JP7087622B2 - Electrotherapy device and treatment system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to electrotherapy devices and treatment systems.

Conventionally, there is known an electrotherapy device in which a plurality of electrodes are brought into contact with the surface of the body such as the abdomen and the back, and an electric signal is output to the muscles inside the body through the electrodes to give an electrical stimulus. ing.

For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-11284 (Patent Document 1) discloses a multi-channel low frequency treatment device. This low-frequency treatment device is considering to reduce the trouble of readjusting the output at the time of mode change as much as possible while using the output adjusting means for both the muscle training mode and the lymph drainage mode.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2009-112842

Conventionally, the electrotherapy device is provided with an operation unit such as a button for adjusting the intensity of electrical stimulation (hereinafter, also referred to as “electric stimulation intensity”), and the user can operate the operation unit. The desired electrical stimulation intensity can be set. Further, the amount of increase in the electrical stimulation intensity per operation amount is constant from the minimum stimulation intensity to the maximum stimulation intensity. Therefore, for example, when stimulating a part relatively insensitive to a stimulus such as a knee, the user has to repeatedly perform an operation of increasing the electrical stimulus intensity until the stimulus is felt, which is complicated. be.

In Patent Document 1, for example, even if the amount of operation in the operation unit is the same, when the lymph drainage mode is switched to the muscle training mode, the magnitude of the output from the output unit is larger than that before the switching. It discloses that it is automatically set to a large size. However, in Patent Document 1, the size of the output per operation amount is only changed before and after the mode is switched, and the size of the output per operation amount is changed from the minimum output to the maximum in any mode. Since it is considered that the output is constant, the above problem cannot be solved.

An object of an aspect of the present disclosure is to provide an electrotherapy device and a treatment system capable of improving user convenience in performing an operation of changing the electrical stimulation intensity.

In one example of the present disclosure, the electrotherapy device includes a plurality of electrodes that are in contact with a part of the user's body, an operation unit that accepts an operation for adjusting the electrical stimulation intensity given to the part, and a plurality of electrodes depending on the operation. It is provided with a voltage control unit that treats a site by discretely changing the voltage applied to the electrodes. The voltage control unit changes the applied voltage by the first change amount according to the operation until the electric stimulation intensity reaches the predetermined stimulation intensity, and after the electric stimulation intensity reaches the predetermined stimulation intensity, the applied voltage is changed according to the operation. Is changed by a second change amount smaller than the first change amount.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to improve the convenience of the user when performing an operation of changing the electrical stimulation intensity.

In another example of the present disclosure, the voltage control unit increases the applied voltage by the first change amount in response to the operation of increasing the electrical stimulation intensity by one step until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches a predetermined stimulation intensity, and the electricity is supplied. After the stimulus intensity reaches a predetermined stimulus intensity, the applied voltage is increased by the second change amount according to the operation of increasing the electrical stimulus intensity by one step.

According to the above configuration, the user can increase the electrical stimulation intensity to a relatively strong stimulation intensity with a small number of operations.

In another example of the present disclosure, the electrotherapy device further comprises a setting unit for setting a predetermined stimulus intensity.

According to the above configuration, a predetermined stimulus intensity can be set according to the user's preference.
In another example of the present disclosure, the voltage control unit determines the second change amount based on the voltage value of the applied voltage corresponding to the maximum intensity of the electrical stimulation intensity and the voltage value of the applied voltage corresponding to the predetermined stimulation intensity. calculate.

According to the above configuration, the second change amount after the electrical stimulation intensity reaches a predetermined stimulation intensity can be appropriately set.

In another example of the present disclosure, the electrotherapy device is a low frequency therapy device.
According to the above configuration, the user can receive treatment in a more appropriate frequency range.

In another example of the present disclosure, the first variation is set to comply with a predetermined standard for a low frequency therapy device.

According to the above configuration, it is possible to provide an electrotherapy device conforming to a predetermined standard for a low frequency treatment device.
In another example of the present disclosure, the treatment system comprises an electrotherapy device having a plurality of electrodes contacting a part of the user's body and a terminal device configured to be wirelessly communicable with the electrotherapy device. The terminal device accepts an operation for adjusting the electrical stimulation intensity given to the site, and transmits a signal indicating the operation to the electrotherapy device. The electrotherapy device includes a voltage control unit that treats a site by discretely changing the voltage applied to a plurality of electrodes according to the operation. The voltage control unit changes the applied voltage by the first change amount according to the operation until the electric stimulation intensity reaches the predetermined stimulation intensity, and after the electric stimulation intensity reaches the predetermined stimulation intensity, the applied voltage is changed according to the operation. Is changed by a second change amount smaller than the first change amount.
According to the above configuration, it is possible to improve the convenience of the user when performing an operation of changing the electrical stimulation intensity.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the convenience of the user when performing an operation of changing the electrical stimulation intensity.

It is a figure which shows the electric therapy apparatus which follows this embodiment. It is a figure which shows an example of the appearance of the electric therapy apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware composition of the electrotherapy apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows an example of the method of increasing / decreasing the electric stimulation intensity by the electric therapy apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the other example of the method of increasing / decreasing the electric stimulation intensity by the electric therapy apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the functional structure of the electrotherapy apparatus according to Embodiment 1. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the processing procedure of the electric therapy apparatus according to Embodiment 1. It is a figure which shows the schematic structure of the treatment system according to Embodiment 2. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the structure of the electric therapy apparatus according to Embodiment 2. FIG. FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the main body 4 provided in the electrotherapy device according to the second embodiment is separated from the holder 3 and the pad 2. It is a block diagram which shows an example of the hardware composition of the terminal apparatus according to Embodiment 2. FIG.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are the same. Therefore, the detailed description of them will not be repeated.

[Application example]
An application example of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an electrotherapy device 200 according to the present embodiment.

With reference to FIG. 1, the electrotherapy device 200 includes a control device 205 which is a main body portion and a pair of pads 270 for attaching to a treatment site (for example, a knee portion). The control device 205 and the pad 270 are electrically connected by a cord. The supporter 40 is a knee supporter that covers the entire knee of the user.

The electrotherapy device 200 is a low-frequency treatment device that, for example, supplies a low-frequency pulse current to relieve a user's knee pain and relieve stiff shoulders. The frequency of the low frequency pulse current is, for example, 1 Hz to 1200 Hz.

The pad 270 has a sheet-like shape and is attached to the user's body. One surface of the pad 270 (a surface that does not come into contact with the body) is provided with a plug corresponding to an electrode (not shown) formed on the other surface (a surface that comes into contact with the body). The electrode is formed of, for example, a conductive gel-like material.

The control device 205 includes an operation unit 302 and a voltage control unit 304 as a main configuration.
The operation unit 302 receives various instructions regarding the treatment content from the user. Specifically, the operation unit 302 receives an instruction for adjusting the electrical stimulation intensity from the user. The electrical stimulation intensity can be set in a plurality of stages. In the present embodiment, for example, the electrical stimulation intensity can be set in 20 steps from the minimum intensity level "1" to the maximum intensity level "20". The user can set the desired electrical stimulation intensity by increasing or decreasing the level of the electrical stimulation intensity using the operation unit 302.

The voltage control unit 304 discretely changes the voltage applied to the electrodes provided on the pair of pads 270 in response to the instruction for adjusting the electrical stimulation intensity via the operation unit 302. That is, the voltage control unit 304 discretely increases or decreases the voltage value of the applied voltage each time the electrical stimulation intensity increases or decreases by one step.

In this way, in the low-frequency treatment device that discretely adjusts the electrical stimulation intensity, the minimum output value is specified by a predetermined standard so that a strong stimulus is not suddenly given at the start of treatment, and it depends on the operation. The amount of increase in output per increase is specified so that the stimulus does not suddenly become stronger.

For example, according to JISC9335-2-209, the minimum set value of the output current measured using the specified circuit must be 1 mA or less, and the output increase amount per increase amount must be 1 mA or less. There is also a stipulation that when the power is turned on when the output regulator is in a state other than the minimum position, the structure must be such that it cannot output (that is, the treatment must start from the minimum output).

The IEC standard (IEC6061-2-10), which is an international standard, also has a provision similar to the above JIS standard. The difference is that the minimum set value of the output is not 1 mA or less, but 2% or less of the maximum set value.

Typically, the maximum voltage value corresponding to the maximum level of the electrical stimulation intensity is predetermined by the performance of the electrotherapy device or the like. Further, in the electrotherapy device conforming to the above standard, the user needs to adjust the electrical stimulation intensity to a desired level by increasing the electrical stimulation intensity from the minimum level at the start of treatment. As described above, in the conventional electrotherapy device, the amount of increase in the electrical stimulation intensity per operation is constant from the minimum level to the maximum level, so that the operation until reaching a desired level becomes complicated.

Therefore, in the electrotherapy device 200 according to the present embodiment, until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches a predetermined level, the output change amount per operation amount is increased as much as possible within a range satisfying a predetermined standard, and reaches a predetermined level. After that, the amount of change in output per operation amount is reduced. Further, typically, the maximum output value corresponding to the maximum level of the electrical stimulation intensity is limited by the performance of the electrotherapy device and the like. Therefore, in the electrotherapy device 200, by increasing the output change amount per operation amount in the low stimulation level region, the output change amount per operation amount in the high stimulation level region is reduced. ..

For example, it is assumed that the operation unit 302 receives from the user an operation of increasing the level of the electrical stimulation intensity step by step. In this case, the voltage control unit 304 operates one operation (for example, the amplitude value of the applied voltage) of the pair of pads 270 until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches a predetermined level (for example, level “7”). The voltage value Va is increased per operation), and after reaching a predetermined level (for example, after reaching the level "7"), the applied voltage of the pair of pads 270 is increased by the voltage value Vb per operation (however, Vb <. Increase by Va).

As a result, the amount of voltage increase per operation is large (that is, the amount of increase in electrical stimulation intensity is large) in the region of low stimulation level where the frequency of use is low and the stimulation is relatively difficult to feel. The number of operations until it is reached is reduced, and the annoyance is reduced. On the other hand, in the region of high stimulation level where the frequency of use is high and the stimulation is felt, the amount of voltage increase per operation is small, so that the stimulation intensity can be finely adjusted according to the user's preference.

As described above, according to the electrotherapy device 200, it is possible to improve the convenience of the user when performing an operation of changing the electrical stimulation intensity.

[Configuration example]
<Embodiment 1>
(exterior)
FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the appearance of the electrotherapy device 200 according to the first embodiment. With reference to FIG. 2, the electrotherapy device 200 includes a control device 205, a pair of pads 270, and a cord 280 for electrically connecting the control device 205 and the pads 270.

The control device 205 and the pad 270 are connected by connecting the plug 282 of the cord 280 and the plug on the pad 270 side and inserting the cord 280 into the jack of the control device 205. When the polarity of the electrode formed on one pad 270 is positive, the polarity of the electrode formed on the other pad 270 is negative.

The control device 205 is provided with an operation interface 230 composed of various buttons and a display 260. The operation interface 230 includes a power button 232 for switching power on / off, a mode selection button 234 for selecting a treatment mode, a treatment start button 236, and an adjustment button 238 for adjusting the electrical stimulation intensity. And include. The operation interface 230 is not limited to the above configuration, and may be configured to further include, for example, other buttons, dials, switches, and the like.

The display 260 displays the electrical stimulation intensity, the remaining treatment time, the treatment mode, the wearing state of the pad 270, and the like, and displays various messages.

(Hardware configuration)
FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the electrotherapy device 200 according to the first embodiment. With reference to FIG. 3, the control device 205 of the electrotherapy device 200 includes a processor 210, a memory 220, an operation interface 230, a power supply unit 240, a waveform generation output device 250, and a display 260. The control device 205 is connected to a pair of pads 270.

The processor 210 is typically an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Multi Processing Unit). The processor 210 functions as a control unit that controls the operation of each unit of the electrotherapy device 200 by reading and executing the program stored in the memory 220. The processor 210 realizes each of the processes (steps) of the electrotherapy device 200, which will be described later, by executing the program.

The memory 220 is realized by a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), a flash memory, or the like. The memory 220 stores a program executed by the processor 210, data used by the processor 210, and the like.

The operation interface 230 receives an operation input to the electrotherapy device 200, and is composed of various buttons as described above. When various buttons are operated by the user, signals from the operations are input to the processor 210.

The power supply unit 240 supplies electric power to each component of the electrotherapy device 200. As the power source, for example, an alkaline dry battery or a secondary battery such as a lithium ion battery or a nickel hydrogen battery is used, and a driving voltage that stabilizes the battery voltage and supplies it to each component is generated.

The waveform generation output device 250 outputs a current (hereinafter, also referred to as “therapeutic current”) flowing through the treatment site of the user's body via the pad 270. The waveform generation output device 250 includes a booster circuit, a voltage adjustment circuit, an output circuit, a current detection circuit, and the like.

The booster circuit boosts the power supply voltage to a predetermined voltage. The voltage adjustment circuit adjusts the voltage boosted by the booster circuit to a voltage corresponding to the electrical stimulation intensity set by the user. Specifically, in the electrotherapy device 200, the adjustment of the electrical stimulation intensity can be set at a predetermined number of levels (for example, 20 levels) by the adjustment button 238. For example, if the power button 232 is selected to turn on the power of the electrotherapy device 200 and then the adjustment button 238 is pressed once, the electrical stimulation intensity is set to the level "1".

Typically, the processor 210 raises the level of the electrical stimulation intensity by one step in response to the operation of pressing the increase button once on the adjustment button 238 (increase operation), and presses the decrease button once on the adjustment button 238. The control to lower the level of the electrical stimulation intensity by one step is executed according to (decrease operation). The processor 210 may raise the level one step at a time during the period in which the long press operation of the increase button (for example, the operation of pressing for 1 second or longer) is continued, or the long press operation of the decrease button is continued. You may lower the level one step at a time during the period.

The processor 210 receives an electrical stimulation intensity setting input via the adjustment button 238, and instructs the waveform generation output device 250 (voltage adjustment circuit) to adjust the voltage corresponding to the received electrical stimulation intensity.

The output circuit generates a treatment waveform (pulse waveform) according to the treatment mode based on the voltage adjusted by the voltage adjustment circuit, and outputs the treatment waveform to the pad 270 (electrode) via the code 280. Specifically, when the user performs an operation such as switching the treatment mode or changing the electrical stimulation intensity via the operation interface 230, a control signal according to the operation content is input from the processor 210 to the output circuit. To. The output circuit outputs a treatment waveform according to the control signal.

Here, the electrotherapy device 200 is prepared in advance with a plurality of treatment modes. For example, examples of the treatment mode include "fir", "tapping", and "pushing" modes.

The output circuit generates electrical stimuli corresponding to various modes such as "fir", "tapping", and "pushing" by changing the pulse waveform (including pulse width, pulse interval, frequency, and output polarity). can. In this embodiment, the output circuit adjusts the electrical stimulation intensity by changing the amplitude of the pulse voltage. The output circuit may be configured to adjust the electrical stimulation intensity by changing the pulse width. For example, the output circuit increases the electrical stimulation intensity by increasing the pulse width, and decreases the electrical stimulation intensity by decreasing the pulse width. As a specific pulse voltage waveform, a known waveform can be used.

The current detection circuit detects the value of the current flowing between the pair of pads 270, and inputs a signal indicating the detected value to the processor 210. The processor 210 can detect whether the pad 270 is attached to the user or the pad 270 is not attached to the user by using the current value input from the current detection circuit. For example, the processor 210 determines that a plurality of electrodes are in contact with each other (that is, a pair of pads 270 are attached to the user) when the current value is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and the current value is predetermined. If it is less than the value, it is determined that at least one of the plurality of electrodes is not in contact (that is, at least one of the pair of pads 270 is not attached to the user).

The display 260 is composed of, for example, an LCD (liquid crystal display), and displays various information according to instructions from the processor 210.

(Electrical stimulation intensity increase / decrease method)
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a method for increasing / decreasing the electrical stimulation intensity by the electrotherapy device 200 according to the first embodiment. Here, it is assumed that the electrical stimulation intensity can be set in 20 steps, the maximum intensity is the level "20", and the minimum intensity is the level "1". It is assumed that the voltage value "V0" is 0V. At this time, the electrotherapy device 200 is in a standby state before the start of treatment. The horizontal axis of FIG. 4 shows the level, and the vertical axis shows the voltage value of the applied voltage from the control device 205 to the pair of pads 270 (more specifically, the amplitude value of the applied voltage).

With reference to FIG. 4, the electrotherapy device 200 changes the voltage value according to the level of the electrical stimulation intensity, as shown in graphs 710 to 730. In the case of the graph 710, the predetermined level described above is set to "7". In this case, the electrotherapy device 200 changes per level (that is, per operation) until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the level "7" (that is, until the point P1 corresponding to the voltage value V2 is reached). The voltage value is changed by the amount Cs. Further, after the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the level "7", the electrotherapy device 200 changes the voltage value by the amount of change C1 (however, C1 <Cs) per level.

For example, the amount of change Cs is about 0.7 times the maximum output increase amount per operation (for example, 1 mA) defined in the above-mentioned predetermined standard for the low-frequency treatment device in consideration of the design margin and the like. It is set to increase the output. That is, the amount of change Cs is set so that the output current changes by about 0.7 mA per operation. The amount of change C1 is a value obtained by dividing the voltage value (Vs−V2) obtained by subtracting the voltage value V2 from the voltage value Vs by the difference level “13” between the maximum level “20” and the level “7”.

In the case of the graph 720, the predetermined level described above is set to "5". In this case, the electrotherapy device 200 changes the voltage value by the amount of change Cs per level until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the level "5" (that is, until the point P2 corresponding to the voltage value V1 is reached). After the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the level "5", the voltage value is changed by the change amount C2 (however, C2 <Cs) per level.

The amount of change C2 is a value obtained by dividing the voltage value (Vs-V1) obtained by subtracting the voltage value V1 from the voltage value Vs by the difference level “15” between the maximum level “20” and the level “5”. The amount of change C2 is larger than the amount of change C1.

In the case of the graph 730, the predetermined level described above is set to "10". In this case, the electrotherapy device 200 changes the voltage value by the amount of change Cs per level until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the level "10" (that is, until the point P3 corresponding to the voltage value V3 is reached). After the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the level "10", the voltage value is changed by the change amount C3 (however, C3 <Cs) per level.

The amount of change C3 is a value obtained by dividing the voltage value (Vs−V3) obtained by subtracting the voltage value V3 from the voltage value Vs by the difference level “10” between the maximum level “20” and the level “10”. The amount of change C3 is smaller than the amounts of change C1 and C2.

As described above, in any of the graphs 710 to 730, the amount of change Cs until reaching the predetermined level is larger than the amount of change C1 to C3 after reaching the predetermined level. Therefore, the user can change the electrical stimulation intensity to a stimulation intensity with a relatively strong stimulation with a small number of operations.

Further, any of the graphs 710 to 730 can be adopted depending on the area with high frequency of use. For example, in the case of a user who frequently uses the low stimulus intensity and medium stimulus intensity regions and frequently uses the high stimulus intensity region, the predetermined level may be set to "10". This enables finer adjustment of the electrical stimulation intensity in the range of levels "10" to "20". Further, for example, in the case of a user who frequently uses the low stimulus intensity region, the predetermined level may be set to "5". This makes it possible to finely adjust the electrical stimulation intensity in the region of low stimulation intensity.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing another example of the method of increasing / decreasing the electrical stimulation intensity by the electrotherapy device 200 according to the first embodiment. Also in FIG. 5, it is assumed that the maximum intensity is the level “20” and the minimum intensity is the level “1”, and the voltage value “V0” is 0V. The horizontal axis of FIG. 5 shows the level, and the vertical axis shows the voltage value of the voltage applied between the pair of pads 270.

With reference to FIG. 5, the electrotherapy device 200 changes the voltage value according to the level of the electrical stimulation intensity, as shown in graphs 740 to 760. In FIG. 5, the point that the voltage value is changed by the change amount Cs until the predetermined level is reached is the same as the increase / decrease method shown in FIG.

In the example of FIG. 5, in any of the graphs 740 to 760, the amount of change after the electrical stimulation intensity reaches a predetermined level is Ct (however, Ct <Cs) and is the same. Specifically, in the case of Graph 740, after the electrical stimulation intensity reaches a predetermined level, the change amount Ct changes, and at the maximum level “20”, the point Ps1 corresponding to the voltage value V5 is reached. do. Similarly, in the case of graph 750, the point Ps2 corresponding to the voltage value V4 is reached at the maximum level "20", and in the case of graph 760, the point Ps3 corresponding to the voltage value Vs is reached at the maximum level "20". To reach.

As described above, in any of the graphs 740 to 760, the amount of change Cs before the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the predetermined level is larger than the amount of change Ct after reaching the predetermined level. Therefore, the user can change the electrical stimulation intensity to a stimulation intensity with a relatively strong stimulation with a small number of operations.

Further, any of the graphs 740 to 760 can be adopted depending on the area with high frequency of use. For example, in the case of a user who frequently uses the region of high stimulation intensity, by setting the predetermined level to "10", the electrical stimulation intensity can be finely adjusted in the region of levels "10" to "20". It will be possible. Moreover, since the voltage value corresponding to the maximum level is large, it is possible to receive a stronger stimulus. On the other hand, for example, in the case of a user who frequently uses the low stimulus intensity region, by setting the predetermined level to "5", it is possible to finely adjust the electrical stimulus intensity in the low stimulus intensity region.

(Functional configuration)
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the electrotherapy device 200 according to the first embodiment. With reference to FIG. 6, the electrotherapy device 200 includes an operation unit 302, a voltage control unit 304, and a setting unit 306.

The operation unit 302 receives an operation for adjusting the electrical stimulation intensity given to the portion via a plurality of electrodes (that is, a pair of pads 270) that are in contact with the portion of the user's body. Typically, the operation unit 302 is realized by the processor 210 and the operation interface 230.

The voltage control unit 304 treats a part of the body by discretely changing the voltage applied to the plurality of electrodes according to the operation of adjusting the electrical stimulation intensity. Specifically, the voltage control unit 304 changes the applied voltage according to the adjustment operation of the electrical stimulation intensity until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches a predetermined stimulation intensity (that is, an electrical stimulation intensity corresponding to a predetermined level). It is changed by the amount Cs. Further, after the electrical stimulation intensity reaches a predetermined stimulation intensity, the voltage control unit 304 changes the applied voltage to a change amount Cu (for example, changes C1 to C3, Ct) smaller than the change amount Cs according to the adjustment operation. Change with either).

For example, the voltage control unit 304 increases the applied voltage by the amount of change Cs according to the operation of increasing the electrical stimulation intensity by one step until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the predetermined stimulation intensity, and after reaching the predetermined stimulation intensity. The applied voltage is increased by the amount of change Cu according to the operation.

In a certain aspect, the voltage control unit 304 calculates the change amounts C1 to C3 based on the voltage value of the applied voltage corresponding to the maximum intensity of the electrical stimulation intensity and the voltage value of the applied voltage corresponding to the predetermined stimulation intensity. .. Specifically, the calculation method of the change amounts C1 to C3 is as described above.

The setting unit 306 sets a predetermined stimulus intensity. The operation unit 302 receives a predetermined stimulus intensity setting instruction from the user. The setting unit 306 sets a predetermined stimulus intensity according to the setting instruction. For example, the setting instruction is an instruction to specify a level (that is, a predetermined level) corresponding to a predetermined stimulus intensity.

Alternatively, the operation unit 302 receives an instruction from the user to select the most frequently used region among the low stimulus intensity region, the medium stimulus intensity region, and the high stimulus intensity region. The setting unit 306 sets a predetermined stimulus intensity based on the selection instruction. For example, when the setting unit 306 receives the selection instruction of the region of medium stimulus intensity, the standard predetermined stimulus intensity is set (for example, the predetermined level “7”), and the selection instruction of the region of low stimulus intensity is received. In some cases, a predetermined stimulus intensity smaller than the standard (for example, a predetermined level "5") is set, and when a selection instruction for a region having a high stimulus intensity is received, a predetermined stimulus intensity higher than the standard (for example, a predetermined level "5") is set. 10 ”) is set.

(Processing procedure)
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the electrotherapy device 200 according to the first embodiment. Each step in FIG. 7 is mainly performed by the processor 210 of the electrotherapy device 200. Here, it is assumed that the electrotherapy device 200 changes the voltage value according to the graph 710 in FIG.

With reference to FIG. 7, the electrotherapy device 200 receives an operation for adjusting the electrical stimulation intensity via the operation interface 230 (step S10). The electrotherapy device 200 determines whether or not the received adjustment operation is an increase operation for increasing the electrical stimulation intensity (step S12). If it is not an increasing operation (that is, a decreasing operation) (NO in step S12), the electrotherapy device 200 executes the process of step S22 described later.

In the case of an increasing operation (YES in step S12), the electrotherapy device 200 determines whether or not the current level of electrical stimulation intensity is below a predetermined level (step S14). When the current level is less than a predetermined level (YES in step S14), the electrotherapy device 200 increases the voltage applied to the pair of pads 270 by the amount of change Cs (step S16), and ends the process.

When the current level is equal to or higher than the predetermined level (NO in step S14), the electrotherapy device 200 determines whether or not the current level is the maximum level (step S18). If the current level is the maximum level (YES in step S18), the electrotherapy device 200 ends the process. That is, the applied voltage is maintained without being increased.

On the other hand, when the current level is not the maximum level (NO in step S18), the electrotherapy device 200 increases the applied voltage by the amount of change C1 (step S20), and ends the process.

Next, the processing when the reduction operation is accepted will be described. When the electrotherapy device 200 accepts the reduction operation (NO in step S12), the electrotherapy device 200 determines whether or not the current level of the electrical stimulation intensity is equal to or less than a predetermined level (step S22). When the current level is higher than the predetermined level (NO in step S22), the electrotherapy device 200 reduces the applied voltage by the amount of change C1 (step S24), and ends the process.

When the current level is equal to or lower than the predetermined level (YES in step S22), the electrotherapy device 200 determines whether or not the current level is the minimum level (step S26). If the current level is the minimum level (YES in step S26), the electrotherapy device 200 ends the process. That is, the applied voltage is maintained without being reduced.

On the other hand, when the current level is not the minimum level (NO in step S26), the electrotherapy device 200 reduces the applied voltage by the amount of change Cs (step S28), and ends the process.

<Embodiment 2>
(System configuration)
In the first embodiment, a configuration in which a user is treated by a single electrotherapy device has been described. In the second embodiment, a configuration in which the terminal device and the electrotherapy device are wirelessly connected and the electrotherapy device performs treatment according to an instruction from the terminal device will be described. The terminal device mainly serves as the operation interface 230 and the display 260 of the electrotherapy device 200 in the first embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the treatment system 1 according to the second embodiment. With reference to FIG. 8, the treatment system 1 includes a terminal device 10 which is a user terminal, electrotherapy devices 20A and 20B, and a network 30. Hereinafter, when the configurations and functions common to each of the electrotherapy devices 20A and 20B are described, they are collectively referred to as “electrotherapy device 20”.

The electrotherapy device 20 is a cordless type and has a pad, a holder, and a main body portion that are integrated at the time of use, and treatment is performed by combining these portions. The specific configuration of the electrotherapy device 20 will be described later.

The terminal device 10 is, for example, a smartphone provided with a touch panel. In the following, a smartphone will be described as a typical example of a “terminal device”. However, the terminal device may be another terminal device such as a foldable mobile phone, a tablet terminal device, a PC (personal computer), or the like.

The network 30 for connecting the terminal device 10 and the electrotherapy device 20 adopts a short-range wireless communication method, and BLE (Bluetooth (registered trademark) low energy) is typically adopted. Therefore, the terminal device 10 and the electrotherapy device 20 are BLE devices having a function of performing wireless communication using BLE. However, the network 30 is not limited to this, and other wireless communication methods such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and wireless LAN (local area network) may be adopted.

In the treatment system 1 according to the second embodiment, the terminal device 10 gives various instructions to the paired and connected electric treatment devices 20A and 20B by using the installed application. Further, the terminal device 10 displays various information on the display 158 and notifies the user of necessary information. For example, the terminal device 10 may display the information received from the electrotherapy device 20 on the display 158.

(Structure of electrotherapy device 20)
FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the electrotherapy device 20 according to the second embodiment. FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the main body 4 provided in the electrotherapy device 20 according to the second embodiment is separated from the holder 3 and the pad 2.

With reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the electrotherapy device 20 is a so-called cordless type low frequency treatment device, and includes a pad 2, a holder 3, and a main body 4.

The pad 2 has a sheet-like shape and is attached to the user's body. Of the outer surface of the pad 2, the conductive layer 2a is provided on the surface (lower surface) of the body side portion 21 facing the body. The pad 2 is attached onto the user's skin using a conductive gel or the like, and a low frequency pulse current is supplied to the user through the conductive layer 2a.

With reference to FIG. 10, the pad 2 has a mounting portion 2X and a treatment portion 2Y. The mounting portion 2X is held by the holder 3. The mounting portion 2X is provided with a window portion 23 and a through hole 2H. The positioning protrusion 312 of the holder 3 is arranged inside the window portion 23. The interlock pin 33 of the holder 3 is inserted through the through hole 2H. The treatment unit 2Y is provided on both the left and right outer sides of the attachment portion 2X, and the conductive layer 2a is exposed on the body side portion 21 of the treatment portion 2Y.

The conductive layer 2a is also exposed on the surface of the mounting portion 2X facing the main body portion 4, and this exposed portion constitutes the pad-side electrode portion 22. The pad-side electrode portion 22 is formed for electrical connection with the main body portion-side electrode portion 43, and the conductive layer 2a corresponding to one of the electrode portions (for example, the + electrode) is exposed at one end of the mounting portion 2X. The conductive layer 2a corresponding to the other electrode portion (for example, the negative electrode) is exposed at the other end of the mounting portion 2X.

With reference to FIG. 10, the holder 3 includes a pad holding portion 31 having a plate-like shape and a pair of wall portions 32 standing up from both ends of the pad holding portion 31. The mounting portion 2X of the pad 2 is arranged on the upper surface 311 of the pad holding portion 31. A double-sided adhesive tape, a glue, an adhesive, or the like is arranged between the upper surface 311 and the mounting portion 2X, if necessary.

The pad holding portion 31 is provided with a positioning protrusion 312. By aligning the inner peripheral edge of the window portion 23 provided on the pad 2 with the positioning protrusion 312, the pad 2 is positioned with respect to the holder 3. An interlock pin 33 is also provided in the center of the pad holding portion 31. When the pad 2 is attached to the holder 3, the interlock pin 33 is inserted into the through hole 2H.

With reference to FIGS. 9 and 10, the main body 4 includes a case 4a having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape as an exterior body. An inductive engaging portion 5 (FIG. 9) is formed between the case 4a and the holder 3, and the main body portion 4 (case 4a) is detachably attached to the holder 3. The inductive engaging portion 5 is composed of a protrusion 51 (FIG. 10) formed on the side surface 41 of the case 4a and a groove portion 52 (FIG. 10) formed on the wall portion 32 of the holder 3.

With reference to FIG. 10, the groove portion 52 includes a vertical groove portion 521 and a horizontal groove portion 522. The vertical groove portion 521 is formed in the vertical direction and has an opening at the upper side. The lateral groove portion 522 is formed in the lateral direction, and both ends are open. When the main body 4 is attached to the holder 3, the protrusion 51 and the groove 52 approach each other in the direction in which they face each other and reach engagement. By rotating and moving the main body 4 with respect to the holder 3, the engagement between the two is released, and the main body 4 can be removed from the holder 3.

The main body 4 supplies a low-frequency pulse current to the conductive layer 2a of the pad 2 in a state of being attached to the holder 3. Specifically, the main body 4 includes a pair of main body side electrode portions 43, a substrate (not shown), an electric circuit (not shown), and an interlock mechanism (not shown). The electric circuit includes various control devices and is mounted on the surface of the substrate.

The control device includes a processor for executing various processes, a memory for storing programs and data, a communication interface for wirelessly communicating various data with the terminal device 10, boosting the power supply voltage, and low frequency pulse current (treatment). Includes a waveform generation and output device for generating and outputting current).

The substrate, the electric circuit, and the interlock mechanism are provided inside the main body 4 (case 4a). A power source (not shown) such as a battery is also provided inside the main body 4 (case 4a). A switch 48S, a display unit (not shown) such as an LED (light emitting diode), a button (not shown), and the like are provided outside the case 4a.

When the main body 4 is attached to the holder 3, the tip of the main body side electrode portion 43 comes into contact with the pad side electrode portion 22. As a result, the main body side electrode portion 43 and the pad side electrode portion 22 are electrically connected, and the electric circuit can supply a low frequency pulse current to the pad side electrode portion 22.

(Configuration of terminal device 10)
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the terminal device 10 according to the second embodiment. With reference to FIG. 11, the terminal device 10 has, as main components, a processor 152, a memory 154, an input device 156, a display 158, a wireless communication unit 160, a memory interface (I / F) 164, and the like. It includes a communication interface (I / F) 166, a speaker 168, and a microphone 170.

The processor 152 is typically an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU or MPU. The memory 154 is realized by a RAM, a ROM, a flash memory, or the like.

The input device 156 receives an operation input to the terminal device 10. Typically, the input device 156 is realized by a touch panel. The touch panel is provided on the display 158 having a function as a display unit, and is, for example, a capacitance type. However, the input device 156 may include a button or the like.

The wireless communication unit 160 connects to the mobile communication network via the communication antenna 162 and transmits / receives signals for wireless communication. As a result, the terminal device 10 can communicate with other communication devices via a mobile communication network such as LTE (Long Term Evolution).

The processor 152 reads the data stored in the storage medium 165 via the memory interface 164 and stores the data in the memory 154. The processor 152 reads data from the memory 154 and stores the data in the external storage medium 165 via the memory interface 164.

The storage medium 165 is non-volatile such as a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), a BD (Blu-ray (registered trademark) Disc), a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory, and an SD (Secure Digital) memory card. Contains media for storing programs.

The communication interface (I / F) 166 is a communication interface for exchanging various data between the terminal device 10 and the electrotherapy device 20, and is realized by an adapter, a connector, or the like. As the communication method, for example, a wireless communication method using BLE, wireless LAN, or the like is adopted.

The speaker 168 converts the voice signal given from the processor 152 into voice and outputs it to the outside of the terminal device 10. The microphone 170 receives a voice input to the terminal device 10 and gives a voice signal corresponding to the voice input to the processor 152.

(Functional configuration)
The electrotherapy device 20 has the same configuration as the voltage control unit 304 and the setting unit 306 among the configurations of the electrotherapy device 200 shown in FIG. Each of these configurations is realized by a control device included in the main body 4 of the electrotherapy device 20. Further, the operation unit 302 shown in FIG. 6 is realized by the processor 152 of the terminal device 10.

In the first embodiment, the user gives various instructions to the electrotherapy device 200 via the operation interface 230. In the second embodiment, the user gives various instructions to the terminal device 10 via the input device 156, and the instructions are transmitted from the terminal device 10 to the electrotherapy device 20 to indirectly reach the electrotherapy device 20. Give the various instructions. That is, the electrotherapy device 20 receives an instruction input from the user via the terminal device 10. More specifically, the electrotherapy device 20 receives an instruction input from the user transmitted from the terminal device 10 via the communication interface. For example, the terminal device 10 accepts an operation for adjusting the electrical stimulation intensity, and transmits a signal indicating the operation to the electrotherapy device 20. The electrotherapy device 20 adjusts the level of electrical stimulation intensity according to the operation corresponding to the signal.

Further, in the first embodiment, a voltage is applied between the electrode of one pad 270 having a positive polarity and the electrode of the pad 270 having a negative polarity, so that a therapeutic current is passed through the treatment site. .. In the second embodiment, since two electrode portions corresponding to positive polarity and negative polarity are formed on one pad 2, the treatment current is applied to the treatment site by applying a pulse voltage waveform between these electrodes. It will be configured to flow.

Further, various information stored in the memory 220 for the electrotherapy device 200 to execute the above-described processing in the first embodiment is typically stored in the memory of the electrotherapy device 20. However, it may be configured to store a part of the information in the memory 154 of the terminal device 10. Further, the electrotherapy device 20 is configured to transmit information necessary for notifying the user, information to be stored in the terminal device 10, and the like to the terminal device 10.

<Other embodiments>
(1) In the first embodiment described above, a configuration using a pair of pads 270 has been described, but the configuration is not limited to this, and an electrode for positive polarity and an electrode for negative polarity are formed on one pad. It may be configured in.

(2) In the above-described embodiment, it is also possible to provide a program for operating a computer to execute control as described in the above-mentioned flowchart. Such programs are recorded on non-temporary computer-readable recording media such as flexible disks, CDs (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), secondary storage devices, main storage devices, and memory cards attached to computers. It can also be provided as a program product. Alternatively, the program can be provided by recording on a recording medium such as a hard disk built in the computer. The program can also be provided by downloading over the network.

(3) The configuration exemplified as the above-described embodiment is an example of the configuration of the present invention, can be combined with another known technique, and a part thereof is not deviated from the gist of the present invention. It is also possible to change and configure it, such as by omitting it. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the process or configuration described in the other embodiments may be appropriately adopted and carried out.

[Additional Notes]
As described above, the present embodiment includes the following disclosures.

[Structure 1]
Multiple electrodes that come into contact with parts of the user's body,
An operation unit (302) that accepts an operation for adjusting the electrical stimulation intensity given to the site, and
A voltage control unit (304) for treating the site by discretely changing the voltage applied to the plurality of electrodes according to the operation is provided.
The voltage control unit (304)
Until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches a predetermined stimulation intensity, the applied voltage is changed by the first change amount according to the operation.
An electrotherapy device (200) that changes the applied voltage by a second change amount smaller than the first change amount according to the operation after the electric stimulus intensity reaches the predetermined stimulus intensity.

[Structure 2]
The voltage control unit (304)
Until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the predetermined stimulation intensity, the applied voltage is increased by the first change amount in response to the operation of increasing the electrical stimulation intensity by one step.
The electrotherapy device according to the configuration 1, wherein after the electric stimulus intensity reaches the predetermined stimulus intensity, the applied voltage is increased by the second change amount in response to the operation of increasing the electric stimulus intensity by one step. 200).

[Structure 3]
The electrotherapy device (200) according to configuration 1 or 2, further comprising a setting unit (306) for setting the predetermined stimulus intensity.

[Structure 4]
The voltage control unit (304) has the second change amount based on the voltage value of the applied voltage corresponding to the maximum intensity of the electrical stimulation intensity and the voltage value of the applied voltage corresponding to the predetermined stimulation intensity. The electrotherapy device (200) according to any one of the configurations 1 to 3, wherein the electric therapy device (200) is calculated.

[Structure 5]
The electrotherapy device (200) according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the electrotherapy device (200) is a low-frequency treatment device.

[Structure 6]
The electrotherapy device (200) according to the configuration 5, wherein the first change amount is set so as to comply with a predetermined standard for the low frequency treatment device.

[Structure 7]
An electrotherapy device (20) having a plurality of electrodes that come into contact with a part of the user's body,
The electrotherapy device (20) is provided with a terminal device (10) configured to enable wireless communication.
The terminal device (10) receives an operation for adjusting the electrical stimulation intensity given to the site, transmits a signal indicating the operation to the electrotherapy device (20), and receives an operation.
The electrotherapy device (20) is
A voltage control unit (304) that treats the site by discretely changing the voltage applied to the plurality of electrodes according to the operation is included.
The voltage control unit (304)
Until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches a predetermined stimulation intensity, the applied voltage is changed by the first change amount according to the operation.
A treatment system (1) in which after the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the predetermined stimulation intensity, the applied voltage is changed by a second change amount smaller than the first change amount according to the operation.

It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed this time are exemplary in all respects and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is shown by the scope of claims, not the above description, and is intended to include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the scope of claims.

1 Treatment system, 2,270 pads, 2H through holes, 2X mounting parts, 2Y treatment parts, 2a conductive layer, 3 holders, 4 body parts, 4a cases, 5 induction engagement parts, 10 terminal devices, 20,200 electrotherapy Instrument, 21 body side, 22 pad side electrode part, 23 window part, 30 network, 31 pad holding part, 32 wall part, 33 interlock pin, 40 supporter, 43 main body side electrode part, 48S switch, 51 protrusion, 52 Groove, 152,210 Processor, 154,220 Memory, 156 Input Device, 158,260 Display, 160 Wireless Communication Unit, 162 Communication Antenna, 164 Memory Interface, 165 Storage Medium, 168 Speaker, 170 Microphone, 205 Control Equipment, 230 Operation interface, 232 power button, 234 mode selection button, 236 treatment start button, 238 adjustment button, 240 power supply unit, 250 waveform generation output device, 280 cord, 282 plug, 302 operation unit, 304 voltage control unit, 306 setting unit, 312 Positioning protrusions, 521 vertical grooves, 522 horizontal grooves.

Claims (6)

Multiple electrodes that come into contact with parts of the user's body,
An operation unit that accepts operations for adjusting the electrical stimulation intensity given to the site, and
A voltage control unit for treating the site by discretely changing the voltage applied to the plurality of electrodes according to the operation is provided.
The voltage control unit
Until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches a predetermined stimulation intensity, the applied voltage is changed by the first change amount according to the operation.
After the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the predetermined stimulation intensity, the applied voltage is changed by a second change amount smaller than the first change amount according to the operation .
Further provided with a setting unit for setting the predetermined stimulus intensity,
The operation unit receives an instruction from the user to select the most frequently used region among the low stimulus intensity region, the medium stimulus intensity region, and the high stimulus intensity region.
The setting unit is an electrotherapy device that sets the predetermined stimulus intensity based on the selection instruction . The voltage control unit
Until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the predetermined stimulation intensity, the applied voltage is increased by the first change amount in response to the operation of increasing the electrical stimulation intensity by one step.
The electrotherapy device according to claim 1, wherein after the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the predetermined stimulation intensity, the applied voltage is increased by the second change amount in response to an operation of increasing the electrical stimulation intensity by one step. .. The voltage control unit calculates the second change amount based on the voltage value of the applied voltage corresponding to the maximum intensity of the electrical stimulation intensity and the voltage value of the applied voltage corresponding to the predetermined stimulation intensity. , The electrotherapy device according to claim 1 or 2 . The electrotherapy device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the electrotherapy device is a low-frequency treatment device. The electrotherapy device according to claim 4 , wherein the first change amount is set so as to comply with a predetermined standard for the low frequency treatment device. An electrotherapy device with multiple electrodes that come into contact with a part of the user's body,
It is equipped with the electrotherapy device and a terminal device configured to enable wireless communication.
The terminal device accepts an operation for adjusting the electrical stimulation intensity given to the site, and transmits a signal indicating the operation to the electrotherapy device.
The electrotherapy device
A voltage control unit that treats the site by discretely changing the voltage applied to the plurality of electrodes according to the operation is included.
The voltage control unit
Until the electrical stimulation intensity reaches a predetermined stimulation intensity, the applied voltage is changed by the first change amount according to the operation.
After the electrical stimulation intensity reaches the predetermined stimulation intensity, the applied voltage is changed by a second change amount smaller than the first change amount according to the operation .
The electrotherapy device further includes a setting unit for setting the predetermined stimulus intensity.
The terminal device receives from the user a selection instruction of the most frequently used region among the low stimulus intensity region, the medium stimulus intensity region, and the high stimulus intensity region, and sends a signal indicating the selection instruction to the electric. Send to the treatment device,
The setting unit is a treatment system that sets the predetermined stimulus intensity based on a signal indicating the selection instruction .

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