JP4480992B2 - Electrical stimulator with balance adjustment function - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to adjustment of an output current balance of an electrical stimulation apparatus having a plurality of output systems that stimulates a living body while changing electrical stimulation conditions such as frequency and waveform.

A conventional electrical stimulation device includes a stimulation signal generation unit, an output unit, an electrode, a control unit, and the like. The stimulation signal generation unit has an electrical stimulation signal having a predetermined frequency such as a rectangular wave, an exponential wave, or a sine wave. The intensity of the electrical stimulation signal is amplified to a predetermined value at the output unit, and the output of the device is supplied to the living body via the electrode.
As the electrical stimulation apparatus, a multi-channel type having a plurality of outputs is often used. This type of stimulation apparatus may stimulate a plurality of people, but may also stimulate a person by simultaneously applying a plurality of currents. In particular, the interference low-frequency treatment device energizes two or more currents simultaneously so as to cross each other and generates an interference wave inside the living body to stimulate it.

When a person is stimulated by applying a plurality of currents at the same time, the impedance of the living body changes depending on the part and with the passage of time. Therefore, stimulation is performed by balancing each current. Specifically, moderate stimulation is performed by adjusting the stimulus intensity of each output.
However, if this output adjustment is performed manually, it must be performed at the time of setting and over time, which is troublesome. In order to solve this problem, there is one that automatically balances the amount of current of each output (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).
Hereinafter, these techniques will be described with reference to the drawings.
JP-A-11-19227 JP-A-9-99100

FIG. 2 is a diagram described in Patent Document 1. The device is a two-channel low-frequency treatment device, and when stimulating using two outputs at the same time, the device is used at the rate shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 is a diagram described in Patent Document 2. The device is an interference low-frequency treatment device that simultaneously applies two sine wave medium-frequency currents so as to intersect each other in an affected area, and stimulates a living body using interference waves generated inside the body. When two currents having the same amplitude and slightly different frequencies are supplied simultaneously, an interference wave as shown in FIG. 4A can be obtained. When the amplitude (current intensity) is different, an incomplete interference wave in which the node of the interference wave does not become zero is obtained as shown in FIG. 4B. Incomplete interference waves do not provide sufficient muscle contraction, reducing the therapeutic effect. For this reason, the two currents are balanced so that the therapeutic effect is enhanced. This is automated in Patent Document 2. On the other hand, in the interference low-frequency treatment device, there is also a technique for intentionally breaking the balance and strongly stimulating a desired position, and the stimulation point can be swept using this technology.
On the other hand, in the electrical stimulation apparatus, a technique for performing stimulation while changing the frequency and the stimulation waveform is also used. For example, Japanese Patent Publication 2929556 discloses a technique for changing the frequency in a range of about 1000 to 10,000 Hz.

Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose a technique for setting two currents to a predetermined ratio and a technique for automatically balancing the two currents.
However, these conventional techniques can be used when the frequency and waveform are substantially constant. Recently, an apparatus that greatly changes the frequency, such as Japanese Patent Publication 2929556, has been used. When the frequency changes, the impedance of the living body also changes, the current also changes greatly, the current balance may be lost, and the stimulation may be weakened.
However, there has been no technique for balancing the current to a predetermined ratio in consideration of this when the frequency and the stimulation waveform change dynamically. The present application solves this.

In invention of Claim 1,
An output unit (1) for generating an electrical stimulation signal and amplifying it to a predetermined value;
An output detector (2) for detecting the output of the output unit (1);
An electrode (3) for supplying the output of the output unit (1) to a living body;
A plurality of output systems having
Provide a control unit (4) for controlling the output of each output unit (1),
The control unit (4) controls the output unit (1) to change the frequency and waveform of the electrical stimulation signal and the intensity of the output while performing electrical stimulation, and outputs each output unit (1). In the electrical stimulation device to detect,
At the start of treatment, operate the output setting key to set the output of each output unit (1) to an appropriate strength and detect the output of each output unit (1) with each detection unit (2) ,
During stimulation, the output of each output unit (1) is detected by the detection unit (2), and the output intensity ratio of each output unit (1) during stimulation is obtained at the start of treatment. The output unit (1) is controlled by the control unit (4) so that the output intensity ratio of the unit (1) is the same.

According to the invention of claim 1, the output is detected while dynamically changing the frequency and waveform of the electrical stimulation signal of each output and the strength of the output so that the output ratio of each output unit is always a predetermined value. Can be controlled. For example, in a 3-output device, if the output current of outputs 1, 2, and 3 is set to 1: 2: 3, this output current will be 1: 2: 3 even if the stimulus signal changes dynamically As described above, the output unit 1 is controlled by the control unit 4. That is, even if the frequency, waveform, and output intensity of the stimulus signal of each output are different, each output can be accurately measured, compared with the set value, and controlled to be a predetermined value.
For this reason, even if the electrical stimulation signal changes greatly, even if the impedance of the living body changes, or even if the stimulation signal of each output is different, accurate current can always be measured, and each output is set to a predetermined value Can do.

The predetermined output value is not always fixed. As described above, for example, in an interference low frequency treatment device, each output is intentionally changed to change the stimulation region. In the low frequency treatment device, a plurality of outputs may be sequentially output to change the stimulation region. In addition, when stimulating with a plurality of outputs, each output waveform may be different. In the invention described in this claim, each output may be changed in a certain pattern or irregularly.
For this reason, it is possible to always provide balanced stimulations at multiple locations, and interference low frequency treatment always provides sufficient interference waveforms, that is, even when stimulating by dynamically changing the stimulation waveform, it is always optimal. Stimulation can be performed under current balance. Moreover, in a low frequency treatment device, each output can be stimulated equally.

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 1 is an output unit, 2 is an output detection unit, 3 is an electrode, and 4 is a control unit.
The output unit 1 generates an electrical stimulation signal, amplifies it to a predetermined strength, and outputs it. Although not shown in the figure, the stimulation signal is generated based on data input by a key of the operation unit or by software. These parameters are frequency and waveform, stimulation time, etc. The strength of output is set by, for example, an output setting key on the operation unit.
The output of the output unit 1 is detected by the output detection unit 2, and this value is sent to the control unit 4, the output detected by the output detection unit 2 is compared with the set output value by the control unit 4, and the output unit Control 1 and output as set output.

In the present invention described in claim 1, since it is assumed that stimulation is performed by dynamically changing the frequency and waveform of the electrical stimulation signal and the intensity of the output, the output detection unit 2 is configured to change such a signal. Even if there is, it is possible to detect the output accurately. For this reason, each output can be accurately detected even if the frequency of the electrical stimulation signal changes greatly or the frequency or waveform of the electrical stimulation signal of each output is different.
In the invention described in this claim, the intensity of the output of each output output unit 1 is set to a predetermined value to start stimulation, the ratio of the intensity of each output at the start of stimulation is obtained, and during the stimulation The output of each output unit 1 is detected, and the control unit 4 compares the set value at the start of stimulation with the measured value at the time of stimulation. The control unit 4 controls the output unit 1 so that the output ratio of the units becomes the same.
When energizing multiple outputs at the same time, each output is adjusted to balance each stimulus. Each output is supplied to the living body via the electrode 3 and stimulates.

Set stimulation conditions such as frequency, waveform, stimulation time, change pattern, etc., set the output value of each output unit 1 taking into account the stimulation site, etc., and start stimulation, perform stimulation under the predetermined stimulation conditions . For example, considering the case where stimulation is performed while changing the frequency greatly, set to a predetermined strength by raising the output adjustment key for each output under predetermined stimulation conditions (frequency, waveform, stimulation time, treatment time, etc.) Then, the output of each output unit 1 becomes a predetermined ratio (for example, the output of outputs 1, 2, and 3 is 1: 2: 3), and stimulation is started.
During stimulation, the impedance changes with the change of the stimulus waveform, and the output also changes, but the output is correctly detected by the output detection unit 2. Also, the output at the time of actual stimulation and the output set at the start of stimulation are compared for each output, and the ratio of each output set at the start of stimulation is always maintained by changing the amplification factor of each output unit 1. Is output. In the above example, the outputs 1, 2 and 3 are always maintained as 1: 2: 3. This output can be varied over time.
Since the output detection unit 2 can accurately detect the output even if the output waveform, frequency, or the like changes, the stimulation waveform of each output may be different.

It is a circuit structural example of this invention. This is an example of current balance described in JP-A-11-19227. It is an example of the interference low frequency treatment device with an automatic current balance adjustment function described in JP-A-9-99100. It is an example of an interference waveform, (A) is a completely interfered waveform, and (B) is an example of an incomplete interference waveform.

1: Output unit 2: Output detection unit 3: Electrode 4: Control unit

Claims (1)

An output unit (1) for generating and amplifying an electrical stimulation signal to a predetermined value;
An output detector (2) for detecting the output of the output unit (1);
An electrode (3) for supplying the output of the output unit (1) to a living body;
A plurality of output systems having
Provide a control unit (4) for controlling the output of each output unit (1),
The control unit (4) controls the output unit (1) to change the frequency and waveform of the electrical stimulation signal and the intensity of the output while performing electrical stimulation, and outputs each output unit (1). In the electrical stimulation device to detect,
At the start of treatment, operate the output setting key to set the output of each output unit (1) to an appropriate strength and detect the output of each output unit (1) with each detection unit (2) ,
During stimulation, the output of each output unit (1) is detected by the detection unit (2), and the output intensity ratio of each output unit (1) during stimulation is obtained at the start of treatment. The control unit (4) controls each of the output units (1) so that the output intensity ratio of the unit (1) is the same. Stimulator.

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