WO1993024093A1

WO1993024093A1 - Apparatus for cure of respiratory passages with use of acoustic vibrations

Info

Publication number: WO1993024093A1
Application number: PCT/FI1993/000241
Authority: WO
Inventors: Esko Alasaarela; Vesa PENTIKÄINEN
Original assignee: Creativesco Oy
Priority date: 1992-06-04
Filing date: 1993-06-03
Publication date: 1993-12-09
Also published as: AU4073193A; FI922575A0; FI922575A7; FI922575L

Abstract

A device for the treatment of the cavities in the respiratory passages generates acoustic vibrations, which resonate in the cavities of the respiratory passages and provide a treating action. The most important parts of the device are the signal source (2), which generates the vibration signals, and an acoustic vibrator (1), which directs the vibrations into the cavities (3) of the respiratory passages. The treating action of the device is based on the fact that resonating acoustic vibrations loosen mucus and other sectretions (5), massage the mucus membranes (6) and stimulate their circulation, facilitating the draining of mucus and other secretion through natural ducts (4) into the throat and relaxing the muscles connected to the cavities.

Description

Apparatus for cure of respiratory passages with use of acoustic vibrations.

The object of the invention is a device, which in the respiratory
passages generates accurately controlled, resonating acoustic
vibrations, which 1) loosen mucus and other secretions, 2) massage the mucous membranes and stimulate their circulation,
3) facilitate the flow of mucus and other secretions through
natural ducts to the throat, and 4) relax the muscles of the
respiratory passages. The device can be used to prevent and treat
of e.g. flu symptoms.

Medicines are usually used to treat nasal catarrh caused by the
flu and to relieve its symptoms, whereby the medicines reduce
tumescence of the mucous membranes and prevent the secretion of mucus. To this end it is possible to use e.g. antihistamine treatment. The loosening of the mucus may also be assisted by breathing humid air or vapor.

If the flu is prolonged, and the infection in the nasal cavity, maxillary sinus, and in the frontal sinus becomes a purulent,
bacterial infection, it is in most cases necessary to resort to
an antibiotic treatment. If the obstructed cavities accumulate much mucus and pus, the created vacuum or pressure causes so
strong pains for the patient, that the secretions must be
surgically removed from the cavity through the nasal cartilage.

This is generally made by puncture, i.e. steel needles are pushed via both nostrils through the nasal cartilage into the maxillary
sinus. The secretions accumulated in the maxillary sinus are
then rinsed through these needles.

Mechanic and acoustic low frequency vibrations have been utilized
in a number of therapy and treatment devices. The most common
are different massage devices, in which an alternating voltage causes an iron core to vibrate in an induction coil. These mechanic vibrations are applied to the part of the body to be massaged by pressing the massaging head against the skin.

In addition to mechanic massage devices acoustic therapy devices are known, with which relaxing or treating acoustic vibrations can be directed to different parts of the human body. For instance the device presented in the patent application FI 875104 is of this kind, which with the aid of sounds act on the human body.

This device generates low frequency signals, which are supplied by a speaker through a padding to the desired part of the body.

The low frequency signals are varied in accordance with music or a predetermined rhythm. Massage devices of the same type are presented also in many other patent applications, as in FI 884898 and in the patent publication GB 2 036 560.

The patent publication EP 0 429 109 presents a device, which generates acoustic signals or mechanic vibrations, which are directed to the body of the patient, and which act on the patient's circulation. The effect of the treatment is observed during the treatment with different sensors, of which the claims mention indicators of the heart rate, tissue temperature and the contents of oxygen in the blood.

The patent publication DE 3541350 presents a device containing a vibrating plate generating acoustic vibrations in the patient's body. The vibration frequency is selected so that it is absorbed particularly in the desired tissue areas.

The international patent application PCT/US86/01738 presents a device to remove biological tissue. The device contains an aspirator part, which with the aid of ultrasound breaks the tissue section to be removed. The broken tissue can then be rinsed loose and sucked away through the aspirator nozzle.

At this moment there is not available any simple and practical method suitable for domestic or hospital use to treat the symptoms of a flu. Medicines that reduce tumescence of the mucous membranes have apparent side effects. Many of them cause fatigue and for instance lower the performance in traffic. Their action is also quite short.

Different vapor breathing devices in many cases relieve the flu symptoms. These devices facilitate the loosening of mucus and reduce the tumescence of the nose, but they are not able to actively loosen mucus nor to aid in draining mucus from the obstructed cavities. In order to obtain a good treatment effect the vapor breathing device must be used several times a day and each time for a rather long period, which often is too cumbersome, particularly in domestic conditions.

If a bacterial purulent infection is created in the obstructed cavities, the above mentioned treatment methods are generally insufficient. Generally an antibiotic treatment is ordered if the patient does not have serious pains. However, unnecessary antibiotic treatment should always be avoided, because it furthers the creation of new microbe populations, more resistive than the earlier ones. The antibiotics also change the microbe balance of the patient, by killing useful bacteria populations functioning for example in the intestines. Further the antibiotics always decrease the physical efficiency and resistance of the patient.

If the infection proceeds so rapidly that the antibiotics treatment does not have time to have an effect, or if the patient has serious pains, the pus and other secretions must be removed from the cavities by mechanical means. The maxillary sinus and the frontal sinus cannot be rinsed through the mouth or through the nostrils, but the cavities must be punctured from outside.

The maxillary sinus is punctured with a steel needle via the nostrils through the nasal cartilage. The frontal sinus is punctured by making openings in the frontal bone below the eyebrows. These unpleasant treatment methods, which often cause fear in the patients, are often the only solutions in far proceeded infections of the maxillary sinus and the frontal sinus. In addition to the puncture the patient is generally ordered an antibiotics treatment.

The device according to the invention provides a new effective, safe and easy solution for the treatment of flu symptoms. With the aid of the invention it is further possible to cure a purulent infection of the maxillary sinus or the frontal sinus in a natural way, without antibiotics or surgical operations.

In order to implement this the device according to the invention is characterized in what is presented in the characterizing clause of claim 1.

With the aid of the device according to the invention it is possible to relieve the flu symptoms already at the first phases of the disease. The acoustic vibrations generated by the device loosen the mucus in the cavities and reduce the obstructions of the respiratory passages. At the same time they pleasantly massage the mucous membranes and stimulate their circulation.

The vibrations generated by the device according to the invention also actively assist in draining mucus and other secretions accumulated in the cavities, through the natural ducts to the throat. If the mucus accumulated in the cavities can be removed already in the first phases of the flu, the bacteria cannot reproduce in the obstructed ducts, and no persistent bacterial infection or other secondary diseases will develop in the patient. If the infection already advanced to the state of a purulent, bacterial infection of the maxillary sinus or the frontal sinus, then the device can cause mucus and pus accumulated in the cavities to flow through the natural ducts to the throat. When the pus is drained from the cavities, the advance of the infection generally will stop by itself, and no antibiotics, punctures or surgical operations will be required in the treatment.

The invention is now described in detail with reference to the enclosed drawing.

Figure 1 shows schematically the operation of the device.

Figure 2 shows schematically the method used to determine the
natural resonances of the cavities.

The vibration signal used in the device is generated by a signal source 2. The vibration may have any waveform, as long as it contains frequency components, which are sufficiently strong and fall on the natural resonance frequencies of the desired cavity or cavities.

The vibrations are supplied to the cavities 3 of the respiratory passages by an acoustic vibrator 1 through the mouth or the nostrils, or directly through the face bones. In each case the acoustic adaptation between the acoustic vibrator 1 and the cavity 3 of the respiratory passages is optimized so that a maximum part of the vibration power can reach the desired cavities 3. Then the absorption of sound waves in soft tissue layers as well as the conduction and reflection of sound waves in the skull must be particularly observed.

However, the cavities 3 of the human respiratory passages have several characteristic resonance frequencies. When acoustic vibrations are supplied to the cavities 3 of the human respiratory passages exactly at the resonance frequency of one of the cavities 3, the vibrations are amplified in this particular cavity 3. A very large part of the power and of the massaging effect of the supplied vibrations is directed to the region of this cavity 3. By tuning the vibration frequency of the signal source 2 it is possible to exactly select those cavities 3, to which the treatment is directed. The treatment can also be directed to several cavities 3, when the signal source 2 simultaneously generates several vibrations at different frequencies.

When the acoustic vibrations resonate in the cavity 3 they massage the mucous membrane 6 and stimulate its circulation and loosen mucus and secretions 5 accumulated in the cavity 3. At the same time the vibrations cause vibrations in the mucus and secretions 5 accumulated in the cavity 3 and facilitate its removal through the natural duct 4 to the throat. An effect corresponding to that of the acoustic vibration is utilized for instance in a concrete vibrator generating vibrations, which cause the concrete body to penetrate even the smallest pores.

Figure 2 shows how the frequency of the vibrations supplied by the signal source can be exactly adapted to the natural resonance frequencies of the desired cavities 3. At (a) in figure 2 we see how the signal source 2 generates broadband acoustic measurement pulses 7, which are directed to the cavities 3 of the respiratory passages by an acoustic vibrator 1. A short while after the measurement pulse is sent the returning echo signal reflected by the cavities 3 is measured by the microphone 8 and connected to the filter 9, which also may be a signal processing unit based on spectrum analysis.

The power of the echo signal is centered on the natural resonance frequencies of the cavities 3. When the pass-band 10 of the adjustable filter 9 is selected so that the amplitude of the filtered signal obtains its maximum value 11, then the pass-band of the filter 9 is at the resonance frequency of some of the cavities 3. Several resonance maxima are found when the pass-band frequency is adjusted. The correct resonance maximum can be found for example by asking the patient to tell when he feels a tickle at a certain region of his face. It is also possible to press the microphone 8 against the skin of the face, as close as possible to that cavity 3, where the treating effect is desired.

Then the resonance is heard loudest from that cavity 3, which is closest to the microphone 8.

When the pass-band frequency of the filter 9 is selected to be the natural resonance frequency of the cavity 3 in accordance with figure 2, the signal source 2 supplies to the filter 9 for example broadband noise according to figure 2 (b). Then the earlier tuned frequency band passes the filter 9 with the highest power. This is also the natural resonance frequency of that cavity 3 where the treatment is desired. After the filter 9 the signal is amplified and directed through the acoustic vibrator 1 into the cavities 3 of the patient's respiratory passages.

When instead of the simple filtering a more sophisticated spectrum analysis is used to examine the echo signal it is possible to automatically localize the resonance frequencies of the cavities 3. When the suitable resonance frequencies are found, the device automatically generates acoustic vibrations at these frequencies. By periodically changing the signal frequency during the treatment it is possible to direct the treatment to several cavities 3 during a single treatment.

Instead of the periodical signal it also possible to use simultaneously several continuous signals at different frequencies. A sophisticated, far automatized treatment device would be suitable particularly to be used in hospitals, whereas a cheaper and simpler manually adjustable model could be marketed for domestic use.

The operation of the device could be made more effective by using in parallel with the acoustic vibration treatment also other treatment means. If the patient for instance is ordered antihistamine or other medicine, which reduces the tumescence of the mucous membranes and the secretion of mucus, it facilitates the drain of mucus and other secretions through the tumescent and possibly obstructed ducts to the throat. Loosening of mucus and other secretions from the mucous membranes of the cavities 3 could also be facilitated by using vapor breathing during the treatment. The vapor breathing device could also be integrated in the treatment device.

We try to select the treating acoustic signal so that it is as pleasant to listen to as possible, but so that it at the same time contains sufficient power at the desired resonance frequencies. We can also make the treatment more pleasant by using a signal, which sounds musical.

In addition to the above mentioned treating effects directed to the infected cavities 3 the device relaxes the muscles in the larynx and other places of the respiratory passages. For example singers could use this therapy effect as an aid to relax the larynx muscles, in addition to different vocal exercises.

During the relaxing of the larynx muscles the acoustic vibrations could be directed through the mouth to the correct region, or by holding the acoustic vibrator 2 pressed against the windpipe or the larynx.

All of the above mentioned operating forms and embodiments of the device according to the invention can also be applied in the treatment of cavities 3 in animal respiratory passages, whereby the characteristics of the device can be dimensioned according to the structure of each animal species, as required.

Claims

1. A device generating acoustic vibrations in the cavities (3) of respiratory passages, characterized in that the vibration frequencies are selected so that they fall on the natural resonance frequency of a desired cavity (3) or cavities (3), whereby the vibrations provide a treating effect in the cavities (3).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the generated treating effect comprises loosening secretions from the mucous membranes, massage of the mucous membranes (6) in the cavities (3), opening of obstructed ducts (4) due to the effect of the vibrations and the drain of mucus and other secretions (5) through the ducts (4), and/or the relaxation of the muscles connected to the cavities (3).

3. Device according to claims 1 - 2, characterized in that the acoustic vibrations generated by the signal source (2) are directed to the cavities (3) of the respiratory passages through the mouth or the nostrils by an acoustic vibrator (1).

4. Device according to claims 1 - 2, characterized in that the acoustic vibrations generated by the signal source (2) are directed to the cavities (3) of the respiratory passages through the face bones by pressing the acoustic vibrator (1) against the face or the teeth.

5. Device according to claims 1 - 2, characterized in that the acoustic vibrations generated by the signal source (2) are directed by the acoustic vibrator (1) to the cavities (3) of the respiratory passages directly to the mucous membrane (6), for example at the region of the drain duct (4).

6. Device according to claims 1 - 2, characterized in that the acoustic vibrations are directed to the muscles of the respiratory passages and particularly of the larynx, by pressing the acoustic vibrator (1) via the skin against the larynx or the windpipe.

7. Device according to claims 1 - 6, characterized in that the resonance frequencies of the cavities (3) are found by adjusting the frequency of the signal source and by teaching the patient to sense the resonance vibrations, for example as tickle in the desired cavity (3).

8. Device according to claims 1 - 6, characterized in that the desired resonance frequency is found by transmitting broadband acoustic measurement pulses into the cavities (3) of the respiratory passages and by examining the spectrum of the returning echo signal reflected from the cavities (3).

9. Device according to claims 1 - 6 and 8, characterized in that an echo signal reflected from the cavities (3) and detected by a microphone (8) is directed through a filter, the pass-band (10) of which is selected by finding the local maximum (11) of the filtered signal amplitude.

10. Device according to claims 1 - 6, 8 and 9 characterized in that when the filter's (9) pass-band (10) is adjusted, a broadband signal, e.g. with the character of noise, is supplied through the filter (9). After filtering the signal is amplified and supplied via the acoustic vibrator (1) to the cavities (3) of the patient's respiratory passages.

11. Device according to claims 1 - 6 and 8, characterized in that treatment is effected by supplying automatically to the cavities (3) such resonance frequencies, which are found by examining the spectrum of the reflected, returning echo signal.

12. Device according to claims 1 - 11, characterized in that the treatment can be directed to several cavities (3) during a single treatment by periodically changing the signal frequency and/or simultaneously using several frequencies.

13. Device according to any previous claim 1 - 11, characterized in that a pleasantly sounding signal, for example a musical signal, is used in the treatment.

14. Device according to any previous claim 1 - 13, characterized in that an instrument improving the treatment effects is integrated in the device or is available as an accessory, such as a vapor breathing device or a dosage device for antihistamine or any other medication.

15. Device according to any previous claim 1 - 14, characterized in that its characteristics are dimensioned to be suitable for animal treatment.