Device for non-invasive magnetic field therapy, and method for controlling a device for non-invasive magnetic field therapy

Abstract

The invention relates to a device (1) for non-invasive magnetic field therapy, which comprises at least one periodically excitable electromagnet (2) for generating a pulsed magnetic field with a magnetic field frequency, and comprises a control unit (3). In addition to the non-invasive magnetic field therapy, the device is also able to be used for sound therapy in that the control unit (3) has an audio amplifier (4) for playing audio signals of two audio channels, wherein the control unit (3) controls both an excitation of the electromagnet (2) and the audio amplifier (4). The invention also relates to a method for magnetic field therapy in which a basic frequency is defined by the control unit (3). The control unit (3) excites an electromagnet (2) such that a pulsed magnetic field is generated with a magnetic field frequency in relation to the basic frequency.

Description

Device for non-invasive magnetic field therapy and method for controlling a device for non-invasive magnetic field therapy

[0001] The invention relates to a device for non-invasive magnetic field therapy, which comprises at least one periodically excitable electromagnet for generating a pulsed magnetic field with a magnetic field frequency and a control unit.

[0002] The invention further comprises a method for magnetic field therapy in which a fundamental frequency is determined by a control unit. The control unit excites an electromagnet, thereby generating a pulsed magnetic field with a magnetic field frequency related to the fundamental frequency.

[0003] Non-invasive magnetic field therapy has been used in alternative medicine for thousands of years, dating back to Chinese medicine when magnetic stones were used to support healing processes. Today, magnetic fields are generated by the stimulation of magnetic coils, allowing for a variety of patterns and therapeutic approaches that are said to enhance the health and well-being of the user.

[0004] EP 2 050 481 B1 discloses a magnetic field therapy device in which a field generating device, controlled by a pulse generator, generates a pulsating magnetic field composed of a sequence of main pulses with a specific amplitude profile. This improves the effect of the magnetic field therapy.

[0005] Alternatively, sound therapy and its positive benefits are widely known. Music therapy is widely used to restore, maintain, and promote physical and mental health. Receptive music therapy focuses on listening to and experiencing music.

[0006] A special form of sound therapy works with audio frequencies and perceived beats. Two audio signals with closely spaced frequencies, whose superposition would result in a low-frequency beat, are fed to each ear. In this case, the actual beat is not perceived, but rather an impression is created in the user's brain. Nevertheless, in this context, we will also refer to beats to describe the behavior of such audio signals, since their superposition would also physically lead to a classic beat.

[0007] Depending on the frequency of the beat, this form of therapy influences the listener's state of mind and / or consciousness. EEG measurements have shown that the brain adapts to the perceived beat and aligns its endogenous rhythms with it.

[0008] This is used, for example, in DE 10 2021 1 19 126 A1, which discloses a vehicle with a device for stimulating a vehicle occupant using such beats. The vehicle has at least two sound sources and a sound control system, by means of which a beat of variable frequency is generated. The stimulation of the vehicle occupant is adapted to the desired mood.

[0009] It is not yet known how to combine both forms of therapy, i.e. magnetic field therapy and sound therapy.

[0010] It is the object of the invention to provide a device and a method that combines the beneficial effects of non-invasive magnetic field therapy with those of sound therapy.

[0011] The problem is solved for the device for non-invasive magnetic field therapy described above in that the control unit has an audio amplifier for reproducing audio signals from two audio channels. The control unit controls both the excitation of the electromagnet and the audio amplifier. This expands the device for non-invasive magnetic field therapy to include the possibility of sound therapy. The audio signals can be reproduced via loudspeakers or via a headphone output on the magnetic field therapy device.

[0012] It is advantageous if the control unit can generate a first audio signal of a first frequency and a second audio signal of a second frequency different from the first frequency, the superposition of which leads to a beat with a fundamental frequency in the range between 0.1 and 100 Hz. In this way, the user's state of mind can be stimulated, which increases the therapeutic effect. The control unit generates the audio signals by converting them into audible signals either from a database, from a data storage device, or via a corresponding computer program using a digital-to-analog converter, or by generating the oscillations directly in analog form using an oscillator or other suitable means.

[0013] It is particularly advantageous if the pulsed magnetic field has a magnetic field frequency that is a harmonic of the fundamental frequency, or for which the fundamental frequency is a harmonic. This allows for a range of different therapeutic approaches and allows for better patient-specific treatment. Alternatively, or in addition, the pulsed magnetic field is particularly advantageous if it has the fundamental frequency.

[0014] Furthermore, in a particularly advantageous embodiment, the control unit comprises an analysis unit into which an external audio signal can be fed, whereby the fundamental frequency can be derived from the external audio signal using the analysis unit. In this way, the magnetic field therapy can be tuned to the external audio signal, creating a further therapeutic approach. In particular, this approach allows the user to provide corresponding audio signals themselves and feed them into the control unit, which is professionally trained for this purpose. Here, the magnetic field therapy supports the sound therapy.

[0015] Alternatively or additionally, it is particularly advantageous if the control unit can determine the fundamental frequency from the magnetic field frequency. This is the case when a magnetic field therapy program is available as data based on a sequence of magnetic field frequencies. In this case, the audio signal is adapted to the applied magnetic field therapy by the control unit generating a first and a second audio signal corresponding to the fundamental frequency derived from the magnetic field frequency and transmitting them to the audio amplifier.

[0016] The object is further achieved for the method described above for controlling a device for magnetic field therapy in that the control unit controls an audio amplifier so that it outputs an audio signal via two audio channels.

[0017] It is advantageous if the pulsed magnetic field has an oscillation phase in which the electromagnet is excited and a pause phase in which the electromagnet is not excited, and the oscillation phase and the pause phase alternate in the magnetic field frequency. The excitation of the electromagnet during the oscillation phase is usually also periodic. The type of oscillation can be freely selected and depends on the chosen therapeutic approach. In addition to sine, square, and sawtooth signals, defined pulse sequences are also known from the specialist literature.

[0018] The pulsed magnetic field is particularly advantageous when it has a secondary oscillation with a secondary frequency during the oscillation phase, where the secondary frequency is a harmonic of the fundamental frequency. In this way, the magnetic field's frequencies are completely tuned to the fundamental frequency, which not only enhances the desired effect but also avoids unwanted interference in the frequency domain.

[0019] In a further advantageous embodiment, the audio amplifier outputs a first audio signal of a first frequency and a second audio signal of a second frequency different from the first frequency, so that their superposition results in a beat at the fundamental frequency. In this way, the user's state of mind can be stimulated, which increases the therapeutic effect.

[0020] It is particularly advantageous if the first and second audio signals are generated by the control unit and transmitted to the audio amplifier. The control unit generates the audio signals by converting them into audible signals either from a database, a data storage device, or via a corresponding computer program using a digital-to-analog converter, or by generating the oscillations directly in analog form using an oscillator or other suitable means.

[0021] A further advantageous embodiment provides that the magnetic field frequency is a harmonic of the fundamental frequency or the fundamental frequency is a harmonic of the magnetic field frequency in order to further improve the therapeutic effect.

[0022] It is also advantageous if the control unit determines the fundamental frequency by determining the fundamental frequency from an external audio signal. Typically, the signals used to generate a beat are played along with music or noise, as this is more pleasant for the listener. It is also common to vary the beat to generate different moods, for example, during meditation. Finally, the external audio signal can also be present without a beat. In this case, the fundamental frequency is derived from the dynamics, volume, rhythm, or other properties of the external audio signal.

[0023] If the fundamental frequency is determined from the external audio signal, this allows the user to create individual programs for magnetic field therapy from the external audio signals alone and use them for the procedure. It is particularly advantageous if the external audio signal is passed on to the audio amplifier and output via the audio channels. The external audio signal, which is available in analog form, can be looped through directly, for example, or in an intermediate step, first digitized, evaluated, converted again, and then passed on to the audio amplifier. A digital external audio signal, which is read from a data storage device, for example, can be analyzed, then converted into an analog audio signal and passed on to the audio amplifier.

[0024] The problem is also solved by a computer program contained on a storage medium which, when executed on a computer, carries out the method just described.

[0025] It is understood that the features mentioned above and those to be explained below can be used not only in the combinations indicated, but also in other combinations or in isolation, without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0026] The invention will be explained in more detail below using exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, which also disclose features essential to the invention. These exemplary embodiments are for illustrative purposes only and are not to be interpreted as limiting. For example, a description of an exemplary embodiment with a plurality of elements or components should not be interpreted as meaning that all of these elements or components components are necessary for implementation. Rather, other embodiments may also include alternative elements and components, fewer elements or components, or additional elements or components. Elements or components of different embodiments may be combined with one another unless otherwise stated. Modifications and variations described for one of the embodiments may also be applicable to other embodiments. To avoid repetition, identical or corresponding elements in different figures are designated by the same reference numerals and are not explained more than once. They show:

[0027] Fig. 1 a device for non-invasive magnetic field therapy and

[0028] Fig. 2 is a first schematic representation of how a control unit derives a stereo signal and a magnetic field frequency from a fundamental frequency and

[0029] Fig. 3 is a second schematic representation of how the control unit derives the magnetic field frequency from an external audio signal.

[0030] Figure 1 shows a device 1 for non-invasive magnetic field therapy, comprising an electromagnet 2 and a control unit 3 with an audio amplifier 4. The audio amplifier 4 has two audio channels, via which a stereo signal is output via an audio output 5. In the simplest case, the audio output 5 is a headphone jack, but can also be configured as two speakers. The audio amplifier 4 also includes an audio input 6, via which external audio signals are fed in.

[0031] The electromagnet 2 is typically composed of a plurality of magnetic coils which are periodically excited to generate a pulsed magnetic field with a magnetic field frequency.

[0032] The control unit 3 controls both the excitation of the electromagnet 2 and the audio amplifier 4. Typically, the electromagnet 2 and the audio amplifier 4 can be operated independently of each other, so that the magnetic field frequency and the stereo signal are independent of each other. Other embodiments coordinate both therapy forms.

[0033] A first variant is shown schematically in Fig. 2. First, a base frequency 7 is specified by the user of the device or determined within the framework of various therapy programs. This can be in the form of an actual signal or a value of a frequency.

[0034] The control unit 3 generates a stereo signal 8 in the form of a first audio signal L of a first frequency and a second audio signal R of a second frequency different from the first frequency, the superposition of which results in a beat with the fundamental frequency 7 in the range between 0.1 and 100 Hz. The first and second audio signals L,R are transferred from the control unit 3 to the audio amplifier 4 and provided at the audio output 5. The first and second audio signals L,R are each output via one of the two audio channels of the audio amplifier 4 at the audio output 5.

[0035] Based on the fundamental frequency 7, the excitation of the electromagnet 2 is also controlled, so that the magnetic field frequency either corresponds exactly to the fundamental frequency 7, or is related to it, i.e. is either a harmonic of the fundamental frequency 7 or an integer part of the fundamental frequency 7.

[0036] The pulsed magnetic field can be in the form of a sine wave, a square wave, or a sawtooth wave, which have the magnetic field frequency, or a corresponding pulse sequence. Here, it has an oscillation phase in which the electromagnet 2 is excited, and a pause phase in which the electromagnet 2 is not excited. The oscillation phase and the pause phase alternate in the magnetic field frequency. During the oscillation phase, a secondary oscillation occurs, consisting of two pulses each with a secondary frequency, with the secondary frequency typically being a harmonic of the fundamental frequency 7.

[0037] A second variant of how magnetic field therapy and sound therapy are coordinated is shown in Fig. 3. Here, an external audio signal 10 is provided via the audio input 6 of the audio amplifier 4. This signal itself contains the first audio signal L of the first audio channel and the second audio signal R of the second audio channel. The first and second audio signals L, R can also be embedded in other sounds, such as music. The control unit 3 receives the external audio signal 10 and evaluates it, for example, using Fourier analysis or other suitable methods, in an analysis unit belonging to the control unit 3. From the result, the fundamental frequency 7 is then determined and a corresponding magnetic field is generated as described above.

[0038] If, however, the external audio signals 10 do not contain a first and second audio signal L, R with a first and a second frequency, the control unit 3 can also derive a fundamental frequency 7 based on the volume, dynamics, rhythm, or other properties of the external audio signals 10. Then, the first and second audio signals L, R as well as the magnetic field with a matching magnetic frequency 9 are generated as shown and described with reference to Fig. 2.

[0039] The external audio signal 10 is usually not only evaluated by the control unit 3, but is also output at the audio output 5, optionally together with the first and second audio signals L,R. List of reference symbols 1 device 2 electromagnet 3 Control unit 4 audio amplifiers 5 Audio output 6 Audio input 7 Fundamental frequency 8 stereo signal 9 Magnetic field frequency 10 external audio signal L first audio signal R second audio signal

Claims

Patent claims 1. A device for non-invasive magnetic field therapy, comprising at least one periodically excitable electromagnet (2) for generating a pulsed magnetic field with a magnetic field frequency (9) and a control unit (3), characterized in that the control unit (3) has an audio amplifier (4) for reproducing audio signals (L, R) of two audio channels, wherein the control unit (3) controls both an excitation of the electromagnet (2) and the audio amplifier (4).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that a first audio signal (L) of a first frequency and a second audio signal (R) of a second frequency different from the first frequency can be generated by the control unit (3), the superposition of which leads to a beat with a fundamental frequency (7) in the range between 0.1 and 100 Hz.

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the pulsed magnetic field has a magnetic field frequency (9) which is a harmonic of the fundamental frequency (7) or for which the fundamental frequency (7) is a harmonic.

4. Device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the pulsed magnetic field has the fundamental frequency (7).

5. Device according to one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the control unit (3) comprises an analysis unit into which an external audio signal (10) can be fed, wherein the fundamental frequency (7) can be derived from the external audio signal (10) by means of the analysis unit.

6. Device according to one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the fundamental frequency (7) can be determined from the magnetic field frequency (9) by means of the control unit (3).

7. Method for controlling a device for magnetic field therapy, in which - a basic frequency is determined by a control unit (3), - the control unit (3) excites an electromagnet (2) so that a pulsed magnetic field with a magnetic field frequency (9) related to the fundamental frequency (7) is generated, and - the control unit (3) controls an audio amplifier (4) so that it outputs an audio signal (L, R) via two audio channels.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the pulsed magnetic field has an oscillation phase in which the electromagnet (2) is excited and a pause phase in which the electromagnet (2) is not excited, and the oscillation phase and the pause phase alternate in the magnetic field frequency (9).

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the pulsed magnetic field in the oscillation phase has a secondary oscillation with a secondary frequency, the secondary frequency being a harmonic of the fundamental frequency (7).

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the audio amplifier outputs a first audio signal (L) of a first frequency and a second audio signal (R) of a second frequency different from the first frequency, so that their superposition leads to a beat in the fundamental frequency (7).

11. Method according to claim 10, wherein the first and second audio signals are generated by the control unit (3) and transmitted to the audio amplifier (4).

12. Method according to one of claims 7 to 11, wherein the magnetic field frequency is a harmonic of the fundamental frequency (7) or the fundamental frequency (7) is a harmonic of the magnetic field frequency (9).

13. Method according to one of claims 7 to 12, wherein the control unit determines the fundamental frequency (7) by the control unit (2) determining the fundamental frequency (7) from an external audio signal (10).

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the external audio signal (10) is passed to the audio amplifier (4) and output via the two audio channels.

5. A computer program contained on a storage medium which, when executed on a computer, carries out a method according to any one of claims 7 to 14.

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