® a,
`
`Europfilsches Patentamt
`
`European Patent Office
`Office européen des brevets
`
`® Publication number:
`
`0 209 246
`A1
`
`®
`
`EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION
`
`@ Application number: 863045291!
`
`@ Date offiling:12.06.86
`
`® mow: A61 N 1142, BBC N 1/00
`
`® Priority: 12.06.85 AU1004/85
`
`@ Date of publication of application: 21.01.87
`Bulletin 87/4
`
`-
`
`® Designated Contracting States: DE FR GB IT
`
`® Magnetlc therapy device.
`
`® A magnetic therapy device comprising a pad (10) which
`adapted to be in close contact with a user when in use. the pad in
`chd'ng at least one elongated magnetic coil (1 1, 12) which is/are
`adaptedtobe located adjacenttheportionolthebodytobe
`treated, a support (13) upon which the mike) are located and a
`covering (15) for the coil. Also. there is an associated excitation
`means to produce a magnetic field in the coil(s) of the device
`which includes a pulse generator and a power amplifier.
`
`® Applicant: Dew. Graeme Ernest, 28 Hampshire Road,
`Glen Waverley Victoria 3150 (AU)
`
`® Inventor: Dew, Graeme Ernest, 28 Hampshire Road,
`Glen Waverley Victoria 3150 (AU)
`
`63) Representative: Frost, Dennis Thomas et at, WITHEfls A
`means 4 were Buildings Holbom, London, 5cm 241'
`(GB)
`
`
`
`
`
`EP0209246A1
`
`
`ACTOFIUM AG
`
`

`

`'1'
`
`0209246
`
`MAGNETIC THERAPY DEVICE
`
`This invention relates to a magnetic therapy device and, in particular, to a magnetic
`
`therapy device which is particularly useful
`
`in such applications as to relax the
`
`muscles of and remove pain from persons who spend long periods driving vehicles.
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`The invention is by no means restricted to this application but I shall use this as an
`
`example.
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`Magnetic therapy has passed from an area subject to skepticism to being basically
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`well accepted and two areas in which it
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`is most used are in treatment. and,
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`specifically, healing of breaks and the treatment of infection and in the area of
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`muscle relaxation, the minimising of bruising and pain removal.
`
`In each of these areas it has been usual to locate solid magnetic coils adjacent or on
`
`each side of the area to be treated and to provide theSe coils with current at
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`between 1 and 200 Hz and of a value such as to induce a magnetic field of the order
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`of 100 gauss. However combinations of all frequencies and gauss have proved an
`effective treatment.
`
`In the second form of application, where used as a muscle relaxant
`
`for
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`the
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`minimisation of bruising and for pain removal, coils of a similar type are used and, in
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`this case, it is not unusual to use a frequency at the lower end of the range, of the
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`order of 5 Hz and a field of a lower order, of the order of 15'gauss.
`
`Whilst
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`the results obtained by such treatment can be quite astonishing,
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`it has,
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`nevertheless, been inconvenient to provide the coils and to locate these relative to a
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`user as the coils are usually relatively large and clumsy to handle
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`The object of the present invention is to provide a magnetic therapy device whereby
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`a magnetic field can be easily applied to a user and, preferably, can be left in a
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`position so that the field can be maintained whilst the user carries out his or her
`
`normal functions.
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`

`

`-2-
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`0209246
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`the invention provides such a device for use by drivers who are in
`Specifically,
`vehicles for long periods.
`
`The invention, in its broadest sense, comprises a magnetic therapy device being a
`flexible pad which is adapted to be in close contact with a user when in use, which
`pad includes at least one elongated magnetic coil which is adapted to be located
`adjacent the portion of the body of the user to be treated, a support upon which this
`coil is located and a covering for the coil.
`
`Preferably the coil may be in a sandwich of a material having no magnetic
`properties, such as a flexible foam material and there may be an external cover
`
`which has a surface against which it is pleasant to rest, for example lambswool.
`
`The field in the magnetic coil may be induced by an electronic device having an
`on/off radio of 1:4 operating, say, on a 20 millisecond cycle with the cycle being
`effected for 100 milliseconds and broken for the next 100 milliseconds, that is a 5 Hz ‘
`signal.
`Preferably there may be more than one coil and the coils may be located ‘
`side by side and be of different polarity.
`I
`
`in
`I shall describe,
`In order that the invention may be more readily understood,
`relation to the accompanying drawings, one particular form of device made in
`
`accordance with the invention, which form is adapted for use in a vehicle.
`
`In these drawings:
`
`Fig. 1
`
`illustrates schematically the pad of the invention as fitted to a
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`vehicle seat; and
`
`Fig. 2
`
`is a block diagram showing an arrangement whereby the pad can be
`activated.
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`In the flexible pad 10, illustrated in Fig. 1, I may have two coils 11, 12, each of which
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`may comprise thirty turns of wire and each of which is in the form of a rectangle
`having a longer side of, say, 750 mm and a width of, say, 150 mm with the two coils
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`being adjacent with their 750 mm sides contiguous.
`
`One coil is preferably wound in such a way as to be effectively a north coil, and this
`is so indicated on the Figure, and the other, in the opposite way, to be effectively a
`south coil.
`
`

`

`-3-
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`0209246
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`These coils are preferably located as the centre of a sandwich made of two layers of
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`a flexible synthetic plastics foam, shown generally as 13, which may form a surround
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`of a size slightly greater than the area occupied by the coils, say 800 to 850 mm long
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`by 350 to 500 mm wide.
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`Extending from the sandwich are the electrical wires 14 necessary to cause current
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`to flow through the coils and to induce magnetism thereby.
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`The sandwich may be covered with a wearing material, shown generally as 15, and in
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`one preferred form, may be covered with a lambswool cover whichprovides a
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`comfortable surface against which the user can rest.
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`The pad is, as illustrated, provided with tapes or elastic straps 16 or the like to
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`enable it to be attached to a seat back or other surface. As illustrated in Fig. 1, the
`pad is shown attached to a vehicle seat.
`I
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`Alternatively, the pad could be provided with means whereby it can be retained after
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`being wrapped about an area to be treated.
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`In order to provide the required current to the coil, I provide circuitry, which may be
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`as illustrated in Fig. 2, and which can be readily connected to power available in a
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`vehicle, such as to a cigarette lighter.
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`The circuitry includes a pulse generator,
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`which is a unidirectional pulse generator, which pulse generator is modulated by a
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`low frequency modulator.
`
`The low frequency modulator modulates the pulse generator on a cycle time of 20
`
`milleseconds, during which time the pulse is on for 2596 of the time and off for 7596
`of the time.
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`The pulse generator is adapted to provide a pulse train which has a pulse length of 20
`
`milliseconds during 25% of which, or 5 milliseconds, the pulse is on and during the
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`remainder the pulse is off and the low frequency modulator modulates the pulse
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`generator so that the pulses are cyclicly generated or not generated with the cycles
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`being 100 milliseconds on and 100 milliseconds off.
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`Thus there are five pulses
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`produced, a gap for 100 milliseconds, another five pulses and so on and, during a
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`second, there is a composite repetition rate of when pulses are occurring of 5 Hz.
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`The output
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`from the pulse generator passes to a power amplified which has
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`associated therewith both a timer arrangement and an output level arrangement.
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`

`

`-4-
`
`0209246
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`The output level is adjusted to normally provide approximately 50 gauss at the coils
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`11, 12 of the pad 10 which would give approximately 15 gauss where the field comes
`into contact with a user.
`
`The timer is provided to restrict the amplification and transmission of pulses for half
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`an hour in a four hour period, although the specific times can be varied.
`
`the ignition of the
`is such that, notwithstanding the fact that
`The arrangement
`vehicle may be switched on and switched off, the timer retains a memory so that,
`after a full period of treatment, which can be broken, there can be no further pulses
`transmitted for the minimum of a three and a half hour period.
`
`In use, if the device is to be used to prevent muscle stiffness and pain in a vehicle
`driver's back the pad of the invention is located against the rear of the seat of the
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`vehicle and is held in position thereabouts by means of the straps or the like 16 which
`are tied about the seat back.
`
`The pulse source is connected to a sourceof power, such as by a cigarette lighter _
`socket, and the operation of the device commences and continues as previously
`described for an on period of half an hour and an off period of three and a half hours.
`
`The driver, in his normal driving position, has his back in close proximity to the pad
`10, which is comfortable because of the lambswool covering, and provides magnetic
`waves to the muscles of the driver at the selected, which is a desired, frequency and
`at a power which is considered to be suitable.
`
`If the driver should be suffering from muscle pains in the thighs or calves, it is
`possible that the device be located on the seat of the vehicle and extend thereover so
`
`that the magnetic field can be brought into contact with those muscles.
`
`Further, although I have described the device as being useful in a vehicle situation, it
`will be perceived that. for persons with muscle soreness, the device could be used as
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`an underblanket on a bed or chair so that, during rest, magnetic treatment of the
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`body muscles could be provided.
`
`I have described one particular form of manufacture of the pad of the
`Whilst
`invention, it will be perceived that the coils could be located in a material other than
`
`a synthetic plastics foam and, also, that it would not be necessary that the outer
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`cover be lambswool, although it would be desirable that the cover be of a material
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`

`

`_5_
`
`0209246
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`which is comfortable against a user and which can stand substantial wear.
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`Also, although not described, it may be preferred that the cover be able to be able to
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`be replaceably removeable from the coil portion of the pad, so as to be able to be
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`washed and replaced.
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`Specific intensity, frequency and treatment time have been mentioned, however,
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`intensities of between 1 — 200 gauss, frequencies of between 1 — 200 Hz and up to two
`
`hours on and two hours off in all combinations of the above have proved to be of
`
`therapeutic value.
`
`

`

`CLAIMS:
`
`~6-
`
`0209246
`
`1.
`
`A magnetic therapy device being a flexible pad (10) which is adapted to be in
`
`close contact with a user when in use, which pad includes at
`
`least one
`
`elongated magnetic coil (11, 12) which is adapted to be located adjacent the
`
`portion of the body of the user to be treated, a support (13) upon which this
`
`coil is located and a covering (15) for the coil.
`
`2.
`
`A magnetic therapy device as claimed in claim 1 wherein there are at least
`
`two magnetic coils (11, 12), adjacent coils being of opposite polarity.
`
`3.
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`A magnetic therapy device as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the coil(s)
`
`is/are sandwiched between two layers (13) of a material having no magnetic
`properties.
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`4. A magnetic therapy device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the material of the
`
`sandwich (13) is a synthetic fibre material.
`
`5.
`
`A magnetic therapy device as claimed invclaim 3 or claim 4 wherein the
`device has an outer cover (15).
`
`6.
`
`A magnetic therapy device as claimed in any preceding claim and adapted for
`
`use on the seat back of a vehicle including means (16) whereby the device can
`be connected to the seat back.
`
`7.
`
`A magnetic therapy device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5 and adapted
`
`to be wrapped about portion of a persons body and having means whereby it
`can be retained thereabout.
`
`8.
`
`A magnetic therapy system including a magnetic therapy device as claimed in
`
`any preceding claim and including means to produce a magnetic field in the
`
`coil(s) of the device which means includes a pulse generator and a power
`amplifier.
`
`9.
`
`A magnetic therapy system as claimed in claim 8 wherein the means to
`
`produce a magnetic field in the coil(s) includes modulating means to cyclicly
`
`control the output of the pulse generator so that the pulses are produced in
`bursts.
`
`

`

`-7-
`
`0209246
`
`10.
`
`A magnetic therapy system as claimed in claim 8 or claim 9 wherein the
`
`means to produce a magnetic field in the coil(s) includes a timer to control
`
`the maximum period during which pulses can be sent from the power amplifier
`
`to the coil(s) in a specific time.
`
`11.
`
`A magnetic therapy device substantially as hereinbefore described with
`
`reference to the accompanying drawings.
`
`12.
`
`A magnetic therapy system substantially as hereinbefore described with
`
`reference to the accompanying drawings.
`
`

`

`0209246
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`

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`1.2/2
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`0209246
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`SE:
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`0209246
`
`DOCUNENTS CONSIDERED TO BE RELEVANT
`
`EP 863045 29. O
`
`Al — 3 331 976 (MUNCHINGEH)
`
`A 61 N 1/42
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`B 60 N l/OO
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`I—m...Wm
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`X DE
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`
`
`
`
`* Abstract; claims 1,7,8; fig.
`
`2,3 *
`
`
`
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` DE — A — 2 116 869 (KRAUS)
`
`
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`* Claims 1,9—11; fig.
`
`1
`
`*
`
`
`
`EP — Al - O 126 805 (ELECTED-BIOLOGI1,3,5
`
`line 19 - page 10,
`* Page 8,
`line 21; fig.
`l—Sb,7 *
`
`
`
`EP — A1 — O 1C4 793 (ELECTRO-BHMLGY)1~3,5,
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`line 2 - page 10,
`* Page 6,
`line 18; page 11,
`lines 5—15;
`
`fig. 1,3 *
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`
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`EP — A1 — O 042 889 (ELECTRO-BflfiflCY)1—3,5,
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`
`* Abstract; fig. 1—5b,7 *
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`1,7~9
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`* Abstract; claims 1-6 *
` GB — A - 1 323 222 (FYNN)
`1—3 *
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`* Abstract; fig. 1,5,6 *
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`DE - A1 - 3 128 263 (BUSCHKY)
`
`* Claims 1.7—9; fig.
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`DOCUNENTS CONSIDERED To BE RELEVANT
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`
`EP 86304529 . o
`CLASSIFICAYION OF THE
`APPLICATION (m. CH)
`
`
`
`.02th
`
`
`
`
`
`AUSZUGE AUS DEN GEBRAUCHSMUSTERN,
`vol. 21, no. 14, Munich, April 5,
`1984
`page 1131
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