BATHING APPARATUS FOR THERMOTHERAPY

Abstract

A bathing device for thermotherapy includes, attached to a bathtub, a magnetized hot water production device through which hot water is passed so as to be magnetized and an aeration device that aerates said magnetized hot water.

Claims

1. A bathing device for thermotherapy, comprising a magnetized hot water generation device configured to pass, hot water therethrough in proximity to at least one permanent magnet so as to be magnetized and an aeration device configured to aerate the magnetized hot water, the bathing device for thermotherapy being configured to be attached to a bathtub.

2. The bathing device for thermotherapy according to claim 1, wherein the aeration device comprises a water flow pump configured to be installed in hot water contained in a bathtub, an air aspiration device comprising an air aspiration tube configured to aspirated atmospheric air and communicating with a water flow tube of the water flow pump, and an aerated water jetting nozzle mounted on an end of the water flow tube, wherein: a water aspiration part is provided which communicates with the water flow tube and is configured to suction hot water from the bathtub to inside the aerated water jetting nozzle so that a cavitation effect and a depressurizing action due to a swirling flow generated inside the aerated water jetting nozzle are and a Venturi effect of the depressurization releases pressure of the water flow in which atmospheric air has been dissolved under pressure, causing fine bubbles to be generated, whereby magnetized water flow containing fine bubbles is discharged.

3. The bathing device for thermotherapy according to claim 2, wherein the water aspiration part comprises a hole, groove, or a sand-finish rough surface formed on the outer peripheral surface of the aeration tube.

4. The bathing device for thermotherapy according to claim 2, further comprising at least two orthogonal static mixers arranged inside the aerated water jetting nozzle.

5. The bathing device for thermotherapy according to claim 4, wherein the air aspiration device is self-priming and is configured to introduce air in the form of fine bubbles by utilizing negative pressure generated with the at least two orthogonal static mixers.

6. The bathing device for thermotherapy according to claim 2, wherein the aerated water jetting nozzle comprises an amorphous metal.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0047] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a bathing device for thermotherapy according to the present invention.

[0048] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing one example of an air aspiration part.

[0049] FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b) are schematic diagrams showing another example of the air aspiration part.

[0050] FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) show an example of an ejector tube, in which FIG. 4(a) is a side sectional view, and FIG. 4(b) is a front view.

[0051] FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of grooves carved into an ejector tube.

[0052] FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) are schematic diagrams showing another embodiment of the aeration device according to the present invention.

[0053] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an aerated water jetting nozzle.

[0054] FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) show an aerated water jetting nozzle in which FIG. 8(a) is a lengthwise-sectional view and FIG. 8(b) is a cross-sectional view.

[0055] FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a bathing device for thermotherapy.

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0056] Hereafter, modes of embodiment of the present invention are described on the basis of the examples illustrated below.

[0057] The bathing device for thermotherapy of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 has a basic configuration equipped with a hot water supply apparatus provided with a heat-maintaining heater capable of maintaining heat in the bathtub by way of supply from a hot water boiler, in which the water temperature is adjustable, or by way of a gas or electric heater; furthermore, a magnetized aerated water generation device 15 comprises: a water flow pump 1 disposed in water, an air aspiration part 5 incorporating magnets 6, which is provided above the water, a water aspiration tube 7 and a water flow tube (Venturi tube) 3 that functions as a pressure reduction part, which are connected to the water flow pump 1, an air aspiration tube 4 connected to the water flow tube 3, and an aerated water jetting tube 8 provided with an ejector tube 2.

[0058] A hot water supply device (not shown) not only mixes cold water and hot water from a boiler in a water storage tank to adjust the hot water temperature, but usually has a recirculation path in order to recirculate a certain amount of hot water in the bathtub allowing the heat to be maintained. The recirculation path is used not only for maintaining heat but also for repeatedly passing hot water in the bathtub through the magnetized water generation device to ensure the action thereof.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 2, both ends of the air aspiration part 5 are flattened so as to have flattened intake ports 5a or, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), the air aspiration parts 5 comprise propellers 10 having with integrated magnets 6 and feed aspirated atmospheric air A to the air aspiration tube 4. The water flow tube 3 utilizes the Venturi effect to depressurize and pressurize atmospheric air A aspirated from the air aspiration part 5, a long tapered portion 3a being formed which expands in diameter from the upstream side to the downstream side, and the end part (outlet portion) on the discharge side of this tapered portion 3a being formed in an outwardly oriented trumpet shape. Furthermore, the outside air A is captured to generate a gas-liquid mixed water AW in which bubbles have been mixed.

[0060] In the water flow tube 3, when the bubbles that have been generated in the flowing water pass through the tapered tube, the pressure is reduced in conjunction with the increases in the flow velocity, and these expand, whereafter, as the cross-sectional area increases, pressure is applied and these contract, and the bubbles are subdivided by the shear force generated at this time so that fine bubbles are produced.

[0061] As shown in FIGS. 4(a), 4(b) and 5, the water flow is further introduced into an aerated water jetting tube 8 provided with the ejector tube 2, resulting in a swirling flow along the inner wall surface thereof, such that suction force is generated in the central portion thereof as a result of the centrifugal force generated and stored water is aspirated by way of water aspiration ports 2a in the ejector tube 2. At the same time, the swirling water flow suctions the atmospheric air, and the water flow descends toward the outlet by way of water flow guidance grooves 14 in four static mixers 13 projecting into the interior of the tube, and due to competition with the reverse suction force from below, shearing occurs in the vicinity of the outlet and fine bubbles are formed. Further, cavitation occurs, due to the turbulent flow that is produced by the swirling flow colliding with grooves 11 formed on the inner and outer peripheral surface around the outlet of the aerated water jetting tube 8, the sand-finish rough surface 12, and the like, which promotes further reduction in size of the bubbles.

[0062] That is to say, this comprises the water flow pump 1 installed in the water tank or the stored water W in a water area, the air aspiration tube 4 connected to the water flow tube 3 of the water flow pump 1, which aspirates atmospheric air, and the aerated water jetting nozzle 8, which is mounted on the end of this water flow tube 3; a water aspiration part 2a is provided, which suctions stored water from the outside to the inside of the aerated water jetting nozzle 8; a cavitation effect due a swirling flow inside the aerated water jetting nozzle 8 and the depressurizing action produced by the swirling flow that is generated, and the Venturi effect of the depressurization means releasing the pressure of the water flow in which atmospheric air has been dissolved under pressure, cause fine bubbles to be generated, and magnetized water flow containing fine bubbles is discharged while applying a magnetic field.

[0063] Further, the arrangement may be such that an aerated water jetting nozzle 9, which is mounted outside the stored water, and which, as shown in FIGS. 6(a), 6(b), 7, 8(a) and 8(b), is provided with a plurality of permanent magnets 6 for creating an alternating N and S magnetic field in the supply water and static mixers 13, and atmospheric air is aspirated from air aspiration holes 2b, whereby fine bubbles are produced by the cavitation action thereof. In this case, aeration can be performed at the same time as the magnetization of water, to supplement the dissolved oxygen, and this is useful, for example, as a nozzle for supplying water to a culture pond. Note, that, as shown in FIG. 10, a propeller 10 may be used instead of the static mixer 13 for aeration, and the desired effect can thereby be obtained.

[0064] Note that, a system can also be employed for the atmospheric air aspiration part, in which air is suctioned toward negative pressure generated by a static impeller, and in addition to the embodiment described above, systems in which air is suctioned from holes in a cylindrical tube along the impeller, systems in which gas jetting holes are provided on the back face of a hollow box-shaped impeller that is fixed so as to allow for passage of air with an air passage opening in a tube, systems in which gas jetting openings are provided in a spiral on a cylindrical tube along the back face of the impeller, in the rotation direction, spirally attached to the tube, and the like can be employed.

[0065] Such a self-priming air aspiration parts can generate a large amount of atmospheric air A in the form of ultrafine bubbles in flowing water. That is to say, a strong vacuum pressure can be generated in the flowing water, and atmospheric air can be suctioned into the flowing water with little energy. Furthermore, since the air is made extremely fine, oxygen dissolution efficiency can be enhanced.

[0066] Permanent magnets of 3000 gauss or more at the surface such as, for example, neodymium magnets or samarium magnets, are preferred as the permanent magnets used in the present invention. In particular, the hot water magnetizing effect is more reliably achieved with an amorphous magnetic material.

[0067] With hot water magnetized in this way, it is thought that the state of water is changed at the molecular level, such as in terms of having smaller clusters of water molecules (monomolecular water or nearly monomolecular water), and it includes inorganic ions (for example, divalent or trivalent inorganic ions, such as iron ions) eluted from mineral inorganic substances over which it has passed and with which it has made contact, thus having physical properties such that it penetrates well into various substances, as well as having properties such that the redox potential (ORP) is lower than water such as ordinary tap water.

[0068] Furthermore, it is thought that when this comes into contact with a magnetic body, ions such as Fe.sup.2+ and Fe.sup.3+are eluted, reducing the size of clusters by breaking up clusters of water molecules, or aggregating small molecules centered on the dissolved ions, and as a result of some sort of physicochemical action such as hydrogen bonds being broken and the amount of active hydrogen increasing in conjunction therewith, it is considered that the redox potential (ORP) of the hot water that has come into contact therewith is also lowered as a result.

[0069] As shown in FIG. 9, the hot water supply device of the embodiment is connected to a water supply source, such as a tap water supply not shown in the figure, and the water may be directly supplied as hot water heated to a predetermined temperature (usually about 60° C.) by way of a boiler, or the temperature may be adjusted to a predetermined temperature (about 46° C.) by mixing it in a hot water storage tank with unheated water at approximately the ambient temperature, or a temperature lower than the ambient temperature, from the water supply source and, using this hot water, magnetized hot water is supplied to the bathtub 16 via a tube, by way of a pump, and via a hot water supply conduit that is also used for hot water recirculation. Note that, in the figure, 17 is a sinker weight for stable placement of the water flow pump 1 in the water.

[0070] For thermotherapy using the bathing device for thermotherapy having the configuration described above, when bathing is performed with hot water adjusted to 42.5 to 43° C., the cells are acidified, the acidification increases heat sensitivity and, due to the production of heat shock proteins (Hsp), cancer cells present non-self antigens, facilitating effective attack by immune cells which have been activated by the elevated body temperature. It is considered that the survival rate of cancer cells decreases significantly at 42.5° C. or higher, and the higher the heating temperature and the longer the time, the lower the survival rate.

[0071] Here, since the redox potential of the hot water is reduced by the aerated magnetized water generation device 15, with high-temperature water at 43° C., the sensible temperature is actually lowered by at least 1 to 2° C., allowing for thermotherapy in which bathing is performed for a long time without heat stress. In fact, with tap water supply from the water source, the redox potential of water was 500 to 550 mV (on the acidic side), while it was confirmed that this was 190 mV in the water in the bathtub in the mode of embodiment in which this was passed through the redox potential (ORP) lowering device, which is an ORP value (on the alkaline side) that is very close to the potential of −50 to 100 mV on the surface of the human body.

[0072] Furthermore, a questionnaire survey of multiple users made it clear that heat irritation of the skin is also reduced, and therefore, even with hot water at, for example, approximately 42 to 43° C., serving to maintain the internal body temperature at 39-40° C. (controlled within the range of ±0.5° C.), which is usually considered to make bathing difficult, due to heat stress, this was not perceived as very hot, and it was possible to perform bathing for 30 to 40 minutes or longer, which is extremely advantageous for treatment with the thermotherapy described above.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0073] Cells that cannot be repaired due extensive DNA damage, or that have mutations due to abnormal genes remaining due to repair mistakes are caused to commit suicide (apoptosis), which is brought about by tumor suppressor genes. The risk of carcinogenesis increases when cells that cannot undergo apoptosis remain with genetic abnormalities and mutations accumulate. With the device of the present invention, it is considered that the cancer cells that have accumulated in this way can arbitrarily be brought to an abnormal body temperature state and caused to undergo apoptosis, thereby contributing to remission.

EXPLANATION OF THE REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0074] 1 water flow pump

[0075] 2 ejector tube

[0076] 2a water aspiration hole

[0077] 2b air aspiration hole

[0078] 3 water flow tube

[0079] 4 air aspiration tube

[0080] 5 air aspiration part

[0081] 5a air aspiration opening

[0082] 6 permanent magnet

[0083] 7 water aspiration tube

[0084] 8 aerated water jetting tube

[0085] 9 aerated water jetting nozzle

[0086] 10 propeller with integrated magnet

[0087] 11 groove

[0088] 12 sand-finish rough surface

[0089] 13 static mixer

[0090] 14 flowing water guide groove

[0091] 15 aerated magnetized water generation device

[0092] 16 bathtub

[0093] 17 sinker weight

[0094] W water flow

[0095] A atmospheric air