JP2680875B2 - Hyperthermia device - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a hyperthermia treatment apparatus used for heating and treating an affected area which is weak to heat generated in a living body.

[Prior Art] For example, a malignant tumor such as cancer has a temperature of about 43 ° C. at 1 to 2
It was discovered that it can be killed by heating it for a long time and repeating the heating in a fixed cycle, and a hyperthermia device has been developed to perform treatment using this (measurement and control Vol.22. , No10).

As a heating means for such a hyperthermia device, a means using high frequency, HPU (heat probe unit), laser, microwave, etc. is considered. For example, in the case of heating by high frequency, it is suitable for treating the affected area relatively deep from the inner and outer wall surfaces of the body, and in the case of heating by laser, it is suitable for treating the affected area on the inner and outer surfaces of the body wall.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] By the way, in the hyperthermia device considered so far, different treatment units are separately configured for each heating method. Therefore, when using a plurality of different heating methods, it was necessary to separately prepare a treatment unit for each of different methods. Therefore, there is a drawback that a large amount of equipment is required and a large installation space is required.

In the prior application (Japanese Patent Application No. 62-245515) relating to the present applicant, a plurality of treatment units are used, but one heating unit of each treatment unit is set by a signal from each measurement unit of each treatment unit. It is controlled by the control unit. Then, according to this, a single control unit can simultaneously treat a plurality of patients with either the same heating means or different heating means.

However, even in such a hyperthermia device, since the measuring unit is provided for each treatment unit, each treatment unit becomes large, and particularly, since a plurality of treatment units are provided side by side, this device as a whole is considerably large. It will be large. Therefore, the drawback of taking a lot of equipment and a lot of installation space cannot be solved.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object thereof is to treat a desired heating means by selecting a desired heating means from a plurality of heating means, and the whole apparatus does not become large in size. To provide a device.

[Means and Actions for Solving the Problems] In order to solve the above problems, the hyperthermia device of the present invention measures a plurality of heating means and the temperature of the affected area heated by at least one of the heating means. It has a measuring means and one control part to which the respective heating means and the measuring means are connected, and further, the measuring means does not distinguish the respective heating means and is used in common. Is.

In this way, the measuring means for measuring the temperature of the affected part heated by at least one of the plurality of heating means, and each of the heating means are connected to one control section, and the measuring means is Since each heating means can be used in common without distinction, the overall structure of the hyperthermia device can be made compact, and a desired heating means can be selected from a plurality of heating means. Can be treated with.

Embodiment FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a main unit, and the main unit 1 is configured as follows. The main unit main body 1a includes a power supply unit 2, a computer 4 as a control unit, a keyboard 5, a display 6, an HPU (heat probe unit) 7, and a MW (microwave) unit 8.

The power supply unit 2 is provided with a power supply switch 3 on the front surface thereof, and by turning on the power supply switch 3, electric power can be supplied to each device in the main unit 1.
The computer 4 controls all the treatment units connected. Further, the computer 4 has a built-in watchdog mechanism, and when the computer 4 runs out of control, an interrupt occurs and turns off the output control signals to all the devices. The keyboard 5 can be used to input commands for the operation of the device and the display on the display 6. When the keyboard 5 is not used, it can be stored in the main unit body 1a in a pull-out manner. A flat plasma display is used as the display 6 in order to reduce the occupied volume as much as possible. With this, the display 6 is used to display the state of each device and to confirm the command input from the keyboard 5.

Further, the heat probe unit (HPU) 7 and the microwave (MW) unit 8 which are one of the treatment units are housed in a portion located on the back side of the display 6. An emergency stop switch 9 is provided beside the display 6, and in the event of an emergency, by turning this switch ON, the operation of all connected devices can be forcibly stopped.

In addition, the main unit body is included in the main unit 1.
A telescopic arm 10 extends from the side of 1a, and this arm 10 is horizontally rotatable about its base 11. A relay box 12 is installed at the tip of the arm 10. Computer 4 and relay box 12 are communication cables
Connected at 13. Communication cable 13 is a relay box
It serves to transmit to the computer 4 an electric signal corresponding to the temperature of the affected area measured by a temperature measuring element 51 such as a thermocouple, which will be described later, connected to the temperature measuring terminal 14 provided at 12.

Further, the output cable 15 is connected between the HPU 7 and the MW unit 8 and the relay box 12.
Heat probe 16 and MW probe 17 mounted on
The heating output is transmitted to the affected area through. A syringe 18 is connected to the heat probe 16 so that saline can be injected into a balloon at the tip of the heat probe 16. There is an LED 19 for displaying on the upper part of the mounting part of the HPU probe 16 and the MW probe 17, respectively. The display 6 shows which treatment unit is currently operating, and it is confirmed by turning on this LED 19. be able to. Reference numeral 52 is a foot switch for turning the heating operation on and off.

On the other hand, FIG. 2 is a block diagram corresponding to the above configuration. A display 6, an HPU 7, a MW unit 8 and a temperature measuring unit (thermometer) 50 are connected to the computer 4. A temperature measuring element 51 such as a thermocouple is connected to the temperature measuring unit 5. A heat probe 16 is connected to the HPU 7, and a MW probe 17 is connected to the MW unit 8.

When treating the affected area with the hyperthermia device having the above-mentioned configuration, either HPU7, MW unit 8 or both are selected as treatment means, and heating is performed from the probes 16 and 17 connected to the selected treatment means. The affected area is warmed by releasing energy toward the affected area.

That is, power is supplied to each device by turning on the power switch 3. Next, when the treatment unit to be operated is designated from the keyboard 5, it is displayed on the display 6 and one of the LEDs 19 of the relay box 12 above the probe 16 or 17 corresponding to the treatment unit to be operated is turned on. .

When an output for heating is set from the keyboard 5 and operated by operating the foot switch 52 or the like, the output is sent from the previously designated treatment unit through the output cable 15 to the relay box 12, and the probes 16, 17 It is transmitted to the corresponding person to heat the affected area.

The temperature of the affected area to be heated is measured by the temperature measuring element 51, and the temperature measuring section 50 converts this into an electric signal readable by the computer 4 and sends it to the computer 4. An electric signal corresponding to the measured temperature is sent to the computer 4 via the temperature measuring terminal 14 and the communication cable 13, and the measured temperature is displayed on the display 6. The computer 4 compares the measured temperature information with a preset desired temperature, and if the temperature is higher than the set temperature, the heating energy is reduced, and if the temperature is lower than the set temperature, the heating energy is increased. A command signal is sent to the control unit to control the temperature of the affected part at the set temperature. If this temperature is lower or higher than the temperature suitable for warming the affected area, the output of the treatment unit is increased or decreased to correct this.

In addition to the watchdog mechanism described above as a safety mechanism, the computer 4 detects disconnection of the temperature measuring element, detection of abnormal dangerous temperature, detection of MW (microwave) overreflection, and others.
There are functions such as abnormality detection of each treatment unit.
If any one is detected, the treatment is stopped.

According to the configuration of this embodiment, since the temperature measuring unit 50 is not built in each treatment unit, each treatment unit can be downsized. Moreover, since the display 6 mounted on the main unit 1 is flat, the two treatment units of the HPU 7 and the MW unit 8 can be stored on the back side thereof. Therefore, it is possible to configure a hyperthermia device that is small in size as a whole while performing two types of treatments with one device.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 show a second embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the configuration of the first embodiment, this is capable of further performing treatment with high frequency and laser.

That is, the RF (high frequency) unit 20 for performing high frequency treatment includes an RF control unit 21, an amplifier 22, a matching unit 23, a power supply unit 24, and the like. RF unit 20 and main unit 1
Are connected with the communication cable 25, and from the keyboard 5
When the command to operate the RF unit 20 is input and the operating conditions are input, the RF control unit 21 receives them via the communication cable 25, the amplifier 22 generates a high-frequency signal corresponding to the command, and the connection cable 26 is used. To the matching device 23. Then, by mounting an applicator (not shown) connected to the applicator connector 27 on the patient's body, a high frequency signal is transmitted to the patient to perform heating treatment. If there is an applicator in use, it can be known by turning on the LED 28.

Further, the RF control unit 21 has a built-in CPU. This is equipped with a watchdog mechanism, and when the CPU runs out of control by the watchdog mechanism, this is detected as an abnormality and the high frequency output is stopped. In addition, when the heat sink in the amplifier is overheated, the overvoltage of the amplifier output, the overcurrent, etc. are detected, the output is similarly stopped. The output can also be manually forcibly stopped by turning on the emergency stop switch 29.

Further, the laser unit 30 for performing treatment with a laser includes a laser control unit 31, a laser device 32, an oscillator 33, and the like, and a communication cable 35 as in the case of treatment with high frequency.
Connected by Therefore, in response to a command from the main unit 1, the oscillator 33 generates a laser beam, and the laser beam guided to the affected part by the optical fiber probe connected to the probe connector 36 is irradiated to the affected part for treatment. .

Further, as in the case of the RF unit 20, the laser control unit 31 also has a built-in CPU and a watchdog mechanism, and stops the irradiation of the laser light when it runs out of control. In addition, the output is stopped when an overcurrent, a probe disconnection, etc. are detected, and an emergency stop switch is provided so that in the case of an emergency, the output can be manually stopped by force.

On the other hand, FIG. 4 is a block diagram corresponding to the configuration of this embodiment. In addition to the configuration shown in FIG. 2, the RF unit 20 and the laser unit 30 are connected to the computer 4 as a control unit. Has been done. An RF applicator 54 is connected to the RF unit 20, and a laser fiber probe 55 is connected to the laser unit 30.

When treating the affected area, any one or more of the four treatment means connected to the computer 4 are selected and the operation is controlled by the computer 4. The method of heating the affected area and the method of controlling the temperature of the affected area are the same as those in the first embodiment described above.

FIG. 5 shows a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a vertically long casing 37 separate from the main unit 1 is provided.
The housing 37 is provided with a MW unit 8 as described above,
The RF unit 20 and the HPU7 are incorporated.

According to the configuration of this embodiment, the treatment units can be collectively and compactly housed in the housing 37, and the size can be reduced. Therefore, if there is an empty space in the housing 37 for storing the treatment units as described above, a plurality of treatment units can be stored, and the storage position of each unit can be freely changed. The operability can be improved by, for example, storing the unit at the height that is most convenient to use.

FIG. 6 shows a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the relay box 12 is housed in the empty space of the housing 37 in which the RF unit 20 is housed in the third embodiment. In this way, since the relay box 12 is not outside the main unit 1 or the housing 37, the occupied space can be reduced without disturbing. If another treatment unit is desired to be added, it can be reconfigured as in the third embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows a fifth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, an arm 38 is provided on the side surface of the main unit 1, a keyboard base 39 is installed at the tip of the arm 38, and the keyboard 5 and the display 6 can be placed thereon. Further, the arm 38 has an arm base 11 capable of rotating in a horizontal direction, and joints 40 are provided at a portion near the base of the arm 38, an intermediate portion, and each connecting portion of the keyboard base 39. It is possible. For this reason, the keyboard base
The 39 can be moved to any desired position and height, but the keyboard platform 39 remains horizontal no matter how the arm 38 moves. Therefore, the keyboard 5 and the display 6 do not tilt or fall off the keyboard base 39.

On the other hand, input from the keyboard 5 or display 6
When looking at the display of, the keyboard base 39 can be moved to an orientation and a position where it is easy to operate and monitor without being particular about the orientation of the main unit 1.
It can also be placed where it does not interfere with other work when there is no need for operation or monitoring. Others are the same as those in the third embodiment described above.

FIG. 8 shows a sixth embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, a support rod 41 is provided on the side surface of the main unit 1 so as to extend and contract in the vertical direction, and the bottom of the relay box 12 is fixed to the tip thereof. Further, the relay box 12 is attached so as to be rotatable in the horizontal direction around the support rod 41. Others are the same as those in the third embodiment described above.

According to this embodiment, when the hyperthermia device is used, the heat probe 16 or the MW probe 17 is used.
Relay box for easy use of the temperature measurement element 51 connected to the temperature measurement terminal 14
12 directions, height can be adjusted.

With such a configuration, the occupied space in the horizontal direction can be small, and an accident such as an operator hitting the relay box 12 is less likely to occur.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. For example, when it is not necessary to incorporate each unit in the housing due to the structure of the operating room, or when inconvenience occurs rather than incorporating the unit, it is not always necessary to incorporate the unit in the housing, and each unit can be used simply by connecting.

If a one-chip microcomputer is used as the control means, the device can be further downsized.

Furthermore, if an ultrasonic image of the affected area is displayed on the display by connecting an ultrasonic observation device, it is possible to confirm the heating position and the therapeutic effect from changes in the ultrasonic image of the affected area. Further, since it is considered that the temperature can be measured by ultrasonic waves, it is not necessary to insert a thermocouple or the like into the affected area, and the pain of the patient can be reduced. Therefore, the heating output is increased or decreased based on the temperature measured by the ultrasonic waves, or when the heating position is deviated from the affected part, or there is a part to be heated other than the affected part, so-called hot It becomes easier to find the spot, and in such a case, it may be possible to automatically control the heating output.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As described above, in the present invention, the measuring means for measuring the temperature of the affected part heated by at least one of the plurality of heating means, and the heating means as one control section. Further, since the measuring means is connected and is commonly used without distinguishing the heating means, the entire hyperthermia device does not become large. Moreover, a desired heating means can be selected from a plurality of heating means for treatment.
Therefore, the optimum hyperthermia can be easily performed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

1 and 2 show a first embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hyperthermia apparatus, and FIG. 2 is an explanatory view showing its configuration divided into blocks, FIG. 3 and FIG. FIG. 3 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a hyperthermia device, FIG. 4 is an explanatory view showing its configuration divided into blocks, and FIG. 5 is a third embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a perspective view of a hyperthermia device according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the hyperthermia device according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. It is a perspective view of the hyperthermia device of the 6th example of the invention. 1 ... Main unit, 4 ... Computer, 7 ... HP
U, 8 ... MW unit, 20 ... RF unit, 30 ... Laser unit, 32 ... Laser device, 50 ... Temperature control unit, 51
...... Temperature measuring element.

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A plurality of heating means, a measuring means for measuring the temperature of an affected area heated by at least one of the heating means, and the heating means and the measuring means are connected. A hyperthermia device having one control unit, wherein the measuring means is commonly used for the heating means.