Electrical device for providing pain relief

Abstract

An apparatus for relieving pain in a region of the body of a user by contacting electrodes to a surface of the body of the user at the region and providing a series of electrical impulses to the region, the apparatus including: (a) at least two electrodes adapted to contact a surface of a body of the user; (b) a control unit; and (c) a signal generator, associated with the control unit and responsive thereto, the signal generator and the control unit adapted to operative connect to a power supply, the signal generator adapted, in an operative mode, to provide a series of electrical impulses to the surface of the body, via the electrodes, the series including a plurality of cycles, each of the cycles having a positive voltage pulse and a negative voltage pulse, wherein a frequency of the plurality of cycles is optionally within a range of 60-150 cycles per second, wherein a time-averaged voltage amplitude (Va p ) of the positive voltage pulse, over an entire duration (Tp positive ) thereof, is 20-90 Volts, and wherein a ramp-up section of the positive voltage pulse fulfills at least one of the following structural conditions: (1) the positive voltage pulse attains at least 80% of the time-averaged voltage amplitude, within a time (T80) of 70-150 nanoseconds; (2) the positive voltage pulse increases by at least 20 Volts, within 70 nanoseconds.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A non-invasive device for providing pain relief to a human user, the device comprising:
 (a) at least two electrodes adapted to contact a surface of a body of the user;   (b) a control unit; and   (c) a signal generator, associated with said control unit and responsive thereto, said signal generator and said control unit adapted to operative connect to a power supply,
 said signal generator adapted, in an operative mode, to provide a series of electrical impulses to said surface of said body, via said electrodes, 
 said series including a plurality of cycles, each of said cycles having a positive voltage pulse and a negative voltage pulse, 
 wherein a frequency of said plurality of cycles is within a range of 60-150 cycles per second, 
 wherein a time-averaged voltage amplitude (Va p ) of said positive voltage pulse, over an entire duration (Tp positive ) thereof, is 20-90 Volts, 
 and wherein a ramp-up section of said positive voltage pulse fulfills at least one of the following structural conditions: 
   (1) said positive voltage pulse attains at least 80% of said time-averaged voltage amplitude, within a time (T80) of 70-150 nanoseconds;   (2) said positive voltage pulse increases by at least 20 Volts, within 70 nanoseconds.   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein T80 is at least 75 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein T80 is at least 80 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         4 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein T80 is at most 140 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         5 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein T80 is at most 130 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         6 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein T80 is at most 120 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         7 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein T80 is at most 115 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         8 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein T80 is at most 110 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         9 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  8 , wherein said positive voltage pulse increases by at least 20 Volts, within 70 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         10 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  8 , wherein said positive voltage pulse increases by at least 30 Volts, within 70 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         11 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  8 , wherein said positive voltage pulse increases by at least 40 Volts, within 70 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         12 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  8 , wherein said positive voltage pulse increases by at least 50 Volts, within 70 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         13 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  12 , wherein an intermediate time (Ti) between said positive voltage pulse and said negative voltage pulse is at least 0.1 milliseconds, at least 0.2 milliseconds, at least 0.3 milliseconds, or at least 0.4 milliseconds. 
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein said intermediate time (Ti) is at most 1 millisecond, at most 0.9 milliseconds, at most 0.8 milliseconds, or at most 0.7 milliseconds. 
     
     
         15 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  14 , wherein said positive pulse attains at least 80% of said time-averaged voltage amplitude for a pulse duration within a range of 70-130 microseconds, 80-120 microseconds, or 90-110 microseconds. 
     
     
         16 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  15 , wherein said positive pulse has a substantially constant voltage amplitude for a pulse duration within a range of 70-130 microseconds, 80-120 microseconds, or 90-110 microseconds. 
     
     
         17 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  16 , wherein said frequency of said plurality of cycles is within a range of 70-140 cycles per second, 80-130 cycles per second, or 80-120 cycles per second. 
     
     
         18 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  17 , wherein said negative voltage pulse is area-symmetric with respect to said positive voltage pulse, within 10 area %, within 5 area %, within 2 area %, or within 1 area %. 
     
     
         19 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  18 , wherein said positive voltage pulse attains at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95%, or substantially 100% of said time-averaged voltage amplitude, within 70-150 nanoseconds. 
     
     
         20 . The device of any one of  claims 18  to  19 , wherein said signal generator includes a low voltage signal generator adapted to produce a low voltage AC signal, said low voltage signal generator producing a peak voltage of up to 10.0 volts up to 5.0 volts. 
     
     
         21 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  19 , wherein said signal generator includes at least one of a voltage pre-amplifier and a voltage amplifier, adapted to amplify the voltage of a signal provided as input thereto. 
     
     
         22 . The device of  claim 21 , wherein said voltage pre-amplifier and said voltage amplifier is disposed electrically downstream with respect to a low voltage signal generator, and receives as input a said low voltage AC signal generated by said low voltage signal generator. 
     
     
         23 . The device of  claim 21  or  claim 22 , wherein said signal generator includes a transformer adapted to amplify the voltage of a signal provided as input thereto. 
     
     
         24 . The device of  claim 23 , wherein said transformer is disposed electrically downstream with respect to said voltage pre-amplifier and said voltage amplifier. 
     
     
         25 . The device of  claim 22  or  23 , wherein said signal generator includes an AC-to-DC converter disposed electrically downstream relative to said transformer and adapted to produce a substantially DC signal from an input signal provided thereto. 
     
     
         26 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  21 , wherein said signal generator includes an AC-to-DC converter adapted to produce a substantially DC signal. 
     
     
         27 . The device of  claim 26 , wherein said AC-to-DC converter is disposed electrically downstream with respect to said voltage pre-amplifier and said voltage amplifier. 
     
     
         28 . The device of any one of  claims 25  to  27 , wherein said AC-to-DC converter includes a diode circuit adapted to produce said substantially DC signal. 
     
     
         29 . The device of  claim 28 , wherein said diode circuit includes at least one diode, and a capacitor disposed electrically downstream of said at least one diode. 
     
     
         30 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  29 , wherein said signal generator includes a switching mechanism, responsive to said control unit, adapted to transform an input signal provided to said switching mechanism into said series of electrical impulses. 
     
     
         31 . The device of  claim 30 , wherein said switching mechanism receives as said input signal a substantially DC signal. 
     
     
         32 . The device of  claim 31 , wherein said switching mechanism includes a first switch, responsive to said control unit, adapted to generate from said substantially DC signal said positive voltage pulses of said series, and a second switch, responsive to said control unit, adapted to generate from said substantially DC signal said negative voltage pulses of said series. 
     
     
         33 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  32 , wherein said power supply comprises a low voltage power supply adapted to provide a nominal voltage of at most 10 volts, at most 8.0 volts, at most 6.0 volts, at most 5.0 volts, at most 4.0 volts, or at most 3.0 volts. 
     
     
         34 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  33 , further comprising a housing enclosing said control unit, said signal generator, and said power supply. 
     
     
         35 . The device of  claim 34 , wherein, in said operative mode, said power supply enclosed in said housing is the sole power supply for said device. 
     
     
         36 . The device of  claim 34  or  claim 35 , wherein said housing has dimensions within the range of 4 cm×4 cm×8 mm to 6 cm×6 cm×13 mm. 
     
     
         37 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  36 , wherein said device has a weight in the range of 90 to 150 grams, excluding any power supply enclosed in said housing. 
     
     
         38 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  37 , wherein said device is portable while in said operative mode. 
     
     
         39 . The device of any one of  claims 1  to  38 , wherein said electrodes are adapted to contact said surface of the body of the user at a region of the body at which pain is experienced. 
     
     
         40 . A method for providing pain relief to a user, the method comprising:
 (a) providing a device according to any one of  claims 1  to  39 ;   (b) attaching said at least two electrodes to said surface of the body of the user;   (c) activating said signal generator to operate in said operative mode to provide said series of electrical impulses to said surface of said body, via said electrodes.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 40 , wherein said attaching includes attaching said at least two electrodes to said surface of the body at a region at which pain is felt by the user. 
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein said region at which pain is felt by the user is an abdominal area of the user. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein said method is effected so as to provide relief to menstrual or pre-menstrual pains. 
     
     
         44 . The method of any one of  claims 40  to  43 , further comprising said user wearing said device. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein said wearing comprises attaching said device to a garment worn by said user. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44  or  claim 45 , wherein said wearing comprises wearing said device while said device is in said operative mode. 
     
     
         47 . The method of any one of  claims 44  to  46 , wherein said device is portable, the method further comprising said user moving a distance of at least ten, at least five, or at least three meters while wearing said device, in said operative mode, for at least 10, at least 5, or at least 3 minutes. 
     
     
         48 . A non-invasive device for providing pain relief to a human user, the device comprising:
 (a) at least two electrodes adapted to contact a surface of a body of the user;   (b) a control unit; and   (c) a signal generator, associated with said control unit and responsive thereto, said signal generator and said control unit adapted to operative connect to a power supply,
 said signal generator adapted, in an operative mode, to provide a series of electrical impulses to said surface of said body, via said electrodes, 
 said series including a plurality of cycles, each of said cycles having a positive voltage pulse and a negative voltage pulse, 
 wherein a frequency of said plurality of cycles is within a range of 60-150 cycles per second, 
 wherein a time-averaged voltage amplitude (Va p ) of said positive voltage pulse, over an entire duration (Tp positive ) thereof, is 20-90 Volts, 
 wherein a ramp-up section of a said positive voltage pulse of cycles in a first subset of said plurality of cycles has a first ramp up time, a ramp-up section of a said positive voltage pulse of cycles in a second subset of said plurality of cycles, following said first subset, has a second ramp up time, shorter than said first ramp up time, and a ramp-up section of a said positive voltage pulse of cycles in a third subset of said plurality of cycles, following said second subset, has a third ramp up time, shorter than said second ramp up time, 
 and wherein said ramp-up section of said positive voltage pulse of said cycles in said third subset fulfills at least one of the following structural conditions: 
   (1) said positive voltage pulse attains at least 80% of said time-averaged voltage amplitude, within a time (T80) of 70-150 nanoseconds;   (2) said positive voltage pulse increases by at least 20 Volts, within 70 nanoseconds.