US2611365A - High-frequency therapeutic apparatus - Google Patents

Description

P 1952 H. s. RUBENS HIGH-FREQUENCY THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Filed Jan. 5, 1949 INVENTOR.

8 m 0 a M V I wlrv \N N M ATTORNEY TNEW -W m a. 4 Av 274 200 to 300 volts.

Patented Sept. 23, 1952 HIGH-FREQUENCY THERAPEUTIC APPARATUS Harry S. Rubens, Manhasset, N. Y., assignor to National Electric Instrument Company, Inc., Elmhurst, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 3, 1949, Serial No. 69,017

This invention relates to therapeutic apparatus and more particularly to high frequency therapeutic apparatus utilized for electro-coagula- 'tion, fulguration and desiccation treatments.

' 'An object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the foregoing character including -a handle for holding an electrode tip, such handle having incorporated therein a switch for controlling the operation of the apparatus.

Another. object of the invention is to provide therapeutic apparatus made up of an oscillator, an electrode handle, and a cable connecting said handle to the oscillator in such fashion that control of the operation of the apparatus is accomplished at the handle.

Another object of the invention is to provide high frequency therapeutic apparatusin which control means is provided in the oscillator circuit for controlling the output thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of the foregoing character in which switching means makes possible the use of monopolar or bipolar electrode tips without requiring separate socket means.

In carrying out the foregoing and other objects of the invention, apparatus particularly useful in providing coagulation, fulguration and dessication treatments comprises an oscillator which can be of the spark-gap type supplied with energy from a suitable source of 110 v. alternating curi rent and having regulated outputs whereby the device can be used both in connection with monopolar and bipolar electrodes. For this purpose "the output transformer of the oscillator is provided withtwo secondaries, one of which supplies high frequency potential at approximately 20,000 volts and the other of which supplies high frequency potential in the neighborhood of from These two secondaries are so connectable through suitable switching means to two conductors leading to electrode terminals or sockets that electrodes fitting in the sockets can be energized thereby. In order that control of the oscillator can be rendered more. convenient for the operator the handle in which the electrode sockets are mounted is provided with a switch controlling the supply of 110 volt potential to the oscillator. Consequently, it follows that all of the leads necessary for the use of the handle in this fashion can be combined in a single four-conductor cable extending from the cabinet of the instrument to the handle.

Other features, objects and advantages of the inventionwill become apparent by reference to the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, in which:

2 Claims. (01. 128393.13)

i I Fig. 1 is a plan view, partially in section, of an enlargedhandle embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on'line 2- 2 of Fig. l; 1

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantiallyon line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a .single-pole'electrode tip which can be carried by the handle; and 1 Fig. 5 is a schematic circuit diagram of :'the apparatus involved. 1

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive, l0 indicates generally a handle to be utilized in the application of electrolysis treatments. This handle is made of suitable insulating material, such as a molded or extruded synthetic resin or the like, and'comprises upper and lower halves H and I2.'...'Ihe surface of this handle is provided with longitudinal grooves I4 which interrupt the surface continuity, facilitating the gripping of the handle. As will be apparent from Figs. 2 and 3, the lower section I2 is hollowed out partway of its length as indicated at I5; is provided with upstanding walls [6, and with opposite channels II. The two walls It terminate in a transverse wall 8. The upper section II is likewise hollowed out as at I9; is provided with a depending integral wall 20; with channels 2| complementary to channels I1; and with a recess 22 having a through opening 24 leading thereinto. The upper and lower channels I! and 2| converge to provide a channel 25 leading to upper and lower walls 26 in which sockets 21 are positioned. The upper and lower sections II and I2 can be held in proper assembly by means of two tubular members 30 and 3| which are internally threaded to engage threads on the exterior of the ends of the two sections H and I2. Thus when these sections are in proper registry, they can be locked together by engagement of the caps 30 and 3|. In addition the cap 3!, which extends beyond the ends of the two sections, serves to assist in retaining an electrode tip such as shown at 35, which may have either one or two electrodes embedded therein with the shanks thereof extending into the sockets 21.

The rear member 30 also aids in retaining in assembly with the handle a cable 40 having four insulated conductors 4t, 42, 44 and 45 therein. The two conductors 4| and M serve to control the application of alternating current potential to the oscillator embodied in the invention in the following manner. As will be noted in Fig. 2, conductor 4| is solderedor otherwise securedto an upper spring conducting bar 46 while lower conductor 44 is likewise soldered or otherwise secured to a lower conducting bar 41. These two bars are separated by an insulating block 48 and have apertures therein for the passage of a pin 49 also of insulating material, which pin serves to maintain the parts in proper registry. A strip 50 of insulating material is mounted above the upper spring bar 46 and this strip likewise is apertured for the passage of the pin 49. The

strip 50, however, extends beyond the end of the spring bar 46 and has in engagement therewith a button 52, the shank of which extends upwardly and outwardly through the opening 24. The shoulder on the button preventsescape of the button from the handle.

The two conductors 42 and 45 extend along the handle in the channel formed by the complementary channels I! and 21 around the end of the barrier I8 and to the two sockets 21 to which these conductors can be respectively connected by soldering or' in any other suitable manner. Itwill be apparent, therefore, that the walls l6 provide a good insulating barrier between the pairs of conductors 4| and 44 and 42 and 45, respectively.

The circuit diagram for the present invention will be found in Fig. 5, it being understood that all of the operating parts with the exception of the handle and the cable 40 are mounted in a suitable cabinet (not shown) of any desired type. The conductor 4| is electrically connected to one side of a source of 110 volt potential while the other side of said source is connected by conductor 55'to one end of the primary 56 of a transformer 57, the other end of such primary being connected electrically to the conductor 44. An electric light bulb 58 is shunted across a part offthis primary 56 as shown to indicate energization of the primary. Secondary 59 of transformer 51' isconnected to a spark gap oscillator made up of spark gap (or gaps) 60, capacitance 6|, inductance 52, and rheostat 64. The transformer 51'serves. to convert the 110 volt'60-cycle alternating current to an output in the order of, for example, 2000 volts. The capacitance 6| and the inductance 62 are of such values that cooperation of thesame in conjunction with the spark gap-68 generates oscillations in the nature of approximately 500,000 cycles per second.

The inductance 62' serves as the primary of a transformer having two secondaries 65 and 66. The relation between the secondary B and the primary 62 is such that the output of this secondary B5 is in the nature of approximately 20,000 volts while the relation between the primary 62 and the secondary-65 is such that the output of this secondary is in the nature of approximately 200 or 300 volts, the frequency of such outputs in each instance being approximately 500,000 cycles.

One end of the secondary 65 is connected through capacitance 10 to the supply line 55, while the other end of this secondary is connected by conductor H to two terminals 12 and 14. One end of secondary 66 is connected to a terminal 15 while the other end. thereof is connected to a terminal 16. These four terminals form parts of a double-pole double-throw switch, the. blades of which are shown at 11 and 18. These blades can be moved from the full line positions of Fig. 5 to the dotted line positions thereof, it being understood that the blades are shown in the illustrated fashion merely for the purpose of exemplifying various circuit connections and not for the purpose of illustrating precise mechanism. it will be seen that the conductor 42 extends into electrical contact with the blade 11 while conductor 45 is electrically connected to the blades 18.

With the blades in the full line position as shown in Fig. 5, it is apparent that the transformer secondary 66 is connected to the two electrode terminals 21 so that if a two-electrode tip, such as shown at 35 in Fig. 1, is inserted into the handle, a circuit can be completed (through tissue) across the two electrodes at a potential of approximately 200 or 300 volts and at a frequency in the neighborhood of 500,000 cycles. However, if the blades 11 and 18 are in the dotted'line positions of Fig. 5, it follows that each of the conductors 42 and 45 will be supplied with potential of the nature of 20,000 volts to ground fromone end of the secondary 85, the other end of which is effectively grounded through the capacitance l0 and one supply lead. Thus if a single-electrode tip 80, as shown in Fig. 4, is introduced into the handle with the electrode shank thereof in either of the. sockets 21, a potential to ground of the foregoing character can be supplied; However, should a twoeleotrode tip 35 be inserted into the handle while the blades are in this dotted line position, no particular harm will resultsince each socket is at substantially the same potential, and it follows that the 20,000 volt potential will follow the path of least resistance to one of the two electrodes.

It will be observed by reference to Fig. 5 that the spark-gap oscillator can be energized to produce the resultant high potentials only when the switch button 52 is depressed sufficiently to establish contact between strips 46 and 41. Since this button and associated switch mechanism are incorporated in the handle, it follows that the operation of the oscillator is literally at the fingertip of the operator so that the oscillator can be energized only when the operator so wills and has positioned an electrode or electrodes properly relative to the body surface under treatment. Thus extraneous controls, such as foot switches and the like, are eliminated, with the result that the operator may move the handle to any convenient position. limited only by the length of the cable connecting the handle to the cabinet housing the oscillator.

Rheostat 64 in the oscillator circuit can be adjusted to vary simultaneously the outputs of the two secondaries 65 and 66, thereby facilitating operation of the equipment at the most suitable potentials.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the present invention provides novel high frequency therapeutic apparatus which possesses advantages not present in prior structure and which hasthe parts thereof so coordinated that operation thereof is greatly facilitated. It will be understood that modifications beyond the illustrated embodiments can be made, in view of which any limitations imposed thereupon are to be only those set forth in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. A handle for high frequency therapeutic electrodes comprising a pair of complementary elongated members hollowed out to provide separated channels for pairs of electric conductors, electrode sockets at one end of said handle, a switch in one of said channels, and substantially tubular retaining members fitting over and engaging the ends of said complementary members to lock the same together, one of said tubular retaining members assisting in retaining electrodes in said sockets.

5 2. A handle for high frequency therapeutic electrodes comprising a generally tubular structure made up of a pair of complementary members internally hollowed to provide channels for high frequency conductors and a channel for low' frequency conductors, electrode sockets at the ends of said first channels, a switch in said second channel, a switch actuator extending through the wall of one of said members, and substantially tubular retaining members fitting over and engaging the ancient said complementary mem bers to lock the same together, one of said tubular retaining members assisting in retaining electrodes in said sockets.

HARRY S. RUBENS.

I V REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,059,435 Campbell Apr. 22, 1913 1,780,600 Pullwitt Nov. 4, 1930 1,813,902 Bov e July 14, 1931 1,814,791 Encle July 14, 1931 1,943,543 -McFadden Jan. 16, 1934 2,200,322 nrnesen May 14, 1940 2,310,844 Draeger Feb. 9, 1943

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