DEVICE FOR HYPERTHERMIA TREATMENT OF PRURITUS

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for hyperthermal treatment of pruritus by applying a treatment surface with a size between 1 cm.sup.2 and 18 cm.sup.2, whereby the treatment surface during the treatment phase is held at a temperature between 40 C. and 65 C. for 2 seconds to 12 seconds, preferably 4 seconds to 6 seconds. The device according to the invention allows a significant relief of itching over large areas of the skin and an effective treatment of pruritus, chronic pruritus, dermatitis, allergies, and cnidarian stings.

Claims

1. Device for hyperthermal treatment of itching, comprising a) a treatment surface (1) and b) a control device to regulate the temperature of the treatment surface (1) so characterized in that the size of the treatment surface (1) is between 1 cm.sup.2 und 18 cm.sup.2, and the control device can regulate the treatment surface (1) in a heating phase at a treatment temperature between 40 C. und 65 C., and the treatment temperature can be maintained in a treatment phase for a duration of 4 seconds to 6 seconds.

2. Device according to the prior claim so characterized in that the size of the treatment surface (1) is at least 6 cm.sup.2, preferentially at least 7 cm.sup.2, and the treatment temperature lies between 42 C. and 53 C., especially preferred between 50 C. and 53 C.

3. Device according to one of the prior claims so characterized in that the device is characterized in that the device is comprised of at least two heating plates (5), preferably at least four heating plates (5) and very especially preferred at least six heating plates (5), which are present with the treatment surface and whose temperature can be set by the control device, whereby the setting of the treatment temperature on the treatment surface (1) occurs through heating of the heating plates (5).

4. Device according to one of the prior claims so characterized in that the at least two heating plates (5), preferentially at least four heating plates (5), and especially preferred at least six heating plates (5) can be separately controlled and heated by the control device.

5. Device according to one of the prior claims so characterized in that the treatment surface (1) is a connected surface and/or the treatment surface (1) consists of several partial surfaces, which preferentially are congruent to the heating plates (5).

6. Device according to the prior claim so characterized in that the control device can regulate the heating plates (5) in the heating phase to a heating temperature between 43 C. and 54 C. and can maintain the heating temperature in the treatment phase for a time period between 4 seconds and 6 seconds.

7. Device according to one of the prior claims so characterized in that the treatment surface (1) has a thickness of between 0.2 mm and 5 mm, preferentially between 0.5 mm and 2 mm, and especially preferentially between 1 mm and 1.5 mm, and is made of a material that can conduct heat at 50 C. between 20 and 400 W/mK, preferentially between 100 and 350 W/mk.

8. Device according to one of the prior claims so characterized in that the treatment surface (1) is made of ceramics and/or gold.

9. Device according to one of the prior claims so characterized in that the device is constituted of between 4 and 18 heating plates (5) and preferentially between 8 and 14, and the size of the heating plates (5) lies between 0.05 cm.sup.2 and 2 cm.sup.2, preferentially between 0.1 cm.sup.2 and 0.5 cm.sup.2.

10. Device according to one of the prior claims so characterized in that the device is constituted of at least one temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the treatment surface (1) an/or at least one heating plate (5), and the control device sets the temperature of at least one heating plate (5) based on measurement data of the temperature sensor.

11. Device according to one of the prior claims so characterized in that the device has a safety shut off based on a software program and/or hardware that occurs when a maximum temperature is exceeded.

12. Device according to one of the prior claims so characterized in that the device includes a fuse that turns off the device if there is a short circuit or unregulated heating.

13. Device according to one of the prior claims so characterized in that the treatment temperature during the treatment phase can be maintained in a range of +/10%, preferentially +/5%, and especially preferentially +/3%.

14. Device according to one of the prior claims so characterized in that the device has an optical display and/or a sound emitter, which by an acoustical and/or optical signal indicate the start of the heating up phase, reaching the treatment temperature, the duration of the treatment phase, and/or the end of the treatment phase.

15. Device according to one of the prior claims so characterized in that the device is constituted of an optical display or a sound emitter, which indicate by an optical and/or acoustical warning signal of not reaching a preset treatment temperature an/or deviations from the treatment temperature during the treatment phase that is greater than the preferred +/5% and very preferred +/3%.

16. The use of a device according to one of the prior claims to treat chronic pruritus, to reduce itching due to dermatitis, or after contact with poisonous cnidaria or plants, preferentially after contact with jellyfish.

Description

SHORT DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0083] FIG. 1 Schematic side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention

[0084] FIG. 2 Schematic top view of a preferred treatment surface and set up of the heating plates

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0085] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a preferred embodiment of the invention. The housing (3) of the device preferentially is so constructed that it can be held in the hand in order to assure a simple and comfortable application. The preferred embodiment of the housing (3) with a handle is suitable in a particular manner so as to effortlessly reach various parts of the body with the treatment surface (1). The treatment surface (1) is for this reason embedded on the underside of the housing in a front area.

[0086] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of a preferred treatment surface (1) and setup of the heating plates (5). For better understanding, the treatment surface (1) is presented only by its perimeter, so that the setup of the heating plates (5) found in the device is visible. In the especially preferred embodiment, the device 11 comprises heating plates (5) with a diameter of about 6 mm. The treatment surface (1) is heated by the contacting heating plates (5) to the treatment temperature, and in this especially preferred embodiment is constituted of the ceramic aluminum nitride with a thickness of 1.3 mm. This especially preferred embodiment of the device can especially effectively reduce itching due to a number of diseases.

[0087] Reference is made to the fact that various alternatives to the described embodiments of the invention can be used in order to use the invention and to achieve the solution according to the invention. The device according to the invention and its use are not limited in their embodiments to the preferred embodiments given above. Rather, a plurality of variants of construction is conceivable that deviate from the solution that is shown. The goal of the claims is to define the protected scope of the invention. The protected area of the claims is thereby oriented to cover the device according to the invention, the preferred uses, and equivalent embodiments.

PARTS LIST

[0088] 1 Treatment surface [0089] 3 Housing [0090] 5 Heating plate

REFERENCES

[0091] Cohen M R, Moiseenkova-Bell V Y. Structure of thermally activated TRP channels. Curr Top Membr. 2014; 74:181-211. [0092] Mergler S et al. Temperature-sensitive transient receptor potential channels in corneal tissue layers and cells. Ophthalmic Res. 2014; 52(3):151-9. [0093] Matterne U, Apfelbacher C J, Loerbroks A, Schwarzer T, Buttner M, Ofenloch R, Diepgen T L, Weisshaar E: Prevalence, Correlates and Characteristics of Chronic Pruritus: A Population-Based Cross-sectional Study. Acta Derm Venereol 2011; 91: 674-679 [0094] Rothmann S. Physiology of itching. Physiol Rev 1941; 21: 357-381 [0095] Stander S, Weisshaar E, Mettang T, Szepietowski J C, Carstens E, Ikoma A, Bergasa N, Gieler U, Misery L, Wallengren J, Darsow U, Streit M, Metze D, Luger T A, Greaves M W, Schmelz M, Yosipovitch G, Bernhard J. Clinical classification of itch: a position paper of the International Forum for the Study of Itch. Acta Dermatol Venerol 2007, 87: 291-294 [0096] Stander S, Schafer I, Phan N Q, Blome C, Herberger K, Heigel H, Augustin M.: Prevalence of chronic pruritus in Germany: Results of a cross-sectional study in a sample working population of 11,730. Dermatology 2010; 221:229-35 [0097] Somogyi C S et al. Polymodal Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid (TRPV) Ion Channels in Chondrogenic Cells. Int J Mol Sci. 2015; 16(8): 18412-38. [0098] Vogelgsang L, Loerbroeks A, Apfelbacher C J, et al. Incidence of chronic pruritus and its determinants: results from a population-based study. Exp Dermatol 2012; 21:e1-e48 [0099] Yao J, Liu B, Qin F. Modular thermal sensors in temperature-gated transient receptor potential (TRP) channels. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2011; 108(27):11109-14.