JP2007089834A - Pressing and cooling apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an all-purpose pressing and cooling apparatus which is excellent in cooling effect and with which a high treatment effect is obtained. <P>SOLUTION: The apparatus has: a window body 1 having a glass surface 11 made of sapphire glass or quartz glass; a cooling body 2 using a Peltier element; an adapter 3 for fitting a hand piece 60 for laser irradiation in an interchangeable manner; a supporting body 4 of the adaptor 3; and a rod body 5 for fitting the supporting body 4. The supporting body 4 is combined with a rod body 5 so that its vertical position is adjustable. The rod body 5 is fixed to the upper surface side of the cooling body 2. The window body 1 is fitted to the cooling body 2 in an interchangeable manner. The glass surface 11 of the window body 1 presses and cools a section to be irradiated with laser. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a contact-type pressure cooling apparatus, and more particularly, to a pressure cooling apparatus used in combination with a handpiece for laser irradiation.

  Various lasers are used with cooling devices for the treatment of hemangiomas, vascular lesions and pigmented diseases.

  Conventionally, various cooling devices such as an air cooling device, a water cooling device, and a gas cooling device have been used together with a laser irradiation device.

  Moreover, the thing of patent document 1 is known as an apparatus for cooling a patient's skin during dermatological laser surgery.

The device described in U.S. Patent No. 6,053,836 consists of an annular thermoelectric cooler used to cool a patient's skin while directing a pulsed laser through a toroidal opening to a surgical target.
In addition, a thermally conductive window covering the opening on the cooling side of the annular body, a temperature feedback circuit for controlling the current supplied to the device, means for preventing moisture condensation on the window, and the operation of the device with a laser pulse Including means for synchronizing with.
In a variation of the apparatus, the thermoelectric cooler need not be annular, but the need to have a thermally conductive window thermally coupled to its cooling side is described.
It is described that the pulsed laser beam is directed to the surgical target through the window, while the window itself is used to cool the patient's skin.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-165523

However, since the operation of the device described in Patent Document 1 is synchronized with the laser pulse for a short time, the device is inferior to the long-time cooling in terms of the pain relieving effect due to cooling and the effect of reducing epidermal damage. .
Patent Document 1 and other cooling devices (air cooling cooling device, water cooling cooling device, gas cooling device) are all intended to cool only the skin surface, and the therapeutic effect by excluding blood by compressing the skin The purpose is not to increase.
Therefore, there is provided a cooling device having a glass window body with good visibility that can be cooled for a long time, can be compressed and adjusted by the operator's hand, and can easily see the state of blood exclusion in the treatment skin region. It was desired.
Moreover, in order to provide versatility so that this apparatus can be used in correspondence with various existing laser devices and new laser devices, it is desirable that the handpieces of the various laser devices be detachable.
That is, a cooling device that has versatility, is excellent in cooling effect, and can obtain higher therapeutic effect has been desired.

First, a window body having a glass surface;
A cooling body with Peltier elements;
An adapter for mounting the laser irradiation handpiece in an interchangeable manner;
A support for the adapter;
A rod for attaching the support,
The support is combined with the rod-shaped body so that the vertical position can be adjusted,
The rod-shaped body is fixed to the upper surface side of the cooling body,
The window body is attached to the cooling body in a replaceable manner,
There is provided a compression cooling apparatus, wherein a glass surface of the window body compresses and cools a portion irradiated with a laser.
Secondly, the glass surface is made of sapphire glass, and the adapter is for a handpiece for irradiating a laser for treating hemangiomas and vascular lesions. A cooling device is provided.
Third, the pressure cooling apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the glass surface is made of quartz glass, and the adapter is for a handpiece that irradiates a laser for treating a pigmented disease. I will provide a.
The compression cooling apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the glass surface is made of quartz glass, and the adapter is for a handpiece that irradiates a Q switch laser.
Here, as the quartz glass, it is desirable to use a synthetic quartz glass excellent in heat resistance and impact resistance.

  Here, the glass surface of the window body may be replaceable.

  Moreover, about the window body, it becomes possible to respond to the type and purpose of the laser to be used by adopting different types of glass and shapes and areas of the glass surface.

Furthermore, as a laser pressure cooling treatment method, when the treatment by laser irradiation is performed while pressing the affected area with the glass surface, which is a cooling surface, the force of stepwise compression is applied in accordance with the skin layer to be treated. A method of adjusting and treating can be provided.
In addition, as a laser pressure cooling treatment method, when the treatment by laser irradiation is performed while pressing the affected part with the glass surface, which is the cooling surface, as a first step, the laser energy is strongly compressed so that it reaches the deep layer. In the second stage, treatment is performed while pressing with lower pressure than the first stage so that it reaches the middle layer. In the third stage, treatment is performed while pressing with lower force than the second stage so as to reach the surface layer. Can provide a way to do it.

According to the present invention, the following three items of effects can be obtained.
First, since cooling for a long time is possible, it is excellent in the pain relieving effect and the effect of reducing epidermis damage.
In addition, since the pain due to cooling is reduced and the damage to the epidermis is reduced, treatment with high output becomes possible.
Secondly, since the blood is excluded by pressing the skin, absorption / attenuation of laser energy by hemoglobin in the blood intervening to the skin layer as a treatment target is reduced. For this reason, the therapeutic effect of the skin layer used as a treatment target can be increased.
Third, using adapters that are compatible with various laser device handpieces, the various laser device handpieces are designed to be detachable, so they are highly versatile and can be used in existing and new laser devices. Can be installed and used.
That is, according to the present invention, it has versatility, has an excellent cooling effect, and can obtain a higher therapeutic effect.

  First, the compression cooling apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

As shown in FIG. 1, the compression cooling device of the present invention includes an L-shaped window body 1 excellent in compression and visibility, a cooling body 2 having a cooling mechanism using a Peltier element, and a handpiece 60. It has a corresponding adapter 3, a support 4 of the adapter 3, and a rod-like body 5 for attaching the support 4.
In FIG. 1, 2 a indicates the heat radiation side of the cooling body 2, and 2 b indicates the cooling side of the cooling body 2.
As shown in FIGS. 4 to 11, the cooling unit 9 is configured by the cooling body 2, the support body 4, and the rod-shaped body 5.

The window body 1 has a glass surface 11 and can be attached to the cooling body 2 in a replaceable manner by means of mounting screws 21.
Here, when sapphire glass is employed for the glass surface 11, a adapter corresponding to a handpiece for irradiating a laser for treating hemangiomas and vascular lesions can be used as the adapter 3.
Further, as the adapter 3, a adapter corresponding to a handpiece that irradiates a Q-switch laser can be used.
As another example, synthetic quartz glass excellent in heat resistance and impact resistance can be used for the glass surface 11.
In this case, as the adapter 3, a adapter corresponding to a handpiece that irradiates a laser for treating a pigmented disease can be used.
As the window body 1, those having different types, shapes, and areas of glass surfaces can be employed depending on the type of laser and the purpose of treatment.
For example, as shown in FIG. 3, various types of window bodies 1 such as those having a square glass surface 11a and those having a circular glass surface 11b can be employed.
The glass surface 11 of the window body 1 is kept at a low surface temperature (0.5 ° C. ± 1 ° C.) during operation by the cooling body 2 using Peltier elements.
Here, the cooling body 2 by a Peltier element cools the glass surface 11 by cooling the window body 1 joined to the cooling side 2b.
Thus, when glass is cooled using a Peltier element, a low temperature suitable for a therapeutic effect can be obtained, and by using a contact type, cooling for a long time is possible.

As shown in an example in FIG. 12, the adapter 3 corresponds to the shape and size of various handpieces in order to attach various handpieces 60 for laser irradiation in a replaceable manner.
For example, by preparing stepped short cylindrical adapters corresponding to the shape and size of handpieces for die lasers and Q-switched lasers (ruby lasers, alexandrite lasers, yag lasers) It becomes possible to use it, and it will be excellent in versatility.
In FIG. 12, (a) is a side view of the adapter, (b) is a plan view, (c) is a bottom view, and (d) is a perspective view.

The support body 4 having an opening for accommodating the adapter 3 includes a short cylindrical portion 41 that is slidably assembled with the rod-shaped body 5 and an adjustment screw 42 provided on a convex portion located on the back side of the short cylindrical portion 41. Yes.
The position of the support body 4 is slid up and down with respect to the rod-shaped body 5 and adjusted to the height position for focus adjustment of various handpieces, and then the adjustment screw 42 is tightened, so that the position of the support body 4 is the rod-shaped body. Further, as another preferred embodiment, there is an adapter having a mechanism that can adapt to various handpieces by changing the inner diameter of the adapter concentrically.

The rod-shaped body 5 is fixed to the upper surface side of the cooling body 2, and the upper end side is connected to the connecting pipe 51.
The connection pipe 51 is provided with a circulating cooling water pipe that cools the heat radiation side of the cooling body 2 and a cable that electrically controls the cooling side of the cooling body 2.

  A connection body 61 serving as a laser light guide is connected to the upper end side of the handpiece 60.

In FIG. 2, numeral 70 indicates a chiller unit having cooling water for cooling the heat radiation side of the Peltier module of the cooling body 2, and numeral 80 indicates a control set.
Here, the chiller unit 70 is used for cooling the cooling water.
The control set 80 is used for adjusting the temperature of the window body 1.

  The usage method of said compression cooling apparatus is demonstrated.

  First, the handpiece 60 which irradiates the laser according to the treatment purpose is selected.

  Further, the window body 1 having the glass surface 11 corresponding to the selected handpiece 60 is attached to the cooling body 2.

  Then, after the adapter 3 corresponding to the handpiece 60 is attached to the handpiece 60, it is attached to the support 4.

  After the mounting, the vertical position of the support body 4 is adjusted by the adjustment screw 42 corresponding to the focal length of the handpiece 60, and the support body 4 is fixed to the rod-shaped body 5 to complete the preparation.

  In use, in order to increase adhesion to the skin and cooling efficiency on the affected part, a laser is irradiated from the handpiece 60 in a state where the affected part is pressed with the glass surface 11 after applying jelly.

  Then, since the high-power laser is irradiated through the glass surface 11 while the affected part is cooled in a state of being pressed by the glass surface 11, the treatment of hemangiomas, vascular lesions, pigmented diseases and the like is supported by various lasers. It becomes possible to carry out more effectively.

  Here, by cooling for a long time, the skin pain sensation is reduced and the epidermal damage at the time of laser treatment is reduced, enabling irradiation with higher energy than usual, thus enabling effective treatment. .

From the next use, preparation is completed simply by mounting the handpiece 60 to which the adapter 3 is attached to the support 4, so that handling is extremely easy.
Moreover, when using it as an exclusive use of a new laser apparatus, it can produce by fixing the adapter 3 to the handpiece 60 from the design stage.

  Next, a method for treating deep hemangioma using the above-described compression cooling apparatus will be specifically described.

The present inventor has sought an effective treatment means for deep hemangioma, which is generally considered difficult to treat, and as a result of intensive research, as a result of strongly pressing the skin of the treatment site with the glass surface 11, It was found that it was effective to irradiate a laser.
Here, in the case of hemangioma treatment, sapphire glass is used for the glass surface 11, and the adapter 3 is used for treating a hemangioma, for example, a handpiece for irradiating a dilaser.

  That is, the following treatment method was invented by the present inventor.

When performing treatment by laser irradiation while compressing the affected area with the glass surface 11 that is a cooling surface, the treatment is performed by adjusting the pressing force stepwise according to the skin layer to be treated. Laser cooling treatment method using laser.
When the treatment by laser irradiation is performed while pressing the affected part with the glass surface 11 as a cooling surface, the first step is performed by squeezing the laser energy so that it reaches the deep layer, and the second step is performed on the intermediate layer. Laser compression, characterized by treatment with pressure reduced from the first stage to reach, and treatment with pressure reduced from the second stage to reach the surface in the third stage Cooling treatment method.

  Here, by eliminating the intervening blood between the skin surface and deep hemangiomas by compression, the absorption and attenuation of laser energy due to hemoglobin in the intervening blood is reduced, and the laser energy can efficiently reach the deep dermis. .

  In the past, treatment began with shallow hemangioma of the dermis and progressed deeper as it healed. Absorption / attenuation of cis inhibits the penetration of laser energy into the deep part and reduces the therapeutic effect of deep hemangiomas.

On the other hand, from the initial treatment, by using the compression cooling device of the present invention and compressing while cooling, it is preferable to start treatment from the deep hemangioma and gradually toward the hemangioma of the surface layer. It was confirmed that a result was obtained.
In other words, the present inventor, unlike the conventional method, performs the treatment in the order of deep layer → intermediate layer → shallow layer to treat deep hemangioma that has been refractory by the conventional treatment method starting from the shallow layer. We found that the law is extremely effective.

Also, in the treatment of shallow hemangiomas, compression removes blood and decreases the amount of hemoglobin in the blood vessels. As a result, hemoglobin absorbs laser energy and emits high heat, burning the target blood vessels. However, it was confirmed that the vasoconstriction nerve was paralyzed by cooling for a long time, and as a result, the blood vessels dilated and the hemangioma appeared clearly.
This is called the “Flare effect”, and it was confirmed that the hemangioma of the surface layer can be sufficiently treated by increasing the blood volume.

  Furthermore, this inventor confirmed the following effects.

Hemangiomas and telangiectasias can be made immediately after treatment because of the excellent cooling effect, despite the high energy irradiation, no epidermis peeling occurs.
In addition, since epidermis peeling does not occur, Down Time due to secondary pigmentation that occurs after the epidermis is remarkably reduced, and care after treatment becomes easier.

  In laser treatment of rod-shaped hemangiomas, the epidermis is fragile and may form ulcers in the past, but good results are obtained by treatment from deeper areas, along with cooling to reduce damage to the epidermis.

Next, treatment of various pigmented diseases will be specifically described.
Here, in the case of the treatment of pigmented diseases, a synthetic quartz glass excellent in heat resistance and impact resistance is adopted for the glass surface 11, and for example, a Q switch laser for treating the pigmented diseases as the adapter 3. The one corresponding to the handpiece that irradiates is used.
By using quartz glass, the high energy of the Q-switched laser can be withstood without being broken, so that treatment is possible.
In addition, pressure applied during treatment eliminates intervening blood from the shallow layer to the middle layer of the dermis and reduces laser energy loss due to hemoglobin, resulting in an increased therapeutic effect on deep dermal melanocytes. Was confirmed.

  Furthermore, since the pain is reduced by cooling for a long time, treatment of the child becomes easy.

It is a perspective view of the compression cooling device of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the state where the handpiece was attached to the compression cooling device of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the various window bodies of the compression cooling device of the present invention. It is a reference figure showing the use condition of the cooling unit concerning the compression cooling device of the present invention. It is a perspective view of the cooling unit which concerns on the compression cooling device of this invention. It is a front view of the cooling unit which concerns on the compression cooling apparatus of this invention. It is a rear view of the cooling unit which concerns on the compression cooling apparatus of this invention. It is a top view of the cooling unit which concerns on the compression cooling device of this invention. It is a bottom view of the cooling unit which concerns on the compression cooling apparatus of this invention. It is a right view of the cooling unit which concerns on the compression cooling device of this invention. It is a left view of the cooling unit which concerns on the compression cooling apparatus of this invention. It is a figure of the adapter which concerns on the compression cooling device of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Window body 11 Glass surface 2 Cooling body 21 Mounting screw 3 Adapter 4 Support body 41 Short cylindrical part 42 Adjustment screw 5 Rod-shaped body 51 Connection pipe 60 Handpiece 61 Connection body 70 Chiller unit 80 Control set 9 Cooling unit

Claims (3)

A window body having a glass surface;
A cooling body with Peltier elements;
An adapter for mounting the laser irradiation handpiece in an interchangeable manner;
A support for the adapter;
A rod for attaching the support,
The support is combined with the rod-shaped body so that the vertical position can be adjusted,
The rod-shaped body is fixed to the upper surface side of the cooling body,
The window body is attached to the cooling body in a replaceable manner,
A compression cooling apparatus, wherein a glass surface of the window body compresses and cools a portion irradiated with a laser.   2. The compression cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the glass surface is made of sapphire glass. 2. The compression cooling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the glass surface is made of quartz glass.

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