Abstract:
An electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus includes: a plurality of needle units respectively having head portions and needle portions; a base unit having a base plate that is formed with a plurality of first through holes, and a base pad that is formed with a plurality of second through holes, the needle portions of the needle units removably extending through the second and first through holes, the head portions of the needle units abutting against the base pad; a temperature monitor disposed between the base plate and the base pad; an upper unit disposed above the base pad and abutting against the head portions; and a clamp unit clamping and pressing the base unit against the upper unit.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims priority of Chinese Patent application no. 201110039233.9, filed on Feb. 15, 2011. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0003]    This invention relates to a therapeutic apparatus, more particularly to an electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus. 
         [0004]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0005]    Conventional methods of treating hemorrhage are generally classified into physical or chemical methods. In the physical method, damaged blood vessels are ligated or obstructed using surgical techniques. In the chemical method, chemical hemostatic materials are directly applied to the damaged blood vessels. However, the physical method is usually time-consuming and may result in tissue damage, necrosis or other complications, and the chemical hemostatic materials used in the chemical method are unlikely to perfectly attach and cover the damaged blood vessels due to severe bleeding, thereby resulting in inefficient hemostasis effect. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide an electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus that can provide an efficient treatment for hemorrhage. 
         [0007]    An electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a plurality of needle units respectively having head portions and needle portions; a base unit having a base plate that is formed with a plurality of first through holes, and a base pad that is disposed on top of the base plate and that is formed with a plurality of second through holes, the needle portions of the needle units removably extending through the second and first through holes, the head portions of the needle units abutting against the base pad; a temperature monitor disposed between the base plate and the base pad to detect the temperature of the base plate; an upper unit disposed above the base pad and abutting against the head portions of the needle units; and a clamp unit clamping and pressing the base unit against the upper unit. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of this invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the preferred embodiment of an electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus according to this invention; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  is a partly schematic sectional view of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  is a schematic sectional view illustrating a base plate of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 ; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  is a fragmentary sectional view illustrating a needle portion of a needle unit of the preferred embodiment shown in  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0013]      FIGS. 1 and 2  show the preferred embodiment of an electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus according to the present invention. The electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus comprises a base unit  3 , a plurality of needle units  4 , an upper unit  5 , a temperature monitor  6 , and a clamp unit  7 . 
         [0014]    The base unit  3  has a base plate  31  and a base pad  32  that is disposed on top of the base plate  31 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , the base plate  31  has a plurality of electromagnetic inductive parts  311 , a plurality of non-electromagnetic inductive parts  312  each of which completely encloses a respective one of the electromagnetic inductive parts  311 , a first axle hole  313 , and a plurality of first through holes  314 . Each of the electromagnetic inductive parts  311  is made of an electromagnetic inductive material that is capable of generating heat when subjected to an induction magnetic field and that has high temperature resistance. 
         [0015]    The base pad  32  is made from a non-electromagnetic inductive material with high temperature resistance and low-hardness, such as, Teflon and silicon rubber. The base pad  32  has a second axle hole  321  corresponding to the first axle hole  313  of the base plate  31 , and a plurality of second through holes  322  formed corresponding to the first through holes  314  of the base plate  31 . 
         [0016]    Each of the needle units  4  has a head portion  41  that abuts against a top side of the base pad  32 , and a needle portion  42  that removably extends downwardly through the second and first through holes  322 ,  314 , and that is partially exposed from the base unit  3 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , the needle portion  42  of each of the needle units  4  includes an electromagnetic inductive core part  43  that is made of an electromagnetic inductive material capable of generating heat when subjected to an induction magnetic field, and a protective shell  44  that encloses the electromagnetic inductive core part  43 . 
         [0017]    In this embodiment, the electromagnetic inductive part  311  and the electromagnetic inductive core part  43  are made from stainless steel. The electromagnetic inductive part  311  and the electromagnetic inductive core part  43  may be made from iron or other electromagnetic inductive materials. The non-electromagnetic inductive part  312  and the protective shell  44  are made from a non-electromagnetic inductive material with high temperature resistance, such as, Teflon and ceramics, and are utilized to prevent oxidation of the electromagnetic inductive part  311  and the electromagnetic inductive core part  43 , respectively, and prevent sticking of human tissue and body fluid on the electromagnetic inductive part  311  and the electromagnetic inductive core part  43 . 
         [0018]    The temperature monitor  6  is disposed between the base plate  31  and the base pad  32 . The temperature monitor  6  is electrically connected to the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus of this invention, and is used for detecting the temperature of the base plate  31 . In this embodiment, the temperature monitor  6  is a thermo-electric couple. 
         [0019]    The upper unit  5  is disposed above the base pad  32 , and includes an upper pad  51  that abuts against the head portions  41  of the needle units  4 , and an upper plate  52  that is disposed above the upper pad  51 . The upper pad  51  has a third axle hole  511  corresponding to the second axle hole  321  of the base pad  32 , and is made from a material the same as that of the base pad  32 . The upper plate  52  has a fourth axle hole  521  corresponding to the third axle hole  511  of the upper pad  51 , and can be made of an electromagnetic inductive material or a non-electromagnetic inductive material. In this embodiment, the upper plate  52  is made of an electromagnetic inductive material. It should be noted that, in this invention, the upper pad  51  is optional and can be dispensed with. 
         [0020]    The clamp unit  7  includes a nut  72 , and a bolt  71  that has a bolt head  711  and a bolt rod  712 . The bolt head  711  abuts against a bottom side of the base plate  31 . The bolt rod  712  extends upwardly through the first, second, third and fourth axle holes  313 ,  321 ,  511 ,  521 , such that an exposed portion  713  of the bolt rod  712  is exposed from the upper plate  52 . The nut  72  is disposed above the upper plate  52 , and is threadedly attached to the exposed portion  713  of the bolt rod  712 . The nut  72  abuts against a top side of the upper plate  52  so as to clamp and press the base unit  3  against the upper unit  5  with the bolt  71 . 
         [0021]    The electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus of this invention further comprises a handling unit  70  that is removably attached to the exposed portion  713  of the bolt rod  712  above the nut  72 . In this embodiment, the handling unit  70  includes a circular handling plate  73  that has a threaded through hole  731  threadedly engaging the exposed portion  713  of the bolt rod  712 , and a handling bar  74  that has a handling part  741  and a socket part  742  connected to the handling part  741  and connected threadedly to the bolt  71  above the nut  72 . Specifically, the handling bar  74  has a threaded blind hole  743  threadedly engaging the exposed portion  713  of the bolt rod  712 . The handling plate  73  and the handling bar  74  are made of a non-electromagnetic inductive material with high temperature resistance, and are intended to be held by hand or other fixtures. By virtue of the handling plate and the handling bar  74 , the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus can be stably positioned, i.e., the base plate  31  can stably abut a surface of damaged tissues or organs and the needle units  4  can be precisely inserted into the damaged tissues or organs to treat hemorrhage. Meanwhile, the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus can be easily removed when the treatment is finished. 
         [0022]    In use, the needle portions  42  of the needle units  4  are inserted into a portion of the damaged tissues or organs to be treated, and the base plate  31  stably abuts the surface of the damaged tissues or organs. Subsequently, the needle units  4  and the base plate  31  are heated by induction magnetic field generated by an electromagnetic device. The portion of the damaged tissues or organs to be treated is cauterized so as to achieve hemostasis. The temperature of the base plate  31  of the electromagnetic thermotherapeutic apparatus is detected by the temperature monitor  6 , and the data of the measured temperature is transferred to the electromagnetic device and used as a reference to adjust the induction magnetic field to be generated by the electromagnetic device. 
         [0023]    Particularly, because of the non-electromagnetic inductive part  312  and the protective shell  44 , the sticking of human tissue and body fluid on the base plate  31  and the needle units  4  can be prevented. 
         [0024]    In this embodiment, the base and upper units  3 ,  5  are formed to have circular shapes. However, it should be noted herein that the size and the shape of the base and upper units  3 ,  5  could vary based on the actual requirements such as the size or shape of the damaged tissues or organs to be treated. For example, the base and upper units  3 ,  5  may be formed to have square, rectangular or other shapes. The numbers of the needle units  4  also could vary in accordance with the size and the shape of the damaged tissues or organs to be treated. 
         [0025]    According to the present invention, the head portions  41  of the needle units  4  are clamped between the base unit  3  and the upper unit  5  so as to improve the stability of the needle units  4  and prevent swinging and loosening of the needle units  4 . Moreover, by varying the thickness of the base pad  32 , the length of the needle portion  42  exposed from the base plate  31  can be modified. Since the shape and size of the base unit  3 , the number of the needle units  4 , and the length of the needle portions  42  exposed from the base plate  31  can be adjusted, damage to healthy tissues or organs could be minimized. 
         [0026]    While the present invention has been described in connection with what is considered the most practical and preferred embodiment, it is understood that this invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiment but is intended to cover various arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the broadest interpretation and equivalent arrangements.