JP2009095545A - Irradiation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an irradiation device capable of irradiating light only to the skin without permitting the light to enter the eyes. <P>SOLUTION: This irradiation device includes a light source 3, a light guide member 4 for guiding a light of the light source 3 to an irradiation port 4a at the upper end, a guide member 5 for guiding the vertical movement of the light guide member 4, and a switch 7 for turning on the light source 3 when the light guide member 4 is moved downward with the irradiation port 4a closed with the skin P of a human body. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an irradiation apparatus that can emit light that stimulates the skin.

Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, a light-emitting diode lamp that generates blue, red, and green light is incorporated, and the light from the light-emitting diode lamp is condensed by a condensing lens and can be irradiated to the outside. There is an optical health device that is formed and configured to irradiate acupuncture points of a living body to obtain pain relief and a massage effect in an affected area.
JP-A-11-267179

  In the above conventional optical health equipment, there is a problem that light from the light emitting diode enters the eye and hurts the eye if it is mistakenly looked at the time of use, especially when blue light enters the eye for a long time. It was not good for the eyes.

  The present invention has been devised in view of the above-described conventional problems, and provides an irradiation apparatus that can effectively irradiate only the skin without effectively putting light into the eyes and can effectively stimulate the skin. In the first aspect of the present invention, the light source, the light guide member that guides the light of the light source to the irradiation port at the upper end, the guide member that guides the vertical movement of the light guide member, and the irradiation port on the skin of the human body Switch means for causing the light source to emit light when the light guide member is moved down so as to be closed.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, the switch unit is a unit that operates when the light guide member starts to move downward and causes the light source to emit light.

  A third aspect of the present invention is that a waterproof structure is provided between the light guide member and the guide member and the irradiation port.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, a window member is provided in the irradiation port while ensuring waterproofness.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, the window member is bulged upward.

  Further, in claim 6, two or more irradiation devices according to any one of claims 1 to 5 are arranged in a row, and the irradiation port of each irradiation device is covered with a flexible and light-transmissive sheet material. That is.

An irradiation apparatus according to the present invention includes a light source, a light guide member that guides light from the light source to an irradiation port at the upper end, a guide member that guides the vertical movement of the light guide member, and the irradiation port closed with human skin. When the light guide member is moved downward, the switch means for emitting the light source emits light from the light source by pressing the skin downward against the irradiation port at the upper end of the light guide member. The light can be stimulated with good light by applying only light to the skin.
In addition, it is known that when the sensory nerves of the skin are stimulated, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is produced in all tissues, and it travels on the whole body to increase the health promotion effect of the human body. It has the effect of stimulating the skin and improving the health promotion effect well.
In addition, since light does not leak from the irradiation port, light does not enter the eye and the eye is not damaged.

  The switch means is a means for operating the light guide member when it starts to move downward and causing the light source to emit light, so that when the skin is applied to the irradiation port of the light guide member and pressed downward, the light source is almost simultaneously Since light is emitted, even when a plurality of irradiation devices are arranged and a hand or the like is placed on the irradiation device and pressed, even a portion with a large difference in unevenness such as a hand can be irradiated uniformly at the same time. .

  Further, the waterproof structure between the light guide member and the guide member and the irradiation port enables use even in a space around water.

  In addition, by providing waterproofing at the irradiation port and providing the window member, water can be prevented from entering the irradiation port and can be used in a space around the water.

  Further, since the window member is bulged upward, the window member is bulged upward when the skin is applied to the irradiation port and pressed downward. A push massage effect can be obtained.

  Further, two or more irradiation devices according to any one of claims 1 to 5 are arranged in a row, and the upper portion of the irradiation port of each irradiation device is covered with a flexible and light-transmitting sheet material, thereby providing a sheet. The material can ensure dustproof and waterproof properties, and can stimulate the skin in a wide range, and can be applied to, for example, mats, beds, tankers, floors and the like.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view of an irradiation apparatus according to the first embodiment.
The irradiation device 1 is provided with a light source 3 facing upward at the center of the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 2, and the light source 3 includes light including blue light (420 nm to 520 nm), preferably blue light (420 nm to 520 nm). And a light source capable of generating visible light that does not contain red light.
A cylindrical light guide member 4 that can move up and down is provided above the light source 3, and the light guide member 4 is made of a pipe material having a diameter of about 3 mm that reflects or transmits light. ing.
In addition, a cylindrical guide member 5 is erected on the outer side of the translucent member 4 so as to rise from the outer periphery of the floor plate portion 2, and the guide member 5 has light leaking to the outside on its inner wall surface. The outer diameter of the guide member 5 is set to about 6 mm.

On the inner periphery of the guide member 5, a lower spring receiving portion 5a and a stopper portion 5b on the upper end side protrude inward, and a coiled spring 6 is disposed on the spring receiving portion 5a. The upper end of the spring 6 is disposed in contact with the flange 4 b protruding from the outer periphery of the light guide member 4.
Further, a switch 7 is provided on the upper surface of the bottom plate portion 2 below the lower end of the light guide member 4, and when the light guide member 4 is lowered, the switch 7 is turned on so that the light source 3 generates light. Has been.

  Normally, as shown in FIG. 1, the light guide member 4 is urged by the spring 6 and maintained in a state of being urged upward. In this state, as shown in FIG. When the light guide member 4 is pressed downward with a finger so that the irradiation port 4a at the upper end of the light source is covered with the skin P of the finger, for example, the light guide member 4 is moved downward and the switch 7 is turned on. Light including blue light (420 nm to 520 nm), preferably visible light including blue light (420 nm to 520 nm) and not including red light is applied to the finger skin from the irradiation port 4a, thereby stimulating the finger skin. It is what is done.

Thus, when the skin is stimulated with light, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is produced in all tissues, and this health promoting substance travels throughout the body on the blood. If irradiation is continued for about 10 minutes, the health promoting action can be improved well.
In particular, when the light source 3 is composed of a high-intensity blue LED, the skin can be favorably stimulated by the intrinsic energy of blue light having a wavelength of 420 nm to 520 nm emitted from the high-intensity blue LED. Since the blue light from the LED has a sharp directivity and a large refractive index, it is difficult for light to leak from the light guide member 4, and light stimulation is surely given to the skin from the irradiation port 4a.
Further, since the irradiation port 4a is covered with the skin P of the finger when the light guide member 4 is moved downward, light does not leak from the irradiation port 4a, and in particular, light is prevented from entering the eye. Therefore, it is possible to irradiate only the skin without putting light into the eyes.

Next, what is shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is a second embodiment, and in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the irradiation device 1 is provided with waterproof performance, and the irradiation port 4a is waterproof. The window member 8 is fitted, and the window member 8 is formed of a transparent material into a shape bulging upward from the irradiation port 4a.
Further, grooves are formed in the inner periphery of the spring receiving portion 5a and the stopper portion 5b of the guide member 5, and O-rings 9a and 9b are fitted in the grooves, respectively. The O-rings 9a and 9b are guided. The O-rings 9a and 9b are in contact with the outer periphery of the member 4, and waterproofness between the light guide member 4 and the guide member 5 is ensured.

Further, in this example, the switch 7 is disposed on the lower surface side of the stopper portion 5 b, and the flange portion 4 b on the outer periphery of the light guide member 4 is normally brought into contact with the switch 7 by the biasing force of the spring 6. In the state shown in FIG. 3, the switch 7 is configured to be maintained in the OFF state.
In such a configuration, when the finger skin P is applied to the upper surface of the window member 8 and the light guide member 4 is pressed downward with the finger as shown in FIG. The collar part 4b is separated from the switch, and the switch 7 is turned on, whereby light is emitted upward from the light source 3, and the light passes through the irradiation port 4a and is irradiated onto the skin P through the window member 8. It is.
In addition, since the window member 8 bulges upward, when pressing the light guide member 4 downward with a finger, the acupoint pressing massage effect can be imparted to the skin P of the finger.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment. In FIG. 5, the irradiation apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 3 is arranged in a plurality of rows in the lateral direction, and the outer periphery thereof has a translucent and flexible sheet. The lid is covered with the material 10 and formed, for example, in a mat shape.
Thus, if the outer periphery of the plurality of irradiation devices is completely surrounded by the sheet material 10, air can be introduced into the internal space S to ensure good overall elasticity.

The plan view of FIG. 6 shows a state in which a hand is pressed against the upper surface of a mat M formed by arranging a large number of irradiation devices 1 inside the sheet material 10. In such a state, the entire skin inside the hand is irradiated with light from a large number of irradiation devices 1, and the skin of the entire hand is stimulated to enhance better immune activity.
Even in the use state as shown in FIG. 6, light is irradiated only from the plurality of irradiation devices 1 in the part where the hand is in contact, so that the light does not enter the eye and the light is applied to the eye. It can irradiate only the skin well without putting in.
Although there is a portion where the difference in unevenness in the vertical direction is large on the inner side of the hand, in the structure of the irradiation apparatus 1 as shown in FIG. Even in the portion, the light from the light source 3 is irradiated almost uniformly at the same time.

In this example, the light guide member 4 and the guide member 5 of the irradiation device 1 are illustrated as having a cylindrical shape. However, as shown in FIG. Etc. may be configured in a triangular shape in the horizontal section. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of irradiation devices 1 in which the light guide member 4, the guide member 5 and the like are configured in the horizontal section square shape may be provided. good.
In addition to the mat, a large area such as a bed or a tanker can also be configured with the same structure by arranging a large number of irradiation devices 1 and covering them with the sheet material 10. It can stimulate skin well.

  Moreover, the structure as shown in FIG. 5 may be adopted for the seat of the chair, and the structure as shown in FIG. 5 may be adopted for the flooring material. By adopting such a structure, it is possible to satisfactorily stimulate the part of the skin that is in contact with the irradiation device 1 without putting light into the eyes.

FIG. 9 shows calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) (unit: pg / g) that is released by stimulating the sensory nerves of the skin and promotes the production of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) having a health promoting action. The result of measuring the release concentration of (ml) was shown.
Mouse spinal dorsal root ganglion cells were cultured for 5 days, then irradiated with light of each color for 10 minutes, and the concentration of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) released into the culture supernatant was measured.
In the figure, No on the left is a case where light was not irradiated, Blue in the figure is a case where blue light (420 to 520 nm) is emitted from a blue LED, and Red in the figure is a red light (from red LED ( 570 to 670 nm), and Green in the figure is the case of irradiating green light (475 to 575 nm) from the green LED.
Further, n = 5 in the figure indicates that the number of samples is five.
The measurement results show that the emission concentration of CGRP was 130 pg / ml when not irradiated with light, 170 pg / ml for blue light, 80 pg / ml for red light, and 130 pg / ml for green light. As a result, the CGRP emission concentration increased with blue light, decreased with red light, and unchanged with green light, compared with the case where no light was irradiated.
From the above results, it was confirmed that blue light is most suitable for increasing IGF-I. The increase in calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) release by blue light is thought to contribute significantly to the function or structural change of water by blue light.

It is a schematic longitudinal cross-section block diagram of the irradiation apparatus of 1st Example. It is the longitudinal cross-section block diagram of the use condition which pressed the irradiation apparatus of FIG. 1 with the finger | toe. It is a schematic longitudinal cross-section block diagram of the irradiation apparatus of 2nd Example. It is a longitudinal cross-section block diagram of the use condition which pressed the irradiation apparatus of FIG. 3 with the finger | toe. It is a longitudinal cross-section block diagram of 3rd Example which covered the several irradiation apparatus with the sheet | seat material. It is a plane configuration diagram of a use state in which a large number of irradiation devices are arranged and covered with a sheet material to form a mat M, and a hand is placed thereon. It is a plane block diagram of the use condition which has put the hand on the mat | matte which comprised many irradiation apparatuses with a horizontal cross-sectional triangle shape. It is a plane block diagram of the use state which has put the hand on the mat | matte which comprised many irradiation apparatuses with a horizontal cross-section square shape. It is a data figure which shows the result of having measured the discharge | release density | concentration of the calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) which is released by stimulating the sensory nerve of skin and promotes production of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I) which is a health promoting substance. .

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Irradiation apparatus 2 Bottom plate part 3 Light source 4 Light guide member 4a Irradiation port 4b Eaves part 5 Guide member 5a Spring receiving part 5b Stopper part 6 Spring 7 Switch 8 Window member 9a, 9b O-ring 10 Sheet material S Internal space M Matte

Claims (6)

  A light source, a light guide member for guiding light from the light source to an irradiation port at the upper end, a guide member for guiding the vertical movement of the light guide member, and the light guide member so as to close the irradiation port with human skin. An irradiation apparatus comprising switch means for causing the light source to emit light when moved downward.   The irradiation device according to claim 1, wherein the switch unit is a unit that operates when the light guide member starts to move downward and causes the light source to emit light.   The irradiation apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a waterproof structure is provided between the light guide member and the guide member and the irradiation port.   The irradiation device according to claim 1, wherein the irradiation port is provided with a window member while ensuring waterproofness.   The irradiation apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the window member is bulged upward.   Irradiation characterized in that two or more irradiation devices according to any one of claims 1 to 5 are arranged in a row, and the irradiation port of each irradiation device is covered with a flexible and light-transmissive sheet material. apparatus.

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