DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF A NOVEL PORTABLE TCM MUSIC ELECTROACUPUNCTURE APPARATUS

Abstract

Electroacupuncture is an effective therapy method in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), but the monotonic repeatability of stimulus signals may face problems due to the body’s tolerance. Music therapy is a widely used method for targeting mental and neurological diseases. Music electroacupuncture combines the advantages of these two therapies by using the variability of music to deal with the tolerance problem. Presently, the stimulus signals of the music electroacupuncture devices are filtered from music, and the frequency of the electric plus is not easy to control. In this pursuit, a new processing circuit of music electroacupuncture signal was proposed using a novel portable music electroacupuncture apparatus based on the Chinese Medical music therapy. Specifically, as the stimulus signal changes synchronously with the music, the frequency of the stimulus plus signal can be flexibly controlled. Using headphones, a selected synchronous intervention music and electrical stimulation worked synchronously to achieve the therapeutic effect of physical and mental harmony. Experiments and measurements confirmed that the stimulation parameters of the proposed electroacupuncture apparatus in this study met the provisions of relevant standards, and the stimulation output was safe and reliable. Furthermore, it offered better and more comfortable body feelings, compared to other music electroacupuncture methods.