Ultrasonic Bubble Bath

Onsens in Japan are said to be therapeutic and healing due to two reasons—rich mineral contents and ultrasound generated within the hot springs. The ultrasonic bubble bath was the result of an attempt to replicate the goodness of onsen.

Onsen Studio SG-2000 is its third-generation machine. The first generation was produced way back in 1991. The patented technology, producing 46 litres of air per second, is the highest available in the market. Its closest rival can only produce 24 litres per second, according to its inventor Jack Chen.

The high-capacity pump produces 46 litres of air per second and the air is forced out through 300 tiny holes lined up on the mat placed at the bottom of the tub. Thousands of bubbles rushing out from these holes per second collide with one another producing more bubbles. The collision of these bubbles also produce ultrasound. In addition, the mat is manufactured using ceramic powder embedded with its polyurethane cover. Under the influence of heat, ceramic will release FIR.

SG-2000 also replicates the production of ozone in nature. It has a built-in mechanism that produces ozone via corona discharge.

According to Chen, this method of production is more accurate as it ensures that the ozone level is always controlled at below 0.05ppm as advised by the FDA. The inclusion of ozone in this design has several purposes: to disinfect the water, to oxidize any chlorine present in water, to remove odour and to whiten surfaces (such as pigmentations).
This tiny but powerful SG-2000 ultrasonic bubble bath machine has successfully transformed the traditional hydrotherapy industry. It has brought hydrotherapy to new heights by combining three alternative medicine principles that were discussed earlier:
• Ozone therapy
• Far Infrared therapy
• Ultrasonic therapy
A mere 15 minutes of SG-2000 ultrasonic bubble bath can bring about different feelings to different people. Some feel cleansed, some feel relaxed, and some feel tired—as if they have been to a workout session. Others feel a combination of these. I had been suffering from a chronic backache for years when I took my first bubble bath 2 years ago. That 15 minutes session gave me a very good feeling, I felt relaxed and the back pain was reduced greatly. I also felt a stream of heat radiating out from within my body for several hours.

According to Jack Chen, the combined effects of traditional hydrotherapy with the three alternative medicine principles bring about five effects to the users.

1. Internal warming effect
2. Massaging effect
3. Cleansing effect
4. Beauty and body contouring effect
5. Exercise effect

Chen has been collaborating with the Sebastian Kneipp Schule of Hydrotherapy in Germany for years, and these effects have been verified by them. In fact, the SG-2000 ultrasonic bubble bath is used as both a teaching tool as well as a research tool in this specialist school that is reputed in training hydrotherapy professionals.

1) Internal warming effect
There are 3 channels that bring about warming to the body when one takes a warm water SG-2000 bath. First, heat from the warm water via conduction. Second, FIR emitted from the mat penetrate through the skin to warm up and dilate the blood capillaries. Third, ultrasound generated from the collisions of nubbles penetrate through the skin and flesh but is absorbed by the bones. Upon absorption, this energy is converted into heat which provides the main mechanism of internal warming.

The combined effects of con-duction, FIR and ultrasonic ab-sorption cause internal warm¬ing. Heat continues to radiate out from within the body even after the bath.

2) Massaging effect
Tens of thousands of bubbles collide with the body at a pressure of 1.5kgf per square centimeter per second. This is equivalent to a massaging effect performed by at least 10 masseurs having hundreds of fingers massaging the body at the same time. This massage effect is different from those performed by masseurs as the pressure is dispersed through the different layers of cells. Massage by masseurs tend to compress cells on the top layers of the skin which can result in overstretched blue-black marks occasionally by inexperienced ones (see diagram on reverse). The massaging effect in the SG-2000 ultrasonic bubble bath can be felt on every part of the body submerged inside water. To many who practice traditional Chinese medicine, this massaging effect is also equivalent to acupuncture, releasing tension at the different pressure points. In fact, many have referred to it as “hydro-acupuncture”, meaning using water to replace needles in performing acupuncture.

3) Deep Cleansing effect
When the body is submerged under warm water, the pores on our skin open up. The vibrations caused by the rupturing of the bubbles results in the flushing out of dead cells and other waste accumulated in the pores. It is common to see a layer of dirt collected at the brim of the tub after the ultrasonic bath and one would feel lighter.

4) Beauty & Body Contouring
15 minutes of ultrasonic bubble bath at the correct temperature and bubble intensity burns off 200-300 Calories of energy. One can also achieve targeted slimming by subjecting the part of the body to be slimmed to the bombardment by the bubbles directly. The regular use of ultrasonic bath not only trims excess layers of fats within the body but also results in skin firming and tightening. Wrinkles on the forehead and necks would become less prominent after the use of ultrasonic bubble bath for a period of time. Ladies who are worried about sagging body parts will find this kind of bath useful.

5) Exercise Effects
15 minutes of ultrasonic bubble bath produces an exercise effect equivalent to 3 km of jogging. After a bubble bath at the correct temperature and bubble intensity, one would experience an increase in the heartbeat and a lowering of blood pressure. It is recommended that the intensity of the bath should result in a 70-80% of the maximum heartbeat rate tolerated by any individual calculated by the following formula:
Maximum heartbeat rate = 220 – Age
Ideal exercise heartbeat = 70-80% x Max heartbeat rate
Eg: Fora 50-year-old,
Maximum heartbeat rate = 220 – 50 = 170
Ideal exercise heartbeat rate (set at 70%) = 70% x 170
=119 beats per second Ideal exercise heartbeat rate (set at 80%) = 80% x 170
=136 beats per second
Ideally, one should exercise till the heart is pumping at a rate of between the two numbers for at least 5 times a week, and each time lasting for 30 minutes. By using the ultrasonic bubble bath correctly, one can achieve that target easily everyday. This is especially beneficial to the elderly or sick who cannot exercise due to their bodily conditions and yet have to exercise in order to induce perspiration. Likewise, busy office workers who cannot find time to do physical exercise will find this alternative helpful. Exercise results in many benefits to the body: increased energy, increased metabolism, reduced body fat, increased lean muscle, reduced stress, reduced risk of many serious diseases including diabetes and breast cancer, and others. Also, perspiration resulting from physical exercise causes the excretion of heavy metals and carcinogenic substances from the body. These substances are normally hidden underneath the dermis and would remain there unless they are excreted after vigorous perspiration. Urination and passing motion will not be able to excrete these substances from the body.

Comparison of Enhanced Hydrotherapy

	Jacuzzi	Conven­tional Sauna	Far Infrared Sauna	Onsen Studio – Ultrasonic Hydrotherapy
Alternative Medicine Principles
Ozone	Nil	Nil	Nil	Present
Far Infrared	Nil	Nil	Present	Present
Ultrasound	Nil	Nil	Nil	Present
Bodily Benefits
Internal warming effect	Negligible	Negligible	Very Good	Excellent
Massaging effect	Limited	Nil	Nil	Excellent
Deep cleansing effect	Nil	Nil	Nil	Excellent
Beauty/Body contouring	Nil	Nil	Nil	Excellent
Exercise effect	Negligible	Negligible	Negligible	Excellent
Other Restrictions
Convenience	Installed	Built in	Prefab built	Excellent
Space Constraint	Maybe	Large room	Large space	Excellent
Flexibility	Rigid	Rigid	Rigid	Excellent