Patent Grant
7092752
1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a skin acupoint/meridian nitric oxide collection kit and method thereof, and more particularly to a skin acupoint/meridian nitric oxide collection kit and method for collecting nitric oxide, nitrite and nitrate for assaying nitric oxide concentration on a skin surface.
2. Description of Related Arts
Nitric oxide (NO) levels are predominantly increased in skin acupoints or meridians, and NO is an important meridian chemical. Collections of NO, nitrite, and nitrate from skin surface will make it possible to assay NO concentrations from the acupoints or meridians for research, diagnosis, and treatment of skin and related disorders using alternative therapies such as acupuncture, acupressure, chiropractic medicine, therapeutic touch, Reiki, Tuna, laying-on-of-hands, and Qi Gong.
Recent studies have shown that NO is perhaps one of the most important messenger molecules in the human body, which is produced in many cell types including neurons and skin tissues. Nitric oxide concentrations and chemical messengers in human skin can be continuously monitored by using dermal microdialysis in vivo. (Clough G F, Bennett A R, Church M K: Measurement of nitric oxide concentration in human skin in vivo using dermal microdialysis. Exp Physiol 1998; 83: 431–434; Clough G, Bennett A R, Church M K: Relationship between nitric oxide, cyclic GMP and vasodilatation in human skin in vivo. J Physiol 1998; 513P). However, the procedure of such method requires a step of inserting a needle into the human's skin, which is painful. Thus, it may have possible side effects and cause infections through the needle.
In a living system, oxyhemoglobin and oxymyoglobin catalyze the complete conversion of NO or nitrite ions (NO2−) to nitrate ions (NO3−). Measurements of the metabolites, that is, nitrite or nitrate ions, have been considered to be very adequate indicators of the presence of NO. (Ma S X, Lgnarro L J, Byrns R, Li X Y: Increased nitric oxide production in posterior hypothalamus and central sympathetic function on arterial pressure tolerance to nitroglycerin in rats. Nitric Oxide: Biology and Chemistry 1999: 3: 153–161). However, there is no such a kit for collecting nitrate, nitrite, and NO on skin surface.
The chemicals and mechanism of the acupoints or meridians, including the mechanisms and the substances of meridian transmission in many alternative therapies such as acupuncture, therapeutic touch, and Qi Gong acupuncture, therapeutic touch, and Qi Gong are unexplored. Meridian system has remained a mystery for thousands of years. None of similar products has been used for collecting and determining nitric oxide concentrations in acupuncture points or meridians as well as studying mechanism responsible for nitric oxide in the meridians and their responses to alternative therapies. Recent use and acceptance of alternative therapies such as acupuncture, therapeutic touch, and Qi Gong throughout the world shows us that there is a need to study the mechanisms or systems of meridian systems so that we may master the science of alternative therapies effectively and efficiently.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a skin acupoint or meridian nitric oxide collection kit to collect nitrite, nitrate and nitric oxide from human's skin surface or animal's skin surface for determining nitric oxide (NO) concentrations in acupuncture points or meridians, so as to assay nitric oxide concentration on a skin surface effectively.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a skin acupoint or meridian nitric oxide collection kit, which is an improvement or addendum to the existing products such as nitrogen oxide analyzer (Dasibi, Glendale, Calif.), nitric oxide system (Harvard Apparatus, Inc., USA), nitric oxide measuring system (Inter Medical Co., Ltd., Japan), and Iso-NO (World Precision Instruments, Inc., USA) for widening their usable area to assay nitric oxide, nitrite and nitrate from skin acupoints or meridians.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a skin acupoint or meridian nitric oxide collection kit, wherein the procedure thereof is painless, non-toxic and lack potential infections and side effects.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a skin acupoint or meridian nitric oxide collection kit, wherein collections of nitric oxide (NO), nitrite and nitrate from the skin surface using the collection kit of the present invention will assay NO concentrations from the acupoints or meridians for research, diagnosis, and treatment of skin and related disorders using alternative therapies such as acupuncture, acupressure, chiropractic medicine, therapeutic touch, Reiki, Tuna, laying-on-of-hands, and Qi Gong.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a skin acupoint or meridian nitric oxide collection kit for assaying nitric oxide concentration on a skin surface for studies of alternative therapies.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a skin acupoint or meridian nitric oxide collection method for assaying nitric oxide concentration on a skin surface.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a pair of skin acupoint or meridian nitric oxide collection kits for assaying nitric oxide concentration on a skin surface of an acupoint or meridian and on a skin surface of a non-acupoint or non-meridian.
Accordingly, in order to accomplish the above objects, the present invention provides a skin acupoint or meridian nitric oxide collection kit, which comprises:
a nitric oxide collecting solution;
a collecting system, comprising:
a guiding body having a collecting cavity and a skin window, wherein said collecting cavity is adapted for receiving the nitric oxide solution when the nitric oxide collecting solution is placed into the collecting cavity of the guiding body and the skin window is adapted for acting as an opening to a skin surface so that said nitric oxide collecting solution is provided on a predetermined position of the skin surface;
an adhesive element for attaching and positioning the guiding body such that the guiding body is capable of providing on the predetermined position of a skin surface and the nitric oxide collecting solution is capable of retaining in the predetermined position of the skin surface; and
means for collecting the nitric oxide collecting solution.
Furthermore, the present invention provides a skin acupoint/meridian nitric oxide collection method comprising the steps of:
a. providing a nitric oxide collecting solution A′ having a predetermined concentration;
b. applying said nitric oxide collecting solution A′ on a predetermined position of a skin surface for a predetermined period of time to form a final solution; and
c. collecting said final solution.
Referring to
As shown in
The guiding body 31 may further comprise a pressure controller provided at the first end of the guiding body, wherein the pressure controller is received in the guiding body and having a head protruded outwardly from the guiding body. By adjusting a length of the head of the pressure controller, a pressure inside the collecting cavity of the guiding body is capable of adjustment when the guiding body is attached on the skin.
According to the preferred embodiment, the NO collecting solution 10 is preferably a oxyhemoglobin solution of a predetermined concentration, or other solution such as oxymyoglobin to catalyze the conversion of NO or nitrite to nitrate, and the oxyhemoglobin solution is preferably approximately 10 μM in the above preferred embodiment. The NO collecting solution 10 is received in the collecting cavity 312 of the guiding body 31, which is exposed to the predetermined position of the skin surface through the skin window 313. Then after a predetermined period of time, which is approximately 20 minutes in the above preferred embodiment, the NO collecting solution 10 is collected. The NO collecting solution 10 is selected from a group of experiments to test different concentrations of hemoglobin and other solutions placed in the guiding body 31 on the skin surface for different periods of time in order to absorb nitric oxide, nitrite and nitrate on the skin surface.
The guiding body 31 is preferably a TYGON flexible plastic tube having a predetermined diameter and length. Accordingly, the guiding body 31 has a diameter from 0.2 to 0.5 centimeter and a length from 4 to 50 centimeters in the above preferred embodiment. It is known that acupuncture or meridian points are about 1 millimeter in diameter, therefore the collection kit features a TYGON flexible plastic tube that has a definite diameter and length.
The adhesive element 33 is preferably a sticker-type adhesive element such as 3M Tegaderm, a transparent dressing, or a liquid-type adhesive element such as a PeriAcryl Dental Formulation. The adhesive element 33 made of adhesive material for securing and positioning the guiding body 31 such that the guiding body 31 is capable of providing on a predetermined position of a skin surface and the nitric oxide collecting solution 10 is capable of retaining in the predetermined position of the skin surface. The adhesive element 33 prevents any leakage of the NO collecting solution 10 from the guiding body 31. The 3M Tegaderm and the PeriAcryl Dental Formulation are researched to be the most efficient adhesive materials for the collection kit of the present invention because they are very effective, non-toxic, and does not harm human's skin or animal's skin. Of course, any kinds of adhesive materials may be used as the adhesive element 33 provided that the adhesive materials are effective, non-toxic and harmless to the skin surface.
Therefore, by switching the control valve 324 for the liquid inlet 321 communicating with the central vent 322, the NO collecting solution 10 is injected into the collecting cavity 312 of the guiding body 31. The nitric oxide concentration of the skin surface is absorbed by the nitric oxide collecting solution 10 to form a final solution inside the collecting cavity 312 of the guiding body 31, and then by switching the control valve 324 for the central vent 322 communicating with the liquid outlet 323, the final solution is collected to the collecting vial 20 through the liquid outlet 323.
The collecting kit of the present invention should be conducted following the operation manual. Human use is recommended to be performed or directed by certified or licensed physicians and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practitioners with experience in the areas such as acupuncture, acupressure, chiropractic medicine, therapeutic touch, Reiki, Tuna, laying-on-of-hands, Qi Gong and other CAM. Locations of acupoints or meridians will be detected by corresponding to the acupoints of animals and human described in the “Chinese classical topography and or measurements of low electrical resistance characteristics”. The collecting system 30 will be fixed to the skin surface containing acupuncture points or meridians. The NO collecting solution 10 will be placed inside the guiding body 31 and exposed to the skin surface for a predetermined period of time, which is about 20 minutes in the above preferred embodiment. Each time, the final solution will be collected via the three-way switch 32 for assaying NO, nitrite and nitrate concentration.
For the usage of the present invention, Meridian theory is an essential pathway system and the core theory of acupuncture, acupressure, chiropractic medicine, therapeutic touch, Reiki, Tuna, laying-on-off-hands, Qi Gong and other complementary and alternative medicines. These findings will establish a firm scientific basis for the therapies and make it possible to identify acupoints or meridians for research, education, diagnosis and treatment. Collections of NO, nitrite and nitrate from the skin surface using the kit will be possible to assay NO concentrations from the acupoints or meridians for research, diagnosis and treatment using alternative therapies.
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Referring to
Therefore, the NO collecting solution 10′ is injected into the collecting cavity 312′ through the injecting vent 326. The nitric oxide concentration of a skin surface is absorbed by the nitric oxide collecting solution 10′ to form a second final solution inside the collecting cavity 312′ of the guiding body 31′, and then the second final solution is collected to the collecting vial 20′ through the collecting vent 327.
Referring to
Therefore, NO collecting solution 10″ is injected into the collecting cavity 312″ through the liquid vent 325. The nitric oxide concentration of the skin surface is absorbed by the nitric oxide collecting solution 10″ to form a final solution inside the collecting cavity 312″ of the guiding body 31″, and then the final solution is collected to the collecting vial 20″ through the liquid vent 325.
Referring to
a. providing a NO collecting solution having a predetermined concentration on a predetermined position of a skin surface for a predetermined period of time to form a final solution; and
b. collecting the final solution for analysis.
The NO collecting solution is preferably a oxyhemoglobin solution of a predetermined concentration, or other solution such as oxymyoglobin to catalyze the conversion of NO or nitrite to nitrate, and the oxyhemoglobin solution is preferably approximately 10 μM.
The final solution is preferably collected and stored in a plastic made collecting vial and analyzed using chemiluminescence NO Analyzer, electrochemical electrode system or other methods.
Under room temperature, the time is preferably at least about 10 minutes. Normally, the time is in a range of 10 to 40 minutes and the preferred time is 20 minutes.
Referring to
a. providing a collecting system on a predetermined position of a skin surface;
b. applying an adhesive element for attaching and positioning a guiding body of the collecting system such that the guiding body is capable of providing on a predetermined position of a skin surface;
c. placing a NO collecting solution having a predetermined concentration into the guiding body, such that the nitric oxide solution is retained in a collecting cavity of the guiding body;
d. allowing the NO collecting solution to contact the skin surface through a skin window of the guiding body for a predetermined period of time to form a final solution; and
e. collecting the final solution for analysis.
The NO collecting solution is preferably a oxyhemoglobin solution of a predetermined concentration, or other solution such as oxymyoglobin to catalyze the conversion of NO or nitrite to nitrate, and the oxyhemoglobin solution is preferably approximately 10 μM.
The final solution is preferably collected and stored in a plastic made collecting vial and analyzed using chemiluminescence NO analyzer, electrochemical electrode system or other methods.
Under room temperature, the time is preferably at least about 10 minutes. Normally, the time is in a range of 10 to 40 minutes and the preferred time is 20 minutes.
The adhesive element 33 is preferably a sticker-type adhesive element such as 3M Tegaderm, a transparent dressing, or a liquid-type adhesive element such as a PeriAcryl Dental Formulation. The adhesive element 33 is made of adhesive material for securing and positioning the guiding body. The adhesive element prevents any leakage of the NO collecting solution from the guiding body. The 3M Tegaderm and the PeriAcryl Dental Formulation are researched to be the most efficient adhesive materials for the collection kit of the present invention because they are very effective, non-toxic, and does not harm human's skin or animal's skin. Of course, any kinds of adhesive materials may be used as the adhesive element 33 provided that the adhesive materials are effective, non-toxic and harmless to the skin surface.
| Number | Name | Date | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4224941 | Stivala | Sep 1980 | A |
| 4605399 | Weston et al. | Aug 1986 | A |
| 4627842 | Katz | Dec 1986 | A |
| 5154697 | Loori | Oct 1992 | A |
| 5462052 | Gehrich et al. | Oct 1995 | A |
| 5607391 | Klinger et al. | Mar 1997 | A |
| 5788682 | Maget | Aug 1998 | A |
| 6000403 | Cantwell | Dec 1999 | A |
| 6019735 | Kensey et al. | Feb 2000 | A |
| 6149606 | Alving et al. | Nov 2000 | A |
| 6432077 | Stenzler | Aug 2002 | B1 |
| 6458109 | Henley et al. | Oct 2002 | B1 |
| 6572594 | Satterfield et al. | Jun 2003 | B1 |
| 6670323 | Looker et al. | Dec 2003 | B1 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20040024332 A1 | Feb 2004 | US |
