Apparatus method of increasing rate of blood flow

Abstract

An apparatus includes a thermal guide element to contact a specific site of a subject to apply a thermal stimulus from the thermal guide element to the specific site; an electrical thermal stimulus controller to raise a temperature of the thermal guide element; and a laser Doppler tissue blood flow meter attached to the subject. The electrical thermal stimulus controller raises a peak temperature of the thermal guide element to be 50±5° C. when the thermal guide element is brought into contact with the specific site to apply the thermal stimulus to the specific site, while measuring the rate of the blood flow by the laser Doppler tissue blood flow meter. The rate of the blood flow is increased in the subject by 30% or more as compared with the rate of the blood flow measured before the application of the thermal stimulus.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus of increasing a rate of a blood flow in a subject, comprising:
 a thermal guide element configured to contact a specific site of the subject to apply a thermal stimulus from the thermal guide element to the specific site;   an electrical thermal stimulus controller configured to raise a temperature of the thermal guide element; and   a laser Doppler tissue blood flow meter attached to a central part of an inner site of a wrist joint of the subject,   wherein the electrical thermal stimulus controller is configured to raise a peak temperature of the thermal guide element to be 50±5° C. when the thermal guide element is brought into contact with the specific site to apply the thermal stimulus to the specific site, while measuring the rate of the blood flow by the laser Doppler tissue blood flow meter, such that the rate of the blood flow is increased in the subject by 30% or more as compared with the rate of the blood flow measured before the application of the thermal stimulus, and   wherein the specific site comprises a site where an extended line of inner periphery between the first and second toes and a perpendicular line of inner ankle at least one sole cross.   
     
     
         2 . A method of increasing a rate of a blood flow in a subject, comprising:
 providing an electrical thermal stimulus apparatus comprising a thermal guide element and an electrical thermal stimulus controller configured to raise a peak temperature of the thermal guide element to be 50±5° C.; and   bringing the thermal guide element into contact with a specific site of the subject to apply a thermal stimulus of the raised temperature to the specific site, while measuring the rate of the blood flow by a laser Doppler tissue blood flow meter attached to a central part of an inner site of a wrist joint of the subject, thereby increasing the rate of the blood flow in the subject by 30% or more as compared with the rate of the blood flow measured before the application of the thermal stimulus,   wherein the specific site comprises a site where an extended line of inner periphery between the first and second toes and a perpendicular line of inner ankle at least one sole cross.