JP2004229898A - Ultrasonic generator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To simultaneously treat a wide range from the shallow part to the deep part of an organism using a single ultrasonic oscillator. <P>SOLUTION: This ultrasonic generator feeds output signal of different frequencies from an oscillation output circuit 3 via a matching circuit 7 to the ultrasonic oscillator 1, and applies an ultrasonic energy to the organism from the ultrasonic oscillator 1. The matching circuit 7 comprises a wide-band matching circuit matching all the range of the different frequencies. This constitution can optimize the matching between the oscillation output circuit 3 and the ultrasonic oscillator 1 even if the frequency of the output signal fed from the oscillation output circuit 3 is frequently changed at high speed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ultrasonic generator that vibrates a living tissue with ultrasonic energy generated between conductors.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Generally, this type of ultrasonic generator has a built-in ultrasonic vibrator used for facial beauty equipment, medical equipment, industrial use, etc., and transmits ultrasonic energy generated from this ultrasonic vibrator to the living body from between the guides. To give. The ultrasonic vibrator has an overtone (harmonic) vibration mode in addition to the fundamental vibration mode. For example, a vibrator having a fundamental wave of 1 MHz can be vibrated at an odd multiple of 3 MHz or 5 MHz. It is possible.
[0003]
On the other hand, a living body, that is, a human body, can transmit vibrations to a deep part by giving a low frequency compared to a high frequency, and a high frequency can intensively vibrate a shallow part of the human body, for example, about 1 MHz. Low frequency ultrasound is used for abdominal slimming (fat free burning), and high frequency ultrasound of about 3 MHz is used for facial beauty. Therefore, if the ultrasonic (frequency) mode can be instantaneously switched electronically in an ultrasonic generator with a built-in ultrasonic vibrator, vibration to a deep part at a low frequency by the fundamental wave vibration mode and overtone vibration mode In this case, it is possible to obtain the effect of simultaneously giving vibrations at a plurality of different frequencies at the same time. In addition, such instantaneous switching of the vibration mode not only has the effect of treating a wide range from the shallow part to the deep part of the living body at the same time, but also provides energy to a part that cannot be avoided when a stimulation signal is given in a single vibration mode. The adverse effects of concentration can be reduced.
[0004]
The internal configuration of a conventional ultrasonic generator includes a type in which an ultrasonic vibrator is put in a feedback loop of a drive circuit and a vibrator is vibrated by a current generated by self-excited oscillation, and a power amplifier in a separately excited oscillator. By providing a connected oscillation output circuit and mechanically switching a matching circuit having a filter function, by providing output signals output at a plurality of frequencies from the oscillation output circuit to the single ultrasonic transducer from the matching circuit, Two types are known in which this ultrasonic vibrator vibrates a fundamental wave or overtone. In particular, the latter configuration has an internal configuration suitable for achieving the above-described effects. As a related technique, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses that the output of an oscillation circuit is supplied to a high-frequency There is disclosed an ultra-high-frequency wave treatment device capable of amplifying and alternately supplying an amplifier output to two output terminals via a matching circuit so that treatment can be performed at two places simultaneously.
[0005]
[Patent Document]
JP 2002-165892 A
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
In the configuration of Patent Document 1, when a single ultrasonic oscillator is provided at the output stage of the matching circuit and a plurality of frequencies are to be oscillated from the ultrasonic oscillator, a filtering operation is performed in accordance with each frequency. It is necessary to switch the matching circuit having In that case, very large power (several W to several tens W) of high frequency and low impedance is handled, so that conventionally, the matching circuit must be mechanically switched by a switch or a relay contact. Therefore, frequent high-speed switching cannot be performed due to the use of mechanical parts, and the effect of simultaneously treating a wide range from a shallow part to a deep part of a living body cannot be sufficiently obtained.
[0007]
Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a ultrasonic generator that can simultaneously treat a wide range from a shallow part to a deep part of a living body using a single ultrasonic transducer. Aim.
[0008]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
An ultrasonic generator according to the present invention supplies an output signal of a different frequency from an oscillation output circuit to a single ultrasonic transducer via a matching circuit, and applies ultrasonic energy to a living body from the ultrasonic transducer. In the sound wave generator, the matching circuit is a wideband matching circuit that performs matching over the entire range of the different frequencies.
[0009]
In this case, even if the frequency of the output signal supplied from the oscillation output circuit changes at high speed and frequently, the wideband matching circuit optimizes the matching between the oscillation output circuit and the ultrasonic transducer for output signals of all frequencies. Things. Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously treat a wide range from a shallow part to a deep part of a living body by using a single ultrasonic transducer without intervening any mechanical parts as in the related art.
[0010]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an ultrasonic generator according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of an ultrasonic generator, wherein 1 is a single ultrasonic transducer, and 2 is a pair of conductors for applying ultrasonic energy generated from the ultrasonic transducer to a living body (not shown). The guide 2 is detachably attached to a treatment site of a living body. On the other hand, in the present embodiment, a wide-band PLL (Phase Locked Loop) oscillator 4 corresponding to an oscillation circuit and an oscillation output circuit 3 for supplying an output signal of a different frequency to the ultrasonic vibrator 1 and a sine wave generation unit are provided. A variable frequency filter 5 and a broadband power amplifier circuit 6 corresponding to an amplifier circuit are provided so as to be connected in order. Further, a matching circuit 7 is provided between the oscillation output circuit 3 and the ultrasonic vibrator 1. The matching circuit 7 of this embodiment is particularly suitable for output signals of different frequencies supplied from the oscillation output circuit 3. The circuit is designed so that the oscillation output circuit 3 and the ultrasonic vibrator 1 are matched over the entire area of the above.
[0011]
Here, with reference to the block diagram of FIG. 2 as well, when the broadband PLL oscillator 4 receives a frequency division ratio switching signal from the CPU 11 which is a control means described later, the vibration mode (basic vibration) of the ultrasonic vibrator 1 In this case, an oscillation signal having a frequency of any one of 1 / 2f, 1f, and 3f is generated. Various other oscillating circuits are conceivable. Here, in order to change the frequency to a wide frequency (for example, 6 times or more) and to make the frequency step fine, a special wideband PLL oscillator 4 adapted to the oscillating circuit is used. I have.
[0012]
The variable frequency filter 5 at the next stage is provided with a rectangular wave generated from the broadband PLL oscillator 4 to prevent the ultrasonic vibrator 1 from vibrating in an unnecessary mode and to prevent an invalid current from flowing. The harmonic signal is removed from the oscillation signal of the wideband PLL oscillator 4 to form a sinusoidal wave, as shown in FIG. 2, which corresponds to oscillation signals of different frequencies from the wideband PLL oscillator 4, and a plurality of attenuators 15a, 15b, 15c. And a plurality of low-pass filters 16a, 16b, 16c, and a common buffer 17. Each of the attenuators 15a, 15b and 15c is provided for gain adjustment for receiving an attenuation amount switching signal from the CPU 11 and attenuating a signal in a specific frequency component. Considering that the oscillator 4 selectively outputs oscillating signals of frequencies 1 / 2f, 1f, and 3f, three attenuators 15a, 15a, which can independently attenuate signals at these frequency components, respectively. 15b and 15c. The low-pass filters 16a, 16b, and 16c connected in series at the subsequent stages of the attenuators 15a, 15b, and 15c respectively filter only signals of specific frequency components, which are also 1 / 2f, 1f, and 3f. Signals below each frequency can be filtered. The frequency components of the signals attenuated by the attenuators 15a, 15b, and 15c and the frequency components of the signals filtered by the low-pass filters 16a, 16b, and 16c all receive the filter frequency variable signal from the CPU 11 and individually. Can be changed according to the ultrasonic vibrator 1. Further, the buffer 17 is for preventing a circuit connected to the output side of the variable frequency filter 5 from affecting the operation of the wideband PLL oscillator 4 from the variable frequency filter 5.
[0013]
The low-pass filters 16a, 16b, and 16c are provided for shaping a rectangular oscillation signal into a sine wave to remove harmonics. For example, a single digital filter (DSP) May be used. However, in order to reduce the manufacturing cost, reduce the size, and reduce the power consumption, it is preferable to use a filter corresponding to each frequency as in this embodiment. Then, the sine wave oscillation signal output from the variable frequency filter is amplified to a predetermined power by the next-stage broadband power amplifier circuit 6 and then output from the matching circuit 7 as an output signal of the oscillation output circuit 3 from the ultrasonic oscillation circuit. It is led to the child 1.
[0014]
The CPU 11 includes a frequency switching unit 12 that outputs a frequency division ratio switching signal to the wideband PLL oscillator 4 in order to switch and output oscillation signals of a plurality of frequencies from the wideband PLL oscillator 4. There is provided a feedback monitoring unit 13 for constantly monitoring the state of the flowing current and the current from the broadband power amplifier 6. When the feedback monitoring unit 13 monitors each current and determines that the device is performing an abnormal operation, the feedback monitoring unit 13 forcibly stops the operation of the device or, when the frequency of the oscillating signal is changed, It has a function of calculating the loss and gain error of the output circuit 3 and the matching circuit 7 from the monitoring results of each current, and adjusting the attenuation of each of the attenuators 15a, 15b, 15c constituting the variable frequency filter 5.
[0015]
Further, the CPU 11 includes an EEPROM 21 as a non-volatile storage unit for storing a natural resonance frequency of the ultrasonic transducer 1 for each output frequency and a total gain of the oscillation output circuit 3 for each output frequency. The characteristics of the ultrasonic vibrator 1 and the oscillation output circuit 3 adjusted while measuring the output waveform of each part in the inspection process after the manufacture of the device are stored in the EEPROM 21. That is, each of the ultrasonic transducers 1 has a large variation in resonance frequency and capacitance (normally 10% or more), and when used in an overtone vibration mode with a frequency of 3f, for example, it is precisely an integral multiple of the fundamental frequency 1f. Therefore, it is necessary to store each resonance frequency in the EEPROM 21. Thus, the CPU 11 appropriately reads out the stored contents from the EEPROM 21 and optimizes the frequency division ratio switching signal and the filter frequency variable signal so as to eliminate the manufacturing error of each ultrasonic transducer 1 and the gain deviation of the oscillation output circuit 3. Can be supplied. In this embodiment, a total of six pieces of information corresponding to different frequencies 1 / 2f, 1f, and 3f are stored in the EEPROM 21.
[0016]
Next, the operation of the above configuration will be described. During operation of the apparatus, the frequency switching means 12 of the CPU 11 outputs a frequency division ratio switching signal to the wideband PLL oscillator 4 at a timing of 100 times or more per second. In response, the wideband PLL oscillator 4 supplies an oscillation signal of a frequency component corresponding to each division ratio switching signal to the variable frequency filter 5. At this time, which frequency component is supplied and at what ratio in each oscillation signal within a certain time can be adjusted by, for example, a switch (not shown) of an operation panel connected to the input side of the CPU 11. As a result, an oscillation signal group having only one of the frequencies 1 / 2f, 1f, and 3f can be supplied from the wideband PLL oscillator 4, and an oscillation signal in which the three frequencies 1 / 2f, 1f, and 3f are mixed at an appropriate ratio. The signal group can be supplied from the broadband PLL oscillator 4.
[0017]
When the wideband PLL oscillator 4 outputs a rectangular wave oscillation signal having a frequency of 1 / 2f, the oscillation signal is optimally adjusted in gain by the first attenuator 15a of the corresponding variable frequency filter 5, and the first low pass in the next stage is performed. Harmonic components are removed by the filter 16a to form a sine wave. Similarly, the rectangular wave oscillation signal of frequency 1f output from the wideband PLL oscillator 4 is subjected to the optimum gain adjustment by the corresponding second attenuator 15b, and then becomes sinusoidal by the second low-pass filter 16b. , A rectangular wave oscillation signal having a frequency of 3f is converted into a sinusoidal wave by the third low-pass filter 16c after the optimum gain adjustment is performed by the corresponding third attenuator 15c. In this way, the output signals of the low-pass filters 16a, 16b, 16c become only the vibration mode waveforms that do not include harmonics and pass through the common buffer 17.
[0018]
Thereafter, each of the sine wave oscillation signals is amplified to a predetermined power by the wide band power amplifier 6 and guided to the matching circuit 7. The matching circuit 7 of the present embodiment particularly has the frequencies 1 / 2f, 1f, The output impedance of the wide-band power amplifier 6 can be matched to the low-impedance ultrasonic transducer 1 over the entire band of 3f, whereby the oscillation signal is supplied to the ultrasonic transducer 1 in a stable state with almost no loss. it can. Then, ultrasonic energy is generated from the ultrasonic transducer 1 that resonates with each oscillation signal, and the ultrasonic energy is applied to the living body from between the conductors 2.
[0019]
When the vibration mode of the ultrasonic vibrator 1 is only a high frequency (for example, 3f) component, the shallow part of the living body can be vibrated intensively, and this high frequency ultrasonic energy is used, for example, for facial beauty. can do. Conversely, when the vibration mode of the ultrasonic vibrator 1 is only a low frequency (for example, 1 / 2f) component, it is possible to intensively vibrate a deep part of the living body, and the ultrasonic energy of the low frequency is transmitted to, for example, the abdomen. Can be used for slimming. In this embodiment, the vibration mode of the ultrasonic vibrator 1 can be switched in a short time so that the low frequency, the intermediate frequency (for example, 1f), and the high frequency have the same ratio. In this case, vibration can be uniformly applied from the shallow part to the deep part of the living body, and local concentration of ultrasonic energy can be avoided. Furthermore, the time ratio of the switching frequency is not uniform, but can be varied by operating means such as a switch, so that the balance of the stimulation depth of the use site can be finely adjusted.
[0020]
During this series of operations, the CPU 11 constantly monitors the state of the current flowing through the ultrasonic transducer 1 and the current from the broadband power amplifier 6 by the feedback monitoring means 13. When the frequency of the oscillating signal is switched and a loss or a gain error occurs in the oscillation output circuit 3 or the matching circuit 7, the attenuators 15a, 15b, and 15c of the variable frequency filter circuit 5 correct the loss and gain error. An attenuation switching signal for gain adjustment is transmitted independently of each other. As a result, the attenuation of each of the attenuators 15a, 15b, 15c is feedback-controlled, and together with the fact that the matching circuit 7 has a broadband matching characteristic, more stable ultrasonic energy is supplied from the ultrasonic transducer 1. it can.
[0021]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, the output signals of different frequencies from the oscillation output circuit 3 are supplied to the single ultrasonic vibrator 1 via the matching circuit 7, and the ultrasonic vibrator 1 transmits the ultrasonic signals to the living body. In the ultrasonic generator for applying the sound energy, the matching circuit 7 is a broadband matching circuit that matches over the entire range of the different frequencies.
[0022]
In this case, even if the frequency of the output signal supplied from the oscillation output circuit 3 changes frequently at high speed, the matching circuit 7 serving as a broadband matching circuit outputs the oscillation output circuit 3 and the ultrasonic vibrator 1 for output signals of all frequencies. Can be optimized. Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously treat a wide range from the shallow part to the deep part of the living body using the single ultrasonic transducer 1 without any mechanical parts as in the related art.
[0023]
Further, by supplying a frequency division ratio switching signal from the CPU 11 as the control means to the wideband PLL oscillator 4 and frequently switching the frequency of the output signal from the oscillation output circuit 3, there is also a problem that energy is concentrated on a part of the living body. Can be wiped out.
[0024]
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention. The method of selecting a frequency in the embodiment is merely an example, and may be changed as appropriate in accordance with the design specifications of the device. For example, the signal of the frequency 1 / 2f in the embodiment utilizes the spurious response of the ultrasonic vibrator 1 and normally does not vibrate at an even multiple, but can be used depending on the design of the ultrasonic vibrator 1. Become.
[0025]
【The invention's effect】
The ultrasonic generator of the present invention supplies output signals of different frequencies from the oscillation output circuit to a single ultrasonic transducer via a matching circuit, and applies ultrasonic energy to a living body from the ultrasonic transducer. In the sound wave generator, the matching circuit is a broadband matching circuit that performs matching over the entire range of the different frequencies, whereby a single ultrasonic vibrator is used to reduce the depth of a living body. It is possible to treat a wide range from to deep simultaneously.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram schematically showing an ultrasonic generator according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a more detailed configuration of the variable frequency filter according to the first embodiment;
[Explanation of symbols]
1 ultrasonic transducer 3 oscillation output circuit 7 matching circuit (broadband matching circuit)

Claims (1)

In an ultrasonic generator that supplies output signals of different frequencies from an oscillation output circuit to a single ultrasonic transducer through a matching circuit and applies ultrasonic energy to a living body from this ultrasonic transducer, the matching circuit An ultrasonic generator, wherein the ultrasonic generator is a broadband matching circuit that matches over the entire range of the different frequencies.

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