Mettler Electronics Auto Therm 395, Instruction Manual

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Auto*Therm 395, Shortwave Diathermy
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6 Treatment
6.1 Preparing the patient
For optimum therapy, ensure that the patient is in a comfortable and relaxed position. To accomplish
this either have the patient in a seated or supine position.
Patients shall never be treated on metal chairs, tables or beds.
For safety reasons, remove all hearing aids, watches, rings, chains, bracelets and other metal objects
before starting the treatment. The clinician should also take care to remove metallic objects while
operating the Auto*Therm shortwave diathermy.
Do not treat patients through their clothing. Remove clothing from the treatment area. Clothes made
of synthetic materials should especially be removed because they insufficiently absorb moisture,
allowing moisture to pool on the skin causing local overheating.
Use a single layer of absorbent toweling between the patient and the applicator to absorb any
perspiration produced during the treatment and to prevent the development of hot spots due to
pooling of perspiration on the skin’s surface.
Hand the ripcord to the patient before starting the treatment so that the patient can shut off the
Auto*Therm 395 if any discomfort is felt such as overheating or nausea.
Do not leave children or patients who cannot pull the ripcord, unattended while operating this device.
6.2 Heat effect of the applicators
Evaluating the heat effect of various applicators is based on the the heat felt by the patient. This is
strongly influenced by a number of factors, e.g. the thickness of fat
Iayers, treatment through clothes
or bandages, blood circulation, temperature of the skin, etc. Therefore, the following sections
generally explain the operation of the applicators used with the Auto*Therm 395. The heat effect of
the electrodes differs fundamentally between the inductive and capacitive method of application.
6.3 Capacitive method of application
The capacitive method of application transforms the shortwave energy into heat in tissues of low
blood circulation (e.g. fat, connective tissues). Thus, tissues near the skin’s surface are heated so that
not only the transformed energy but also the distance between applicator and skin is important for the
subjective sensation of heat.
For best results place capacitive electrodes parallel to the skin’s surface. This will spread out the
energy over the entire treatment area and prevent hot spots. Do not allow these applicator cables to
come into contact with the patient. If necessary, insulate the patient from the cables using several
layers of towelling.
Depending on the size of the applicator, the condenser applicators of the Auto*Therm 395 are
designed for an optimum electrode-to-skin distance. In this way, good distribution of heat in the tissue
is ensured by the choice of the appropriate applicator size (section 5.4).
6.4 Inductive method of application
The shortwave magnetic field of a inductive coil applicator generates eddy currents that are
transformed to heat in the tissues. These currents increase with increasing electric conductivity of the
corresponding tissue region (tissues with good blood circulation, e.g. muscle tissue and inner organs).
To reach these deeper tissues, the inductive coil applicators of the Auto*Therm 395 are provided with
an electrostatic shielding that prevents the electric field of the inductive coil applicator from heating the
upper-skin fat tissue. Therefore, heat sensation by the patient is basically delayed when using the
induction inductive coil applicators. It is recommended to start the treatment with a intensity level
below the desired one and increase it later, rather than be guided by the patient’s heat sensation in