation units configured to irradiate the skin of the patient with electromagnetic radiation and generate thermal stimuli in the skin of the patient by absorbing the electromagnetic radiation, wherein the stimulation units respectively have a main surface at which the electromagnetic radiation is emitted and a plurality of side surfaces; a plurality of connection elements provided at the plurality of side surfaces, wherein the stimulation units can be connected to one another via the connection elements, with each stimulation unit having a first connection element that is a plug at one side surface and second connection elements that are sockets at all remaining side surfaces, such that the first and the second connection elements are structurally configured to engage within one another to produce a connection; and a plurality of spacers that each have a plug at one side surface that can be mechanically connected to a socket of only one of the stimulation units, wherein each of the spacers protrudes a distance from the main surface in order to create a spacing between the main surface of the stimulation units and the skin of the patient, wherein the plurality of spacers are configured to be connected to an array of the plurality of stimulation units when the plurality of stimulation units are directly connected to each other via the first and second connection elements.