Acupuncture needle guide and restraint

Abstract

A locating device for transmitting a mild electrical direct current or pulsating direct current through the body of a patient to locate through increased resistance, as indicated on the meter, areas in the body that may benefit from the application of an acupuncture needle. The locating device has an elongated handle with the necessary electrical connection. At one end portion of the handle a transversely formed hole receives an elongated, tubular, electrically conductive needle support and guide. Acupuncture needles are very thin and flexible, and require support to obtain best usage thereof. A restraint, formed of a resiliently yieldable strip of metal or wire extends across one end of the tubular guide and is disposed thereon to frictionally engage a needle to resist travel of the needle downwardly through the tubular guide. Acupuncture needles are formed with a head substantially thicker than the needle itself, and the aforesaid restraint is sufficiently yieldable to afford passage of the head past the wire and downwardly into the tube where desired. A spring is provided to yieldably retain the tubular guide in a predetermined position relative to the longitudinal axis of the handle, and further means is provided to apply a more positive resistance to dislodgement of the tubular guide from a predetermined position.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.