JP2009160328A - Treatment equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide technique capable of stably outputting modulation wave with various waveforms with a simple circuit configuration. <P>SOLUTION: Waveform data for defining the waveform of the modulation wave are stored in the memory of a digital signal generating circuit 251. The circuit 251 outputs a digital signal in response to the selected waveform data. A DA converting circuit 252 performs the analog conversion of the digital signal, and outputs the source waveform of the modulation wave. The source waveform is amplified by an amplifier circuit 255, and then, the treatment waveform of the modulation wave is outputted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a treatment device capable of outputting a modulated wave as a treatment current.

  2. Description of the Related Art A treatment device that produces a massage-like effect by flowing a treatment current to the body through an electrode pad is known. In this type of treatment device, a rectangular pulse wave is usually used as a treatment current, and a desired bodily sensation is created by controlling the peak value, pulse width, pause width, and the like. A type of treatment device that uses an amplitude-modulated wave as a treatment current has also been proposed (see Patent Document 1). The pulse wave mainly stimulates muscles, whereas the modulated wave has a difference in the therapeutic effect in that it also stimulates tissues (nerves, joints, etc.) behind the muscles.

  In the conventional treatment device, as shown in FIG. 9, a modulated wave is generated by an analog circuit. That is, two sine waves A and B having slightly different frequencies are obtained from the two oscillation circuits A and B, and they are synthesized by a mixer, thereby generating a “beat” according to the frequency difference (122 Hz = 2522 Hz-2400 Hz). By doing so, an amplitude-modulated wave is generated. However, this conventional configuration has the following problems.

  (1) Since a beat is used, only one type of waveform can be created. Further, it is impossible to change the frequency of the modulated wave or the carrier wave, or to dynamically change the maximum amplitude. Therefore, only a monotonous bodily sensation can be obtained with a conventional treatment device. Although it is possible to obtain a plurality of types of modulation waveforms by preparing a plurality of pairs of oscillation circuits, this leads to an increase in size and cost of the circuit board, which is not preferable.

  (2) In order to obtain a clean (undistorted) composite waveform, an amplitude adjustment circuit for matching the amplitudes of the two sine waves is required. In addition, since it is an analog circuit, it is necessary to provide a temperature compensation circuit, a voltage compensation circuit, etc. in order to ensure stability against environmental fluctuations. Therefore, the circuit configuration is complicated, and the circuit board is increased in size and cost.

(3) Furthermore, adjustment work for adjusting the oscillation frequencies of the two oscillation circuits is required during manufacture. This adjustment work must be performed manually while checking the waveform with an oscilloscope, which is very complicated and leads to an increase in lead time and cost.
Japanese translation of PCT publication No. 2003-532453 (WO01 / 051122)

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a technique capable of outputting a stable modulated wave with a simple circuit configuration.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of outputting modulated waves having various waveforms with a simple circuit configuration.

  In order to achieve the above object, the treatment device of the present invention adopts the following configuration.

The treatment device according to the present invention is a treatment device capable of outputting a modulated wave as a treatment current, and stores a waveform data defining a waveform of the modulated wave, and outputs a digital signal according to the waveform data. Digital signal generating means for converting, analog means for converting the digital signal to output a source waveform, and amplification means for amplifying the source waveform to output a treatment current.

  Here, it is preferable that the waveform data is data in which an amplitude value for each predetermined time is described, and the digital signal generating means outputs a digital signal representing the amplitude value of the source waveform according to the waveform data.

  Such a circuit can be configured using, for example, an integrated circuit, a DA converter circuit, an amplifier circuit, or the like. Therefore, the circuit configuration is extremely simple compared to a conventional treatment device using an analog circuit, and the device can be reduced in size and cost.

  In addition, since the waveform generation of the modulated wave is realized by digital signal processing, stable waveform generation is possible. In addition, there is an advantage that a compensation circuit with respect to environmental fluctuations and adjustment work at the time of manufacture, which are necessary for a conventional treatment device, are not required.

  In addition, since an arbitrary waveform can be created depending on the definition of the waveform data, it is possible to generate and output modulated waves (treatment currents) of various waveforms that could not be output by conventional therapeutic devices. For example, a modulated wave having a waveform with modulated amplitude or frequency, or both (amplitude + frequency) can be generated. As a more complex waveform, a modulated wave having a waveform whose amplitude changes in a non-constant period, or a waveform whose amplitude changes in a constant or non-constant period and whose maximum value changes in each period. It is also possible to generate a modulated wave or the like.

  Moreover, it is preferable that the treatment device of the present invention further includes a pulse wave generation unit that generates and outputs a pulse wave, and can selectively output a modulated wave and a pulse wave as a treatment current. Since there is a difference in the therapeutic effect between the pulse wave and the modulated wave, the convenience and utility value of the treatment device can be improved by making it possible to select two types of treatment currents.

  Note that the pulse wave generation circuit and the modulation wave generation circuit may be configured differently, but it is also possible to generate two types of waveforms, a modulation wave and a pulse wave, with a common circuit configuration. Specifically, the storage means also stores waveform data that defines the waveform of the pulse wave, and the digital signal generation means outputs a digital signal according to the waveform data of the pulse wave, thereby providing a treatment current. A configuration that can also output a pulse wave can be preferably employed. Thus, by making the circuit configuration of the pulse wave and the modulation wave common, further downsizing and cost reduction can be achieved.

  It is preferable that the waveform data stored in the storage means can be rewritten. This improves the expandability and flexibility of the treatment device.

  It is preferable that an anti-aliasing filter is provided between the conversion unit and the amplification unit. By smoothing the waveform with the anti-aliasing filter, it is possible to improve the experience.

  The conversion means is preferably a resistance ladder circuit. Thereby, a high-speed DA converter circuit can be realized at low cost.

  Each of the above configurations can be combined with each other as much as possible to constitute the present invention.

  The treatment device of the present invention can stably output modulated waves having various waveforms with a simple circuit configuration.

  Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Here, a treatment device (low frequency treatment device) using a low frequency treatment current is illustrated.

<Configuration of treatment device>
With reference to FIG. 1, FIG. 2, the treatment device which concerns on embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an appearance of a treatment device, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing a hardware configuration of the treatment device.

  The treatment device 100 generally includes a treatment device main body 200, a pair of pads 300 to be attached to a treatment site, and a cord 400 for electrically connecting the treatment device main body 200 and the pad 300.

  The pad 300 is made of a thin and highly flexible member. An electrode 301 is formed on one surface (contact surface with the body) of the pad 300. The electrode 300 surface of the pad 300 is covered with an adhesive gel material.

  A snap 302 corresponding to the electrode 301 is provided on the other surface of the pad 300. By connecting the snap 402 of the cord 400 to the snap 302 on the pad 300 side and inserting the plug 401 of the cord 400 into the jack of the treatment device main body 200, the treatment device main body 200 and the pad 300 (electrode 301) can be connected. .

As shown in FIG. 2, the treatment device main body 200 is provided with an outline, an operation unit 210, a display unit 220, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 230, a power supply unit 240, and a modulated wave generation / output unit 250.

(Operation section)
The operation unit 210 is provided with a power switch for switching power on / off, a strength adjustment dial for adjusting strength, a function switch for selecting a treatment mode (waveform), and the like. . When a switch or dial is operated by the user, the signal is input to the CPU 230.

(Display section)
The display unit 220 includes an LCD (liquid crystal display), an LED (light emitting diode), a backlight, a buzzer, and the like. The display unit 220 is controlled by the CPU 230 and outputs the current operation state, operation navigation, warning, and the like.

(Power supply part)
The power supply unit 240 includes a power supply circuit, a power supply state monitoring circuit, and the like. An AC adapter or a battery is used as the power source. The power supply circuit is a circuit that generates a DC 3.3V voltage from the supply voltage of the AC adapter or the battery. The DC output from the power supply circuit is supplied to the CPU 230. The power supply state monitoring circuit is a circuit that stops the CPU 230 (therapeutic device body 200) when the output voltage from the power supply circuit falls below a predetermined allowable voltage.

(Modulated wave generation / output unit)
The modulation wave generation / output unit 250 (modulation wave generation means) is a functional block for generating and outputting a modulation wave treatment current. The modulated wave generation / output unit 250 includes a digital signal generation circuit 251.
, A DA conversion circuit 252, a filter 253, an intensity adjustment circuit 254, an amplification circuit 255, and the like.

  The digital signal generation circuit 251 is a circuit having a function (storage means) for storing waveform data defining the waveform of the treatment current and a function (digital signal generation means) for outputting a digital signal in accordance with the waveform data. The digital signal generation circuit 251 stores a plurality of types of waveform data, and can change the output waveform according to the treatment mode.

The digital signal generation circuit 251 of the present embodiment is configured using an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and the waveform data is stored in the built-in memory of the FPGA. Note that the digital signal generation circuit may be configured using other integrated circuits such as a microprocessor, an embedded CPU, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), and a microcomputer, without being limited to the FPGA. Since the built-in memory of the FPGA has a small capacity, the waveform data may be stored in an external memory.

  FIG. 3A shows an example of waveform data. The waveform data is digital data in a format in which amplitude values for each predetermined time are described in time order. In the example of FIG. 3A, the amplitude value every 0.1 msec is represented by 11 steps of values from 0 to 10. When 4 bits are assigned to one amplitude value, a data size of 50 bytes is required to define a waveform of 0.01 sec. Note that, as the predetermined time (waveform sampling interval) is shorter and the range of amplitude values (waveform resolution) is larger, high-definition waveform generation becomes possible.

  FIG. 3B is a table showing a correspondence relationship between the amplitude value of the waveform data and the terminal output of the digital signal generation circuit. The digital signal generation circuit 251 has ten terminals # 1 to # 10, and switches the output value (0/1) of each terminal according to the amplitude value of the waveform data. Specifically, when the amplitude value is 0, the output of all terminals is set to “0”, and when the amplitude value is n (0 <n ≦ 10), the outputs of n terminals # 1 to #n are set to “ 1 ”(the remaining terminals are“ 0 ”). In the example of FIGS. 3A and 3B, since the amplitude values are 4, 6, 3,..., The terminal outputs of # 1 to # 4 are “1” for the first 0.1 msec. The terminal outputs of # 1 to # 6 are “1” for 1 msec, and the terminal outputs of # 1 to # 3 are “1” for the next 0.1 msec. As a result, a digital signal corresponding to the source waveform of the treatment current is generated and output. The broken line in FIG. 3B schematically represents the source waveform.

  The DA conversion circuit 252 is a circuit having a function (conversion means) for converting a digital signal output from the digital signal generation circuit 251 into an analog signal and outputting a source waveform. In the present embodiment, a resistance ladder circuit is used as shown in FIG. As a result, a high-speed DA conversion circuit can be realized at low cost.

  The filter 253 is a filter for performing anti-aliasing of the source waveform, and typically a low-pass filter is used. The strength adjustment circuit 254 is an electronic volume for scaling the amplitude of the source waveform in accordance with the “strength” designated by the strength adjustment dial of the operation unit 210. Note that the order of the filter 253 and the strength adjustment circuit 254 may be reversed.

  The amplifier circuit 255 is a circuit having a function (amplifying means) for amplifying the source waveform and outputting a treatment current. Specifically, an amplifier circuit 255 is configured by an amplifier and a transformer. In the amplifier circuit 255, the source waveform of mV order is amplified to a waveform of several V to several tens V order.

<Generation / output processing of modulated wave>
With reference to FIG. 5, the operation of the treatment device (particularly, generation / output processing of a modulated wave) will be described in detail.

  The user can select a treatment mode using the function switch of the operation unit 210. As the treatment mode, treatment methods such as “fir”, “tapping”, “push”, and “slip”, and treatment sites such as “shoulder”, “waist”, “joint”, and “foot sole” can be designated. Further, the user can adjust the strength of the treatment current using the strength adjustment dial of the operation unit 210.

  When the treatment mode is designated by the user, the treatment mode is notified to the digital signal generation circuit 251 via the CPU 230. The digital signal generation circuit 251 reads waveform data corresponding to the designated treatment mode, and sequentially generates and outputs a digital signal. The digital signal is converted into an analog signal by the DA conversion circuit 252 to generate a treatment current source waveform.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the amplitude of the source waveform after DA conversion changes stepwise (discontinuously; discretely). When such a waveform of current flows through the body, it may cause tingling pain. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the waveform is smoothed through the anti-aliasing filter 253, thereby reducing pain and improving the sensation. However, if the resolution of the digital signal generation circuit 251 and the DA conversion circuit 252 is sufficiently high and a smooth source waveform can be generated, the filter 253 is unnecessary.

  The “strength” (0 to MAX) designated by the strength adjustment dial is notified to the strength adjustment circuit 254 via the CPU 230. The intensity adjustment circuit 254 scales the amplitude of the source waveform in accordance with the intensity designation value. In the present embodiment, the waveform data is designed so that a source waveform having an amplitude level corresponding to “strength = MAX” is output from the DA conversion circuit 252. Therefore, the strength adjustment circuit 254 passes through the source waveform when “strength = MAX”, and reduces the amplitude level of the source waveform when “strength <MAX”. If the resolution of the digital signal generation circuit 251 and the DA conversion circuit 252 is sufficiently high and a source waveform corresponding to each step of strength can be generated, the strength adjustment circuit 254 is not necessary.

  The amplifier circuit 255 amplifies and boosts the source waveform in the mV order, and generates a modulated wave in the order of several V to several tens of V. When this modulated wave is applied to the pad 300, a therapeutic current flows from the high potential side pad through the body to the low potential side pad. This electrical current stimulates body tissues such as muscles and nerves to obtain the same therapeutic effect (relieving stiffness and pain) as massage.

<Example of modulated wave>
The treatment device of this embodiment can create an arbitrary waveform depending on the definition of the waveform data. For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, an amplitude-modulated waveform in which only the amplitude is modulated can be created, as shown in FIG. 6B, a frequency-modulated waveform in which only the frequency is modulated can be created, or in FIG. As can be seen, it is also possible to produce a waveform with both amplitude and frequency modulated. As a more complex waveform, as shown in FIG. 7A, a waveform whose amplitude changes in a non-constant period (that is, a waveform in which the modulation wave frequency changes) is created, or as shown in FIG. And a waveform in which the maximum value of the amplitude changes every cycle, or the amplitude changes in a non-constant cycle and the maximum value of the amplitude changes in each cycle as shown in FIG. 7C. It is also possible to create a waveform.

  Since the magnitude of the amplitude corresponds to the strength of the stimulus, by changing the amplitude periodically as shown in FIG. 6A, it is possible to create a bodily sensation similar to massage such as “fir” or “tap”. Then, by changing the period of amplitude change as shown in FIG. 7A, the massage speed can be dynamically changed as “slow → fast → slow → fast →...” Or the amplitude can be changed as shown in FIG. By changing the maximum value, the strength of the massage can be dynamically changed as “strong → medium → weak → strong → ...”.

  Also, the higher the carrier frequency, the deeper the treatment current reaches the body. Therefore, by changing the carrier frequency as shown in FIG. 6B, FIG. 6C, FIG. 7A, and FIG. 7C, the movement of the stimulus toward the inside of the body can be created.

<Advantages of treatment device>
The treatment device of the present embodiment has the following excellent advantages.

  In the treatment device of the present embodiment, the modulation wave generation circuit is composed of an FPGA and a DA conversion circuit, so that the circuit configuration is extremely simple compared to a treatment device using a conventional analog circuit. Further, since digital signal processing is used, stable waveform generation is possible. In addition, the compensation circuit for the environmental change and the adjustment work at the time of manufacture, which are necessary for the conventional treatment device, are not required. Therefore, the apparatus can be reduced in size and cost as compared with the conventional treatment device.

  In addition, the treatment device of the present embodiment can generate treatment currents of various waveforms, and can give dynamic changes and rhythms to the stimulation of the treatment current, such as speed, strength, and depth of the treatment site. You can also. Therefore, it is possible to produce completely new experiences and therapeutic effects that cannot be created with conventional treatment devices.

<Modification>
The above embodiment is merely a specific example of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the technical idea. Hereinafter, preferable modifications will be described.

(Modification 1)
FIG. 8 shows the configuration of the modulated wave generation / output unit according to the first modification. The treatment device of Modification 1 also has a function (pulse wave generation means) for generating and outputting a pulse wave, and can output both a modulated wave and a pulse wave.

  As shown in FIG. 8, the memory of the digital signal generation circuit 251 stores pulse wave waveform data in addition to modulation wave waveform data. In the first modification, a bypass line 256 for bypassing the filter 253 and a bypass switch 257 are provided in the subsequent stage of the DA conversion circuit 252.

  When the treatment mode using the pulse wave is selected, the CPU 230 notifies the digital signal generation circuit 251 of the treatment mode and switches the bypass switch 257 to the bypass line 256 side. The digital signal generation circuit 251 reads waveform data corresponding to the designated mode, and generates a pulse wave source waveform. Note that there is no difference in the format of waveform data between the modulated wave and the pulse wave, and only the contents of the described data (definition of the waveform) are different. Therefore, the processing in the digital signal generation circuit 251 and the DA conversion circuit 252 is not different between the case of generating a modulated wave and the case of generating a pulse wave.

  The source waveform output from the DA conversion circuit 252 is input to the strength adjustment circuit 254 via the bypass line 256. The reason for bypassing the filter 253 in the case of a pulse waveform is to prevent the pulse waveform from being rounded. Then, after level adjustment according to the strength designation value is performed, the amplification circuit 255 amplifies and outputs a pulse wave treatment current.

As described above, according to the configuration of the first modification, two types of treatment currents of a pulse wave and a modulated wave can be used. A pulse wave acts mainly on muscles, whereas a modulated wave has a difference in the therapeutic effect in that it stimulates deeper in the body than muscles. Therefore, by making it possible to select a pulse wave and a modulated wave, it is possible to improve the convenience and utility value (added value) of the treatment device. In addition, as shown in FIG. 8, by sharing the circuit configuration of the pulse wave and the modulated wave, a highly functional treatment device corresponding to two types of treatment currents can be realized with a small and inexpensive configuration.

(Other variations)
The waveform data storage means may be a read-only storage medium or a rewritable storage medium. However, from the viewpoints of extensibility, flexibility, maintainability, etc., it is preferable to store the waveform data in a rewritable storage medium and further allow the waveform data to be rewritten (updated) from outside the treatment device. Specifically, an interface with an external device (for example, a USB connector for connecting to a computer, a communication I / F for performing wireless communication with a computer) is provided on the treatment device, and a waveform is transmitted from the external device to the treatment device. Data may be transmitted and written. Alternatively, waveform data may be edited or deleted using the operation unit 210 and the display unit 220 of the treatment device. By enabling rewriting of waveform data in this way, for example, it is possible to update to the latest version of waveform data at the time of product shipment, or to change the waveform data to be written according to the user's wishes. In addition, the possibility of various services such as providing waveform data to the user of the treatment device on the WEB site and enabling the user to edit the waveform data is born.

  The format of the waveform data is not limited to that of the above embodiment. For example, the sampling interval and resolution may be made finer, or the sampling interval and resolution may be dynamically changed. In order to save memory, the waveform data may be compressed.

FIG. 1 is a view showing an appearance of a treatment device. FIG. 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the treatment device. FIG. 3A is a diagram showing an example of waveform data, and FIG. 3B is a table showing a correspondence relationship between the waveform data and the terminal output of the digital signal generation circuit. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a resistance ladder circuit. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a flow of modulation wave generation / output processing. 6A is a diagram illustrating an example of an amplitude modulation waveform, FIG. 6B is a diagram illustrating an example of a frequency modulation waveform, and FIG. 6C is a diagram illustrating an example of an amplitude / frequency modulation waveform. FIG. 7A is a diagram showing an example of a waveform whose amplitude changes at a non-constant period, and FIG. 7B is an example of a waveform where the amplitude changes at a constant period and the maximum value of the amplitude changes every period. FIG. 7C is a diagram illustrating an example of a waveform in which the amplitude changes in a non-constant period and the maximum value of the amplitude changes in each period. FIG. 8 is a block diagram schematically showing the configuration of the treatment device according to the first modification. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a conventional circuit configuration for generating a modulated wave.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 Therapeutic device 200 Therapeutic device main body 210 Operation part 220 Display part 230 CPU
240 Power supply unit 250 Modulated wave generation / output unit 251 Digital signal generation circuit 252 Conversion circuit 253 Filter 254 Adjustment circuit 255 Amplification circuit 256 Bypass line 257 Bypass switch 300 Pad 301 Electrode 302 Snap 400 Code 401 Plug 402 Snap

Claims (9)

A treatment device capable of outputting a modulated wave as a treatment current,
Storage means for storing waveform data defining the waveform of the modulated wave;
Digital signal generating means for outputting a digital signal according to the waveform data;
Conversion means for converting the digital signal to analog and outputting a source waveform;
Amplifying means for amplifying the source waveform and outputting a treatment current;
A treatment device comprising: The waveform data is data in which an amplitude value for each predetermined time is described,
2. The treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the digital signal generating means outputs a digital signal representing an amplitude value of the source waveform according to the waveform data.   The therapeutic device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the modulated wave has a waveform in which amplitude or frequency, or both are modulated.   The treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the modulated wave has a waveform whose amplitude changes in a non-constant period.   The therapeutic device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the modulated wave has a waveform in which the amplitude changes at a constant or non-constant period and the maximum value of the amplitude changes every period. . The storage means also stores waveform data defining the waveform of the pulse wave,
6. The treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the digital signal generating means can output a pulse wave as a treatment current by outputting a digital signal according to the waveform data of the pulse wave. .   The treatment device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the waveform data stored in the storage means can be rewritten.   The treatment device according to claim 1, further comprising an anti-aliasing filter between the conversion unit and the amplification unit.   The treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the conversion unit is a resistance ladder circuit.

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