Magnetic Therapy Applicator Cooling Gap for Coil Heat Isolation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing magnetic therapy applicators face challenges in efficiently managing heat generated during prolonged treatments, which can lead to thermal injuries to patients and damage to the applicator devices.
Innovation Solution
The magnetic therapy applicator incorporates an outer shell and an inner shell with a thermally insulating gap between them, along with a refrigerating device featuring a fluid circulating system to effectively manage heat and prevent thermal injuries.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If high intensity currents are applied for prolonged phases to achieve supramaximal muscle contraction, then treatment effectiveness is improved, but heat generation increases causing thermal injuries to patients
Solution Approach 1:
The applicator is divided into two separate shells: an inner shell housing the coil and an outer shell forming the application surface. This segmentation allows independent thermal management of the heat-generating coil from the patient-contact surface, enabling high intensity currents to be applied without directly transferring heat to the patient.
Solution Approach 2:
A gap is introduced between the inner shell (containing the coil) and the outer shell (application surface). This gap acts as a thermal intermediary/barrier, preventing direct heat transfer from the coil to the patient while still allowing the magnetic field to pass through effectively for treatment.
2Productivity
If high intensity currents are applied for prolonged phases, then muscle supramaximal contraction is achieved, but the coil overheats causing device damage
Solution Approach 1:
The coil housing is segmented into inner and outer shells, isolating the coil thermally from the application surface. This allows the coil to be cooled independently through the gap structure without affecting the patient contact surface temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat-generating coil is extracted from direct contact with the application surface by placing it in a separate inner shell. This extraction removes the heat source from the patient interface, allowing prolonged high intensity operation without patient thermal injury risk.
3Temperature
If a refrigerating device with fan is used to remove heat from the coil, then thermal management is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gap between the inner and outer shells creates a natural thermal barrier that passively reduces heat transfer to the application surface. This self-service thermal management approach reduces reliance on active cooling systems like fans, simplifying the device while maintaining effective temperature control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design enhances the applicator's ability to generate intense magnetic fields while maintaining a safe temperature, ensuring effective and quick treatments without risking thermal injuries to patients or device damage.
Implementation Method 1
Electric current, variable over time, flows in the coils and generates variable magnetic fields
Implementation Method 2
the variable magnetic fields enter the patient's body and induce in it electric currents
Implementation Method 3
A refrigerating device shall be associated with the applicator, in order to avoid overheating of the coil
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4
AI summary
An applicator (1) for magnetic therapy comprising a housing with an outer wall (21), which defines an application surface (3A) to be applied to a patient, and in which at least one electrically conductive coil (13) is housed for generating a magnetic field. The housing comprises an outer shell (3) forming the outer wall (21) and an inner shell (11) forming a seat (30) for housing the coil (13), wherein the inner shell (11) comprises a bottom wall (25) facing the outer wall (21) formed by the outer shell (3). In the housing, a refrigerating device (16) is provided, comprising at least one refrigerating duct (15) adapted to circulate a refrigerating fluid and arranged between the coil (13) and the application surface (3A), and a gap (33) is formed between the bottom wall (25) of the inner shell (11) and the outer wall (21) of the outer shell (3) for thermally insulating the coil (13) and the application surface (3A) from each other; and spacing elements (35) are arranged in the thermal insulation gap (33) between the outer wall (21) of the outer shell (3) and the bottom wall (25) of the inner shell (11).