JP2023036346A - Electric stimulation device and electric stimulation generation method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an electric stimulation device capable of increasing the degree of freedom of a pattern of electric stimulation.SOLUTION: An electric stimulation device 100 comprises: a first treatment wave generation unit 21 which generates first treatment waves F1 indicative of variation in voltage to apply to a first positive electrode 11p and a first negative electrode 11n; and a second treatment wave generation unit 22 which generates second treatment waves F2 indicative of variation in voltage to apply to a second positive electrode 12p and a second negative electrode 12n. The second treatment wave generation unit 22 generates a phase difference corresponding to a first stimulation signal that is a signal concerning stimulation to act on a user, between the first treatment waves F1 and the second treatment waves F2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

The present disclosure relates to electrical stimulation devices and methods of generating electrical stimulation.

BACKGROUND ART An electrical stimulation device is used that generates a voltage between a positive electrode conductor and a negative electrode electrode attached to a user's body to apply electrical stimulation to an affected area. The electrical stimulation device disclosed in Patent Document 1 generates a therapeutic wave of a first frequency between a first positive electrode conductor and a first negative electrode conductor, A therapeutic wave is generated at a second frequency slightly shifted from the first frequency in between. According to this, the therapeutic wave of the first frequency and the therapeutic wave of the second frequency interfere with each other, and this interference can generate effective electrical stimulation to the body. By using 2 kHz to 15 kHz, which is called medium frequency, as the first and second frequencies, stimulation can be applied to deep parts of the body. Such electrical stimulators are sometimes referred to as interference therapy devices.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-139780

Conventional electrical stimulation devices generate interference (stimulation) by varying the frequency of the two therapeutic waves, so it is difficult to increase the degree of freedom in stimulation patterns, such as the stimulation pattern being limited to sine waves. . As the user becomes accustomed to the stimulation, the therapeutic effect is reduced.

(1) The electrical stimulator proposed in the present disclosure includes a first positive electrode conductor and a first negative electrode conductor, a second positive electrode conductor and a second negative electrode conductor, the first positive electrode conductor and the first negative electrode a first therapeutic wave generator for generating a first therapeutic wave representing a change in voltage applied to the conductors; and a second therapeutic wave representing a change in voltage applied to the second positive electrode conductor and the second negative electrode conductor. and a second therapeutic wave generator that generates The second therapeutic wave generation unit acquires a first stimulation signal that is a signal related to stimulation to be applied to a user, and generates a signal between the first therapeutic wave and the second therapeutic wave according to the first stimulation signal. The phase of the second therapeutic wave is controlled so as to produce a phase difference. According to this electrical stimulation device, it becomes easy to increase the degree of freedom of stimulation patterns.

(2) In the electrical stimulation device described in (1), the second therapeutic wave generating unit generates the first therapeutic wave and the second therapeutic wave at a frequency of once per cycle of the first therapeutic wave. You may change the phase difference with. According to this, the degree of freedom of stimulation patterns can be increased.

(3) In the electrical stimulation device described in (1), the second therapeutic wave generation unit adjusts the phase difference between the first therapeutic wave and the second therapeutic wave in the range of 0 degrees to 180 degrees. can be changed continuously with According to this, the degree of freedom of stimulation patterns can be increased.

(4) In the electrical stimulation device described in (1), the second therapeutic wave generator includes a comparator that compares a sawtooth wave having the same period as the first therapeutic wave with a value represented by the first stimulation signal. and using the output of the comparator to generate the second therapeutic wave. According to this, the first stimulation signal can be reflected in the phase difference between the first treatment wave and the second treatment wave by the comparator.

(5) The electrical stimulation device described in (1) further has a counter unit that counts the elapsed time from the output timing of the first wave, which is one of the waves included in the first therapeutic wave, The second therapeutic wave generation unit includes a determination unit that determines whether or not the elapsed time has reached the time represented by the first stimulation signal, and the second therapeutic wave based on the determination result of the determination unit. can be generated. According to this, the first stimulation signal can be reflected in the phase difference between the first therapeutic wave and the second therapeutic wave according to the judgment result of the judging means.

(6) In the electrical stimulation device described in (1), the first therapeutic wave generator and the second therapeutic wave generator generate the first therapeutic wave and the second therapeutic wave, respectively, based on a common reference wave. you can

(7) The electrical stimulation device described in (1) is added between a third positive electrode conductor and a third negative electrode conductor and between the third positive electrode conductor and the third negative electrode conductor and a third therapeutic wave generator that generates a third therapeutic wave representing a change in voltage. The third therapeutic wave generator controls the phase of the third therapeutic wave such that a phase difference between the first therapeutic wave and the third therapeutic wave is generated. good. According to this, the degree of freedom of stimulus patterns can be further increased.

(8) In the electrical stimulation device described in (7), the third therapeutic wave generator acquires a second stimulation signal that is a signal related to stimulation to be applied to the user, and obtains the first therapeutic wave and the first therapeutic wave. A phase difference according to the second stimulus signal may be generated between the three treatment waves.

(9) In the electrical stimulation device described in (1), the second therapeutic wave generator may acquire a music signal as the first stimulation signal. According to this, it is possible to cause the user to be stimulated in accordance with the music.

(10) The electrical stimulation device described in (1) includes a first mounting portion for mounting on a user's body surface including the first positive electrode conductor and the second positive electrode conductor, and the first It may have a 2nd mounting part for mounting|wearing a user's body surface including a negative electrode conductor and the said 2nd negative electrode conductor.

(11) The method for generating electrical stimulation proposed in the present disclosure includes the steps of generating a first therapeutic wave representing a change in voltage applied to the first positive electrode conductor and the first negative electrode conductor; generating a second therapeutic wave representing the change in voltage applied to the second negative electrode. In the step of generating the second treatment wave, a first stimulation signal relating to stimulation to be applied to the user is obtained, and a position corresponding to the first stimulation signal is obtained between the first treatment wave and the second treatment wave. A phase of the second therapeutic wave is controlled such that a phase difference occurs. According to this electrical stimulation generation method, it becomes easy to increase the degree of freedom of the stimulation pattern.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the appearance of an example of an electrical stimulation device proposed in the present disclosure; FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the hardware of the electrical stimulator illustrated in FIG. 1; FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing a therapeutic wave generation circuit and a control unit shown in FIG. 2A; FIG. 4 is a timing chart for explaining an example of therapeutic waves generated by an electrical stimulation device; 4 is a timing chart for explaining another example of therapeutic waves generated by the electrical stimulator. FIG. 10 illustrates circuit elements of a therapeutic wave generation circuit; 6 is a diagram showing an example of a sawtooth wave generator shown in FIG. 5; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a rectangular wave generator shown in FIG. 5; FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing an example of signals generated in the process of generating a second therapeutic wave; FIG. 10 is a timing chart showing another example of signals generated in the process of generating the second therapeutic wave; FIG. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing circuit elements of a control device that generates stimuli of patterns based on music data; FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of an electrical stimulator in which a therapeutic wave generator is implemented by a control unit executing a program; 11 is a block diagram showing functions of a control unit shown in FIG. 10; FIG. 4 is a timing chart for explaining functions of a control unit; FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing an example of processing executed by a control unit;

In the following, examples of the electrostimulation device and method for generating electrostimulation proposed in the present disclosure will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing the appearance of an electrical stimulation device 100, which is an example of an electrical stimulation device proposed in the present disclosure. FIG. 2A is a block diagram showing the hardware of the electrical stimulation device 100. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1, the electrical stimulator 100 has two mounting parts 10A and 10B for mounting on the body surface of a user (for example, a patient). The first mounting portion 10A has a first positive electrode conductor 11p, a second positive electrode conductor 12p, and a third positive electrode conductor 13p. Similarly, the second mounting portion 10B (see FIG. 2) has a first negative electrode conductor 11n, a second negative electrode conductor 12n, and a third negative electrode conductor 13n. The number of conductors that each mounting section 10A and 10B has may not be three, but may be two, or may be four or more.

Each mounting portion 10A, 10B has a support 10a to which the conductors 11p-13p and 11n-13n are attached. The support 10a is, for example, bowl-shaped as shown in FIG. The conductors 11p-13p and 11n-13n may be mounted inside the support 10a. The support 10a may be flat, for example. In this case, the support 10a may be attached with an adhesive film for adhering to the body surface.

As shown in FIG. 2A, the electrical stimulation device 100 has a control section 29, a storage section 28, a therapeutic wave generation circuit 20, and output amplifiers 41, 42, and 43. As shown in FIG. The electrical stimulator 100 has a housing B (see FIG. 1). A housing B accommodates a therapeutic wave generation circuit 20, output amplifiers 41, 42, 43, and the like. The output amplifiers 41, 42, 43 are connected via cables to the conductors 11p-13p, 11n-13n attached to the mounting portions 10A, 10B. In addition to the elements shown in FIG. 2A , the electrical stimulation device 100 includes a display device that displays the operating state of the electrical stimulation device 100 and an input device (switches, touch sensors, etc.) for inputting user instructions to the control unit 29. etc.).

The control unit 29 has a (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit 28 has storage devices such as Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM). The storage unit 28 may have a storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD). The control unit 29 operates according to a program stored in the storage unit 28 and controls the electrical stimulator 100 . The storage unit 28 may store data relating to stimuli applied to the user. This data will be explained later.

FIG. 2B is a block diagram showing the configuration of the therapeutic wave generating circuit 20 and control section 29 shown in FIG. 2A. As shown in FIG. 2B, the therapeutic wave generating circuit 20 has a first therapeutic wave generating section 21, a second therapeutic wave generating section 22, and a third therapeutic wave generating section . The therapeutic wave generation circuit 20 also has a first stimulation signal generation section 24 and a second stimulation signal generation section 25 . The therapeutic wave generators 21 to 23 and the stimulation signal generators 24 and 25 may be composed of analog circuits.

The therapeutic wave generation circuit 20 acquires data regarding stimulation to be applied to the user. In the following, this data will be referred to as stimulus data. The stimulus data is, for example, data in which numerical values representing the strength (or weakness) of the stimulus are arranged in chronological order, and represents the temporal change (pattern) of the stimulus as a whole. The stimulation pattern may be any pattern such as a sine wave, a half-rectified sine wave, a full-rectified sine wave, a square wave, and a sawtooth wave.

The stimulation data may be stored in the storage unit 28, for example. In this case, the control unit 29 reads the stimulation data stored in the storage unit 28 and inputs stimulation signals (digital signals representing stimulation data) to the stimulation signal generation units 24 and 25 . The storage unit 28 may store a plurality of stimulus data. In this case, the control unit 29 selects one of the plurality of stimulus data according to instructions input by the user through an input device (switch, touch sensor, etc.), and uses the selected stimulus data as a stimulus signal. You may input to 24 and 25 respectively.

The electrical stimulator 100 may have a communication module for sending and receiving data to and from external devices. In this case, the controller 29 may receive stimulation data from an external device and input the received stimulation data to the stimulation signal generators 24 and 25, respectively.

The stimulus signal generators 24 and 25 include, for example, D/A converters, and generate analog stimulus signals according to stimulus patterns based on stimulus signals (digital signals) input from the controller 29 . Also, the stimulation signal generated by the first stimulation signal generation section 24 is referred to as "first stimulation signal", and the stimulation signal generated by the second stimulation signal generation section 25 is referred to as "second stimulation signal". Also, the stimulus data input to the first stimulus signal generator 24 will be referred to as "first stimulus data", and the stimulus data input to the second stimulus signal generator 25 will be referred to as "second stimulus data".

The first therapeutic wave generation unit 21 generates a first therapeutic wave F1 representing a change in voltage applied to the first positive electrode conductor 11p and the first negative electrode conductor 11n. A first therapeutic wave F1 is input to the first output amplifier 41 . The first output amplifier 41 amplifies the input first therapeutic wave F1 to generate a voltage corresponding to the first therapeutic wave F1 between the first positive electrode conductor 11p and the first negative electrode conductor 11n.

The second therapeutic wave generation unit 22 generates a second therapeutic wave F2 representing a change in voltage applied to the second positive electrode conductor 12p and the second negative electrode conductor 12n. A second therapeutic wave is input to the second output amplifier 42 . The second output amplifier 42 amplifies the input second therapeutic wave F2 to generate a voltage corresponding to the second therapeutic wave F2 between the second positive electrode conductor 12p and the second negative electrode conductor 12n. An interference wave between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 acts on the user as a stimulus.

Furthermore, the third therapeutic wave generation unit 23 generates a third therapeutic wave F3 representing a change in voltage applied to the third positive electrode conductor 13p and the third negative electrode conductor 13n. A third therapeutic wave F3 is input to the third output amplifier 43 . The third output amplifier 43 amplifies the inputted third therapeutic wave F3 to generate a voltage corresponding to the third therapeutic wave F3 between the third positive electrode conductor 13p and the third negative electrode conductor 13n. An interference wave between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the third therapeutic wave F3 acts on the user as a stimulus.

The second therapeutic wave generator 22 controls the phase of the second therapeutic wave F2 such that a phase difference corresponding to the first stimulation signal occurs between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2. Similarly, the third therapeutic wave generator 23 adjusts the phase of the third therapeutic wave F3 such that a phase difference corresponding to the second stimulation signal is generated between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the third therapeutic wave F3. Control.

In the electrical stimulation device 100, the second therapeutic wave generator 22 generates the second therapeutic wave F2 using the first therapeutic wave F1 as a reference wave. That is, the second therapeutic wave generator 22 inputs the first therapeutic wave F1 to a plurality of circuit elements to generate the second therapeutic wave F2. Similarly, the third therapeutic wave generator 23 generates a third therapeutic wave F3 using the first therapeutic wave F1 as a reference wave. That is, the third therapeutic wave generator 23 inputs the first therapeutic wave F1 to a plurality of circuit elements to generate the third therapeutic wave F3.

FIG. 3 is a timing chart for explaining the first therapeutic wave F1, the second therapeutic wave F2, their interference waves, and the first stimulation signal (stimulation data). FIG. 3(a) shows the first therapeutic wave F1, (b) shows an example of the first stimulation signal, (c) shows an example of the second therapeutic wave F2, and (d) shows the first therapeutic wave F1. and the interference wave Fi1 of the second therapeutic wave F2.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the first therapeutic wave generator 21 generates, for example, a sine wave as the first therapeutic wave F1. The first therapeutic wave F1 is represented, for example, by Equation (1) below.
F1=sin(ω1×t) Expression (1)
ω1: angular frequency of the first therapeutic wave t: time

As shown in FIG. 3B, the value S1 of the first stimulus signal is defined as 0 or more and 1 or less, for example. The value S1 of the first stimulus signal shown in the figure is, for example, 1 during periods t1 and t3 and 0 during periods t2 and t4.

The second therapeutic wave F2 shown in FIG. 3(c) is represented by the following formula (2), for example.
F2=sin((ω1×t)+π(1−S1)) Expression (2)
.omega.1: angular frequency of the first therapeutic wave t: time S1: value of the first stimulus signal It has a phase difference (π×(1−S1)) corresponding to the value S1 of the stimulus signal. Therefore, when the value S1 of the first stimulation signal is 1, the second therapeutic wave F2 has the same phase as the first therapeutic wave F1. Also, when the value Ss of the first stimulation signal is 0, the second therapeutic wave F2 has an opposite phase to the first therapeutic wave F1.

An interference wave Fi1 between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 shown in FIG. 3(d) is represented by the following equation (3).
Fi1=F1+F2 Expression (3)
Therefore, for example, during periods t1 and t3 in which the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 are in phase, the amplitude of the interference wave Fi1 increases, and a strong stimulus acts on the user. On the other hand, during the periods t2 and t4 in which the phases of the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 are opposite to each other, the amplitude of the interference wave Fi1 becomes small, and the stimulus acting on the user becomes relatively weak. That is, the amplitude of the interference wave Fi1 shown in the figure corresponds to the value S1 of the first stimulus signal.

It should be noted that in the example shown in FIG. 3, the first stimulus signal had two values of 0 and 1. However, the first stimulus signal may have any value between 0 and 1. FIG. 4 is a timing chart showing such an example. 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D respectively show the first therapeutic wave F1, the first stimulus signal, the second therapeutic wave F2, and the interference wave Fi1, similarly to FIG.

In the example shown in FIG. 4B, the value S1 of the first stimulation signal gradually decreases during period t5 and gradually increases during period t6. Therefore, the phase difference between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 also gradually changes during these periods. Accordingly, the amplitude of the interference wave Fi1 gradually decreases during period t5, and the stimulus acting on the user gradually decreases. Also, in period t6, the amplitude of the interference wave Fi1 gradually increases, and the stimulus acting on the user also gradually increases. The first stimulus signal may not only linearly increase or linearly decrease as shown in FIG. 4(b), but may also be, for example, a sine wave or a cosine wave.

3 and 4, the first stimulation signal, the second therapeutic wave F2, and the interference wave Fi1 between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 have been described as examples. The second stimulation signal generated by the second stimulation signal generator 25, the third therapeutic wave F3, and the interference wave Fi2 between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the third therapeutic wave F3 are different from the examples shown in FIGS. may be similar. That is, the third therapeutic wave F3 and the interference wave Fi2 may be expressed by the following equations (4) and (5), for example.
F3=sin((ω1×t)+π(1−S2)) Expression (4)
Fi2=F1+F3 Expression (5)
ω1: angular frequency of the first therapeutic wave t: time S2: value of the second stimulation signal

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing circuit elements of the therapeutic wave generation circuit 20. As shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the therapeutic wave generating circuit 20 has a sawtooth wave generating section 26 to which a signal is input from the first therapeutic wave generating section 21 . The second therapeutic wave generator 22 and the third therapeutic wave generator 23 described above include level limiters 22a and 23a, comparators 22b and 23b, sawtooth wave generators 22c and 23c, and rectangular wave generators 22d and 23d. have. FIG. 6A is a circuit diagram showing an example of the sawtooth wave generator 26. As shown in FIG. FIG. 6B is a circuit diagram showing an example of the rectangular wave generator 22d. FIG. 7 is a timing chart showing signals generated in the process of generating the second therapeutic wave F2. FIG. 7 shows an example in which the first therapeutic wave generator 21 outputs a rectangular wave with a duty of 50% as the first therapeutic wave F1.

The sawtooth wave generator 26 is a circuit that generates a sawtooth wave N1 (FIG. 7A) from the first therapeutic wave F1 (reference wave) output from the first therapeutic wave generator 21 . The sawtooth wave N1 is a signal that has the same cycle as the first therapeutic wave F1 and gradually increases over time in one cycle.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the sawtooth wave generator 26 has, for example, an open-drain AND circuit U3 and a capacitor C3 forming an integration circuit. The capacitor C3 is connected in parallel with the output terminal of the AND circuit U3. A power supply V+ is connected to the capacitor C3, and the capacitor C3 is charged by the power supply V+. A resistor R1 and a capacitor C1 are connected to one input terminal of the open-drain AND circuit U3, and a resistor R2 and a capacitor C2 are connected to the other input terminal. The first therapeutic wave F1 is input to AND circuit U3 via resistor R1 and capacitor C1. A signal obtained by inverting the voltage level of the first therapeutic wave F1 (hereinafter referred to as "inverted therapeutic wave (-F1)") is input to AND circuit U3 via resistor R2 and capacitor C2.

The AND circuit U3 turns on the transistor provided in the AND circuit U3 and turns on the drain during the period in which both the phases of the first therapeutic wave F1 and the inverted therapeutic wave (-F1) match. Resistor R1 and capacitor The time constant of C1 is offset from the time constants of resistor R2 and capacitor C2. Therefore, the AND circuit U3 turns on the drain for a period Δt0 (FIG. 7A) in time with the rising timing t1 of the first therapeutic wave F1 to discharge the capacitor C3. During other periods, charges are accumulated in the capacitor C3, and the voltage of the capacitor C3 gradually rises over time. The voltage of the capacitor C3 is the sawtooth wave N1, which is input to the subsequent circuits (comparators 22b and 23b to be described later).

The time constant of the resistor R1 and the capacitor C1 and the time constant of the resistor R2 and the capacitor C2 are set so that the drain is turned on for a delay period Δt0 (FIG. 7A) from the rising timing t1 of the first therapeutic wave F1. is set. This makes it possible to generate a sawtooth wave that resets in the period Δt0 from timing t1.

A sawtooth wave N1 is input to the + terminal of the comparator 22b. The negative terminal of the comparator 22b receives the value S1 of the first stimulus signal. As shown in FIG. 7(b), the comparator 22b compares the sawtooth wave N1 with the value S1 of the first stimulus signal, outputs a high voltage during the period when the sawtooth wave N1 is higher than the value S1 of the first stimulus signal, A low voltage is output during a period when the sawtooth wave N1 is lower than the value S1 of the first stimulus signal.

As shown in FIG. 5, the level limiting section 22a is arranged in the preceding stage of the comparator 22b. The level limiter 22a is a circuit that limits the value S1 of the first stimulus signal to a predetermined range. Specifically, the level limiter 22a sets the value S1 of the first stimulus signal to the median value Vmid (FIG. 7B) of the amplitude of the sawtooth wave N1 or less and the minimum value Vmin ( FIG. 7(b)) or more is restricted.

For example, when the value S1 of the first stimulus signal is greater than the median value Vmid (FIG. 7B) of the amplitude of the sawtooth wave N1, the level limiter 22a uses the median value Vmid as the value S1 of the first stimulus signal. , inputs the median value Vmid to the comparator 22b. Conversely, when the value S1 of the first stimulus signal is smaller than the minimum value Vmin (FIG. 7B) of the amplitude of the sawtooth wave N1, the level limiter 22a uses the minimum value Vmin as the value S1 of the first stimulus signal. and input the minimum value Vmin to the comparator 22b. In the example of FIG. 7, the value S1 of the first stimulus signal is lower than the median value Vmid and higher than the minimum value Vmin.

As shown in FIG. 7(c), a rectangular wave is output from the comparator 22b. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the value S1 of the first stimulus signal is smaller than the median value Vmid, so the period during which the comparator 22b outputs High voltage is longer than the period during which the comparator 22b outputs Low voltage. A sawtooth wave generator 22c and a rectangular wave generator 22d, which are arranged after the comparator 22b, are circuits that generate a rectangular wave with a duty of 50% from the output B1 of the comparator 22b.

Specifically, the sawtooth wave generator 22c is a circuit that generates a sawtooth wave N2 (see FIG. 7D) from the output B1 of the comparator 22b. The sawtooth wave N2 is a signal that has the same cycle as the output B1 of the comparator 22b and gradually increases over time in one cycle.

The sawtooth wave generator 22c may be composed of, for example, an open-drain AND circuit and an integrating circuit, like the sawtooth wave generator 26 described above. This AND circuit opens the drain in accordance with the rise timing t2 (FIG. 7(c)) of the comparator output B1, and discharges the capacitor forming the integrating circuit. During other periods, charges are accumulated in the capacitor, and the voltage of the capacitor gradually increases over time. The voltage across the capacitor is the sawtooth wave N2.

The rectangular wave generator 22d is a circuit that generates a rectangular wave with a duty of 50% from the sawtooth wave N2. For example, the rectangular wave generator 22d outputs a comparison result between the average value Va of the amplitude of the sawtooth wave N2 ((d) in FIG. 7) and the sawtooth wave N2. A low voltage is output during a period when the sawtooth wave N2 is higher than the average value Va, and a high voltage is output during a period when the sawtooth wave N2 is lower than the average value Va. The result of comparison by the rectangular wave generator 22d is the second therapeutic wave F2, which is a rectangular wave. Since the comparison target is the average value Va of the sawtooth wave N2, the second therapeutic wave F2 is a rectangular wave with a duty of 50%.

In one example, the rectangular wave output by the rectangular wave generator 22d is input to the output amplifier 42 as the second therapeutic wave F2. Alternatively, the rectangular wave output from the rectangular wave generator 22d may be converted into a sine wave by a low-pass filter circuit, and the converted sine wave may be input to the output amplifier 42 as the second therapeutic wave F2. In this case, the first therapeutic wave F1 may also be a sine wave. A sine wave that is the first therapeutic wave F1 may be converted into a rectangular wave and input to the sawtooth wave generator 26 . By doing so, sine waves having different phases are obtained as the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2.

FIG. 6B is a circuit diagram showing an example of the rectangular wave generator 22d. The rectangular wave generator 22d has a buffer transistor Q3, a capacitor C4, and an inverter U7. Capacitor C4 is connected between the emitter of transistor Q3 and power supply V+. Sawtooth wave N2 is input to the base of transistor Q3. The DC component of the sawtooth wave N2 is removed by the capacitor 4 and is input to the inverter U7. The input and output terminals of the inverter U7 are connected via a resistor R4, so that the threshold voltage of the inverter U7 is set to the average value Va of the sawtooth wave N2. The inverter U7 outputs a Low voltage during a period when the sawtooth wave N2 is higher than the average value Va, and outputs a High voltage during a period when the sawtooth wave N2 is lower than the average value Va.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the value S1 of the first stimulus signal is lower than the median value Vmid of the amplitude of the sawtooth wave N1 generated by the sawtooth wave generator 26 . Therefore, a phase difference Δt1 corresponding to this value S1 is generated between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2.

FIG. 8, like FIG. 7, is a timing chart showing an example of signals generated in the process of generating the second therapeutic wave F2. In the example shown in FIG. 8, unlike the example in FIG. 7, the value S1 of the first stimulus signal is set to the median value Vmid (FIG. 8(b)) of the amplitude of the sawtooth wave N1.

As described above, the sawtooth wave N1 is input to the + terminal of the comparator 22b, and the value S1 of the first stimulus signal is input to the - terminal. In the example of FIG. 8, since the value S1 of the first stimulus signal is the median value Vmid of the amplitude of the sawtooth wave N1, as shown in FIG. is different from the rise timing of the output B1 of the comparator 22b in the example of FIG.

In the example of FIG. 8 as well, the sawtooth wave generator 22c generates the sawtooth wave N2 (FIG. 8(d)) from the output B1 of the comparator 22b. Then, the rectangular wave generator 22d uses the average value Va of the sawtooth wave N2 to generate a rectangular wave with a duty of 50% (FIG. 8(e)) from the sawtooth wave N2. In the example of FIG. 8, this rectangular wave is the second therapeutic wave F2. The second therapeutic wave F2 has the same phase as the first therapeutic wave F1.

Thus, in the therapeutic wave generation circuit 20 shown in FIG. 4, when the value S1 of the first stimulation signal is the median value Vmid of the amplitude of the sawtooth wave N1, the second therapeutic wave F2 is substantially the same as the first therapeutic wave F1. in phase with . As a result, the amplitude of the interference wave Fi1 increases. As the value S1 of the first stimulation signal moves away from the median value Vmid (as it approaches the minimum value Mmin of amplitude), the phase difference Δt1 between the second treatment wave F2 and the first treatment wave F1 gradually increases, that is, the phase difference Δt1 gradually approaches 180 degrees, and as a result, the amplitude of the interference wave Fi1 gradually decreases.

In the treatment wave generation circuit 20, the sawtooth wave N1 and the value S1 of the first stimulation signal are compared by the comparator 22b. Then, the second therapeutic wave F2 is generated based on the output of the comparator 22b. That is, the value S1 of the first stimulation signal is reflected in the phase difference Δt1 between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 by the comparator 22b.

Further, the value S1 of the first stimulus signal input to the comparator 22b is limited between the median value Vmid and the minimum value Vmin of the amplitude of the sawtooth wave N1 by the level limiter 22a. Therefore, the phase difference Δt1 can be changed continuously within the range of 0 degrees to 180 degrees. This ensures a high degree of freedom for stimulation patterns.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the integration circuit of the sawtooth wave generator 22c that generates the sawtooth wave N2 (FIGS. 7(d) and 8(d)) is such that the sawtooth wave N1 is the first stimulus signal. Discharge is performed in accordance with the timing when the value S1 is exceeded in the upward direction. This timing comes once in one cycle of the first therapeutic wave F1. Therefore, the phase difference Δt1 between the second therapeutic wave F2 and the first therapeutic wave F1 changes once per cycle of the first therapeutic wave F1. Since the phase difference Δt1 can be changed at a high frequency in this manner, the stimulation pattern can be changed at a high frequency, and a high degree of freedom can be ensured for the stimulation pattern.

As shown in FIG. 5, the third therapeutic wave generator 23 has a level limiter 23a, a comparator 23b, a sawtooth wave generator 23c, and a rectangular wave generator 23d, like the second therapeutic wave generator 22. ing. The sawtooth wave N1 generated from the first therapeutic wave F1 (reference wave) and the value S2 of the second stimulation signal are input to the comparator 23b. The configuration and operation of each part 23 a , 23 b , 23 c , 23 d may be the same as that of the second therapeutic wave generation part 22 .

As described above, in the electrical stimulation device 100, the first therapeutic wave generator 21, the second therapeutic wave generator 22, and the third therapeutic wave generator 23 generate the first therapeutic wave F1 and the A second therapeutic wave F2 is generated respectively. Specifically, the first therapeutic wave generator 21 uses the reference wave itself as the first therapeutic wave F1, and the second therapeutic wave generator 22 generates the second therapeutic wave F2 based on the first therapeutic wave F1. The 3-therapeutic wave generator 23 generates the 3rd therapeutic wave F3 based on the 1st therapeutic wave F1.

The circuit elements of the therapeutic wave generation circuit 20 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 5, the first therapeutic wave F1 is used as the reference wave and input to the sawtooth wave generator 26 . However, the therapeutic wave generating circuit 20 may have circuitry for generating the reference wave. Then, the first therapeutic wave generator 21 may use this reference wave to generate the first therapeutic wave F1 different in at least one of the frequency and the phase. Also, this reference wave may be input to the sawtooth wave generator 26 and used to generate the second therapeutic wave F2 and the third therapeutic wave F3.

7 and 8, the case where the first therapeutic wave F1 is a rectangular wave has been described as an example. However, the first treatment wave F1 may also be a sine wave. In this case, the sine wave that is the first therapeutic wave F1 may be input to the sawtooth wave generator 26, or may be converted to a rectangular wave by a comparator or the like and then input to the sawtooth wave generator 26. . The outputs (rectangular waves) of the rectangular wave generators 22d and 23d are input to the low-pass filter circuit, and the outputs (sine waves) of the low-pass filters are sent to the output amplifiers 42 and 43 as the second therapeutic wave F2 and the third therapeutic wave F3. Each may be entered. By doing so, sine waves having different phases are obtained as the first therapeutic wave F1, the second therapeutic wave F2, and the third therapeutic wave F3.

[Example of using a music signal as a stimulus signal]
A phase difference between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 may be generated based on music data. Similarly, the phase difference between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the third therapeutic wave F3 may also be generated based on music data. By doing so, it is possible to provide the user with a pleasant stimulus that matches the music.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing circuit elements of the therapeutic wave generation circuit 120 that generates phase differences using music data in this way. In FIG. 9, the same reference numerals are given to the same elements as the therapeutic wave generation circuit 20 (see FIG. 5) described above. The therapeutic wave generation circuit 20 will be described below, focusing on the differences from the therapeutic wave generation circuit 20 . Matters not described in the therapeutic wave generating circuit 20 may be the same as the example of the therapeutic wave generating circuit 20 .

As shown in FIG. 9, the therapeutic wave generation circuit 120 includes, in addition to the first therapeutic wave generation section 21 and the like shown in FIG. have.

The control unit 29 acquires music data as stimulus data and inputs it to the music signal generation unit 31 . The control unit 29 receives music data from, for example, a reproducing device that reproduces music data recorded on a recording medium such as a compact disc, or an external device connected via a network, and outputs the music data to the music signal generating unit 31. to enter. Alternatively, the control section 29 may read the music data stored in the storage section 28 and input it to the music signal generation section 31 .

The music signal generator 31 , for example, decodes the input music data, converts the decoded music data into analog data by a D/A conversion circuit, and outputs the analog data as a music signal.

The half-wave rectifier 32 rectifies the music signal, detects the envelope of the music signal, and outputs the envelope signal. (Hereinafter, this signal is referred to as the envelope music signal.) The frequency range of music is generally from 50 Hz to 15 kHz, which is the range of human hearing. However, the frequency of electrical stimulation that humans can perceive is approximately 0.1 Hz to 200 Hz. In particular, electrical stimulation of about 20 Hz is said to be preferable for humans. Therefore, the time constant of the half-wave rectifier 32 is set so that the frequency of the envelope music signal is at a level that is preferable for human perception.

This envelope music signal is input as a stimulus signal to comparators 22b and 23b through level limiters 22a and 23a, and compared with sawtooth wave N1 (see FIG. 7(a)). For example, if the amplitude of the envelope music signal is too small, the value of the envelope music signal (value S1 of the first stimulus signal) is close to the minimum value Vmin (see FIG. 7A) of the amplitude of the sawtooth wave N1. It will continue to take only As a result, there arises a problem that the phase difference Δt1 between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 does not fluctuate. In addition, since the envelope music signal exceeding the upper limit is cut by the level limiters 22a and 23a (because it is suppressed to the upper limit), if the amplitude of the envelope music signal is excessive, the value S1 of the first stimulus signal is sawtooth. Only values close to the median value Vmid (see FIG. 7(a)) of the amplitude of the wave N1 continue to be taken. As a result, in this case also, there arises a problem that the phase difference Δt1 between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 does not change. Therefore, the amplitude adjuster 33 adjusts the amplitude of the envelope music signal so that the phase difference between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 changes at a frequency suitable for bodily sensation.

In the example shown in FIG. 9, the therapeutic wave generation circuit 120 has stimulation signal generators 24 and 25 and switches 34 and 35 . The switch 34 switches the input to the level limiter 22 a between the stimulus signal generator 24 and the music signal generator 31 . Also, the switch 35 switches the input to the level limiter 23 a between the stimulus signal generator 25 and the music signal generator 31 . The user may be able to operate the switches 34 and 35 through an input device (button, touch sensor, etc.) that the electrical stimulation device 100 has.

The music signal generator 31 may generate music signals for a plurality of channels. For example, the music signal generator 31 may generate an R-channel music signal and an L-channel music signal. In this case, the half-wave rectifying section 32 may generate an envelope music signal from the R-channel music signal, and may also generate an envelope music signal from the L-channel music signal. Then, the R-channel envelope music signal and the L-channel envelope music signal may be input to the therapeutic wave generators 22 and 23 via the amplitude adjuster 33, respectively.

The therapeutic wave generation circuit 120 may have a filter. A music signal having a partial frequency may be selected by a filter from the music signal output by the music signal generation unit 31 and input to the half-wave rectification unit 32 . For example, the therapeutic wave generation circuit 120 may select only the bass music signal and input it to the half-wave rectification section 32 .

[Example of generating therapeutic waves by software]
The control unit 29 may include a CPU and a timer, and the therapeutic wave generation units 21 , 22 , 23 may be implemented by the control unit 29 executing a program stored in the storage unit 28 . FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing the hardware of an electrical stimulator 200 having such a control unit 29. As shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing functions possessed by the control section 29. As shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is a timing chart for explaining the functions of the control section 29. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 10, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same portions as those described with reference to FIG. 2A. Differences between the electrical stimulation device 100 and the electrical stimulation device 200 will be mainly described below. Matters not described for the electrical stimulation device 200 may be the same as the example of the electrical stimulation device 100 .

As shown in FIG. 10, the electrostimulation device 200 has a control section 29 and a storage section 28. As shown in FIG. The controller 29 outputs the therapeutic waves F1, F2, and F3 to the output amplifiers 41, 42, and 43, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 11, the controller 29 has, as its functions, a first therapeutic wave generator 29c, a second therapeutic wave generator 29d, and a third therapeutic wave generator 29e. Further, the control section 29 has a counter section 29f.

As shown in FIGS. 12A, 12C, and 12E, for example, the counter unit 29f increments the count value by 1 at regular intervals, and when the count value reaches a predetermined count upper limit Cmax, the count value is incremented by 1 from 0. The counter unit 29f repeatedly executes this process. Contrary to the example shown in the drawing, the counter unit 29f decreases the count value by 1 from the count upper limit Cmax at a constant cycle, and when the count value reaches 0, it again decreases the count value by 1 from the count upper limit Cmax. may

The counter unit 29f may acquire a value corresponding to the cycle T1 of the first therapeutic wave F1 (refer to FIG. 12(b), referred to as “reference cycle”), and set this value as the count upper limit Cmax. The counter unit 29f may set a higher count upper limit Cmax as the reference period T1 becomes longer.

The user may be able to select the reference period T1 through an input device (switch, touch sensor, etc.). In this case, the counter section 29f may set a value corresponding to the reference period selected by the user as the count upper limit Cmax.

The first therapeutic wave generator 29c generates the first therapeutic wave F1. The first therapeutic wave generator 29c switches the output of the controller 29 between High voltage and Low voltage. The first therapeutic wave generator 29c performs this switching at a frequency twice the frequency of the first therapeutic wave F1. As shown in FIG. 12(b), the first therapeutic wave generator 29c compares the count value with a predetermined value M1, and outputs the output voltage (first Invert the therapeutic wave F1). (This M1 is hereinafter referred to as a "first comparison value".) The first comparison value M1 is a value between 0 and the count upper limit Cmax. The first comparison value M1 may be 0 or the count upper limit Cmax.

The storage unit 28 stores stimulus data, which is data relating to stimuli applied to the user. The second therapeutic wave generator 29d and the third therapeutic wave generator 29e acquire stimulation data as stimulation signals (digital signals). The stimulus data is, for example, data in which numerical values (values S1 and S2 described later) representing the strength (or weakness) of the stimulus are arranged in time series, and represents the temporal change (pattern) of the stimulus as a whole. The stimulation pattern may be any pattern such as a sine wave, a half-rectified sine wave, a full-rectified sine wave, a square wave, and a sawtooth wave. In one example, the second therapeutic wave generator 29d and the third therapeutic wave generator 29e acquire different stimulation data. Unlike this, the stimulation data acquired by the second therapeutic wave generator 29d and the stimulation data acquired by the third therapeutic wave generator 29e may be the same.

The second therapeutic wave generator 29d and the third therapeutic wave generator 29e may receive stimulation data from an external device via a network. Also, the stimulus data may be music data. In this case, a signal corresponding to the envelope music signal described above may be acquired as the stimulus signal.

Hereinafter, the digital signal acquired as stimulation data by the second therapeutic wave generator 29d is referred to as a first stimulation signal, and the digital signal acquired as stimulation data by the third therapeutic wave generator 29e is referred to as a second stimulation signal. .

The second therapeutic wave generator 29d controls the phase of the second therapeutic wave F2 such that a phase difference corresponding to the first stimulation signal is generated between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2. For example, the second therapeutic wave generator 29d compares the count value with the second comparison value M2 calculated based on the value S1 of the first stimulation signal, as shown in FIGS. , the output voltage (second therapeutic wave F2) is inverted at the timing when the count value matches the second comparison value M2.

The second comparison value M2 may be a value calculated based on the value S1 of the first stimulation signal and the first comparison value M1. For example, the second comparison value M2 may be the sum of the first stimulation signal value S1 and the first comparison value M1. As a result, the second therapeutic wave F2 is reversed with a delay corresponding to the value S1 of the first stimulation signal from the timing at which the first therapeutic wave F1 is reversed. That is, the phase difference Δt1 (FIG. 12(d)) between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 corresponds to the value S1 of the first stimulation signal. In the example shown in FIG. 12, the phase difference Δt1 gradually increases as the value S1 of the first stimulation signal increases, and as a result, the interference wave between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 gradually decreases. Become. Note that the first comparison value M1 may be 0 or the counter upper limit Cmax as described above. In this case, the second therapeutic wave generator 29d may use the value S1 of the first stimulation signal as the second comparison value M2.

The third therapeutic wave generator 29e controls the phase of the third therapeutic wave F3 such that a phase difference corresponding to the second stimulation signal is generated between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the third therapeutic wave F3. The processing of the third therapeutic wave generator 29e may be the same as the processing of the second therapeutic wave generator 29d. That is, the third therapeutic wave generator 29e compares the count value with the third comparison value M3 calculated based on the value S2 of the second stimulation signal, as shown in FIGS. The output voltage (third therapeutic wave F3) is inverted at the timing when the count value matches the third comparison value M3.

The third comparison value M3 may be a value calculated based on the value S2 of the second stimulus signal and the first comparison value M1. As a result, the phase difference Δt2 (FIG. 12(f)) between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the third therapeutic wave F3 corresponds to the value S2 of the second stimulation signal. Note that the first comparison value M1 may be 0 or the counter upper limit Cmax. In this case, the third therapeutic wave generator 29e may use the value S2 of the second stimulation signal as the third comparison value M3.

FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the control unit 29 in the electrical stimulation device 200. As shown in FIG.

When the control unit 29 is instructed to output the therapeutic waves F1, F2, and F3, the counter unit 29f starts the counter (S101). While the subsequent processing is being executed by the control unit 29, the counter unit 29f repeatedly increases the counter value by 1 at a constant cycle, and restarts counting from 0 when the count value reaches the counter upper limit Cmax. do. Note that the counter unit 29f may set the counter upper limit Cmax to a value corresponding to the reference period according to the user's instruction (selection), as described above.

The first therapeutic wave generator 29c determines whether or not the counter value matches the first comparison value M1 (S102). When the counter value matches the first comparison value M1, the first therapeutic wave generator 29c inverts the value of the output voltage, which is the first therapeutic wave F1 (S103). That is, when the value of the register recording the output voltage of the control unit 29 is High, the value of this register is changed to Low, and when the value of the register recording the output voltage of the control unit 29 is Low, Change the value of this register to High. This inverts the output voltage of the controller 29 . On the other hand, if the counter value does not match the first comparison value M1, the first therapeutic wave generator 29c maintains the current value of the first therapeutic wave F1 (that is, does not change the register value).

The second therapeutic wave generation unit 29d acquires the first stimulation signal (that is, the digital signal indicating the value S1) from the storage unit 28 (S104). The stimulus data stored in the storage unit 28 is, as described above, data in which numerical values (S1) representing, for example, the strength (or weakness) of the stimulus are arranged in time series. The second therapeutic wave generator 29d acquires the value S1 next to the value read in the previous S104 as the first stimulation signal each time the processing of the control unit 29 reaches S104.

The second therapeutic wave generator 29d calculates a second comparison value M2 based on the first stimulation signal acquired in S104 and the first comparison value M1 (S105). For example, the sum of the value S1 of the first stimulus signal and the first comparison value M1 is set as the second comparison value M2. Note that when the first comparison value M1 is 0, the value S1 of the first stimulus signal may be used as the second comparison value M2.

The second therapeutic wave generator 29d determines whether or not the counter value matches the second comparison value M2 (S106). When the counter value matches the second comparison value M2, the second therapeutic wave generator 29d inverts the value of the output voltage of the controller 29, which is the second therapeutic wave F2 (S107). That is, if the value recorded in the register as the second therapeutic wave F2 is High, the value of this register is changed to Low, and if the value recorded in the register as the second therapeutic wave F2 is Low, this register value to High. On the other hand, if the counter value does not match the second comparison value M2, the second therapeutic wave generator 29d maintains the current value recorded in the register as the second therapeutic wave F2.

The third therapeutic wave generation unit 29e acquires the second stimulation signal (that is, the digital signal indicating the value S2) from the storage unit 28 (S108). The stimulus data stored in the storage unit 28 is, as described above, data in which numerical values (S2) representing, for example, the strength (or weakness) of the stimulus are arranged in time series. The third therapeutic wave generator 29e acquires the value S2 next to the value read in the previous S108 as the second stimulation signal each time the process of the controller 29 reaches S108.

The third therapeutic wave generator 29e calculates a third comparison value M3 based on the second stimulation signal acquired in S108 and the first comparison value M1 (S109). For example, the sum of the value S2 of the second stimulus signal and the first comparison value M1 is set as the third comparison value M3. When the first comparison value M1 is 0 or the counter upper limit Cmax, the value S2 of the second stimulus signal may be used as the third comparison value M3.

The third therapeutic wave generator 29e determines whether or not the counter value matches the third comparison value M3 (S110). When the counter value matches the third comparison value M3, the third therapeutic wave generator 29e inverts the value of the output voltage of the controller 29, which is the third therapeutic wave F3 (S111). That is, when the value recorded in the register as the second therapeutic wave F3 is High, the value in this register is changed to Low, and when the value recorded in the register as the third therapeutic wave F3 is Low, this register is changed to Low. value to High. On the other hand, if the counter value does not match the third comparison value M3, the third therapeutic wave generator 29e maintains the current value recorded in the register as the third therapeutic wave F3.

The control unit 29 determines whether or not the termination condition is satisfied (S112). If the termination condition is not satisfied yet, the process of the control unit 29 returns to S102 and the subsequent processes are executed again. If the termination condition is satisfied, the control section 29 terminates the processing. Here, the end condition is, for example, whether the elapsed time from the timing when the output of the therapeutic waves F1, F2, and F3 is started reaches a predetermined time, or whether the end instruction is input by the user through an input device (switch or touch sensor). Is it done?

As described above, the electrical stimulation devices 100 and 200 include the first positive electrode conductor 11p, the first negative electrode conductor 11n, the second positive electrode conductor 12p, the second negative electrode conductor 12n, and the first positive electrode conductor 11p. and the first therapeutic wave generator 21 29c for generating a first therapeutic wave F1 representing a change in the voltage applied to the first negative conductor 11n, the second positive conductor 12p and the second negative conductor 12n. It has second therapeutic wave generators 22 and 29d for generating a second therapeutic wave F2 representing a change in voltage. The second therapeutic wave generators 22 and 29d acquire a first stimulus signal, which is a signal relating to stimulus to be applied to the user, and generate a signal between the first therapeutic wave F1 and the second therapeutic wave F2 in response to the first stimulus signal. The phase of the second therapeutic wave F2 is controlled so that a phase difference is generated. According to the electrical stimulation devices 100 and 200, it becomes easy to increase the flexibility of stimulation patterns.

In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to the electrical stimulation devices 100 and 200 described above, and various modifications may be made.

For example, in the electrical stimulation devices 100 and 200, the frequency of the first therapeutic wave F1 and the frequency of the second therapeutic wave F2 were the same. Alternatively, the frequency of the first therapeutic wave F1 and the frequency of the second therapeutic wave F2 may be different. For example, the second therapeutic wave F2 may differ from the first therapeutic wave F1 in both frequency and phase. Similarly, the frequency of the first therapeutic wave F1 and the frequency of the third therapeutic wave F3 may also differ. For example, the third therapeutic wave F3 may differ from the first therapeutic wave F1 in both frequency and phase.

Further, in the electrical stimulation devices 100 and 200, the second therapeutic wave F2 and the third therapeutic wave F3 are generated using the first therapeutic wave F1 as a reference wave. Alternatively, each of the first therapeutic wave F1, the second therapeutic wave F2 and the third therapeutic wave F3 may be generated from a reference wave. Then, the phase difference between the reference wave and the first therapeutic wave F1, the phase difference between the reference wave and the second therapeutic wave F2, and the phase difference between the reference wave and the third therapeutic wave F3 are respectively may be varied in response to the stimulus signal.

10A: first applied portion, 10B: second applied portion, 10a: support, 11n: first negative electrode conductor, 11p: first positive electrode conductor, 12n: second negative electrode conductor, 12p: second positive electrode conductor , 13n: third negative electrode conductor, 13p: third positive electrode conductor, 20: therapeutic wave generating circuit, 21: first therapeutic wave generating section, 22: second therapeutic wave generating section, 22a: level limiting section, 22b: Comparator 22c: sawtooth wave generator 22d: rectangular wave generator 23: third therapeutic wave generator 23a: level limiter 23b: comparator 23c: sawtooth wave generator 23d: rectangular wave generator 24 : first stimulation signal generator, 25: second stimulation signal generator, 26: sawtooth wave generator, 28: storage unit, 29: controller, 29c: first therapeutic wave generator, 29d: second therapeutic wave generator Section 29e: Third therapeutic wave generation section 29f: Counter section 31: Music signal generation section 32: Half-wave rectification section 33: Amplitude adjustment section 34: Switch 35: Switch 41/42/43: Output amplifier, 100: electrical stimulator, 120: therapeutic wave generation circuit, 200: electrical stimulator.

Claims (11)

a first positive electrode conductor and a first negative electrode conductor;
a second positive electrode conductor and a second negative electrode conductor;
a first therapeutic wave generating unit that generates a first therapeutic wave representing a change in voltage applied to the first positive electrode conductor and the first negative electrode conductor;
a second therapeutic wave generator that generates a second therapeutic wave representing a change in voltage applied to the second positive electrode conductor and the second negative electrode conductor;
The second therapeutic wave generation unit acquires a first stimulation signal that is a signal related to stimulation to be applied to a user, and generates a signal between the first therapeutic wave and the second therapeutic wave according to the first stimulation signal. An electrical stimulation device that controls the phase of the second therapeutic wave such that a phase difference occurs. The electricity according to claim 1, wherein the second therapeutic wave generator changes the phase difference between the first therapeutic wave and the second therapeutic wave once in one cycle of the first therapeutic wave. stimulator. The electrical stimulation according to claim 1, wherein the second therapeutic wave generator continuously changes the phase difference between the first therapeutic wave and the second therapeutic wave within a range of 0 degrees to 180 degrees. Device. The second therapeutic wave generator includes a comparator that compares a sawtooth wave having the same period as the first therapeutic wave with a value represented by the first stimulation signal, and uses the output of the comparator to perform the second therapeutic wave. 2. The electrical stimulation device of claim 1, which generates waves. further comprising a counter unit that counts the elapsed time from the output timing of the first wave, which is one of the waves included in the first therapeutic wave;
The second therapeutic wave generation unit includes determination means for determining whether or not the elapsed time has reached a time corresponding to the first stimulation signal, and the second therapy is performed based on the determination result of the determination means. 2. The electrical stimulation device of claim 1, which generates waves. The electrical stimulator according to claim 1, wherein the first therapeutic wave generator and the second therapeutic wave generator generate the first therapeutic wave and the second therapeutic wave, respectively, based on a common reference wave. a third positive electrode conductor and a third negative electrode conductor;
a third therapeutic wave generator that generates a third therapeutic wave that represents a change in voltage applied between the third positive electrode conductor and the third negative electrode conductor;
The electrical stimulation device according to claim 1, wherein the third therapeutic wave generator controls the phase of the third therapeutic wave such that a phase difference between the first therapeutic wave and the third therapeutic wave is generated. . The third therapeutic wave generation unit acquires a second stimulation signal that is a signal related to stimulation to be applied to the user, and responds to the second stimulation signal between the first therapeutic wave and the third therapeutic wave. The electrical stimulator according to claim 7, which produces a phase difference. The electrical stimulation device according to claim 1, wherein the second therapeutic wave generator acquires a music signal as the first stimulation signal. A user comprising: a first mounting portion for mounting on a user's body surface, the first mounting portion including the first positive electrode conductor and the second positive electrode conductor; and the first negative electrode conductor and the second negative electrode conductor. The electrostimulation device according to claim 1, further comprising a second attachment portion for attachment to the body surface of the body. generating a first therapeutic wave representing a change in voltage applied to the first positive conductor and the first negative conductor;
generating a second therapeutic wave representing a change in voltage applied to the second positive conductor and the second negative conductor;
In the step of generating the second treatment wave, a first stimulation signal relating to stimulation to be applied to the user is obtained, and a position corresponding to the first stimulation signal is obtained between the first treatment wave and the second treatment wave. A method of generating electrical stimulation, wherein the phase of the second therapeutic wave is controlled to produce a phase difference.

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