Patent Application
20130172967
The invention is related to methods and articles for ameliorating or treating a cardiovascular condition.
Cardiovascular diseases are major health concerns of modern human life. Cardiovascular disease is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels (arteries and veins). Cardiovascular disease refers to any disease that affects the cardiovascular system, principally cardiac disease, vascular diseases of the brain and kidney, and peripheral arterial disease. The causes of cardiovascular disease are diverse but atherosclerosis and/or hypertension are the most common.
Cardiovascular diseases remain the biggest cause of deaths worldwide, though over the last two decades, cardiovascular mortality rates have declined in many high-income countries. At the same time cardiovascular deaths and disease have increased at an astonishingly fast rate in low- and middle-income countries. Although cardiovascular disease usually affects older adults, the antecedants of cardiovascular disease, notably atherosclerosis begin in early life, making primary prevention efforts necessary from childhood.
Almost all cardiovascular disease in a population can be explained in terms of a limited number of risk factors such as life style, air pollution, aging, and factors such as high blood pressure.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, blocking of the free flow of human biological system happens in certain places (points) in the human body and cause diseases to occur. A particular disorder corresponds to blocking of a particular point or set of points in the biological system. Stimulating one of these points can free up the flow of biological system of human being so as to treat or ameliorate a disease arising out of blocking of such point or set of points. According to this school of medicine, a method of therapeutics—acupuncture—was developed and practiced in China for thousands of years. The oldest medical book known, written in China 4000 years ago, describes the use of acupuncture to treat medical problems. The use of the treatment spread to other Asian countries and to other regions of the world, including to Europe by the 1700s. In the United States, acupuncture has been used for about 200 years.
Acupuncture has long been successfully used in treatment of cardiovascular diseases (see, e.g., Dan Y., Assessment of acupuncture treatment of hypertension by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Chinese Journal of Integrated Traditional and Western Medicine, 1998, 18(1):26-27 [in Chinese]; Iurenev A P et al. Use of various non-pharmacological methods in the treatment of patients in the early stages of arterial hypertension. Terapevticheskii Arkhiv, 1988, 60(1):123-126 [in Russian]; Wu C X et al. Scalp acupuncture in treating hypertension in the elderly. International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture, 1997, 8(3):281-284; Yu P et al. Clinical study on auricular pressure treatment of primary hypertension. International Journal of Clinical Acupuncture, 1991, 2(1):37-40; Ballegaard S. Acupuncture and the cardiovascular system: a scientific challenge. Acupuncture-Medicine, 1998, 16(1):2-9; Ballegaard S et al. Acupuncture in severe, stable angina pectoris: a randomized trial. Acta Medica Scandinavica, 1986, 220(4):307-313; and Ballegaard S et al. Effects of acupuncture in moderate, stable angina pectoris: a controlled study. Journal of Internal Medicine, 1990, 227(1):25-30). A common side effect of acupuncture is concern of infection caused by cross-contamination of acupuncture needles that may include viral or bacterial pathogens. Other concerns may arise out of patient's negative reactions against piercing of acupuncture needles or misapplication of such needles by a practitioner. Further, access to acupuncture by a practitioner is limited so as to limit the effect of acupuncture.
Therefore, there is a need for a different way of acupuncture treating or management paradigm for cardiovascular diseases.
The embodiments described below address the above identified needs and issues.
In one aspect of the present invention, it is provided a composition for cardiovascular diseases, the composition comprises a heat generation component, the composition is formulated in a formulation for selective application to a set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases (“acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases”) in a patient, and the composition generates heat upon application to the acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases for a sufficient period of time to generate an effect to ameliorate or treat cardiovascular diseases.
In some embodiments of the composition, the set of acupoints comprises the Baihui, Xinshu, Shenshu, Weizhong, Zusanli, Taixi, Shangwan, Zhongwan, and Shenque acupoints of a cardiovascular diseases patient.
In some embodiments of the composition, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the composition is capable of generating heat for at least 1 hour (e.g., 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours, or 10 hours) after application to the set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases.
In some embodiments of the composition, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the heat generation component comprises a rare earth component.
In some embodiments of the composition, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the heat generation component comprises a rare earth magnetic powder, saussurea in volucrata, musk, sea otter, chuanwu, caowu, lilac, menthol, meiyao, wujiapi, and maqianzhi.
In some embodiments of the composition, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the formulation is a patch comprising a cover. In some embodiments, the cover is a plastic, rubber, or paper cover.
In another aspect of the present invention, it is provided a method of fabricating a composition for cardiovascular diseases, comprising providing a heat generation component, and formulating the composition in a formulation for selective application to a set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases (“acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases”) in a patient. The composition generates heat upon application to the set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases for a sufficient period of time to generate an effect to ameliorate or treat cardiovascular diseases.
In some embodiments of the method, the set of acupoints comprises the Baihui, Xinshu, Shenshu, Weizhong, Zusanli, Taixi, Shangwan, Zhongwan, and Shenque acupoints of a cardiovascular diseases patient.
In some embodiments of method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the composition is capable of generating heat for at least 1 hour (e.g., 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours, or 10 hours) after application to the set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases.
In some embodiments of method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the heat generation component comprises a rare earth component.
In some embodiments of method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the heat generation component comprises a rare earth magnetic powder, saussurea in volucrata, musk, sea otter, chuanwu, caowu, lilac, menthol, meiyao, wujiapi, and maqianzhi.
In some embodiments of method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the formulation is a patch comprising a cover. In some embodiments, the cover is a plastic, rubber, or paper cover.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, it is provided a method of ameliorating or treating a cardiovascular diseases, comprising applying a composition at least once per day to a set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases (“acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases”) in a cardiovascular diseases patient, which composition comprising a heat generation component, wherein the composition is formulated in a formulation for selective application to the set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases over the entire length of a prescribed treatment course, wherein the composition generates heat upon application to the set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases for a sufficient period of time to generate an effect to ameliorate cardiovascular diseases.
In some embodiments of the method, the set of acupoints comprises the Baihui, Xinshu, Shenshu, Weizhong, Zusanli, Taixi, Shangwan, Zhongwan, and Shenque acupoints of a cardiovascular diseases patient.
In some embodiments of method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the composition is capable of generating heat for at least 1 hour (e.g., 1 hour, 2 hours, 4 hours, 8 hours, or 10 hours) after application to the set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases.
In some embodiments of method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the heat generation component comprises a rare earth component.
In some embodiments of method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the heat generation component comprises a rare earth magnetic powder, saussurea in volucrata, musk, sea otter, chuanwu, caowu, lilac, menthol, meiyao, wujiapi, and maqianzhi.
In some embodiments of method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the formulation is a patch comprising a cover. In some embodiments of method, the cover is a plastic, rubber, or paper cover.
In some embodiments of method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the treatment course lasts for about 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months.
In one aspect of the present invention, it is provided a composition for cardiovascular diseases, the composition comprises a heat generation component, the composition is formulated in a formulation for selective application to a set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases (“acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases”) in a patient, and the composition generates heat upon application to the acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases for a sufficient period of time to generate an effect to ameliorate or treat cardiovascular diseases. As used herein, the term cardiovascular diseases include the disorder as diagnosed by general medical standards and symptoms of cardiovascular diseases.
In some embodiments, the set of acupoints comprises the Baihui, Xinshu, Shenshu, Weizhong, Zusanli, Taixi, Shangwan, Zhongwan, and Shenque acupoints of a cardiovascular diseases patient (
In some embodiments, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the composition is capable of generating heat for at least 10 minutes, e.g., 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes (1 hour), 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, 7 hours, 8 hours, 10 hours, 12 hours, or 24 hrs. In some embodiments, the composition is capable of generating heat for at least 2 hours after application to the acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases.
In some embodiments of the composition, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the heat generation component comprises a rare earth component. Such rare earth component can be a rare earth magnetic powder (e.g., samarium-cobalt magnetic material or neodymium based magnetic material) or a rare earth oxide, which can be any oxide of a rare earth element. Rare earth elements include lanthanide series elements and actinide series elements. Lanthanide series elements are Lanthanum, Cerium, Praseodymium, Neodymium, Promethium, Samarium, Europium, Gadolinium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Holmium, Erbium, Thulium, Ytterbium, and Lutetium; Actinide series elements are Actinium, Thorium, Protactinium, Uranium, Neptunium, Plutonium, Americium, Curium, Berkelium, Californium, Einsteinium, Fermium, Mendelevium, Nobelium, and Lawrencium.
In some embodiments of the composition, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the heat generation component comprises a rare earth magnetic powder, saussurea in volucrata, musk, sea otter, chuanwu, caowu, lilac, menthol, meiyao, wujiapi, and maqianzhi.
In some embodiments of the composition, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the formulation is a patch comprising a cover. In some embodiments, the cover can be e.g., a plastic, rubber, or paper cover.
In another aspect of the present invention, it is provided a method of fabricating a composition for cardiovascular diseases, comprising providing a heat generation component, and formulating the composition in a formulation for selective application to a set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases (“acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases”) in a patient. The composition generates heat upon application to the set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases for a sufficient period of time to generate an effect to ameliorate or treat cardiovascular diseases.
In some embodiments of the composition, the set of acupoints comprises the Baihui, Xinshu, Shenshu, Weizhong, Zusanli, Taixi, Shangwan, Zhongwan, and Shenque acupoints of a cardiovascular diseases patient.
In some embodiments of the method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the composition is capable of generating heat for at least 10 minutes, e.g., 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes (1 hour), 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, 7 hours, 8 hours, 10 hours, 12 hours, 14 hours, or 24 hours. In some embodiments, the composition is capable of generating heat for at least 2 hours after application to the acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases.
In some embodiments of the method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the heat generation component comprises a rare earth component. Such rare earth component can be a rare earth magnetic powder (e.g., samarium-cobalt magnetic material or neodymium based magnetic material) or a rare earth oxide, which can be any oxide of a rare earth element. Rare earth elements include lanthanide series elements and actinide series elements. Lanthanide series elements are Lanthanum, Cerium, Praseodymium, Neodymium, Promethium, Samarium, Europium, Gadolinium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Holmium, Erbium, Thulium, Ytterbium, and Lutetium; Actinide series elements are Actinium, Thorium, Protactinium, Uranium, Neptunium, Plutonium, Americium, Curium, Berkelium, Californium, Einsteinium, Fermium, Mendelevium, Nobelium, and Lawrencium.
In some embodiments of the method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the formulation is a patch comprising a cover. In some embodiments, the cover can be e.g., a plastic, rubber, or paper cover.
In a further embodiment of the present invention, it is provided a method of ameliorating or treating a cardiovascular diseases, comprising applying a composition at least once per day to a set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases (“acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases”) in a cardiovascular diseases patient, which composition comprising a heat generation component, wherein the composition is formulated in a formulation for selective application to the set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases over the entire length of a prescribed treatment course, wherein the composition generates heat upon application to the set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases for a sufficient period of time to generate an effect to ameliorate cardiovascular diseases.
In some embodiments of the method, the composition is capable of generating heat for at least 10 minutes, e.g., 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes (1 hour), 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, 7 hours, 8 hours, 10 hours, 12 hours, 15 hours or a day. In some embodiments, the composition is capable of generating heat for at least 2 hours after application to the acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases. In some embodiments, the composition is capable of generating heat for at least 2 hours after application to the acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases.
In some embodiments of the method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the heat generation component comprises a rare earth component. Such rare earth component can be a rare earth magnetic powder (e.g., samarium-cobalt magnetic material or neodymium based magnetic material) or a rare earth oxide, which can be any oxide of a rare earth element. Rare earth elements include lanthanide series elements and actinide series elements. Lanthanide series elements are Lanthanum, Cerium, Praseodymium, Neodymium, Promethium, Samarium, Europium, Gadolinium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Holmium, Erbium, Thulium, Ytterbium, and Lutetium; Actinide series elements are Actinium, Thorium, Protactinium, Uranium, Neptunium, Plutonium, Americium, Curium, Berkelium, Californium, Einsteinium, Fermium, Mendelevium, Nobelium, and Lawrencium.
In some embodiments of the method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the heat generation component comprises a rare earth magnetic powder, saussurea in volucrata, musk, sea otter, chuanwu, caowu, lilac, menthol, meiyao, wujiapi, and maqianzhi.
In some embodiments of method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the formulation is a patch comprising a cover. In some embodiments of method, the cover is a plastic, rubber, or paper cover.
In some embodiments of method, optionally in combination with any or all of the above various embodiments, the treatment course lasts for about 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, or 12 months.
As used herein, the term “heat generation component” can be any component capable generating heat upon exposure to moisture or air that provides a local temperature above body temperature (e.g., 37° C.) to about 50° C. Local temperature refers to the temperature of the skin area in contact with a composition disclosed herein. Such heat generation can last at least about 10 minutes, e.g., e.g., 20 minutes, 30 minutes, 60 minutes (1 hour), 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours, 5 hours, 6 hours, 7 hours, 8 hours, 10 hours, 12 hours, 14 hours, or 24 hours. An example of the heat generating component is a chemical composition commonly in baby products or winter comfort products. For example, in some embodiments, the heat generation component can comprise iron powder, activated carbon, vermiculitm, and inorganic salt. In another embodiment, the heat generation component can comprise the heat generation component comprises a rare earth component. Such rare earth component can be a rare earth magnetic powder (e.g., samarium-cobalt magnetic material or neodymium based magnetic material) or a rare earth oxide, which can be any oxide of a rare earth element. Rare earth elements include lanthanide series elements and actinide series elements. Lanthanide series elements are Lanthanum, Cerium, Praseodymium, Neodymium, Promethium, Samarium, Europium, Gadolinium, Terbium, Dysprosium, Holmium, Erbium, Thulium, Ytterbium, and Lutetium; Actinide series elements are Actinium, Thorium, Protactinium, Uranium, Neptunium, Plutonium, Americium, Curium, Berkelium, Californium, Einsteinium, Fermium, Mendelevium, Nobelium, and Lawrencium.
As used herein, the term “a set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases” shall mean any set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) identified as acupuncture target for ameliorating or treating a cardiovascular diseases. In some embodiments, the set of acupoints or one or more acupoint(s) shall include the set of acupoints comprises the Baihui, Xinshu, Shenshu, Weizhong, Zusanli, Taixi, Shangwan, Zhongwan, and Shenque acupoints of a cardiovascular diseases patient (
As used herein, the tem “cardiovascular diseases” includes any types of cardiovascular diseases. In some embodiments, a cardiovascular disease can be: coronary heart disease (also known as ischaemic heart disease or coronary artery disease),
cardiomyopathy—diseases of cardiac muscle,
hypertensive heart disease—diseases of the heart secondary to high blood pressure, heart failure,
cor pulmonale—a failure of the right side of the heart,
cardiac dysrhythmias—abnormalities of heart rhythm,
inflammatory heart disease, such as endocarditis—inflammation of the inner layer of the heart, the endocardium, where the structures most commonly involved are the heart valves; and
inflammatory cardiomegaly, myocarditis—inflammation of the myocardium, the muscular part of the heart,
valvular heart disease,
stroke and cerebrovascular disease, and
peripheral arterial disease.
Acupuncture, practiced for several thousand years in China (Veith I. The yellow emperor's classic of internal medicine. Williams & Wilkins: Baltimore; 1949. pp 58-76.), is increasingly used worldwide in the treatment of many disorders. An accumulating body of evidence summarized in a NIH Consensus Statement on Acupuncture (NIH Consensus Development Panel. Acupuncture. JAMA 1998; 280: 1518-1524) confirms that acupuncture treatment has beneficial effects for conditions ranging from postoperative dental pain to chemotherapy-associated emesis. It is also effective as an adjunctive modality for joint and muscle pain, addictions, and asthma, for example.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), life force or ‘Qi’ (‘chee’) is thought to circulate within energy pathways or ‘meridians’ longitudinally throughout the body. There are 14 major meridians, corresponding (loosely) to the Western definition of ‘organs.’ Acupoints are specific locations on the body considered to be connected to these energy meridians (NIH Consensus Development Panel. Acupuncture. JAMA 1998; 280: 1518-1524; Vickers A, Zollman C. ABC of complementary medicine: acupuncture. BMJ 1999; 319: 973-976; and Mitchell ER. Fighting drug abuse with acupuncture: the treatment that works. Pacific View Press: Berkeley, Calif.; 1995). During illness Qi is thought to be out of balance, and stimulation of acupoints corrects this imbalance. Theoretically, an ‘excess’ or ‘deficiency’ of Qi can be ‘normalized’ by the specific manner of point stimulation.
In terms of traditional medicine, it is believed that acupuncture works to alter central nervous system neurotransmitter levels by stimulating peripheral nerves at acupoints. These stimulated nerves then carry the signals centrally (Stux G, Pomeranz B. Basics of acupuncture, 4th ed. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; 1998; Mann F. Acupuncture: cure of many diseases. Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd.: Oxford; 1992), including to the spinal cord, pituitary, and midbrain. Activated centers can then release neurochemicals: endorphins, monoamines, and cortisol (Stux G, Pomeranz B. Basics of acupuncture, 4th edn. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; 1998).
A large number of acupoints (365 points have been identified in Chinese acupuncture maps) show concentrations of peripheral nerve junctions, referred to as ‘trigger points (Vickers A, Zollman C. ABC of complementary medicine: acupuncture. BMJ 1999; 319: 973-976). A variety of methods are used to stimulate acupoints (NIH Consensus Development Panel. Acupuncture. JAMA 1998; 280: 1518-1524; Stux G, Pomeranz B. Basics of acupuncture, 4th edn. Springer-Verlag: Berlin; 1998; Lao L. Acupuncture technique and devices. J Ahern Complem Med 1996; 2: 23-25). These include:
For providing complementary treatment of cardiovascular diseases using the device of invention, acupoints generally include Baihui, Xinshu, Shenshu, Weizhong, Zusanli, Taixi, Shangwan, Zhongwan, and Shenque. These acupoints are fully described in the acupoints diagram generally available in the art. These acupoints are generally applicable to all types of cardiovascular diseases.
For a particular type of cardiovascular diseases, the acupoints include the above described set of acupoints and further, additional acupoints, which are generally available in the art.
For ameliorating or treating a cardiovascular diseases of a particular patient, the acupoints include the above described set of acupoints and further, additional acupoints, which are generally known in the art.
The composition of invention can be formulated in any formulation suitable for topical, selective application to one or more acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases. One example of the formulation is a paste. Another example is a patch. The patch can include having a cover or protective layer one side of which has a composition of invention placed thereonto. The cover can be plastic, paper, or a foil (e.g., aluminum containing foil). A thin film can be used to sandwich the composition with the cover so as to prevent the composition from exposure to moisture prior to application to acupoint(s) for cardiovascular diseases of a user. A person of ordinary skill in the art can readily formulate a composition of invention into any of such formulations.
A composition disclosed herein is formulated into a patch and applied to one or any of the acupoints for cardiovascular diseases of a patient. The patch generates heat to cause the temperature of the one or more of the acupoints to have a temperature of about 50° C., which lasts several hours. The procedure is repeated over a course of a week to several weeks. Improvement on patient conditions is observed.
In the case of a high blood patient, the patient had to use blood pressure lowering drug. Use of the heat patch disclosed herein for several weeks lowered the blood pressure to the normal level (data not shown).
While particular embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications can be made without departing from this invention in its broader aspects. Therefore, the claims are to encompass within their scope all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention.
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/471,138, filed on May 14, 2012. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/365,187, filed on Feb. 2, 2012, which is in turn a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/341,874, Ser. No. 13/341,876, Ser. No. 13/341,877, Ser. No. 13/341,878, and Ser. No. 13/341,879, all filed on Dec. 30, 2011. The teachings in these applications are incorporated herein in their entirety by reference.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13471138 | May 2012 | US |
| Child | 13552513 | US | |
| Parent | 13365187 | Feb 2012 | US |
| Child | 13471138 | US | |
| Parent | 13341874 | Dec 2011 | US |
| Child | 13365187 | US | |
| Parent | 13341876 | Dec 2011 | US |
| Child | 13341874 | US | |
| Parent | 13341877 | Dec 2011 | US |
| Child | 13341876 | US | |
| Parent | 13341878 | Dec 2011 | US |
| Child | 13341877 | US | |
| Parent | 13341879 | Dec 2011 | US |
| Child | 13341878 | US |
