JP2015150033A - Heat therapy device for ophthalmic application - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hyperthermia treatment device and a warm/cold heat therapy device which can simply treat eye strain.SOLUTION: A heat therapy device for ophthalmic application of the present invention comprises a hand-held housing, and a heat treatment device comprising following components (A) to (E) provided in the housing, namely, (A) a treatment member abutted with an affected area, (B) an electric heating conversion circuit for generating a temperature change in a treatment member and containing an electric heating conversion device, (C) a temperature control device for maintaining a temperature of the treatment member in a predetermined value, (D) a power switch and (E) power supply. A cutting edge surface abutted with the affected area of the treatment member abutted with the affected area is formed such that the smallest curvature radius is a convex surface of 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less, preferably of 4 mm or more and 6 mm or less.

Description

  The present invention relates to an ophthalmic thermal and cold thermal therapy device (hereinafter referred to as an ophthalmic thermal therapy device).

Thermotherapy devices that warm the affected area and promote blood circulation are widely known, but most of them are bedding type or chair type that warm the whole body, and are for ophthalmology to treat eye fatigue etc. Has never been proposed.
In order to treat stiff shoulders and muscle fatigue, hand-held thermotherapy devices and thermotherapy devices that locally heat or cool the affected area are also known, and those described in the following patent documents are known. None of these are ophthalmic.
On the other hand, the number of people who complain of eyestrain, blurred vision, etc. is increasing nowadays because the chances of gazing at LCD screens such as personal computers and mobile phones for a long time are increasing. No heat treatment device has been proposed.

JP-A-5-208038 JP 2004-223246 A JP 2004-305278 A

The device described in Patent Document 1 is a hot and cold acupuncture treatment device having a hot bulb and a heater as its heat source, a cold bulb and an electronic cooling element as its cold source, and presses the hot bulb and the cold bulb against the meridians. It is a therapeutic instrument that moves along a decubitus path to detect and treat a disease. The one disclosed in Patent Document 2 is a heater, an electric circuit for energizing the heater, and the generated heat of the heater at the tip of the instrument. Electricity for acupressure and acupuncture treatment provided with a heat transfer shaft that transmits to the heat transfer shaft, a rotary plate that is provided around the heat transfer shaft and has small protrusions around the heat transfer shaft, and a finger pressure protrusion provided at the tip of the heat transfer shaft A thermotherapy device described in Patent Document 3 is a thermotherapy device using wood chip combustion as a heat source, and none of them is an ophthalmologic heat treatment device.
In addition to the above, a cool / heat facial device has also been proposed, but a heat treatment device and a cool / heat treatment device for ophthalmic treatment have never been proposed.

However, even in the ophthalmology field, treatments such as warm and cold ships are performed to treat eye fatigue, eye strain, etc., to relieve stress resulting from overuse of the eyes for a long time, and to prevent various ophthalmic diseases. ing.
However, they are consumables, and there is a problem that long-term treatment is expensive and wastes with high environmental impact are generated.
It would be extremely advantageous for patients suffering from eye fatigue if an ophthalmic thermal treatment device, particularly a cold / hot treatment device, which can be used for light stool, has a high therapeutic effect and does not generate waste, is provided.

  The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an ophthalmic thermal treatment device that is small, light and easy to handle and has a high therapeutic effect.

The present invention includes a hand-held housing and the following components (A) to (E) provided on the housing,
(A) A therapeutic member in contact with the affected area.
(B) An electrothermal conversion circuit including an electrothermal conversion element that causes a temperature change in the treatment member.
(C) A temperature control device that maintains the temperature of the treatment member at a desired value.
(D) Power switch.
(E) Power supply.
In the ophthalmologic heat treatment device comprising the heat treatment device comprising: a curved surface having a radius of curvature of 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less, preferably a radius of curvature of 4 mm or more and 6 mm or less. In particular, this is achieved by forming a convex curved surface to be rotated.
When the radius of curvature is 2 mm or less, the tip is too sharp, and a comfortable feeling of use and a customary treatment effect cannot be obtained. When the radius exceeds 8 mm, the tip of the treatment member is not properly brought into contact with the affected part, and ophthalmic treatment is performed. Cannot be used properly as a container.
The most desirable radius of curvature is around 5 mm.

The main part of the treatment member is columnar or cylindrical, and the shape of the tip curved surface is hemispherical, spheroid, streamlined, oval, etc. The cross section can be made to have a shape such as a cylindrical surface.
When the shape of the distal end portion of the treatment member is flat, the radius of curvature of the distal end portion of the treatment member varies depending on the azimuth angle in the plane perpendicular to the central axis. The minimum value of the radius is within the above range, that is, 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less, preferably 4 mm or more and 6 mm or less.

If the distal end of the treatment member is flattened in this way, it is more suitable for the shape of a horizontally long eye and a good therapeutic effect is obtained.
As a material for the treatment member, a metal such as a copper alloy or an aluminum alloy that has been subjected to chrome plating or the like is used. However, in order to obtain a gentle treatment effect, it is also recommended to use plastic or various composite materials.

The heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention is configured as a heat treatment device, a heat treatment device, or a heat treatment device.
As the electrothermal conversion element, a semiconductor Peltier element or the like is recommended in the case of a thermal therapy apparatus, and an electric heater is recommended in the case of a thermal therapy apparatus.
When a Peltier element is used as the electrothermal conversion element, a heating / cooling changeover switch for switching the polarity of the power supply is provided. It is recommended to provide a temperature control device such as a temperature limit switch so that the high temperature side is not overheated, and it is also recommended to provide a heat exhaust device such as a small exhaust fan or heat sink. In the case of cold treatment equipment, an exhaust heat apparatus is essential.

  By using the heat treatment device according to the present invention, it is possible to relieve and cure the symptoms of the eyes that many people today appeal for cheaply and easily, which not only contributes to the improvement of the quality of civilian life but also the health insurance. It can also contribute to the reduction of medical expenses for insurers.

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of a heat treatment device configured as a heat / cool heat treatment device using a Peltier element. FIG. 2 is a front view of the heat treatment device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a rear view of the heat treatment device shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram showing a configuration of an electrical system of the heat treatment device shown in FIG.

  FIGS. 1 to 4 are views showing a preferred embodiment of a heat treatment device according to the present invention. In FIGS. 1 to 3, 1 is a heat / cool treatment device, 10 is a hand-held case, 20 Is a treatment member that comes into contact with the affected area, 30 is a power switch, and 40 is a changeover switch between thermal treatment and cold treatment.

  The housing 10 is configured by bonding the left and right shells 10-L and 10-R together to form a substantially hollow-shaped hollow body including a head portion and a hand-held portion, and a front lid 12 on the front side of the head portion. A part of the treatment member 20 that is fitted into the heat source and the affected part inside the rear lid 14 on the back side of the head and the left and right side lids 16 and 18 on the left and right of the hand-held part, respectively. The heat treatment device 1 is configured.

Here, the left side lid 16 is a lid of the battery chamber, while the right side lid 18 is a simple lid that closes the void.
A plurality of front vents 10-E are provided near the front of the head of the housing 10 so as to surround the front of the head, and the rear lid 14 has many large and small rear vents 14-E that are concentric. In addition, they are arranged in the same shape.

  A treatment member 20 protrudes from the center of the front lid 12 of the housing 10 coaxially with the head of the housing 10, and the treatment member 12 is heated by a heat source or a cold source built in the housing 10 as will be described later. In a state of being warmed or cooled, it is brought into contact with or around the patient's eyelid and used for treatment.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the housing 10 includes a Peltier element 30, a power supply 40, a power switch 50, a thermal treatment / cooling treatment changeover switch 60, a temperature limit switch 70, and temperature sensors 80-1 and 80. -2 etc. are provided.
Although not shown in the figure, a battery chamber is formed inside the hand-held portion and configured to accommodate the power supply 40.

In this embodiment, the main part of the treatment member 20 has a cylindrical shape, the front end protruding from the housing 10 and pressed against the affected area is hemispherical, and the rear end is for obtaining a plane on which the Peltier element 30 is attached. What was processed into the semi-column shape is adopted.
However, the shape of the treatment member 20 is not limited to the above-mentioned shape. For example, the main body portion may be a prismatic shape, and the shape of the distal end portion in contact with the affected area is not limited to a spherical surface. It may be a spheroid shape, streamline shape, or the like, or it is not a rotationally symmetric shape, that is, the cross section perpendicular to the central axis is not circular, and may be a flat shape such as a horizontally long ellipse or an oval. .
When the distal end of the treatment member 20 is rotationally symmetric, for example, hemispherical, the radius of curvature is 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less, preferably 4 mm or more and 6 mm or less in the present invention.
When the distal end of the treatment member 20 is not rotationally symmetric, its radius of curvature varies depending on the azimuth angle on the plane perpendicular to the central axis of the treatment member 20, but in the present invention, the minimum radius of curvature is present. The value is 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less, preferably 4 mm or more and 6 mm or less.

With such a shape, the distal end of the treatment member conforms to the normal orbit of the general adult and the shape of the periphery of the eye, and suitable heat treatment becomes possible.
Moreover, in order to reduce the thermal equivalent of the treatment member 20, the main part may be formed in a circular tube shape.
The treatment member 20 may be fixed to the housing, but it is also recommended that the treatment member 20 be configured to be able to move forward and backward within a certain range via a buffer member such as a coil spring.

  If a metal having high thermal conductivity such as aluminum alloy, copper or copper alloy is used as the material of the treatment member 20, the tip hemisphere of the treatment member 20 reaches a suitable therapeutic temperature in a short time when the power switch is turned on. If a slightly lower thermal conductivity material is used, gentle treatment is possible, and therefore a composite material having appropriate thermal conductivity can be obtained.

The feature of the present invention is that the surface of the treatment member 20 that directly contacts the affected part is a convex curved surface having a minimum curvature radius of 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less, preferably a convex curved surface of 4 mm or more and 6 mm or less. .
When this radius of curvature is 2mm or less, the tip is too sharp, and a comfortable feeling of use cannot be obtained.
If it exceeds 8 mm, it cannot be used properly as an ophthalmic treatment device.
The radius of curvature that provides the desired feeling of use is 4 mm or more and 6 mm or less, and the most desirable radius of curvature is around 5 mm.

  4 is an explanatory diagram showing the circuit configuration of the treatment device shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, in which 30 is a Peltier element, 40 is a power source, 50 is a power switch, 60 is a temperature / cooling switch, and 70 is a temperature limit. The switches 80-1 and 80-2 are temperature sensors, and 90 is a thermoelectric conversion circuit including the Peltier element 30 and the temperature / cooling changeover switch 60.

In this embodiment, the Peltier element mounting portion of the treatment member 20 is chamfered to have a semicircular cross section, and a flat Peltier element 30 is mounted on the flat surface, but P on a flexible substrate (separator). Type and N type semiconductor elements are alternately arranged and connected in series with copper electrodes, and a so-called skeleton structure is wound around or attached to the treatment member 20 or used in a cylindrical shape. It is also recommended to use elements.
The functions of the power supply 40 and the power switch 50 will not require explanation.

The hot / cold changeover switch 60 switches the temperature of the treatment member 20 between a high temperature treatment state of, for example, 40 to 45 ° C. and a cold treatment state of, for example, 10 to 20 ° C.
The temperature limit switch 70 is ON / OFF controlled according to the output signal of the temperature sensor 80-1 or 80-2 so that the temperature of the portion of the treatment member 20 that becomes a high temperature does not exceed a certain allowable temperature, for example, 42 ° C. The current of the Peltier element 30 is controlled.

When using the ophthalmologic heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the contact point of the heat / cool changeover switch 60 is selected and set in accordance with the desired treatment, the power switch 50 is turned on, and the treatment member 20 is at an appropriate temperature. Thereafter, the eyes are closed, and the distal end portion of the treatment member 20 is lightly brought into contact with or around the eyelid to perform treatment.
In that case, therapeutic effects such as restoring eye fatigue and reducing inflammation can be achieved.

  The heat treatment device according to the present invention has a convex radius of 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less, preferably a curvature radius of 4 mm or more and 6 mm or less, in the eyelid covering the eye where the treatment member 20 covers the affected part and the peripheral edge thereof. Since it is a convex curved surface, more preferably a convex curved surface with a radius of curvature of about 5 mm, it can properly contact and adhere to the affected area, which is a complicated curved surface, so that a pleasant treatment feeling can be obtained and a high therapeutic effect can be achieved. Is.

  With the use of the heat treatment device according to the present invention, diseases such as eye strain, which is one of the modern diseases that many people are suffering from, can be easily cured, thereby improving the quality of social life of ordinary people. It can also contribute to curbing health insurance spending.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Thermal therapy apparatus 10 Housing | casing 12 Front part lid body 14 Rear part lid body 16 Left side part lid body 18 Right side part lid body 20 Treatment member 30 Electrothermal conversion element 40 Power supply 50 Power switch 60 Heat / Cool switch 70 Temperature limit switch 80-1, 80-2 Temperature sensor

Claims (4)

Hand-held housing (10) and the following components (A) to (E) provided on the housing (10),
(A) The therapeutic member (20) that is in contact with the affected area.
(B) An electrothermal conversion circuit (90) including an electrothermal conversion element (30) that causes a temperature change in the treatment member (20).
(C) A temperature control device (70) for maintaining the temperature of the treatment member (20) at a desired value.
(D) Power switch (50).
(E) Power supply (40)
In the ophthalmologic heat treatment apparatus comprising the heat treatment apparatus, the most advanced curved surface that comes into contact with the affected part of the treatment member (20) that comes into contact with the affected part is a convex curved surface with a minimum curvature radius of 2 mm or more and 8 mm or less. The ophthalmic thermal treatment device (1), characterized in that:   The ophthalmologic thermal treatment device according to claim 1, wherein the most curved surface of the treatment member (20) in contact with the affected part is a convex curved surface having a minimum curvature radius of 4 mm or more and 6 mm or less. (1).   The ophthalmologic heat treatment apparatus (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electrothermal conversion element (30) is a Peltier element, and the electrothermal conversion circuit (90) includes a heating / cooling changeover switch (60).   The ophthalmic thermal treatment device (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electrothermal conversion element (30) is an electric resistance element.

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