Abstract:
Acupuncture device uses a laser beam. Acupuncture device is configured for bringing about a suitable treatment relevant to the pain in a patient and so that it is adapted to all aspects of practice, in particular so as to enable easy replacement of laser diodes of different intensity levels or laser modules of different wavelengths and a lasting operating capacity of all its elements. Therefore, the acupuncture device includes the following elements: a control apparatus including several outlets for electrical conductors; several electrical conductors connected to the outlets of the control apparatus; several laser diodes connected to the electrical conductors; and several laser needles which are connected to the laser diodes, so that the laser beam emitted by the laser diodes is injected into the laser needles, and which are designed to contact, through their output region, a patient&#39;s body. Device may be used to irradiate blood.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation of application no. PCT/DE2004/000960, filed May 7, 2004, which claims the priority of German application no. 203 09 976.1, filed 27 Jun. 2003, and each of which is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The invention relates to an acupuncture device that uses a laser beam. More particularly, the invention relates to an acupuncture device that uses a laser beam injected through laser needles.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     An acupuncture device using a laser beam is known from WO-02/40098 A1 having a device to generate the laser beam and a connected handle. The handle is provided with an optical fiber that is connected with a laser beam generation device and that contacts a patient&#39;s body in the acupuncture process and transmits the laser beam to the body or ensures that the laser beam penetrates the body.  
         [0004]     The effectiveness of this device in treating pain is not a matter of dispute; however, the optical fibers made of commercially available plastic fibers that transmit the laser beam from the laser beam generation device to the output section of each handle sometimes cannot handle the continuous load when these devices are used in practice, and sometimes they break and their performance decreases. Another problem with this known device is that the tip forming the output section of the optical fiber in conventional plastic materials quickly becomes comparatively blunt, especially as cosmetics on the patient&#39;s skin can be burned into the tip. Furthermore, the macromolecular structures of the plastic fibers denature and degenerate owing to the permanent load which hence decreases the output of the transmitted laser energy.  
         [0005]     U.S. Pat. No. 6,074,411 describes a laser device and a laser method that can be used for acupuncture on a patient&#39;s body. Individual laser diodes are connected to a controller by means of electrical lines. The laser diodes are within a housing that is adhered to the patient&#39;s body.  
         [0006]     However, the desired effect of acupuncture pain therapy can fall woefully short with such devices as the laser beam can only penetrate the outermost skin layers and owing to the large area that is irradiated.  
         [0007]     DE 90 10 925 U1 describes a device for irradiating blood in which the blood is guided through a glass tube exposed to UV radiation.  
       OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     An object of the present invention is to create an acupuncture device using a laser beam that is capable of generating an adequate effect for the appropriate treatment of a patient&#39;s pain, and that is also suitable from all vantage points of practical use, especially the easy exchangeability of the laser diodes or laser modules with different wavelengths and diode strengths, and long service life of all the elements.  
         [0009]     This object is achieved according to the invention by the features set forth herein.  
         [0010]     The glass fiber needles or plastic fiber needles analogous to glass fibers (subsequently termed “optical fibers” for short throughout) into which the laser beam emitted by the laser diodes is coupled ensure that the laser beam is introduced into the patient&#39;s body with a very high energy density owing to the provided focus of the laser beam and direct contact between the laser needles and the body to ensure a very high efficiency of the device according to the invention. By using glass fibers or plastic fibers analogous to glass fibers (subsequently termed “optical fibers” for short throughout) for the laser needles that contact the patient&#39;s body, the device is ensured a very long life as the laser needles are insensitive to the damage from any foreign bodies. Furthermore, the laser diodes are easily accessible for servicing, repair, and exchange as they are not arranged inside the control device.  
         [0011]     In one embodiment of the invention, the laser diodes are on the head of the laser needle. The short laser needles form a relatively short section of the entire conduit proceeding from the controller as the remaining section that must be guided from the controller to the patient&#39;s body is formed by the power supply lines. These power supply lines can be very flexible in a known manner so that there is no danger of them breaking. For this reason, the device according to the invention is highly suitable for practical use. As the laser diode sits directly on the short laser needle, in principle there are no power losses from the generated laser beam.  
         [0012]     In another embodiment of the invention, the power lines are guided in a bundle in or on a holding arm from the controller to a module plate on the end of the holding arm. The power lines of the bundle are separated in or on the module plate, and a laser module having a driver chip and a laser diode are connected to the ends of the power lines on the module plate, and the laser modules are connected to the laser needles via suspended optical fibers protected by a sheath. The laser needles can be configured as a single piece with the optical fibers, or they can be connected to them via an optical coupling element. Even when optical fibers are between the laser diodes and the laser needles in this embodiment, the laser beam is transmitted into the patient&#39;s body at a high energy density as optimum conduction conditions exist for the laser beam in the optical fiber. Another advantage of this embodiment results when the laser modules are in the peripheral area of the modular plate, and a fan is in the center. This effectively cools the laser modules whose overheating frequently causes failure of the state-of-the-art devices.  
         [0013]     In another embodiment of the invention, it is advantageous when the power lines are connected to the respective laser diodes or laser modules by means of respective plug-in connections. This allows the different laser needles and/or laser diodes or laser modules connected to the needles to be easily exchanged and hence adapted to the respective usage without requiring special service personnel. The user can create an individual set of laser needles in this manner. In the unlikely event that one of the laser needles wears out or is defective, it can be quickly and easily exchanged. When optical fibers are arranged between the laser modules and laser needles, it is also advantageous for there to be a plug-in connection between the laser model and optical fiber which enables the laser needles to be exchanged without simultaneously exchanging the laser modules.  
         [0014]     As the controller only has to transmit current pulses to the laser diodes, it can be advantageously configured very small so that it is suitable for mobile use and, if necessary, can also be affixed to the body of a treated patient so that the patient&#39;s body can move with the controller. This is particularly advantageous when using the device according to the invention on children or animals.  
         [0015]     In an advantageous development of the invention, the laser needles can be protected even more from damage by coating the laser needles with plastic sheaths.  
         [0016]     If the laser needles and/or a core of the laser needles narrow(s) from the laser diode towards its output section in another embodiment of the invention, this increases the energy density at the output of the laser needles to further stimulate the patient&#39;s body. Alternatively, when the laser needles narrow in this manner, it is of course also possible to use the laser diodes with less output to attain the same stimulus as with laser needles that do not narrow in this manner.  
         [0017]     The power lines are very easy to handle when the power lines are connected to the controller by means of respective plug-in connections especially when they become defective and need to be exchanged.  
         [0018]     To enable mobile use of the device according to the invention, the controller can be operable with a battery in another advantageous embodiment of the invention.  
         [0019]     In another embodiment of the invention, the laser needles can be surrounded by a current-conducting sheath that is supplied with current from the controller.  
         [0020]     With such a sheath supplied with current, the stimulus of the patient&#39;s body from the laser beam can be increased to better treat the pain.  
         [0021]     A device for irradiating blood is described herein. The use of the laser beam acupuncture device according to the invention for such a device to irradiate blood has proven to be quite feasible in practice. By irradiating the blood with a laser beam, the white corpuscles are activated much more than with the known irradiation method using UV radiation. This produces greater immune stimulation. Furthermore, the utilized laser needles are advantageously very easy to dose.  
         [0022]     Additional advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention can be found as described herein, and as set forth in the schematically portrayed exemplary embodiments in the drawings, and in the related text, and which are not intended to be limiting. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0023]      FIG. 1  shows a first embodiment of the acupuncture device using a laser beam according to the invention;  
         [0024]      FIG. 2  shows a second embodiment of the acupuncture device using a laser beam according to the invention;  
         [0025]      FIG. 3  shows a side view of a device according to the invention for irradiating blood; and  
         [0026]      FIG. 4  shows a section taken along line IV-IV of  FIG. 3 ;  
         [0027]      FIG. 5  shows another embodiment of the device according to the invention,  
         [0028]      FIG. 6  shows an enlargement of detail A from  FIG. 5 ;  
         [0029]      FIG. 7  shows view from below of detail A from  FIG. 6 ;  
         [0030]      FIG. 8  shows a first option for fixing a laser needle to the body of the patient;  
         [0031]      FIG. 9  shows a second option for fixing a laser needle to the body of the patient; and  
         [0032]      FIG. 10  shows an enlargement of a plastic sheath surrounding a laser needle. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0033]      FIG. 1  shows a schematic representation of an inventive device  1  for acupuncturing a part of an unillustrated patient&#39;s body using a laser beam. The device  1  has a controller  2  that is provided with several outputs  3 . In the present case, there are a total of twenty outputs  3 ; however, any number of outputs  3  can be provided. Connected to the outputs  3  via respective plug-in connections  4  are power lines  5  that are supplied with current, especially a weak current, from the controller  2 . The voltage applied to the power line  5  and the current strength can be adjusted using a regulator (not shown) on the controller  2 .  
         [0034]     A laser diode  7  capable of transmitting a laser beam is connected via respective plug-in connections  6  to each power line  5 . The connection between the laser diodes  7  and the power line  5  can also be established by soldering the two parts together. Each individual laser diode  7  is in a handle  8  and is connected to one of respective laser needles  9 , for example, by adhesion. The present exemplary embodiment shows only three handles  8  with respective laser needles  9 , the associated laser diode  7  and power line  5 ; however, corresponding laser needles  9  can be connected to all the outputs  3  of the controller  2  to simultaneously treat several acupuncture points on the patient&#39;s body.  
         [0035]     The laser needles  9  are surrounded with respective plastic sheaths  10  to protect them and are provided to contact the patient&#39;s body at their respective output section  11 . The laser beam transmitted by the laser diodes  7  is injected or coupled into the laser needles through the direct connection to the laser needles  9 , and the laser beam is guided into the patient&#39;s body essentially without loss.  
         [0036]     In order to amplify the laser beam transmitted by the laser diode  7 , the laser needles  9  can narrow from the respective laser diode  7  to their output section  11  (not shown). The narrowing of the laser needles  9  is proportional to the amplification of the laser beam. In this context, the laser diodes  7  can have different outputs, for example ranging from  50  to 200 mW. In addition to the different outputs, the individual laser diodes  7  can also have different wavelengths to make them suitable for different uses on the same patient. Furthermore, it is also possible to modulate the frequency of the laser beam transmitted by the laser diodes  7  by using the controller  2  to pulse the laser beam and hence stimulate different kinds of tissue.  
         [0037]     The controller  2  has an intensity display  12  for each output  3  that shows the intensity of the laser beam transmitted by the laser diodes  7  in digital form. Furthermore, the controller  2  is equipped with a photometer  13  that measures the intensity of the laser beam in the output section  11  of the laser needle  9 , for example to check the proper functioning of the laser needles. To do this, the respective laser needle  9  only needs to be held in front of the photometer  13 .  
         [0038]     The size of the controller  2  can enable it to be affixed with holding devices (not shown) to the body of the treated patient. To be completely independent from the power network, the controller  2  can also be operated by a battery (not shown). Furthermore, the controller  2  can have a timer to control it.  
         [0039]      FIG. 2  shows another embodiment of the device  1  where the laser needle  9  is surrounded by a plastic sheath  10  and another sheath  14  supplied with current via the respective power line  5  to provide stimulation by current as well as stimulating the tissue by the laser beam and hence enhance the effect of the laser beam. The plastic sheath  10  also serves to protect the laser needle  9  and insulate the laser needle from the current-bearing sheath  14 . The sheath  14  may consist of a conductive material such as steel or copper and can be surrounded by another plastic sheath (not shown) for additional insulation.  
         [0040]     The current-bearing sheath  14  can also be used to stimulate the acupuncture point by electrical and possibly additional optical stimulus to locate it with a pulse reflex. This allows the acupuncture points to be more precisely determined, and active points can be more reliably found.  
         [0041]     Furthermore, the current-bearing sheath  14  can also be used to more precisely locate the acupuncture point by measuring skin resistance.  
         [0042]     In principle, it is also possible to connect a known diagnostic needle that does not generate a laser beam to locate the acupuncture points at one of the outputs  3  of the controller  2 .  
         [0043]     The controller  2 , of which only one of the outputs  3  is shown in the present case, has a regulator  15  that is used to adjust to the intensity of the current fed to the sheath  14 .  
         [0044]      FIGS. 3 and 4  also schematically represent a device  16  for irradiating blood in a container  17 . The device  1  shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 , especially in  FIG. 1 , is suitable for irradiating the blood in the container  17 .  
         [0045]     There are two options, both of which are shown in  FIG. 3 , of irradiating blood or configuring the container  17  and arranging it in the device  16 . In the first procedure, approximately 200 mL of blood is withdrawn from the patient (in a manner not shown) in a closed system. The blood is collected in a vacuum bottle  17   a  to which additional oxygen can be added. This blood enriched with oxygen is then returned to the patient and hence retransfused via a tube system  17   b . The container  17  is incorporated in the tube system  17   b , e.g. in the form of a thin glass tube  17   c  that is irradiated with a laser beam from the laser needles  9  as described below. The thin glass tube  17   c  can be tightly connected to the tube system  17   b  with silicon connectors, etc. In this procedure, the blood flows while it is being irradiated.  
         [0046]     The controller  2  is not shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . The described device  16  can be surrounded by a housing (not shown) or a covering.  
         [0047]     An intraversal and extraversal blood radiation device can also be operated as an independent device, i.e. with an integrated controller that controls the swapped laser needles, and the laser needles externally or internally irradiate the blood via an additionally connected sterile single-use laser catheter.  
         [0048]     In the other procedure, the drawn blood is placed in a somewhat larger glass tube  17   d  that is held by the device as described below and also irradiated in the device. Then the blood must be withdrawn from the glass tube  17   d  and reintroduced into the patient for example by injection.  
         [0049]     The device  16  has a base plate  18  on which two holders  19  are located that hold the tube  17   b  with the thin glass tubes  17   c . Below the thin glass tube  17   c , a troughlike channel  20  more clearly portrayed in  FIG. 4  in which a shaft  21  rotates also serves to hold the glass tube  17   d . The shaft is driven by a drive  22 , such as an electric motor. As the shaft  21  rotates, the glass tube  17   d  in the channel  20  rotates in an opposite direction to move the blood in the glass tube  17   d  while it is being irradiated. Unillustrated rubber rings around the circumference of the channel can support this rotation. Despite the portrayal of both procedures or options to irradiate blood in  FIG. 3 , it should be clear that either the thin glass tube  17   c  or the glass tube  17   d  can be used.  
         [0050]     Above the base plate  18  is a holder plate  23  that is mounted on two columns  24  and  25  and can move in relation to the base plate  18 . The two columns  24  and  25  are held on the side opposite the base plate  18  with a connecting support  26 . The holder plate  23  is moved in relation to the columns  24  and  25  with a set screw  27  held to the connecting support  26  and guided by an unillustrated central thread in the holder plate  23 .  
         [0051]     The intensity of the laser beam in relationship to the blood can be changed by adjusting the holder plate  23 . Furthermore, by adjusting the holder plate  23 , the height of the optical fiber needle  9  can be adjusted relative to the thin glass tube  17   c  or the glass tube  17   d  as they are stacked on each other and hence have a different axial distance from the holder plate  23 .  
         [0052]     The holder plate  23  has several through holes  28  in which the handles  8  with the laser needles  9  can be placed.  FIG. 3  only shows one of the glass fiber needles  9 . Fastening elements  29  are provided to hold the handles  8  or the laser needles  9  to the holder plate  23 , and the fastening elements can be screwed to the holder plate  23 .  
         [0053]     It is also possible for the holder plate  23  to not be adjustable and move the individual laser needles  9  within the holes  28  relative to the holder plate  23 . Furthermore, the base plate  18  can be adjustable in relation to the holder plate  23  or laser needles  9 .  
         [0054]     The device  1  shown in  FIG. 5  for acupuncturing a patient using a laser beam has a controller  2  with the same functions as the controllers explained with reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 . The housing of the controller  2  has a control console  2 . 1 . From the top of the controller  2 , a hollow bearing arm  30  extends upward that transitions at a first knee  30 . 1  into a more or less horizontal section, and then starts downward at a second knee  30 . 2  and ends in a module plate  31 . The holding arm  30  is more or less configured like a gallows. In its vertical part, it has a swivel joint  32  shortly above the controller  2  so that the part of the holding arm  30  above the swivel joint  32  can be swung at least within limits in relation to the controller  2 . At least one area of the holding arm  30  is bendable. This can for example be knee areas  30 . 1  and/or  30 . 2 .  
         [0055]     Running within the holding arm  30  is a bundle of power lines  5 ; one end of the power lines is connected to the controller  2  and controlled via the control console  2 . 1 . The power lines  5  are guided in the holding arm  30  to the module plate  31 , and are separated there. Their ends at that location are connected to a laser module  33  which is connected via suspended optical fibers  34  to laser needles  35 . The optical fibers  34  are protected by an unillustrated sheath.  
         [0056]     The configuration and arrangement of the laser modules  33  on the module plate  31  will be further explained below with reference to  FIG. 6 .  
         [0057]      FIG. 6  shows different exemplary options I-V of a connection between the power lines  5  and the laser modules  33 , or between the laser modules  33  and the optical fibers  34 . In every case, the laser modules  33  consist of a laser diode  7  and a driver chip  36 . In cases I and II, the laser modules are connected via plug-in contacts  37  provided in the module plate  31  to the power lines  5  assigned to them. To exchange the laser modules  33 , they are simply unplugged from the module plate  31 , and new laser modules  33  are inserted. Repairs can be easily done in this manner, or the operator can exchange laser modules  33  with different wavelengths and diode strengths. In case I, the optical fiber  34  and the laser needle  35  connected to the laser module  33  are also exchanged along with the laser module as the optical fiber  34  is glued into the laser module  33 . In case II, this is avoided by providing an optical plug  38  between the laser module  33  and the optical fiber  34 . To connect the laser module  33 , the optical fiber  34  is simple plugged into this plug  38 . An optical coupling element  39  is used for coupling with the laser diode  7 . In case II, the laser module  33  and optical fibers  34  can be separately exchanged. This system can be further elaborated by providing an additional plug-in connection  40  with an optical coupling between the optical fiber  34  and laser needle  35 . In this case, the laser needle  35  can be separately exchanged. The laser diode  7  can also be screwed in separately into the metal housing of the laser module  33  so that it can be exchanged by itself when there is an isolated defect. Screwing in the laser diode  7  into the housing of the laser module  33  and providing a close contact with the housing metal allows the heat generated by the laser diode  7  to be effectively drawn off.  
         [0058]     Cases III and IV differ from cases I and II in that the laser module  33  is not inserted into the module plate  31 ; instead, the electrical lines  5  extend downward a short distance out of the module plate  31 . Plug-in connections  41  are also provided between the ends of the power lines  5  and laser modules  33 .  
         [0059]     In case V, the laser modules  33  are inserted into a corresponding opening in the module plate  31  and fastened with set screws  42 . In this case, the module plate  31  is a metal block. The contact of the laser module  33  with this metal block allows heat to flow from the laser model  33  into the metal block.  
         [0060]     In addition to or instead of this cooling method, a fan  43  can be provided in the central area of the module plate  31 . The laser modules  33  are then in the peripheral area on the module plate  31  and hence surround the fan  43 . This configuration is best seen in the drawing in  FIG. 7 . The fan  43  powerfully cools the strongly heated laser module  33  and thereby substantially increases its service life.  
         [0061]     The drawing in  FIG. 7  shows cut-outs  48  provided in the edge of the module plate  31 . These are for suspending the laser needles  35  when they are not needed.  
         [0062]     In cases I to V, the laser needles  35  can be configured as combined laser electro-needles. The power lines in the sheath of the optical fibers leading from the controller  2  to the laser electro-needles additionally protect the optical fibers from breaking.  
         [0063]     To affix the laser needles  35  to a patient&#39;s skin  46 , single-use sheaths  44  made of economical material such as cardboard or plastic are provided. The sheaths have a shaft  44 . 1  that is shoved onto laser needles  35  and grips the needle by friction. The shaft  44 . 1  transitions into a wider base  44 . 2  that adheres to a patient&#39;s skin  46 .  
         [0064]     In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 8 , the adhesive connection is created by a bandage with a central hole  45 . It is shoved over the shaft  44 . 1  and lies on the top of the base  44 . 2 . An area  45 . 1  of the bandage with the central hole  45  extending over the base  44 . 2  of the disposable sheath  44  is for adhering to human skin  46 . The disposable sheath  44  and bandage with the central hole  45  can be provided on removable film as a prefabricated unit.  
         [0065]     In the exemplary embodiment of  FIG. 9 , an adhesive ring  47  is provided on the bottom of the base  44 . 2  that provides the adhesive connection with human skin  46 . The disposable sheath  44  and the adhesive ring  46  can also be provided as a unit on removable film.  
         [0066]     In another embodiment of the invention, the plastic sheath  10  encasing the lower end of the laser needle  9 ,  35  is provided with small teeth. This improves the grip of the laser needle  9  to difficult body parts such as an ear.  
         [0067]     While this invention has been described as having a preferred design, it is understood that it is capable of further modifications, and uses and/or adaptations of the invention and following in general the principle of the invention and including such departures from the present disclosure as come within the known or customary practice in the art to which the invention pertains, and as may be applied to the central features hereinbefore set forth, and fall within the scope of the invention or limits of the claims appended hereto.