Patent Description:
From prior art, kinesiology tapes are known for treating and preventing sports injuries. The thin tape is elastic and conforming to the skin and comprises an adhesive on one side thereof to fasten the tape to a desired place on the skin. The base material of the tape may be cotton, polyester, or nylon, which may comprise an elastomer to provide the structure with flexibility. On a surface of the structure there is an adhesive to fasten the tape in its stretched form to a body part being supported or treated. The tape may stay in place for several days. It can also withstand moisture.

Prior art document <CIT> discloses a kinesiology tape with a conductive heating element.

The tape may also be used to support joints and to avoid their potentially harmful extreme positions.

By means of the tape, muscle mobility may be enhanced. By means of the tape, blood circulation may be normalized. Swelling of an injured place may be reduced with the tape.

The tape is also suitable for treating operation scars. The use of the tape adds to muscular strength and lessens muscular pain. It is suitable for preventing sports-related injuries and treating injuries already taken place. Its use improves lymph flow of tissues and reduces swelling caused by tissue damage. The use of the tape normalises blood circulation.

To further develop kinesiology tape, this application proposes the use of an electrically conductive structure in connection with the normal tape structure.

Research has found out that electricity and a magnetic field reduce the viscosity of blood and tissue fluid. By using an electrically conductive layer or separate electrically conductive threads in the tape, or by saturating the base material, such as cotton or nylon, with electrically conductive particles, a healing effect is achieved by the tape for the damaged tissue area.

By the use of conductive thread structures wound in different directions in adjacent threads of the tape, a structure that not only protects a tissue against electromagnetic radiation but also a thermal effect that treats a damaged place is achieved. By using threads, a two-fold effect is consequently achieved: one that protects against electromagnetic radiation and produces a thermal effect.

The invention is defined in appended independent claim <NUM>, preferred embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

The kinesiology tape according to the invention has a flexible carrier layer, such as a cotton layer, nylon layer, or polyester layer. The carrier layer comprises an associated elastomer which provides the structure with resilience and flexibility.

On a one surface of the carrier layer there is an adhesive used to fasten the structure on the skin in connection with the treated or supported place.

According to an embodiment, the tape is treated with a substance, such as a liquid or paint, comprising metal particles.

In an embodiment, electrically conductive threads are used in connection with the structure.

In an embodiment, the threads are wound around their winding axes so that in adjacent threads the winding direction is clockwise on one thread and counterclockwise on the adjacent thread. The winding axes are straight, and a distance E between them is in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>.

With the use of wound threads, the benefit is achieved that they are flexible. This way the elasticity of the kinesiology tape is realized.

As an adhesive, the tape may utilize an acrylic adhesive.

Electric conductivity may also be realized by using electrically conductive gel on the tape, or cotton fabric saturated with electrically conductive liquid in liquid form. On the surface, a thin, electrically conductive coating of paint may also be used.

The solution according to the invention is excellently suited to rehabilitation of sports injuries and alleviating muscular pain.

In an embodiment of the invention, a tape of a suitable shape may be cut as the injury dictates from a rectangular sheet. It may be placed around a knee, for example.

Kinesiology tape may be on a roll or as sheets, which is a more appropriate form from the viewpoint of posting.

The kinesiology tape according to the invention is characterized by what is disclosed in the claims.

In the following, the invention is described with reference to the described embodiment to which the invention is not intended to be exclusively restricted.

<FIG> shows an embodiment where kinesiology tape <NUM>, as unwound from a roll R, comprises a carrier layer <NUM> and thereon an elastomer layer <NUM> providing elasticity. In connection with the carrier layer <NUM> there is placed an electrically conductive structure <NUM>. It is possible to lay the electrically conductive structure elsewhere, too, such as in connection with the elastomer layer. The electrically conductive structure <NUM> is formed of conductive threads C1, C2, C1', C2'. advantageously knitted in connection with the carrier layer <NUM>. Electrically well conducting threads C1, C2, C1', C2'. are knitted on the surface, which may be parallel to each other or crosswise, and they form a grid or mesh <NUM> which protects the injured place against electromagnetic radiation and filter certain wavelengths from the radiation.

Topmost, on at least one surface of the tape <NUM>, there is an adhesive <NUM> such as an adhesive layer which makes a detachable bond on the body surface. The adhesive <NUM> may also have been absorbed in the carrier layer <NUM>. When placing kinesiology tape <NUM> on the back or around a limb, for example, it is stretched whereby it supports the attachment point when set in place. The tape <NUM> may be removed from its locality whereby, being elastic, it restores its original length,
In addition, a temperature rise takes place in the threads C1 and C2 and C1' and C2'. The threads C1, C2, C1', C2'. form a mesh or grid <NUM> which prevents waves higher than a particular wavelength of electromagnetic radiation from passing through the mesh <NUM>.

The structure is well suited for sports injuries to speed up recovery but is also suitable for non-injured places to support muscles/tissues and to prevent injuries in advance.

<FIG> shows electrically well conducting threads C1 and C2 knitted in the base material, such as cotton, of the kinesiology tape. In adjacent threads, they are wound in opposite directions S1 and S2, one clockwise and the other counterclockwise. Winding axes X1 and X2 are at a distance E from each other. E is advantageously in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. The winding axes X1 and X2 are straight and parallel to each other. In adjacent windings the electromagnetic radiations cancel each other out. Plenty of heat is generated. The kinesiology tape <NUM> thus protects against electromagnetic radiation and produces heat to the place of the body being treated and supports the damaged place.

When the electrically conductive thread C1 is wound around its winding axis X1 in the winding direction S1, and the adjacent second thread C2 is wound around its winding axis X2 in the opposite winding direction S2, the electrically conductive threads C1, C2 wound in opposite directions are non-coaxial. When kinesiology tape has not got coaxial electrically conducting threads wound in opposite directions, the temperature rise in the electrically conductive threads can be kept low enough. The distance E between the winding axes X1 and X2 affects how much the electrically conductive threads warm up. When the distance E is small, the threads warm up more than when the distance E is larger. The electrically conductive thread C1 does not touch the adjacent second electrically conductive thread C2. There may be base material of the carrier layer between the electrically conductive thread C1 and the adjacent second electrically conductive thread C2.

So, between the electrically conducting threads C1 and C2, electrically non-conducting material may be woven. The electrically non-conducting material may be the material of the carrier layer <NUM>. This electrically non-conducting material may also act as a structure cooler. On the other hand, the amount by which the structure warms up is affected by how far the electrically conductive threads C1 and C2 are from each other. The further away from each other the electrically conductive threads C1 and C2 are, the less warming takes place in the structure.

Often, a damaged place on the body swells up and gathers tissue fluid and waste materials. Electric voltage in near-by muscles increases to a high level.

The tape according to the invention supports the damaged place and removes excess electric voltage from the muscles. The waste materials can escape. The swelling of the area is reduced and the turning of the electromagnetic radiation caused by the muscle into managed heat in the mesh <NUM> treats the injured place, improves blood viscosity, and cancels out any excess electric charge formed in the muscle, and enhances the healing of the injury and removal of waste material from the injured place. Healing of the damaged body place speeds up.

The wound threads C1, C2, C1', C2' in <FIG> form a grid, mesh or lattice <NUM> as in <FIG>, which prevents radiation higher than a particular wavelength from accessing the injured place.

<FIG> shows an embodiment where the electrically conductive threads of kinesiology tape are wound, or coiled, and in which the winding or coiling directions of adjacent threads are different; one thread is wound clockwise, the adjacent thread counterclockwise. The threads may comprise in connection with them electrically non-conductive support threads that are wound in the winding direction of the electrically conductive threads along them. They provide the thread structure with rigidity as well as act as cooling threads and support threads.

The kinesiology tape <NUM> of <FIG> is a rectangular structure as concerns its base material layer <NUM> which may be cotton, for example. There is an elastomer <NUM> joined in the base material layer to provide the tape with restoring elastic resilience.

It is also possible to set other electrically conductive additional materials in connection with the base material <NUM>, such as an electrically conductive structure <NUM>, such as a paint layer, a liquid containing electrically conductive particles, or electrically conductive gel.

Knitted on the surface of the base material layer in question there is an electrically well conducting first thread C1 wound on loops around its longitudinal axis C1, the winding direction S1 being clockwise.

Next to the electrically well conducting first thread C1 there is a second thread C2, which is also of an electrically well conducting material. It is wound or coiled counterclockwise S2. The winding axes X1 and X2 are at a distance E from each other, and the axes X1 and X2 are parallel to each other and therefore rectilinear. The distance E is advantageously in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>, and the thickness of the threads C1, C2; C1', C2' is advantageously in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>. To support the wound, electrically conductive threads, which may also be referred to as filaments or strings, there is a wound electrically non-conductive thread or a plurality of electrically non-conductive threads. Their task is to act as support threads and cooling threads, and furthermore one of their tasks is to maintain the distance E between the electrically conducting threads C1, C2; C1', C2'. Acting as support threads, they also act as cooling threads that prevent the temperature from rising too hot and keep the temperature under control. The temperature may be advantageously kept constant and slightly below the human body temperature. The material of the electrically conducting threads C1, C2; C1', C2' may be, for example, metal, carbon fibre, silver, or copper. When using metal, it repels bacteria and prevents their growth in the injured place.

In connection with the threads C1, C2; C1', C2', electrically non-conducting support threads may have been entwined to provide the total structure with rigidity. The support threads are electrically non-conducting.

This way, the winding directions alternate in adjacent threads. According to the invention the threads have been led as a continuous closed and grounded loop <NUM>, <NUM> over the entire structure.

The threads form a mesh that prevents radiation of a particular wavelength from passing through the mesh <NUM>. It therefore filters out certain wavelengths and this protects a person using the tape against electromagnetic radiation in two ways, so filtering out radiation and cancelling out electromagnetic fields in adjacent wound threads.

By introducing heat locally on the area of the injury, a treating effect is focused on the injury.

Electromagnetic fields in adjacent threads cancel each other out, and the electromagnetic radiation transforms into heat.

<FIG> shows how the threads C1 and C2 are introduced as closed loops <NUM>, <NUM>. The loops <NUM>, <NUM> and therefore wires C1 and C2 are grounded by ground wires d.

This way, the tape allows the soothing kinesiology tape <NUM> to be brought in contact with the injury, whereby the treatment has a heat effect as well as an effect treating and supporting the tissue. By stretching the kinesiology tape <NUM>, an injured ankle, for example, may be well supported and compressed. The introduction of heat promotes the shifting away of tissue fluid that has gathered in the injured area and helps the tissue recover.

The mesh formed with the threads filters out damaging wavelengths from room radiation, and consequently the ill effects of the radiation in question to the body are eliminated.

The winding directions of the threads C1, C2 are illustrated by arrows S1 and S2.

The thickness of the threads C1 and C2, that is, the cross-section O, is in the range of <NUM> to <NUM>, and the material used is, for example, carbon fibre, silver thread, or copper thread.

<FIG> shows the preferred sheet embodiment of the tape <NUM>. There are rectangular sheets one upon the other, and each has cutting lines t1, t2,. for injuries of different kinds. The structure is well suited for the post office to transport.

<FIG> shows kinesiology tape material as sheets <NUM>.

In <FIG>, a roll embodiment R of the kinesiology tape <NUM> is shown. The kinesiology tape <NUM> is wound as a roll R and may be unwound from the roll R.

Claim 1:
A kinesiology tape (<NUM>) which comprises a carrier layer (<NUM>), an elastomer (<NUM>) connected to the carrier layer (<NUM>) and providing the tape with elasticity which after stretching is restored, the kinesiology tape (<NUM>) comprising an adhesive (<NUM>) on the surface of the carrier layer (<NUM>), by means of which the tape is removably fastened to the skin, and the kinesiology tape (<NUM>) comprising an electrically conductive structure (<NUM>), characterized in that the electrically conductive structure (<NUM>) is formed of electrically conductive threads (C1, C2) placed side-by-side, that a first electrically conductive thread (C1) is wound or coiled around its winding axis (X1) in a winding direction (S1) and an adjacent second thread (C2) is wound or coiled around its winding axis (X2) in the opposite winding direction (S2), that is, one set of threads (C1) is wound clockwise (S1) and the other set of threads is wound counterclockwise (S2), and that the first threads (C1) wound clockwise are introduced as a first closed loop (<NUM>), and the second threads (C2) wound counterclockwise are introduced as a second closed loop (<NUM>), whereby one set of threads is wound clockwise and the adjacent threads in relation thereto counterclockwise, whereby the electromagnetic radiations in adjacent wound threads cancel each other out and heat is generated.