ACUPUNCTURE SET FOR DOUBLE BLIND TEST

An acupuncture set for double-blind tests includes a support member whose one surface is in contact with skin of a subject and in which a through hole is formed in a vertical direction, a filling member coupled in a through hole of the support member and provided in a pipe shape with one side shielded, a hollow guide member, wherein a portion of a lower part of the hollow guide member is combined to a through hole of the support member and first guide protrusions protrude from an inside of the hollow guide member, and a moving member configured to move in a vertical direction within the guide member in a state of being combined with a needle body.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to an acupuncture set for double-blind tests designed to make it difficult for not only a subject but also a practitioner to distinguish whether a used acupuncture needle is real or sham in verifying the therapeutic effect of acupuncture, and more particularly to an acupuncture set for double-blind tests which is designed to guide start and end positions of a needle body during acupuncture to improve the reliability of a verification result.

2. Description of Related Art

Recently, studies that statistically investigate the treatment effects of acupuncture have been actively conducted. As a method of investigating the therapeutic effect of such acupuncture, a method of comparing the case of applying real acupuncture to subjects and the case of applying sham acupuncture to subjects is mainly used. That is, it is to compare the effect of an acupuncture group applied with a real needle to the effect of a control group applied with stimulation similar to acupuncture, e.g., placebo stimulation, on the subject's acupuncture points.

However, as a conventional method of examining acupuncture treatment effects, a method of masking only a subject, i.e., a single-blind method that only blocks visually, is widely practiced, so there is a problem in that the operator's expectation or enthusiasm for acupuncture is transmitted to the subject.

Therefore, to strictly confirm the effect of acupuncture, there is a need for a double-blind test wherein masking is performed on an operator as well as a subject such that both the operator and the subject do not know whether a current acupuncture needle is a real needle or a sham needle.

Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and it is one object of the present invention to provide an acupuncture set for double-blind with improved reliability in verifying the treatment effect of acupuncture by guiding the start and end positions of a needle body so that the needle body can be inserted to a constant depth of the skin of a subject a during acupuncture application.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an acupuncture set for double-blind tests provided with an elastic plate formed to have elasticity similar to the human skin tissue inside to penetrate an elastic plate during a procedure, thereby making it impossible for both an operator and a subject to distinguish a real needle or a sham needle.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an acupuncture set for double-blind tests capable of improving the reliability of verification results by guiding the start and end positions of a needle body so that a needle body can be placed at a correct position during acupuncture application.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects can be accomplished by the provision of an acupuncture set for double-blind tests, including: a support member whose one surface is in contact with skin of a subject and in which a through hole is formed in a vertical direction; a filling member coupled in a through hole of the support member and provided in a pipe shape with one side shielded; a hollow guide member, wherein a portion of a lower part of the hollow guide member is combined to a through hole of the support member and first guide protrusions protrude from an inside of the hollow guide member; and a moving member configured to move in a vertical direction within the guide member in a state of being combined with a needle body, wherein a portion of the moving member guides a start of acupuncture application by being caught in the first guide protrusions, and the moving member passes through the first guide protrusions during applying acupuncture and is seated on a top of the guide member to guide the needle body to penetrate the filling member and the skin of the subject.

In addition, guide grooves into which the first guide protrusions are inserted may be formed on an outside of the moving member.

In addition, the plural first guide protrusions may be provided in a hemispherical shape and arranged to be spaced apart from each other along an inner circumference of the guide member.

In addition, second guide protrusions located below the first guide protrusions may protrude from an inner side surface of the guide member, and the moving member may be caught in the second guide protrusions during acupuncture application and may guide the needle body to be inserted to a predetermined depth of the skin of the subject.

In addition, the second guide protrusions may be formed in a hemispherical shape, and the predetermined depth may be 3 mm to 10 mm.

In addition, a surface to be in contact with the subject skin of the filling member may be provided with a film having elasticity similar to human skin tissue.

In addition, a step may be formed on an inside of the support member so that a lower side surface of the guide member is seated on the step.

In addition, the support member may include a cylindrical coupling part in which the through hole is formed in a vertical direction; and a support part extending outward from a lower side end of the coupling part and contacting the skin of the subject, and the lower side surface of the support part may be provided with a medical adhesive film to prevent the support member from separating from the skin of the subject during applying acupuncture.

In addition, the moving member may include: an insertion part formed to be movable in a vertical direction by an operator in a state of being inserted into the guide member, wherein a step on which a part of the needle body is seated is provided inside the insertion part, and a seating part configured to extend outward from an upper side end of the insertion part and to guide termination of acupuncture application by sitting on a top of the guide member.

In addition, the needle body may include: a needle body part coupled to an inside of the moving member; and a needle tip part protruding downward from the needle body part and having a sharp end to penetrate the skin of the subject.

In addition, the acupuncture set for double-blind tests according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a current supply part configured to deliver electrical stimulation signals to the skin by supplying a current to the needle body.

In addition, an upper side portion of the needle body may be exposed to an outside of the moving member to be connected to the current supply part.

In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an acupuncture set for double-blind tests, including: a support member whose one surface is in contact with skin of a subject and in which a through hole is formed in a vertical direction; a filling member coupled in a through hole of the support member and provided in a pipe shape with one side shielded; a hollow guide member, wherein a portion of a lower part of the hollow guide member is combined to a through hole of the support member and first guide protrusions protrude from an inside of the hollow guide member; a moving member configured to move in a vertical direction within the guide member in a state of being combined with a needle body, wherein guide grooves formed a side part of the moving member are caught in the first guide protrusions and guide a start of acupuncture application, and the moving member passes through the first guide protrusions during applying acupuncture and is seated on a top of the guide member to guide the needle body to penetrate the support plate and the skin of the subject; and a current supply part configured to supply a current to a needle body exposed to an outside of the moving member and transmit an electrical stimulation signal to the subject skin.

In addition, second guide protrusions located below the first guide protrusions may protrude from an inner side surface of the guide member, and the moving member may be caught in the second guide protrusions during acupuncture application and may guide the needle body to be inserted to a depth of 3 mm to 10 mm of the skin of the subject.

In addition, the plural first guide protrusions and the plural second guide protrusions may be provided in a hemispherical shape and may be arranged to be spaced from each other along an inner circumference of the guide member.

In accordance with still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an acupuncture set for double-blind tests, including: a support member whose one surface is in contact with skin of a subject and in which a through hole is formed in a vertical direction; a filling member coupled in a through hole of the support member and provided in a pipe shape with one side shielded; a hollow guide member, wherein a portion of a lower part of the hollow guide member is combined to a through hole of the support member and first guide protrusions protrude from an inside of the hollow guide member; an elastic plate formed to have elasticity similar to human skin tissue and coupled to a lower part of the guide member; and a moving member configured to move in a vertical direction within the guide member in a state of being combined with a needle body, wherein a portion of the moving member guides a start of acupuncture application by being caught in the first guide protrusions, and the moving member passes through the first guide protrusions and is seated on a top of the guide member during applying acupuncture to guide an end of the needle body to penetrate the elastic plate, but not to penetrate the filling member.

In addition, guide grooves into which the first guide protrusions are inserted may be formed on an outside of the moving member.

In addition, the plural first guide protrusions may be provided in a hemispherical shape and arranged to be spaced apart from each other along an inner circumference of the guide member.

In addition, second guide protrusions located below the first guide protrusions may protrude from an inner side surface of the guide member, and the moving member may be caught in the second guide protrusions during acupuncture application and may guide an end of the needle body to penetrate the elastic plate and to be located in the through hole.

In addition, the plural second guide protrusions may be formed in a hemispherical shape and arranged to be spaced apart from each other along an inner circumference of the guide member.

In addition, a surface to be in contact with the subject skin of the filling member may be provided with a film having elasticity similar to human skin tissue.

In addition, a step may be formed on an inside of the support member so that a lower side surface of the guide member is seated on the step.

In addition, the support member may include a cylindrical coupling part in which the through hole is formed in a vertical direction; and a support part extending outward from a lower side end of the coupling part and contacting the skin of the subject, and the lower side surface of the support part may be provided with a medical adhesive film to prevent the support member from separating from the skin of the subject during applying acupuncture.

In addition, the moving member may include: an insertion part formed to be movable in a vertical direction by an operator in a state of being inserted into the guide member, wherein a step on which a part of the needle body is seated is provided inside the insertion part, and a seating part configured to extend outward from an upper side end of the insertion part and to guide termination of acupuncture application by sitting on a top of the guide member.

In addition, after termination of acupuncture application, an end of the needle body may be seated on a shielding side of the filling member.

In addition, the needle body may include: a needle body part coupled to an inside of the moving member; and a needle tip part protruding downward from the needle body part and having a polished flat end to penetrate the elastic plate.

In addition, the acupuncture set for double-blind tests according to still another embodiment of the present invention further includes a current supply part configured to deliver electrical stimulation signals to the skin by supplying a current to the needle body.

In addition, an upper side portion of the needle body may be exposed to an outside of the moving member to be connected to the current supply part.

In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an acupuncture set for double-blind tests, including: a support member whose one surface is in contact with skin of a subject and in which a through hole is formed in a vertical direction; a filling member coupled in a through hole of the support member and provided in a pipe shape with one side shielded; a hollow guide member, wherein a portion of a lower part of the hollow guide member is combined to a through hole of the support member and first guide protrusions protrude from an inside of the hollow guide member; an elastic plate formed to have elasticity similar to human skin tissue and coupled to a lower part of the guide member; and a moving member configured to move in a vertical direction within the guide member in a state of being combined with a needle body; and a current supply part configured to supply a current to a needle body exposed to an outside of the moving member to transmit an electrical stimulation signal to the subject skin, wherein a portion of the moving member guides a start of acupuncture application by being caught in the first guide protrusions, and the moving member passes through the first guide protrusions and is seated on a top of the guide member during applying acupuncture to guide an end of the needle body to penetrate the elastic plate, but not to penetrate the filling member.

In addition, second guide protrusions located below the first guide protrusions may protrude from an inner side surface of the guide member, and the moving member may be caught in the second guide protrusions during acupuncture application and may guide an end of the needle body to penetrate the elastic plate and to be located in the through hole.

In addition, the plural first guide protrusions and the plural second guide protrusions may be provided in a hemispherical shape and arranged to be spaced from each other along an inner circumference of the guide member.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, an acupuncture set for double-blind tests according to a preferred embodiment including a real acupuncture set for double-blind tests and a sham acupuncture set for double-blind tests will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Here, the same reference numerals are used for the same components, and repeated descriptions and detailed descriptions of well-known functions and configurations that may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the invention are omitted. Embodiments of the invention are provided to more completely explain the present invention to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the shapes and sizes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity.

FIG.1illustrates a sectional view of a real acupuncture set for double-blind tests according to an embodiment of the present invention, andFIG.2illustrates an exploded view of the real acupuncture set ofFIG.1. In addition,FIG.3is a drawing for explaining an operation of the real acupuncture set for double-blind tests shown inFIG.1.

Referring toFIGS.1to3, a real acupuncture set100for double-blind tests may include a support member110, a filling member120, a guide member130, and a moving member140. Here, double-blind means a technique in which both an experimenter and a subject do not know whether an actual change is actually taking place in a study to verify the effect of a certain experiment. That is, double-blind in the present specification refers to a technique for making it difficult for an operator as well as a subject to distinguish whether an acupuncture needle is a real needle or a sham needle when performing acupuncture on the subject. The real acupuncture set100for double-blind tests as described above is a construction corresponding to a real needle of the acupuncture set for double-blind tests.

One surface of the support member110may be in contact with the skin S of a subject, and a through hole110amay be formed in a vertical direction of the support member110. For example, the support member110may be formed of a polypropylene material that is easy to process and has good strength and may include a coupling part111and a support part112.

A lower side surface of the coupling part111may be in contact with the skin S of a subject, and may be formed in a cylindrical shape wherein the through hole110ais formed in a vertical direction at an inner center of the coupling part111.

The support part112may extend outward from the lower side end of the coupling part111and may be in contact with the skin S of a subject. In addition, to prevent the support member110from being separated from the skin S of a subject during applying acupuncture, the medical adhesive film160may be provided on a lower side surface of the support part112. For example, the medical adhesive film160may be the1522transparent double-sided Medical adhesive film manufactured by3M, and may be processed into a shape corresponding to the lower side surface of the support part112and bonded to the lower side surface of the support part112.

The filling member120may be provided in a pipe shape coupled to the through hole110aof the support member110and configured to have one shielded side. For example, the filling member120is formed in a cylindrical shape wherein an insertion hole120ais formed long in a longitudinal direction at an inner center of the filling member120so that an end of the needle body150can pass therethrough. For example, the filling member120may be formed of a silicone material.

As the filling member120is formed of a material having elasticity similar to the human skin S tissue as described above, an operator cannot distinguish whether the needle body150penetrates the filling member120and is inserted into the actual skin S or is inserted only into the filling member120. Therefore, it is difficult for the operator to distinguish whether the real acupuncture set100for double-blind tests used in experiments to prove the verification effect of acupuncture is a real needle or a sham needle.

A portion of a lower part of the guide member130may be coupled to the through hole110aof the support member110, and first guide protrusions131may protrude from the inside of the guide member130. For example, the guide member130may be formed in a cylindrical shape with a hollow130aformed therein and may be formed of a polypropylene material. In addition, a step113may be formed inside the support member110so that the guide member130may be coupled to the inside of the support member110while a lower side surface of the guide member130is seated on the step113. For example, the guide member130may be coupled to the inside of the support member110by means of tight fitting, screw coupling, bonding coupling, or the like.

The first guide protrusions131protruding from the inside of the guide member130may be provided in a hemispherical shape, and the plural first guide protrusions131may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other along an inner circumference of the guide member130. For example, a pair of first guide protrusions131may be provided to face each other inside the guide member130. Here, the number of the first guide protrusions131is not limited to the embodiment. In addition, the first guide protrusions131may be provided in multiple stages arranged to be spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction as shown inFIG.1. When the first guide protrusions131are arranged in multiple stages as described above, the coupling force to the moving member140to be described below may be improved.

The moving member140may move in a vertical direction within the guide member130in a state of being coupled to the needle body150. For example, a portion of the moving member140may guide the start of acupuncture application by being caught in the first guide protrusions131, and may guide the needle body150to penetrate the filling member120and the skin S of the subject by passing through the first guide protrusions131and being seated on the top of the guide member130during applying acupuncture. The filling member320may guide such that the skin surface is pressed to a depth of about 3 mm without penetrating the skin.

Specifically, the moving member140may be formed of a polypropylene material and may include an insertion part141and a seating part142.

The insertion part141may be formed to be movable in a vertical direction by an operator in a state of being inserted into the guide member130, and a step143on which a portion of the needle body150is seated may be formed inside the insertion part141. In addition, guide grooves141ainto which the first guide protrusions131of the guide member130are inserted may be formed at an outer part of the insertion part141. Accordingly, when the moving member140is moved downward in a state in which a lower side end of the moving member140is inserted into the hollow130a, the first guide protrusions131of the guide member130may be caught in the guide grooves141aof the moving member140and the movement of the moving member140may be stopped. That is, the state in which the guide grooves141aof the moving member140and the first guide protrusions131of the guide member130are coupled to each other may be a starting point for acupuncture application. Here, a pointed end of the needle body150may be positioned within the through hole110aof the support member110as shown in (a) ofFIG.3.

The seating part142may extend outward from an upper side end of the insertion part141and may be seated on an upper end of the guide member130to guide the end of the acupuncture application. That is, when force is applied in a downward direction to the moving member140in the state of (a) ofFIG.3, the moving member140may be deformed toward the inner coupling hole140a, and the coupling between the first guide protrusions131and the guide grooves141amay be released, so that the moving member140may move in a downward direction. When the seating part142, which protrudes outward from the insertion part141, is caught in the top of the guide member130in the state, the moving member140may stop moving, and the moving member140may no longer move, so that the acupuncture may be terminated. Here, the pointed end of the needle body150may be formed to penetrate the skin S of a subject as shown in (c) ofFIG.3.

Meanwhile, the guide member130may further include second guide protrusions132located below the first guide protrusions131. For example, the second guide protrusions132may be formed in a hemispherical shape protruding from the inner surface of the guide member130, and may be located about 7 mm below the first guide protrusions131. Accordingly, the moving member140may guide the needle body150to be inserted into the skin S of a subject by a predetermined depth by being caught in the second guide protrusions132during acupuncture application as shown in (b) ofFIG.3.

The reason for adjusting the insertion depth of the needle body150through the moving member140before the end of the acupuncture application is to insert the end of the needle body150more deeply to a desired depth by rotating the needle body150after penetrating the end of the needle body150through the skin S to a certain depth because deeply inserting the end of the needle body150into the skin S at once may cause pain to a subject and cause bending of the thin needle. That is, the second guide protrusions132are for guiding the end of the needle body150to be inserted to a predetermined depth of the skin S of a subject during acupuncture application, and the end of the needle body150may be inserted to a depth of about 3 to 10 mm before the end of acupuncture application.

For example, when an external force is applied downward to the moving member140in a preparation step for acupuncture application in (a) ofFIG.3, the moving member140may move downward along the inner wall of the guide member130, and the lower side end of the moving member140may be caught in the upper end of the second guide protrusions132so that the movement of the moving member140is stopped. Here, the end of the needle body150coupled to the moving member140may be inserted to a depth of 3 mm to 10 mm into the skin S of the subject, and when the moving member140or the needle body150is gripped and rotated in one direction in the state, the needle body150goes deeper into the skin S as shown in (c) ofFIG.3.

The needle body150is coupled to the moving member140to operate in conjunction with the moving member140, and may include a needle body part151and a needle tip part152.

The needle body part151is a part forming an upper part of the needle body150, and may be coupled to the inside of the moving member140by means of tight fitting, screw coupling, or the like. Here, the step143may be formed inside the moving member140, so that the lower side end of the needle body part151is seated on and coupled to the step143of the moving member140.

The needle tip part152may form a lower part of the needle body150, may be inserted into the skin S, may protrude downward from the needle body part151, and has a sharp end for penetrating the skin S of a subject. For example, the needle tip part152may be placed in the through hole110aof the support member110as shown in (a) ofFIG.3when the moving member140is caught in the first guide protrusions131, may be arranged to penetrate the skin S of a subject as shown in (b) ofFIG.3when the moving member140is caught in the second guide protrusions132, and may be inserted more deeply into the skin S of a subject than in the state shown in (b) ofFIG.3as shown in (c) ofFIG.3when the moving member140is seated on top of the guide member130.

An end of the needle tip part152may be disposed in the support member110so as not to be visible from the outside. For example, the pointed end of the needle tip part152may not be visible from the outside by forming the support member110with an opaque material. Accordingly, since both an operator and a subject cannot visually confirm that the needle body150is inserted into the skin S, it cannot be distinguished whether the needle is a real needle or a sham needle during the procedure using the real acupuncture set100for double-blind tests.

FIG.4illustrates a sectional view of a real acupuncture set for double-blind tests according to another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment will be described focusing on the contents that are different from the embodiment described above.

Referring toFIG.4, a real acupuncture set200for double-blind tests may further include a current supply part170configured to supply an electric current to the needle body150and transmit an electrical stimulation signal to the skin S.

For example, an upper side portion of the needle body part151may be exposed to the outside of the moving member140so that the needle body150is connected to the current supply part170. Accordingly, when the current supply part170is electrically connected to the needle body part151, the current supply part170may supply a current having a frequency in the range of 1 Hz to 100 Hz to the needle body150. Here, the current supply part170may include a variable resistor, a controller, and the like to supply a current having a frequency in a range of 1 Hz to 100 Hz to the needle body150. Since this structure is already known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As the real acupuncture set200for double-blind tests is equipped with the current supply part170, it is possible to test and verify the treatment effect of electric acupuncture as well as general acupuncture.

Since the real acupuncture set100for double-blind tests can guide the start and end positions of the needle body150as described above, acupuncture can always start at the same position and end at the same position. Accordingly, since the needle body150is always inserted into the skin S by the same depth during acupuncture, accuracy can be improved in verifying the treatment effect of acupuncture.

In addition, the moving member140gets caught in the second guide protrusions132during acupuncture application so that the needle body150is not completely inserted, thereby reducing the pain of acupuncture to a subject. Therefore, it is difficult for a subject to distinguish an acupuncture needle from a real needle or a sham needle, which can improve the reliability of the real acupuncture set100for double-blind tests.

In addition, the support member110is formed of an opaque material such that the end of the needle body150is not visible from the outside, whereby both an operator and a subject cannot distinguish whether the needle of the real acupuncture set100for double-blind test is a real needle or a sham needle. This can improve the reliability of the real acupuncture set100for double-blind tests.

Hereinafter, a method of using a real acupuncture set for double-blind tests is described with reference toFIGS.1to4.

First, the tip of the moving member140is inserted into the guide member130, and then the first guide protrusions131are temporarily coupled to the guide grooves141ato prepare for the start of acupuncture application. In this state, the lower side surface of the support member110is seated on the skin S of a subject, and then the moving member140is moved downward such that the pointed end of the needle body150can penetrate the skin S of a subject. Here, the medical adhesive film160is provided on a lower side surface of the support member110to prevent the support member110from being separated from the skin S of a subject.

Next, the moving member140moves in the downward direction, and the lower side surface of the moving member140is caught in the second guide protrusions132during the movement of the moving member140so that the pointed end of the needle body150can be inserted to a depth of about 3 mm of the skin S of a subject. Here, since the support member110is made of an opaque material, it is not visible from the outside that the tip of the needle body150is inserted into the skin S, so both an operator and a subject cannot distinguish during acupuncture application whether the acupuncture needle is a real needle or a sham needle.

When force is applied downward while rotating the needle body150in the state, the needle body150goes deeper into the skin S of a subject. Here, when the seating part142of the moving member140is seated on the top of the guide member130, the acupuncture application may be ended, and after the acupuncture application, the end of the needle body150may be inserted to a depth of about 10 mm of the skin S of a subject.

As the start and end positions of the needle body150are always kept constant during acupuncture in such a manner, reliability can be improved in verifying the treatment effect of acupuncture.

Meanwhile, in a state in which the needle body150is inserted into the skin S of the subject, electrical acupuncture may be performed by connecting a terminal of the current supply part170to the needle tip part152. For example, the current supply part170may supply a current having a frequency in a range of 1 Hz to 100 Hz to the needle tip part152. In this case, the needle tip part152may transfer the electrical stimulation signal of the current to the skin S, so that the treatment effect of electrical acupuncture can be tested and verified.

FIG.5illustrates a sectional view of a sham acupuncture set for double-blind tests according to an embodiment of the present invention, andFIG.6illustrates an exploded view of the real acupuncture set ofFIG.5. In addition,FIG.7is a drawing for explaining an operation of the sham acupuncture set for double-blind tests shown inFIG.5.

Referring toFIGS.5to7, a sham acupuncture set300for double-blind tests may include a support member310, a filling member320, a guide member330, an elastic plate340, and a moving member350. Here, double-blind means a technique in which both an experimenter and a subject do not know whether an actual change is actually taking place in a study to verify the effect of a certain experiment. That is, double-blind in the present specification refers to a technique for making it difficult for an operator as well as a subject to distinguish whether an acupuncture needle is a real needle or a sham needle when performing acupuncture on the subject. The sham acupuncture set300for double-blind tests as described above is a construction corresponding to a sham needle of the acupuncture set for double-blind tests.

One surface of the support member310may be in contact with the skin S of a subject, and a through hole310amay be formed in a vertical direction of the support member310. For example, the support member310may be formed of a polypropylene material that is easy to process and has good strength and may include a coupling part311and a support part312.

A lower side surface of the coupling part311may be in contact with the skin S of a subject, and may be formed in a cylindrical shape wherein the through hole310ais formed in a vertical direction at an inner center of the coupling part311.

The support part312may extend outward from the lower side end of the coupling part311and may be in contact with the skin S of a subject. In addition, to prevent the support member310from being separated from the skin S of a subject during applying acupuncture, the medical adhesive film360may be provided on a lower side surface of the support part312. For example, the medical adhesive film360may be the1522transparent double-sided Medical adhesive film manufactured by3M, and may be processed into a shape corresponding to the lower side surface of the support part312and bonded to the lower side surface of the support part312.

The filling member320may be provided in a pipe shape coupled to the through hole310aof the support member310and configured to have one shielded side. For example, the filling member320is formed in a cylindrical shape wherein an insertion hole320ais formed long in a longitudinal direction at an inner center of the filling member320so that an end of the needle body360can pass therethrough. For example, the filling member320may be formed of a silicone material, and the film321may be formed through a shielding surface.

As the filling member320is formed of a material having elasticity similar to the human skin tissue as described above, an operator can give a feeling of being seated on the skin S when the needle body360is seated on the filling member320.

A portion of a lower part of the guide member330may be coupled to the through hole310aof the support member310, and first guide protrusions331may protrude from the inside of the guide member330. For example, the guide member330may be formed in a cylindrical shape with a hollow330aformed therein and may be formed of a polypropylene material. In addition, a step313may be formed inside the support member310so that the guide member330may be coupled to the inside of the support member310while a lower side surface of the guide member330is seated on the step313. For example, the guide member330may be coupled to the inside of the support member310by means of tight fitting, screw coupling, bonding coupling, or the like.

The first guide protrusions331protruding from the inside of the guide member330may be provided in a hemispherical shape, and the plural first guide protrusions331may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other along an inner circumference of the guide member330. For example, a pair of first guide protrusions331may be provided to face each other inside the guide member330. Here, the number of the first guide protrusions331is not limited to the embodiment. In addition, the first guide protrusions331may be provided in multiple stages arranged to be spaced apart from each other in a vertical direction as shown inFIG.5. When the first guide protrusions331are arranged in multiple stages as described above, the coupling force to the moving member350to be described below may be improved.

The elastic plate340may be formed to have elasticity similar to the human skin tissue and may be coupled to the lower part of the guide member330. For example, the elastic plate340may be formed of a silicone material and may be bonded and coupled to the lower portion of the guide member330. The elastic plate340may be provided in the shape of a thin disk of 1 mm to 10 mm. When the elastic plate340is provided to a thickness of less than 1 mm, the elastic plate340may be torn when the needle body360passes therethrough. When the thickness exceeds 10 mm, the flat end of the needle body360may not pass through the elastic plate340.

As the elastic plate340is formed to have elasticity similar to the human skin tissue as described above, an operator cannot distinguish whether the needle body360is actually inserted into the skin S or penetrates the elastic plate340when the needle body360penetrates the elastic plate340. Therefore, the sham acupuncture set300for double-blind tests used in the experiment makes it difficult for an operator to distinguish a real needle or a sham needle, thereby improving the reliability of the experiment results.

The moving member350may move in a vertical direction within the guide member330in a state of being coupled to the needle body360. For example, a portion of the moving member350may guide the start of acupuncture application by being caught in the first guide protrusions331, and may guide the end of the needle body360to penetrate the elastic plate340and to press the skin surface to a depth of about 3 mm without penetrating the filling member320by passing through the first guide protrusions331and being seated on the top of the guide member330during applying acupuncture.

Specifically, the moving member340may be formed of a polypropylene material and may include an insertion part351and a seating part342.

The insertion part351may be formed to be movable in a vertical direction by an operator in a state of being inserted into the guide member330, and a step343on which a portion of the needle body360is seated may be formed inside the insertion part351. In addition, guide grooves351ainto which the first guide protrusions331of the guide member330are inserted may be formed at an outer part of the insertion part351. Accordingly, when the moving member350is moved downward in a state in which a lower side end of the moving member350is inserted into the hollow330a, the first guide protrusions331of the guide member330may be caught in the guide grooves351aof the moving member350and the movement of the moving member350may be stopped. That is, the state in which the guide grooves351aof the moving member350and the first guide protrusions331of the guide member330are coupled to each other may be a starting point for acupuncture application. Here, a pointed end of the needle body360may be positioned within the guide member330as shown in (a) ofFIG.7.

The seating part352may extend outward from an upper side end of the insertion part351and may be seated on an upper end of the guide member330to guide the end of the acupuncture application. That is, when force is applied in a downward direction to the moving member350in the state of (a) ofFIG.7, the moving member350may be deformed toward the inner coupling hole350a, and the coupling between the first guide protrusions331and the guide grooves351amay be released, so that the moving member350may move in a downward direction. When the seating part352, which protrudes outward from the insertion part351, is caught in the top of the guide member330in the state, the moving member350may stop moving, and the moving member350may no longer move, so that the acupuncture may be terminated.

After completion of the acupuncture application, the end of the needle body360may penetrate the elastic plate340and press the film321, which is the shielding surface of the filling member320, to a depth of about 3 mm from the skin surface, as shown in (c) ofFIG.7. Here, since the filling member320is made of an elastic material, the film321may be deformed downward when the end of the needle body360presses the film321. Due to the deformation of the film321, a subject can feel that the end of the needle body360actually penetrates the skin.

Meanwhile, the guide member330may further include second guide protrusions332located below the first guide protrusions331. For example, the second guide protrusions332may be formed in a hemispherical shape protruding from the inner surface of the guide member330, and may be located about 7 mm below the first guide protrusions331. Accordingly, as shown in (b) ofFIG.7, the moving member350may guide the end of the needle body360to penetrate the elastic plate340and be positioned within the through hole310aby being caught in the second guide protrusions332during acupuncture application.

For example, when an external force is applied downward to the moving member350in a preparation step for acupuncture application in (a) ofFIG.7, the moving member350may move downward along the inner wall of the guide member330, and the lower side end of the moving member350may be caught in the upper end of the second guide protrusions332so that the movement of the moving member350is stopped. Here, the end of the needle body360coupled to the moving member350may be formed to penetrate the elastic plate340, and when the moving member350or the needle body360is gripped and rotated in one direction in the state, the needle body360may go deeper and press the film321of the filling member320to a depth of about 3 mm from the skin surface as shown in (c) ofFIG.7.

When the needle body360is inserted and moves through the elastic plate340in such a manner, it is possible to give an operator a feeling that the skin S of a subject is being injected, thereby improving the reliability of the experimental results.

The needle body360is coupled to the moving member350to operate in conjunction with the moving member350, and may include a needle body part361and a needle tip part362.

The needle body part361is a part forming an upper part of the needle body360, and may be coupled to the inside of the moving member350by means of tight fitting, screw coupling, or the like. Here, the step353may be formed inside the moving member350, so that the lower side end of the needle body part361is seated on and coupled to the step353of the step350.

The needle tip part362may form a lower part of the needle body360and may protrude downward from the needle body part361. The end of the needle tip part362which penetrate the elastic plate may be polished, thereby being formed in a flat shape. For example, the needle tip part362may be placed in a hole330aof the guide member330as shown in (a) ofFIG.7when the moving member350is caught in the first guide protrusions331, may penetrate the plate340and be placed in the insertion hole320aof the filling member320as shown in (b) ofFIG.7when the moving member350is caught in the second guide protrusions332, and may press the film321of the filling member320to a depth of about 3 mm from the skin surface as shown in (c) ofFIG.7when the moving member350is seated on top of the guide member330.

An end of the needle tip part362may be disposed in the support member310so as not to be visible from the outside. For example, the end of the needle tip part362may not be visible from the outside by forming the support member310with an opaque material. Accordingly, since both an operator and a subject cannot visually confirm that the needle body360is inserted into the skin S, it cannot be distinguished whether the needle is a real needle or a sham needle during the procedure using the sham acupuncture set300for double-blind tests.

FIG.8illustrates a sectional view of a sham acupuncture set for double-blind tests according to another embodiment of the present invention. This embodiment will be described focusing on the contents that are different from the embodiment described above.

Referring toFIG.8, a sham acupuncture set400for double-blind tests may further include a current supply part370configured to supply an electric current to the needle body360and transmit an electrical stimulation signal to the skin S.

For example, an upper side portion of the needle body part631may be exposed to the outside of the moving member350so that the needle body360is connected to the current supply part370. Accordingly, when the current supply part370is electrically connected to the needle body part361, the current supply part370may supply a current having a frequency in the range of 1 Hz to 100 Hz to the needle body360. Here, the current supply part370may include a variable resistor, a controller, and the like to supply a current having a frequency in a range of 1 Hz to 100 Hz to the needle body360. Since this structure is already known, a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

As the sham acupuncture set400for double-blind tests is equipped with the current supply part370, it is possible to test and verify the treatment effect of electric acupuncture as well as general acupuncture.

Since the elastic plate340having elasticity similar to that of the human skin tissue is provided inside the sham acupuncture set300for double-blind tests and the needle body360penetrates the elastic plate340during acupuncture application as described above, it may be implemented so that both an operator and a subject cannot distinguish between a real needle and a sham needle. Therefore, the reliability of double-blind can be improved, and more accurate investigation results can be provided in verifying the treatment effect of acupuncture.

In addition, as the start and end positions of the needle body360are guided during acupuncture application, the needle body360may be placed at an accurate position during the acupuncture application, thereby increasing the reliability of the sham acupuncture set300for double-blind tests.

In addition, the support member310is formed of an opaque material such that the end of the needle body360is not visible from the outside, whereby both an operator and a subject cannot distinguish whether the needle of the sham acupuncture set300for double-blind test is a real needle or a sham needle. This can improve the reliability of the sham acupuncture set300for double-blind tests.

Hereinafter, a method of using a sham acupuncture set for double-blind tests is described with reference toFIGS.5to8.

First, the tip of the moving member350is inserted into the guide member330, and then the first guide protrusions331are temporarily coupled to the guide grooves351ato prepare for the start of acupuncture application. In this state, the lower side surface of the support member310is seated on the skin S of a subject, and then the moving member350is moved downward such that the end of the needle body360can penetrate the elastic plate340. Here, the medical adhesive film360is provided on a lower side surface of the support member310to prevent the support member310from being separated from the skin S of a subject.

Next, the moving member350may move in the downward direction, and the lower side surface of the moving member350may be caught by the second guide protrusions332during the movement so that the end of the needle body360penetrates the elastic plate340and is placed in the filling member320.

As the end of the needle body360is formed to penetrate the elastic plate340, which is similar to the human skin tissue, in such a manner, reliability in double-blind experiments can be improved by giving a subject the feeling of being actually inserted into the skin S. In addition, since the support member310is made of an opaque material, it is not visible from the outside that the tip of the needle body360is inserted into the skin S, so both an operator and a subject cannot distinguish during acupuncture application whether the acupuncture needle is a real needle or a sham needle.

When force is applied downward while rotating the needle body360in this state, the needle body360may go deeper and press the film321of the filling member320to a depth of about 3 mm from the skin surface. As the acupuncture application may be terminated when the end of the needle body360presses the film321to a depth of about 3 mm from the skin surface in such a manner and the start and end positions of the needle body360are always kept constant during acupuncture, reliability can be improved in verifying the treatment effect of acupuncture.

Meanwhile, in a state in which the needle body360is inserted into the skin S of the subject, electrical acupuncture may be performed by connecting a terminal of the current supply part370to the needle tip part362. For example, the current supply part370may supply a current having a frequency in a range of 1 Hz to 100 Hz to the needle tip part362. In this case, the needle tip part362may transfer the electrical stimulation signal of the current to the skin S, so that the treatment effect of electrical acupuncture can be tested and verified.

In accordance with the present invention, acupuncture can always start at the same position and end at the same position because the starting and ending positions of a needle body are guided. Therefore, since the needle body is always inserted to the same depth of the skin during acupuncture application, accuracy can be improved in verifying the treatment effect of acupuncture.

In addition, a moving member gets caught in second guide protrusions during acupuncture application so that the needle body is not completely inserted, thereby reducing the pain of the subject's acupuncture. Therefore, it becomes difficult for a subject to distinguish whether an acupuncture needle is a real needle or a sham needle, which can improve the reliability of acupuncture.

In addition, since a support member is formed of an opaque material such that a tip of the needle body is not visible from the outside, so that both an operator and a subject cannot distinguish a real needle or a sham needle when using the acupuncture set for double-blind tests, which can improve the reliability of the acupuncture set for double-blind tests.

In addition, since the needle body has an elastic plate formed to have elasticity similar to the human skin tissue inside, the needle body penetrates the elastic plate during acupuncture application, which makes it impossible for both an operator and a subject to distinguish a real needle or a sham needle. Therefore, the reliability of double-blind can be improved and more accurate investigation results in verifying the treatment effect of acupuncture can be provided.

In addition, since the start and end positions of the needle body are guided during acupuncture application, it is possible to place the needle body at an accurate position during the acupuncture application, so that the reliability of the acupuncture set for double-blind tests can be improved.

The present invention has been described with reference to an embodiment shown in the accompanying drawings, but those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible therefrom. Therefore, the true scope of protection of the present invention should be defined only by the appended claims.