• Submitted by: admin
• Health and Medicine
• 05 / 03 / 2010

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Millions of people suffering from arthritis or other chronic pain in the joints have few daily application therapies available for these kinds of patients, and many involve taking powerful medications that can be dangerous over time.

Now, George K. Lewis, Cornell University, New York, has created a miniaturized ultrasound device that would allow patients at home or at work, applied ultrasound therapy in inflamed joints.

For most of us, it is familiar the awesome searching power that ultrasound diagnostic technologies have in modern medicine. These technologies allow doctors to tell the sex of an unborn child, or the condition of our organs without exploratory surgery.

Doctors have also used the ultrasound therapy to effectively treat joint pain caused by arthritis or other ailments, without using drugs.

However, the disadvantage of current treatments is that they can only be administered in a clinic or doctor's office, because ultrasonic devices availability are bulky and expensive.

Lewis, who has concentrated on creating therapeutic ultrasonic devices that are smaller than traditional and more affordable, has developed a portable ultrasound device to treat joint pain, which is now starting to be evaluated in clinical trials.

It has a size close to that of an iPod, and can relieve pain for several hours without the person having to go to a doctor's office.

After receiving instructions from doctors, patients can use the device for themselves and adjust the intensity level of ultrasound as needed.

Lewis’ key to success in the miniaturization of ultrasonic devices is to increase its efficiency, since conventional equipment will lose half of the electricity used to create sound waves and Lewis has found a way to convert 95 percent of electricity from device in sound waves.

By Marcelino Ortiz C.

Source: Cubasi