Moxa cone removal instrument

Abstract

The present invention is a moxa cone removal forceps instrument made of heat resistant material and designed for removal of burning moxa cones from the skin of patients undergoing acupuncture treatments. The removal instrument has pivoting legs with scoops at the ends most distal from the finger grip portions of the legs. The scoops are designed to grasp and hold the moxa cones within an enclosed volume having a flat bottom.

1 . A moxa cone removal instrument comprising: 
 two elongate members joined together; and    a pair of end scoops, one on each of the two elongate members, said end scoops disposed so as to come together and form a hollow enclosed volume wherein can be captured an object without applying clamping pressure upon said object.    
   
   
       2 . The moxa cone removal instrument of  claim 1  where in the hollow enclosed volume formed by the said end scoops form the volumetric shape of a polyhedral volume having a flat polygonal base.  
   
   
       3 . The moxa cone removal instrument of  claim 1  where in the hollow enclosed volume formed by the said end scoops form the volumetric shape of a conical volume having a flat circular or elliptical base.  
   
   
       4 . The moxa cone removal instrument of  claim 1  wherein the end scoops are constructed of a heat resistant material.  
   
   
       5 . The moxa cone removal instrument of  claim 4  wherein the heat resistant material is metal.  
   
   
       6 . The moxa cone removal instrument of  claim 4  wherein the heat resistant material is high temperature plastic.  
   
   
       7 . The moxa cone removal instrument of  claim 1  including means for locking the two elongate members together.  
   
   
       8 . The moxa cone removal instrument of  claim 7  wherein the means for locking the two elongate members together includes a locking tang on each of the elongate members for locking together when the two elongate members are locked together.  
   
   
       9 . A method for removing burning moxa cones from the skin of patients undergoing acupuncture treatments involving moxibustion, the method comprising the steps of: 
 providing a moxa cone removal instrument comprising two elongate members joined together with a pair of end scoops, one on each of the two elongate members, said end scoops disposed so as to come together and form a hollow enclosed volume when the elongate members are brought together;    positioning the pair of end scoops upon the patient's skin on opposite sides of the burning moxa cone;    closing the elongate members of the moxa cone removal instrument so as to enclose the moxa cone within the hollow enclosed volume defined by the pair of end scoops; and    lifting the burning moxa cone away from the skin.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  including the step of: 
 opening the moxa cone removal instrument to remove the moxa cone therefrom.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9  including the step of: 
 closing the elongate members of the moxa cone removal instrument so as to enclose the moxa cone within the hollow enclosed volume defined by the pair of end scoops without applying clamping pressure upon said moxa cone    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of providing a moxa cone removal instrument includes the step of providing said volume defined by the pair of end scoops to be a polyhedral volume having a flat polygonal base.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the step of providing a moxa cone removal instrument includes the step of providing said volume defined by the pair of end scoops to be a conical volume having a flat circular or elliptical base.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9  further including the step of providing a moxa cone removal instrument of two elongate members joined together with a pair of end scoops constructed of a heat resistant material.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 9  further including the step locking the two elongate members together.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the step locking the two elongate members together includes the step of providing a locking tang on each of the elongate members for locking the two elongate members together.