Supporting Device for the Suspension Treatment of the Tobacco Habit

Abstract

A supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit, characterized in that it comprises at least one pair of magnets, each magnet being apt to be applied at one of two opposite faces of a region located in the cartilaginous portion of the ear, so that the latter be comprised between the magnets. The magnets are such as to be arranged so as to face opposite magnetic poles, so that the magnetic attraction occurring be such as to exert a pressure at the region apt to the stimulation of endorphins and to support the magnets in a working position.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit.

Injuries to health caused by smoking are widely known, ranging from cardiorespiratory problems to tumor pathologies, and anyhow a wide range of more or less serious problems is attributable to smoking.

Despite an unceasing information campaign on its hazards, smoking still is one of the main causes of decease, not to mention injuries caused by passive smoking.

One of the main reasons that make quitting smoking so difficult is the addiction created by nicotine present in cigarettes and in analogous tobacco-based products.

Many persons, even though firmly aware of their own injuries from smoking, are unable to quit in spite of endless attempts.

On the other hand, a plurality of pathologies, disorders and difficulties in general are known, caused by a prolonged abstinence from nicotine in a habitual smoker when he/she suspends the tobacco habit.

Inconveniences most commonly found are depressive states, agitation (even unjustified), insomnia, weight and appetite increase, irritability and concentration difficulties, which evidently make quitting smoking extremely difficult.

To attempt limiting the effects that abstinence may cause, basically two different solutions are resorted to. A first one is based on the administration of a modest dose of nicotine, following the suspension of the smoking habit and clearly not via cigarettes.

The second one exploits, by means of neurotransmitter stimulation, the release of endorphins, substances capable of limiting abstinence effects by substituting for nicotine.

In the first method generally there are used adhesive plasters (patches), to be applied on the skin, gradually and slowing releasing nicotine.

Such like plasters entail the advantage of being self-medication products, i.e., sold over-the-counter and applicable directly by the smoker, without the aid of a specialist. However, the mere intake of nicotine does not help fight those abstinence aspects related more to psychological reasons than to physical ones.

In fact, the habitual smoker usually lights a cigarette in specific situations or activities, like after coffee, during work, at the phone, that upon having quit smoking become difficult or disagreeable, just in that no cigarette is held in hand and such activities are unaccompanied by the gesture of bringing it to the mouth.

Moreover, though in limited amounts and without the damages deriving from smoking, alkaloid substances are anyhow assumed. Those cause addiction, and therefore, even upon having discontinued the use of nicotine plasters, leave the subject very weak to the temptation of resuming smoking.

The second method envisages instead the stimulation of specific body zones by acupuncture or finger pressure, so as to cause a release of endorphins that are capable of limiting any form of abstinence-related problems.

Moreover, in this case no substance intake whatsoever is necessary, as indeed endorphins, being endogenous substances, are directly released from the human body.

However, evidently such a method entails the drawback of having to be carried out by a specialist. In fact, the use of acupuncture needles, or in case the ability to manually effect a pressure that be both adequate and at the most appropriate zone, are activities not practicable by the same smoker willing to quit, as they require specific technical abilities and also since somebody else is actually necessary to work with a sufficient dexterity on the zones that has to be stimulated to attain endorphin release.

Evidently, going to a specialist to quit smoking entails expenses remarkably higher than those foreseeable with the use of a self-medication drug such as that in the above described plasters.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Hence, the technical problem underlying the present invention is to provide a device reducing those inconveniences deriving from the suspension of alkaloid intake, to which those resolving to quit smoking come up against, and allowing to overcome the drawbacks mentioned hereto with reference to the known art.

Such a problem is solved by a supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 1.

The present invention provides several relevant advantages. The main advantage lies in that the device is a self-medication product, and therefore it can be used directly by a person resolving to quit smoking, without however entailing the intake of any external substance, in particular alkaloids.

Other advantages, features and the modes of employ of the present invention will be made apparent in the following detailed description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of a non-limiting example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will be made to the figures of the annexed drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration, according to a front view, showing an application region, at which it is positioned the supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration according to a perspective view, showing the application region of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Initially referring to FIG. 1, a supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit comprises at least one pair of magnets 1 and 2, substantially disc-shaped.

According to a preferred embodiment, the magnets 1 and 2 are coated with a layer of hypoallergenic material, so as to prevent allergic reactions once into contact with skin, and anyhow not impeding the magnetic field.

As hypoallergenic material, conveniently a layer of noble metal may be used; in particular, in the present embodiment, the magnets 1 and 2 are coated with a gold-based layer.

The magnets are apt to be applied at the ear, in particular, with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, inside a region 10 that is centrally located in the cartilaginous portion of the ear.

Moreover, the dimensions of the region 10 indicated in FIG. 2, anyhow indicative, are greater than the actual ones of the magnets 1 and 2, so as not to incur excessive difficulties in applying the latter inside said region 10.

Referring to FIG. 3, then onto the region 10 two opposite faces are singled out, one thereof being that facing onto the user's scalp, and suitably referred to as internal face 11, whereas the second one thereof, opposite thereto, will hereinafter be referred to as external face 12.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, a first one of the two magnets, which hereinafter will be referred to as front magnet 2, is applied to the ear onto the external face 12 at the zone defined by the region 10.

Vice versa, the second magnet, which will be referred to as rear magnet 1, is positioned onto the internal face 11, opposite to the face 12, as it is shown in FIG. 3.

Also the internal magnet 1 is applied at the region 10, so as to face the front magnet 2, the cartilaginous portion of the ear being of course interposed therebetween.

The two magnets are positioned in the configuration illustrated hereto so as to face along opposite magnetic poles, basically so that a magnetic attraction is generated therebetween. The magnetic field, unimpeded by the presence of the ear, is such as to act so as to keep the two magnets adhering to the two faces 11 and 12, respectively, and to generate a pressure action onto the region 10.

In fact, the two magnets, just for the configuration according to which they have to be applied, tend to draw near therebetween and, an ear portion being present between the two, they will exert a pressure onto the application region 10.

Magnetic attraction, when using two sufficiently pure natural magnets, is such as to support the two magnets in a working position regardless of gravity's action, even during usual office or household activities.

Therefore, it will be possible to use the device even when moving or conducting any activity whatsoever.

According to a preferred embodiment, the rear magnet 1 could be of dimensions greater with respect to the front magnet 2. Thus, the pressure action could be concentrated more in the central zone of the region 10 that, as it will be made apparent, is important to stimulate for the supporting action in the treatment of the tobacco habit. The rear magnet, concealed by the ear, being of greater dimensions will simplify the step of applying the device, whereas the front one, more conspicuous, will conveniently be of smaller dimensions, so as to be less showy.

The above described pressure action has an operation analogous to what specialists are able to provide by finger pressure, and substantially equivalent to what is implemented with acupuncture.

The stimulation of the region 10, in particular of the left ear, via the use of the device according to the present invention, or taking place in any equivalent manner whatsoever, enhances the production of endorphins that succeed, usually and by endogenous production, at substituting for the action of the alkaloids administered with cigarettes and other nicotine-containing products.

Thus, the overcoming of the difficulties that those quitting smoking usually come up against is supported by the use of the device according to the present invention and by the ensuing endorphin release.

However, with respect to the traditional solutions, the device for supporting the treatment of the tobacco habit according to the present invention can be simply applied by the same subject wishing to quit smoking.

Clinical studies, performed by the Applicant in cooperation with the European Antismoking Center highlighted that on a sample of 800 smoking subjects, willing to try the suspension of the tobacco habit, there was a higher success rate among those who used the device according to the present invention.

More precisely, out of the 650 subjects who had used the device of the present invention, the 84.62% successfully attained the result, whereas of the 150 subjects who had not used it the 73.33% quit smoking.

Moreover, from that study it emerged that the higher propensity to suspend the tobacco habit is linked just to the lesser inconveniences, among which, insomnia, depression, weight increase, to which the users of the device according to the present invention came up against. The use of the device is based on the application, 3-4 hours per day, of the device for 6-7 days prior to suspending the use of alkaloid-based products, and therefore it would be advisable to carry on the application for other 20-25 days with the same modalities.

However, the device according to the present invention entails no contraindication; hence, not only the above reported indications are indicative, but also the use of the product with modes different from those disclosed hereto cannot do the patient any harm, at most resulting in a limited effectiveness of the product.

The present invention has hereto been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof. It is understood that other embodiments afferent to the same inventive kernel may exist, all falling within the protective scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit, wherein it comprises at least one pair of magnets, each magnet of said at least one pair being apt to be applied at one of two opposite faces of a region located in the cartilaginous portion of the ear, so that the latter be comprised between said magnets, said magnets of said at least one pair being such as to be located so as to face opposite magnetic poles, the magnetic attraction occurring between the two magnets being such as to exert a pressure at said region, apt to the stimulation of endorphins and to support said at least one pair of magnets in a working position.

2. The supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 1, wherein said magnets are substantially disc-shaped.

3. The supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 1, wherein said magnets comprise a surface layer of hypoallergenic material.

4. The supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 3, wherein said surface layer of hypoallergenic material is based on one noble metal.

5. The supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 4, wherein said one noble metal is gold.

6. The supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 1, wherein said magnets are coated with a gold layer.

7. The supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 1, comprising a rear magnet apt to be positioned on an internal face of said region, and a front magnet apt to be positioned on an external face of said region, said rear magnet having greater dimensions with respect to said front magnet.

8. The supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 2, wherein said magnets comprise a surface layer of hypoallergenic material.

9. The supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 8, wherein said surface layer of hypoallergenic material is based on one noble metal.

10. The supporting device for the suspension treatment of the tobacco habit according to claim 9, wherein said one noble metal is gold.