Portable device for delivering knoking and vibration to a

Abstract

A portable device that delivers knocks and vibrations to a lung region of a patient is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a support device (110) and at least one striking device (100). The support device (110) comprises at least one portion to receive and hold the striking device (100). The knocking device (100) includes a housing (102) having at least one actuator (104, 106) operably coupled to provide power to at least one contact head (108) for providing knocking and vibration to a patient. The contact head (108) is operable to press the chest by a depth in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm at a frequency in the range of 1.0 Hz to 16.67 Hz and a force in the range of 0.05 to 3 kg force (kgf) or in the range of 0.4903325 to 29.41995 Newton (N). The portable device is configured as a wearable or handheld device.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present utility model relates to a portable device. Specifically, it relates to a portable device having a therapeutic device for effecting percussion and vibration on the lung region of a patient. BACKGROUND

[0002] Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a chronic inflammatory lung disease that causes airflow blockage. COPD also increases the risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and various other diseases. Generally, COPD can be treated by using inhaled medications and airway clearance devices.

[0003] Traditionally, a number of airway clearance devices have been proposed to clear the mucus and sputum accumulated in the lungs of a patient. These airway clearance devices include flutter mucus clearance devices, intrapulmonary percussive ventilation (IPV) devices, oral high frequency oscillatory (OHFO) devices, high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) devices, and lung flute acoustic induction devices, among others.

[0004] Flutter mucus clearance devices are generally used with positive expiratory pressure (PEP) therapy. In PEP, a patient uses a face mask or mouthpiece while inhaling and exhaling. The face mask or mouthpiece provides a gentle air pressure when you exhale, which gently dislodges excess sputum and pushes it towards the larger airways, making it easier to cough up. Flutter mucus clearance devices combine PEP with high frequency oscillation, which produces vibrations once the patient exhales, thereby loosening the mucus on the bronchial walls, while accelerating the airflow for better stimulation of mucus clearance.

[0005] IPV devices deliver a small amount of air to the patient's lungs through a mouthpiece. The pulsatile airflow delivered through the IPV device can vibrate the chest, thereby loosening the mucus deep in the respiratory tract. OHFO devices provide low volume, high frequency jet oscillations to the patient's lungs through a mouthpiece. The oscillations are produced using sound frequencies. HFCWO devices consist of an inflatable vest that gently vibrates the chest wall using air pressure, thereby increasing the airflow to smaller passages and helping to clear the mucus. The lung flute is a handheld device that produces low frequency sound waves into the airways to stimulate mucus clearance.

[0006] The working principle of conventional airway clearance devices is to introduce vibrations into the chest or airways of a patient. However, these devices are directly engaged in the oral cavity or on the lung region of the patient. Direct engagement causes the oscillations or high frequency vibrations to directly compress the chest of the patient at a fast or high intensity, resulting in discomfort and pain.

[0007] Therefore, there is a need for an airway clearance device that introduces percussion and vibration to a patient during treatment without causing any pain or discomfort to the patient, while maintaining the efficacy of the treatment. SUMMARY

[0008] The present utility model discloses a portable device for delivering percussions and vibrations to a patient's lung region. The device comprises a support device and at least one percussion device.

[0009] Typically, the support device comprises at least one portion that receives and holds the percussion device.

[0010] Preferably, the percussion device comprises a housing having at least one actuator operably coupled to provide power to at least one contact head for delivering percussions and vibrations to the patient. The contact head is operable to press or compress the chest to a depth in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm at a frequency in the range of 1.0 to 16.67 Hertz (Hz) and a force in the range of 0.05 to 3 kilogram force (kgf) or 0.4903325-29.41995 Newton (N).

[0011] Preferably, the device is wearable by the patient, wherein the support device is configured as a garment device that extends at least partially around the patient's chest such that the percussion device is in contact with the patient's chest region during treatment. More preferably, the garment device is selected from the group consisting of: a vest, a jacket, a harness and a chest strap.

[0012] Alternatively, the garment device is wearable by a medical professional who is caring for the patient, wherein the garment device is configured as a strap that is worn around the medical professional's wrist and / or palm and holds the device against the patient's chest or back during treatment. Further, the device is handheld by the medical professional, wherein the support device is configured as one or more handles attached to the percussion device such that the medical professional holds the handles to hold the percussion device against the patient's chest or back during treatment.

[0013] The various objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present utility model will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0014] The present utility model will be understood more fully from the detailed description and drawings given below, which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not restrictive, wherein:

[0015] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of a percussion device worn around a patient's chest according to a first embodiment of the present utility model.

[0016] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the percussion device when pressing a patient's chest.

[0017] Figure 3A cross-sectional view of a percussion device according to a second embodiment of the present application worn on the hand of a medical professional and against the chest of a patient is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0018] According to the present application, a portable device for delivering percussion and vibrations to the lung region of a patient is provided, which will now be described with reference to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are not limiting the scope and ambit of the present application. The descriptions and expressions or terms used herein are for descriptive purposes only and not for limiting purposes.

[0019] The embodiments herein, together with its various features and advantages, will be best understood from the following description, given by way of non-limiting examples only, with reference to the figures appended hereto. Descriptions of well-known components and processing techniques are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the embodiments herein. The examples used herein are intended merely to facilitate an understanding of ways in which the embodiments herein can be practiced and to further enable a person skilled in the art to practice the embodiments herein. Accordingly, the description should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present application.

[0020] The present application discloses a portable device for delivering percussion and vibrations to the lung region of a patient. With reference to the drawings, Figure 1 A cross-sectional view of a percussion device (100) according to a first embodiment of the present application worn around the chest of a patient is disclosed. The portable device comprises a support device (110) and at least one percussion device (100).

[0021] According to an aspect of the present application, the support device (110) can be configured as a garment device extending at least partially around the chest (10) of the patient. The garment device is selected from a group consisting of a jacket, a vest, a harness, a chest strap, a back strap or any form of garment, such that the percussion device (100) is able to be held in firm contact with the chest or back of the patient during treatment.

[0022] The support device (110) comprises at least one portion to receive the percussion device (100) and to hold the percussion device (100) in contact with the chest region (10). According to an embodiment of the present application, the support device (110) comprises two ring members with hollow portions formed laterally on both sides of the ring members. The percussion device (100) is inserted into each of the hollow portions, such that both percussion devices (100) are able to be in contact with the chest region (10) of the patient and deliver percussion to the upper, lower and lateral lobes of the lungs. Alternatively, the support device (110) can have any shape and / or configuration to receive the percussion device (100) and to hold the percussion device (100) in contact with the chest region (10) of the patient.

[0023] According to another aspect of the present utility model, the percussion device (100) simulates the percussive tapping motion, pressure and frequency of a human palm and provides the percussive tapping motion, pressure and frequency through the contact head (108). The percussion device (100) includes a housing (102) that houses at least one actuator mechanism operably coupled to provide power to at least one contact head (108) to impart percussive taps and vibrations to the chest or thoracic region (10) of the patient.

[0024] The contact head (108) is positioned vertically at a distance of 5mm to 12mm from the rear end of the housing (102) to contact the chest region (10) of the patient. The hollow portion at the rear end of the housing (102) allows the contact head (108) to move in and out of the housing (102) during the treatment. When the contact head (108) is positioned in the housing (102), an air gap is maintained between the rear end of the contact head (108) and the outer surface of the rear end of the housing (102).

[0025] The actuator mechanism includes at least one DC motor (104) and a crankshaft (106) operably connected to the DC motor (104) at one end and to the contact head (108) at the other end. Alternatively, additional mechanical components, such as a transmission system, can be connected between the DC motor (104) and the contact head (108) for converting the rotational motion of the DC motor (104) into linear motion of the contact head (108). Further, the housing (102) can be formed with one or more sliding tracks to guide the linear motion of the contact head (108) during the chest compression cycle. The speed of the DC motor (104) is in the range of 60 to 1000 revolutions per minute (rpm). The at least one contact head (108) is operably coupled to the crankshaft (106) that drives the contact head (108) to move up and down perpendicular to the contact portion of the chest region (10) to impart pulsatile forces to the contact portion, capable of clearing the lungs clogged with obstructive mucus.

[0026] The contact head (108) is operable to press the chest to a depth in the range of 1 to 10 mm to facilitate the propagation of the vibrations. Further, the contact head (108) is operable to press the chest at a frequency in the range of 1.0 to 16.67 Hertz (Hz) and a force in the range of 0.05 to 3 kilogram force (kgf) or 0.4903325-29.41995 Newtons (N). According to yet another aspect of the present utility, the contact head (108) is made of a silicone material. Alternatively, the contact head (108) can be made of any flexible and vibration-damping material, such as a polymer or other material capable of fully or partially absorbing the vibrations emitted by the percussive device (100). The diameter of the contact head (108) is in the range of 10 to 50 mm. Preferably, the diameter of the contact head (108) is 38 mm for adult patients and 25 mm for children.

[0027] According to the present utility, the contact head (108) is driven by an actuation mechanism and the actuation mechanism is powered by any suitable power source (114) including, but not limited to, a battery, an AC-DC power source, or a combination of the foregoing. Preferably, the motor (104) is powered using one or more rechargeable batteries (114).

[0028] Additionally, the percussive device (100) includes a controller (112) connected to the power source (114) and an actuation mechanism for switching the device (100) on and off. The controller (112) can also be used to calibrate the percussive device (100) to operate at different frequencies to provide low, medium, or high frequency percussions. Further, the controller (112) can also control the speed of the motor (104). Through the controller (112), the percussive device (100) can be operated in two modes, namely, an adult mode for generating a force in the range of 1 to 3 kgf or 9.80665-29.41995 N during treatment and a child mode for generating a pulsatile force in the range of 0.05 to 0.1 kgf or 0.04903325-0.980665 N during treatment.

[0029] The percussive device (100) can also include one or more sensors (not shown in the figures) that can be in direct or indirect contact with the chest region or any other body part of the patient to record one or more physiological parameters of the patient. The controller (112) can be embedded with software code that enables it to use the sensed parameters to adjust the frequency, speed, and / or force of the percussive device (100).

[0030] According to another aspect of the present utility model, the controller (112) is communicably coupled to a communication module (not shown in the figures) that facilitates the percussive device (100) to connect or pair with an external computing device or a smart device through a custom software application. The computing device or the smart device displays data analysis for the caregiver, medical practitioner or therapist to view and record the patient's progress, and / or receive one or more commands to control the actuation mechanism. The data analysis includes the stroke frequency (i.e. the number of strokes per second), the depth of compression, and the force applied by the device when in use as well as the sensed parameters (if any). The communication module includes wireless technology including but not limited to WIFI, Bluetooth, ZigBee, 5G or other known wireless technology for communicating with the external computing device or the smart device. Alternatively, the percussive device (100) can be connected to the external computing device or the smart device through a wired interface.

[0031] Figure 2 is a schematic view of the cross-section of the percussive device (100) when compressing the patient's chest. According to the present utility model, the patient is treated by placing the support device (110) around the patient's chest (10) and inserting two percussive devices laterally spaced apart from each other. Each percussive device (100) is then turned on and the speed is selected. The contact head (108) of each percussive device (100) is driven by the corresponding DC motor (104) to press the chest area, mainly the upper, lower and lateral lobes of the lung, in the range of 1 mm to 10 mm. As shown in Figure 2 , the contact head (108) presses the patient's chest (10) or chest cavity to deliver percussions and vibrations. According to the speed selection, a corresponding frequency of 1.0 to 16.7 Hz is applied to each contact head (108) in the corresponding percussive device (100). It is recommended that the treatment time for adults is 5 minutes to 20 minutes, and for children is 1 minute to 5 minutes. The frequency of use of the percussive device (100) is usually once or twice a day for adults and once a day for children.

[0032] The percussions and vibrations generated by the percussive device (100) help to loosen the obstructive mucus secretions and thick sputum around the respiratory system to help the patient to expel the obstructive mucus secretions from the airways of the lungs. At the same time, the damping material and air gap of the contact head (108) help to reduce the discomfort of the patient during the treatment.

[0033] Figure 3A cross-sectional view of a portable device worn on the hand of a medical professional is shown in accordance with a second embodiment of the present application. The device includes a support device (110) that holds the percussive device (100) described in the above paragraph. The support device (110) is configured as a strap that is wearable on the hand of a medical professional such as a doctor, a nurse, a medical assistant, etc. The support device (110) is worn on the hand so as to hold the percussive device (100) against the chest (10) or back of a patient to deliver percussions and / or vibrations. In another embodiment, the support device (110) is configured as one or more handles that are gripped by the medical professional or the patient to hold the percussive device (100) against the chest (10) or back of a patient to deliver percussions and / or vibrations.

[0034] The percussive device (100) applies percussions and vibrations to the patient to press the chest (10) with a press depth of 1 to 10 mm, a press frequency of 1.0 to 16.67 Hz, and a press force of 0.005 to 3 kgf or 0.4903325-29.41995 N, thereby avoiding any pain or discomfort to the patient during the treatment while maintaining the efficacy of the treatment or therapy. Although the above embodiments show the contact head (108) delivering the percussions and vibrations to the chest area, it is understood that the present application can be configured to deliver the percussions and vibrations to the side or back of the chest of the patient.

[0035] As used herein, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The use of the term "at least" or "at least one" indicates that one or more elements are used in one or more embodiments, as the use can be in one or more of the embodiments to achieve one or more of the desired results or effects.

[0036] Having thus described the application, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that modifications can be made without departing from the embodiments disclosed herein. Such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the claims, unless the claims expressly recite otherwise.

Claims

1. A portable device for delivering tapping and vibration to a patient's lung region, comprising: At least one striking device (100); and A support device (110) for supporting the striking device (100), The support device (110) includes at least one part that receives and holds the striking device (100), and, The tapping device (100) includes a housing (102) having at least one actuator (104, 106) operably coupled to power at least one contact head (108) for delivering tapping and vibration to the patient. Its features are: The contact head (108) is operable to press the chest or back to a depth of 1 mm to 10 mm at a frequency in the range of 1.0 to 16.67 Hz and a force in the range of 0.05 to 3 kgf or 0.4903325-29.41995 N.

2. The portable device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contact head (108) is located between the rear end of the contact head (108) and the rear end of the housing (102), and contacts the patient's chest area (10) or back.

3. The portable device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contact head (108) is made of vibration damping material.

4. The portable device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contact head (108) is made of silicone material.

5. The portable device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contact head (108) is operable to press the chest area (10) or back with a force in the range of 0.05-0.1 kgf or 0.4903325-0.980665 N.

6. The portable device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contact head (108) is operable to press the chest area (10) or back with a force in the range of 1-3 kgf or 9.80665-29.41995 N.

7. The portable device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device is wearable.

8. The portable device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The support device (110) is configured as a garment device.

9. The portable device according to claim 8, characterized in that, The garment device is selected from a group consisting of vests, jackets, suspenders, wrist straps, hand straps, and chest straps.

10. The portable device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The device is handheld, and the support device (110) is configured as one or more handles.

Images