JP7493701B2 - Medical equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to equipment used for medical treatment, surgery, examination, massage, and beauty.

Physical therapy, which applies physical energy from the outside to the affected area to perform treatment or surgery, such as treatment using electromagnetic waves such as ultrashort waves and microwaves, treatment using low-frequency or high-frequency pulses, potential treatment, treatment using weak current, or treatment using ultrasound, has attracted attention, and many medical devices that realize these treatments have been put to practical use. One of the characteristics of physical therapy is that the physical energy used is not recognizable or is difficult for humans to recognize. Ultrashort waves, microwaves, infrared lasers, and ultrasound cannot be directly sensed by sight, hearing, or touch, and can only be indirectly perceived by the sensation of heat, etc. Most people cannot perceive weak currents directly or indirectly. With regard to each of the above medical devices, the person using the device to perform treatment, or the patient receiving treatment, cannot accurately recognize the physical energy emitted from the device to the human body. For example, when using a treatment device that emits ultrashort waves, microwaves, or ultrasound to treat the human body, the patient can tell that ultrashort waves, microwaves, or ultrasound are being emitted because the affected area gradually becomes warmer (hereafter referred to as a sensation of warmth), but cannot tell the power of the emitted waves. This is because the sensation of warmth felt by the patient can easily change depending on the distance and angle from the emitter of the ultrashort waves or microwaves, or the part of the body to which the ultrashort waves or microwaves are applied. Furthermore, individual differences such as the patient's posture, body type, constitution, clothing, age, sex, and sensitivity to warmth also have a large impact. As for the user, they cannot directly confirm that ultrashort waves, microwaves, or ultrasound are being output. They can only indirectly know that ultrashort waves or microwaves are being emitted by the patient's reaction, for example the patient's sensation of warmth.

In addition, physical energy such as treatments using electromagnetic waves such as ultrashort waves and microwaves, treatments using low-frequency or high-frequency pulses, electric potential treatments, treatments using weak currents, or treatments using ultrasound can also be applied to diagnosis and beauty treatments, and diagnostic devices and beauty devices that use these physical energies have been commercialized. However, as with the above, users of these diagnostic devices and beauty devices, subjects receiving diagnoses, and patients receiving beauty treatments are unable to see or accurately recognize these physical energies.

Hereinafter, in this specification, treatment devices, diagnostic devices, and cosmetic devices will be referred to simply as medical devices. Treatment or diagnosis using medical devices, or cosmetic treatment using cosmetic devices, will be referred to simply as treatment. A person who performs treatment using medical devices, diagnosis using diagnostic devices, or treatment using cosmetic devices will be referred to as a user. A person who receives such treatment, diagnosis, or cosmetic treatment will be referred to simply as a patient. Therefore, unless otherwise specified, the description of medical devices does not exclude diagnostic devices or cosmetic devices, and the description of patients does not only mean those who have injuries or illnesses, but also those who undergo examinations or cosmetic treatments.

JP 2003-339888 A JP 2000-189526 A

Figure 16 (a) shows the storage section and connection section arranged in the opposite direction to that in Figure 1. That is, the connection section 1214 is arranged above the storage section 1213. In the figure, the operation section 12 and the notification section 15 other than the storage section 1213 and the connection section 1214 are omitted for simplicity. For further simplicity, only the cables to which each lead is connected to the connection section 1214 are shown, and the connector connection section and connectors are omitted.

In FIG. 16(a), in which the storage section and the connection section are arranged in the opposite direction to FIG. 1, many cables connected to the connection section 1214 hang down in front of the storage section 1213. In this state, the leads are hidden by the cables, and it may be difficult to easily find each lead stored in the storage section 1213, which may lead to problems such as the lead being picked up by mistake or the desired lead being difficult to find, which may delay the start of treatment. Furthermore, when removing the desired lead, the cables of other leads get in the way, making it difficult to remove the lead easily, or when removing the desired lead, the cables of other leads get caught, which causes the cable to be pulled, leading to the cable being pulled out or the cable being broken. These problems are extremely effective for medical devices that use ultra-short waves or microwaves. The cables used in these medical devices are characterized by being very thick and long. Therefore, when the cables hang down, it is very common for them to hide the leads, make it difficult for the user to find the stored leads, or get in the way when removing the stored leads.

(1) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides the following means: That is, the medical device of the present invention is a medical device that includes a main body, a plurality of leads used in treatment using ultra-short waves, a plurality of cables connecting the plurality of leads to the main body, a connection section to which the plurality of cables are connected , an opening , and a closed surface other than the opening , and includes a storage section that stores the plurality of leads by inserting them through the opening and stores the leads so that the cables are exposed to the outside of the main body from the opening into which the leads are inserted, and an operation section that controls the ultra-short waves output from the plurality of leads , and is characterized in that the main body is a single housing, and is configured with the connection section, the opening, and the operation section each provided along one of the housing surfaces that constitute the housing , and the opening is provided between the connection section and the operation section on the one surface of the housing.

(2) Furthermore, the medical device of the present invention is characterized in that the storage section is provided between the operating section and the connection section.

When the storage section is located above the connection section, the cables of other leads do not hang down in front of the storage section, the leads stored in the storage section can be easily found, the wrong lead is not picked up, the desired lead can be easily removed, and treatment can be started smoothly. Furthermore, when removing the lead, other cables will not be caught and therefore will not be pulled, so other cables will not be pulled out or broken. Therefore, by having the storage section above the connection section, the storage section is not hidden by the cables, the leads can be easily removed without affecting other cables, and problems caused by cables hanging down in front of the storage section can be eliminated, improving treatment efficiency.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a main body of the medical device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an operation section of the main body of the medical device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a connection section and a notification section of the medical device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a lead used in the medical device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a lead in the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a circuit of a detection unit in the present invention. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the relationship between the lighting state of the detection display unit and the detected power of the VHF in the present invention. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing another relationship between the lighting state of the detection unit and the power of the detected VHF in the present invention. FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a circuit of a detection unit in the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the conductor of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the conductor of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the conductor of the present invention. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing another embodiment of the conductor of the present invention. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a notification method of a notification unit in the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an embodiment of a handle according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a storage section in the present invention.

The above medical devices are still in the development stage, and there are various issues that prevent the efficiency of treatment from being improved. One of the reasons is that, as mentioned above, the physical energy used, such as ultra-short waves, microwaves, and ultrasound, is difficult for the user to directly recognize. With such medical devices, even if the user sets the desired output strength to the device, the desired output strength does not necessarily actually act on the patient. For example, it is easy for the output to decrease due to aging of the medical device, or for the output to not be at the strength set by the user due to a malfunction of the device, or for no output to be produced at all. Or, even if the device emits the output as set, the ultra-short waves or microwaves are reflected by the human body, and it often happens that the ultra-short waves or microwaves do not effectively act sufficiently on the patient.

To solve such problems, a microwave therapy device has been proposed that has an antenna at the microwave output section and receives and displays the microwave power (Patent Document 1). However, the technology described in this document has the following problems, and the treatment efficiency cannot be sufficiently improved. For example, there may be cases where the microwaves cannot be detected properly by the antenna, and the following reasons are considered. The first case is when the microwave output setting itself is not set, for example, when microwaves are not output due to a user's erroneous operation, which also applies when the user forgets to start the output operation. The second case is when the device is operated correctly, but microwaves are not radiated normally due to a malfunction of the output section or operation section. In Patent Document 1, the user can know that microwaves are not detected by the antenna section, but it is not possible to distinguish whether this is due to the above-mentioned erroneous operation or a malfunction. Therefore, when the user finds that the received power is extremely low or that no power can be received, not only does he or she have to try to adjust it by changing the position or direction of the microwave irradiation unit, but each time he or she checks the device's operation panel to make sure that the set value is not zero or that the output start switch is on and output is being generated, and sometimes he or she has to temporarily stop treatment even during treatment and change the treatment posture by leaving the patient, standing up, turning around, etc. Without these confirmation tasks by the user, the user would not be able to determine whether the position or angle of the microwave output unit is inappropriate or whether output itself is not being generated. In other words, in Patent Document 1, the confirmation action of stopping treatment and leaving the patient is essential, and this action significantly reduces the efficiency of treatment or causes the treatment efficiency to not increase.

Conversely, microwaves may be detected by the antenna even when the user is not performing treatment. The following reasons are also considered for this. The first is when the microwave output stop setting or operation itself is not performed, for example, when the microwave output is not stopped due to a user's erroneous operation, and also when the user forgets to perform the output stop operation. The second is when the device is operated correctly, but the microwaves are not stopped properly due to a malfunction of the output unit. In Patent Document 1, the user can know that microwaves are not detected by the antenna unit after treatment, but it is not possible to distinguish whether this is due to the above-mentioned erroneous operation or a malfunction. Therefore, when the user knows that the received power is continuing to be detected, it is necessary to check the operation panel of the device each time to confirm that the set value is zero or that the output switch is turned off and the output is stopped. In other words, unless the operating status of the device is checked, it is troublesome to be unable to check whether the user himself has performed an erroneous operation or whether the device is broken, and it is not easy to check the safety of the device. As a result, there is a problem that a malfunction of the medical device being used cannot be discovered, or the discovery of the malfunction is delayed, and the treatment itself cannot be performed, resulting in a decrease in the efficiency of the treatment.

The above medical devices, especially those using ultra-short waves or microwaves, have another characteristic. As described above, the ultra-short waves and microwaves emitted from the device have the property of being easily absorbed and reflected by the human body. A treatment device that detects the ultra-short waves used is described in Patent Document 2. Patent Document 2 describes how the strength of the detected ultra-short waves can be known by attaching an antenna to the cord connecting the conductor and the device body. The detection is performed by an antenna attached to the middle of the cord. If the antenna is close to or very close to the patient or user, the antenna may erroneously detect the ultra-short waves, and may detect a higher or lower power than the actual power. If the detection is higher than the actual power, the ultra-short waves absorbed by the human body are small and cannot act sufficiently on the affected area, and the treatment effect is insufficient and the treatment efficiency is reduced, but the user mistakenly believes that the treatment is effective and continues the treatment, resulting in no treatment effect and no improvement in treatment efficiency. Conversely, if it is detected as being smaller than it actually is, then an ultrashort wave with a higher power than necessary will be supplied to the affected area, resulting in overheating and, in the worst case, causing burns or damage to the affected area. In this case too, the therapeutic effect will decrease and the therapeutic efficiency cannot be improved. The present invention aims to provide a conductor that can solve the above problems and improve the efficiency of treatment, or easily ensure safety.

The present invention has the effect of providing a medical device that can improve treatment efficiency. One of the advantages is that the user does not need to grip or place his/her fingers on the detection unit that detects the physical energy emitted to the patient or on the vicinity thereof, and the detection unit does not erroneously detect physical energy. Therefore, the detector can accurately detect physical energy, and problems resulting from erroneous detection can be avoided, preventing a decrease in treatment efficiency and improving treatment efficiency. Alternatively, since the conductor can be properly gripped, it is possible to use the conductor to provide appropriate treatment to the patient for a long period of time, and a medical device with good treatment efficiency can be provided.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a medical device that performs treatment using ultrashort waves will be described as an example, but the medical device may be a medical device that uses microwaves, not just ultrashort waves, a device that uses ultrasound, an electric potential treatment device, a laser treatment device, or a medical device that uses a combination of these. Furthermore, the medical device may be a treatment device that uses electromagnetic waves such as ultrashort waves or microwaves, and ultrasound or low frequency waves.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the main body 11 of the medical device 1 according to the present invention. The main body 11 of the medical device 1 has an operation section 12 for operating the device, a storage section 13 for storing a lead, which will be described separately, a connection section 14 for electrically connecting the lead to the main body 11, and a notification section 15, which is a first notification section for notifying that an operation to start outputting ultrashort waves has been performed. In addition, the main body 11 has a power cord for connecting to a power source, casters for moving, and other parts necessary for treatment, but as these are not essential parts of the present invention, their description will be omitted.

The medical device 1 in FIG. 1 has multiple channels, e.g., three channel outputs, so that multiple affected areas or multiple patients can be treated simultaneously. The number of channels is not limited to this. It may be configured with only one channel, or may have multiple channels. For example, it may be configured with two channels, or may be configured with four or more channels.

Figure 2 is an enlarged view of the operation unit 12, which has setting units 21-1, 21-2, and 21-3 for individually setting the three channels. In this embodiment, channel 1 is controlled by setting unit 21-1, channel 2 by setting unit 21-2, and channel 3 by setting unit 21-3.

The operation unit 12 in FIG. 2 has a main switch 25. Pressing the main switch 25 once starts up the main unit and turns on the power to the main unit 11, and pressing it again stops the output of all channels, shuts down the main unit 11, and turns off the power. In other words, the main switch 25 also functions as an emergency stop button.

The operation unit 12 has output start buttons 22-1, 22-2, and 22-3 so that the output start can be controlled separately for the three channels. When these output start buttons are pressed while the ultrashort wave output is off, ultrashort waves are output for a certain period of time, for example 20 minutes, enabling treatment. In this embodiment, three output start buttons are arranged to correspond to the three channels, but this is not limited to this, and one output start button is sufficient for one channel, as long as it is provided to correspond to the number of channels. Furthermore, the time during which treatment can be performed by pressing output start button 22-1 or the like is not limited to 20 minutes, but may be 15 minutes or 30 minutes, or a configuration in which the time can be set appropriately is also possible. Furthermore, the time may be changed for each channel, or a configuration in which treatment can be performed continuously without limiting the time may also be possible.

In addition, it has output stop buttons 23-1, 23-2, and 23-3 so that the output of the three channels can be stopped separately. If these output stop buttons are pressed while the VHF output is on, that is, if only the output stop button 23-1 is pressed, only the VHF output of channel 1 is stopped, if only the output stop button 23-2 is pressed, only the VHF output of channel 2 is stopped, and if only the output stop button 23-3 is pressed, only the VHF output of channel 3 is stopped. Furthermore, if the output stop buttons 23-1 and 23-2 are pressed, the VHF output of channels 1 and 2 is stopped, if the output stop buttons 23-2 and 23-3 are pressed, the VHF output of channels 2 and 3 is stopped, and if the output stop buttons 23-3 and 23-1 are pressed, the VHF output of channels 3 and 1 is stopped. This embodiment has three output stop buttons corresponding to three channels, but is not limited to this, and if there is one channel, one output stop button is sufficient, and it is sufficient that it is provided so as to correspond to the number of channels. In addition to these individual output stop buttons, an emergency stop button (not shown) that stops all channel output may be placed separately from the main switch 25.

The above-mentioned setting units each have an adjustment unit 24-1, an adjustment unit 24-2, and an adjustment unit 24-3 that adjust the output. The output value of each channel is adjusted by these adjustment units. In this embodiment, these adjustment units use a sliding adjustment means, but it is also possible to use a dial type or an encoder, and for example, a stepless volume may also be used. There is no particular limitation as long as the output of each channel can be set individually.

In this embodiment, separate buttons are used to control the start and stop of output, but this is not limited to this, and for example a toggle switch may be used instead of the switch to start and stop the output. Alternatively, using adjustment units 24-1 to 24-3, output may be stopped when the output is set to zero, and output may be automatically started when the output is set to a value other than zero, and this is not particularly limited. In this case, adjustment units 24-1 and the like are adjustment units that set the output of each channel, and function as both an output start button and an output stop button.

In the above, individual switches and adjusters are used to set and adjust the output, or to start and stop the output, but this is not limited to this. For example, instead of using a volume or encoder to adjust the output, it is also possible to set and adjust it through software using an operation panel or keyboard. Similarly, it is also possible to start and stop the output through software using an operation panel or keyboard. Furthermore, all of these operations may be performed through software using an operation panel or keyboard.

Figure 3 shows the connection unit 14 and the notification unit 15. The connection unit 14 has three channels of connector connection parts 31-1, 31-2, and 31-3. Each connector connection part is designed to allow a connector with a shape specific to the medical device 1 of this embodiment to be inserted.

The notification unit 15 is provided with LED units 32-1, 32-2, and 32-3, which are individual notification means for each channel, as visual notification means for visually notifying. These LEDs light up when an operation is performed to start output on the leads connected to the connector connection units 31-1 to 31-3, that is, when the output start button 22-1 to the output start button 22-3 is pressed. More specifically, when the output start button 22-1 is pressed, the LED unit 32-1 lights up, when the output start button 22-2 is pressed, the LED unit 32-2 lights up, and when the output start button 22-3 is pressed, the LED unit 32-3 lights up. In addition, when multiple output start buttons are pressed, multiple LED units corresponding to the output start buttons light up. For example, when the output start button 22-1 and the output start button 22-2 are pressed, the LED units 32-1 and 32-2 light up. When the output start button 22-2 and the output start button 22-3 are pressed, the LED section 32-2 and the LED section 32-3 light up. When the output start buttons 22-1 and 22-3 are pressed, the LED sections 32-1 and 32-3 light up. When the all output start button is pressed, all the LED sections 32-1 to 32-3 light up.

Conversely, when the output stop button 23-1 is pressed to stop the VHF output of channel 1, the corresponding LED 32-1 goes out. Also, when the output start button 22-1 is pressed to start the VHF output and the VHF output stops 20 minutes later, the LED 32-1 goes out. This operation is similar for the other channels. That is, when the output stop button 23-2 is pressed to stop the VHF output of channel 2, the corresponding LED 32-2 goes out. Also, when the output start button 22-2 is pressed to start the VHF output of channel 2 and the VHF output of channel 2 stops 20 minutes later, the LED 32-2 goes out. Similarly, when the output stop button 23-3 is pressed to stop the VHF output of channel 3, the corresponding LED 32-3 goes out. LED 32-3 also goes out if the output start button 22-3 is pressed to start outputting ultra-short waves on channel 3, and then 20 minutes later the ultra-short wave output on channel 3 stops.

In this embodiment, three LED units are provided to correspond to three channels, but this is not limited thereto. For one channel, one LED unit is sufficient, and the number of LED units provided may be equivalent to the number of channels. Alternatively, in this embodiment, the notification unit 15 is provided with an LED unit for each channel, but this is not limited thereto. An LED unit 32-4 (not shown) may be provided as a notification means common to each channel. That is, when any one of the output start buttons 22-1, 22-2, or 22-3 is pressed, the LED unit 32-4, which is the common notification means, may be configured to light up. In this case, the LED unit 32-4 lights up even when any two or all of the output start buttons 22-1, 22-2, and 22-3 are pressed. Conversely, the LED unit 32-4 is turned off only when all outputs are stopped. The common notification means may be used in place of each individual notification means, i.e., in place of LED units 32-1 to 32-3, or LED unit 32-4 may be provided in addition to LED units 32-1 to 32-3 corresponding to each channel as described above. Alternatively, a configuration may be used in which an individual LED unit 32-1 is provided for the first channel, and a common LED unit 32-5 (not shown) is provided for the second and third channels.

In the above, the notification means is a visual notification means using an LED, but is not limited to this. For example, it may be an audio notification means that uses the sense of hearing to notify by using beeps, chimes, bells, electronic sounds, or other sounds. For example, it may be natural sounds such as animal cries, human voices, music or songs, or the sounds of flowing water, waves, and wind, and these may be saved as data and used as notification sounds when making a notification. In FIG. 3, a sound generator 33 that emits a bell sound as an audio notification means is disposed on the front surface of the main body 11, that is, on the front surface of the main body 11. There is no particular limit to the location where the audio notification means is provided, but it is preferable that it is disposed on the front or top surface of the main body 11, and it may also be disposed on the side or back surface. The sound generator 33 may be provided on the notification unit 15, but it may also be provided on a surface other than the notification unit 15.

In FIG. 3, the sound unit 33 periodically issues a bell as a notification sound, for example, at 10-second intervals, when output is made from any one of the channels. For example, when the output start button 22-1 is pressed, the sound unit 33 issues a bell every 10 seconds. Similarly, the sound unit 33 issues a bell when the output start button 22-2 or the output start button 22-3 is pressed instead of the output start button 22-1. Conversely, when ultra-short waves are being output only from channel 1, if the output stop button 23-1 or the like is pressed to stop the output of ultra-short waves, the bell also stops. In other words, the sound from the sound unit 33 stops only when all outputs are stopped. Also, if the output start button 22-1 is pressed to start outputting ultra-short waves and the ultra-short wave output stops 20 minutes later, if all outputs are stopped, the sound unit 33 stops making sounds and the bell stops.

The sound generating unit 33 may be configured to emit one sound, or may emit different sounds corresponding to each channel. The intervals between sounds may not be 10 seconds, but may be 7 seconds or 15 seconds, or may be longer or shorter, and may emit sounds continuously. When using music as a notification sound, it is preferable to use continuous sounds. Furthermore, the sound of the sound generating unit 33 is not limited to a preset sound, but may be switched by changing sound data, or may be configured to store multiple data in the main body 11 and freely read one of the data to change the sound from the sound generating unit 33. Alternatively, the sound data may be freely replaced and used. For example, if the patient is a child, the cries of a dog or cat, or the chirps of a bird may be used instead of a bell sound to relax the child. Furthermore, multiple sound data may be freely or randomly changed to emit sounds from the sound generating unit. Since the various sounds do not tire the patient, even in the case of a relatively long treatment time, patients, including children, are more likely to stay still while receiving treatment, improving the efficiency of treatment.

The sound generator 33 may be configured to emit one sound when output from any one of the channels, or may emit a different sound corresponding to each channel. For example, it may be configured so that bell sound 1 is emitted when output is from channel 1, bell sound 2 is emitted when output is from channel 2, and bell sound 3 is emitted when output is from channel 3. Of course, when the output of these channels is stopped, the corresponding bell sound is also stopped. Furthermore, while FIG. 3 shows an example in which only one sound generator 33 is provided, a sound generator may be provided for each individual channel.

Figure 4 shows three types of conductors that can be used with medical device 1. In this embodiment, the use of three types of conductors is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. Multiple use of only one type of conductor may be used, or a configuration using two types of conductors may be used. Alternatively, a conductor of a type different from any of these three types of conductors may be used.

Figure 4 (a) shows a coil-type conductor 41, which is used for relatively large affected areas, such as the lower back or back. The conductor 41 is composed of a conductor section 41-1 containing a coil that emits ultra-short waves, a cable 44, and a connector 45, and is connected to one of the connector connection sections 31-1 to 31-3 of the main body section 11 by the connector 45.

4B shows a capacitor-type lead 42 used for a relatively small affected area. The lead 42 is a pair of lead sections 42-1 and 42-2, a cable 46-1 connected to lead section 42-1, a cable 46-2 connected to lead section 42-2,
and a connector 47, which is connected to one of the connector connection parts 31-1 to 31-3 of the main body 11. When using the conductor 42, the affected area, for example the knee, is sandwiched between the two conductor parts for treatment. A belt (not shown) may be used for the sandwiching, and there are no particular limitations on the fixing method as long as the conductor can be maintained at a desired position and angle relative to the affected area.

In the figure, the coil-type conductor 41 is larger than the capacitor-type conductor 42, but this is not limited to the above, and the capacitor-type conductor may be larger than the coil-type conductor. Alternatively, the coil-type conductor 41 and the capacitor-type conductor 42 may be the same size. The area in which they are used may be determined based on the size of these types of conductor parts.

Figure 4 (c) shows a probe-type conductor 43 used for pinpoint treatment of even smaller affected areas. The conductor 43 is also composed of two paired conductor parts, and in this embodiment, it is composed of conductor part 43-1 and probe-type conductor part 43-2, cable 48-1 connected to conductor part 43-1, cable 48-2 connected to conductor part 43-2, and connector 49, and connector 49 is connected to one of connector connection parts 31-1 to 31-3 of main body part 11. The conductor 43 is used, for example, by having the patient lie on his/her back on an examination table and sandwiching conductor part 43-1 between his/her back and the examination table. The user, for example, a doctor, moves conductor part 43-2 over the patient's abdominal surface and performs treatment while irradiating the patient with ultrashort waves. The method of use is not limited to this. For example, the conductor unit 43-1 is placed on the seat of a chair, the patient sits on it, and a user such as a doctor slides the conductor unit 43-2 over the patient's body surface, such as the abdomen or back, while irradiating the patient with ultrashort waves to treat them. The affected area treated by the conductor 43 is not limited to the abdomen or back, but may also be the shoulders, upper limbs, lower limbs, or lower back, and may be determined appropriately according to the patient's condition.

When a probe-type conductor such as the conductor 43 is used while being moved by the user, the degree of reflection of the ultra-short waves can change depending on the angle and strength with which the conductor is pressed against the patient. Even when the conductor is moved, it is preferable for the user to adjust the position, angle, and degree of pressing of the conductor so that the reflection of the ultra-short waves is suppressed and the ultra-short waves are always efficiently applied to the affected area. However, the user cannot recognize the ultra-short waves and cannot determine whether the ultra-short waves are being efficiently applied to the affected area, so the conductor may be used with the angle, position, and degree of pressing against the affected area remaining inappropriate, that is, most of the ultra-short waves are not applied to the affected area, and in this case, the efficiency of treatment is significantly reduced. In response to this, the conductor 43 of this embodiment is provided with a detection unit 51 that detects the ultra-short waves and a notification unit 15 that notifies the user of the state of the detected ultra-short waves. This will be explained next.

Figure 5 shows detailed views of the conductor section 43-2. (a) shows a left side view, (b) shows an external view as seen from the direction of arrow A, and (c) shows a cross-sectional view.

In FIG. 5, the detection unit 51 is composed of an antenna unit 52, which is a detection means for receiving ultra-high frequency waves, and a circuit unit 53. The antenna unit 52 and the circuit unit 53 are arranged inside the conductor unit 43-2, at the position indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 5(a). In other words, they are built into the conductor 43-2 and cannot be seen from the outside. The antenna unit 52 and the circuit unit 53 may be configured as separate bodies as shown in FIG. 5, or may be configured as an integrated body. Furthermore, the antenna 52 and the circuit unit 53 may be arranged inside the cylindrical tube portion 59 as shown in FIG. 5, inside the grip portion 56, or even inside the joint protection portion 513 for protecting the cable 48-2, or may be arranged on the cable 48-2, as long as they can accurately detect ultra-high frequency waves.

The tubular portion 59 is made of resin and is molded integrally with the grip portion 56 so as to extend upward from the front of the grip portion 56. The tubular portion 59 may be a straight-lined tube as shown in the figure, or it may be curved toward the front, or it may be bent midway as described below. Furthermore, in FIG. 5, the tubular portion 59 is configured to have the same thickness from the base of the grip portion 56, but this is not limited to this. In other words, the thickness, position, length, material, angle, and weight can be adjusted as appropriate to make it easy for the user to hold and perform treatment, or to make it easy to maintain the position of the conductor 43-2 relative to the affected area.

Furthermore, in FIG. 5, there is a notification unit 55 as a second notification unit that notifies that ultra-high frequency waves have been detected, and the notification unit 55 is composed of a detection display unit 54-1, a detection display unit 54-2, and a detection display unit 54-3. Here, the number of detection display units is not limited to three, and may be two, one, or four or more. Furthermore, the notification unit 55 notifies visually, but is not limited to this, and may be configured to notify by sound, or may be configured to notify by display and sound. Also, in FIG. 5, the antenna unit 52, the circuit unit 53, and the notification unit 55 are arranged in the conductor 43, but are not limited to this, and may be arranged in the conductor 41 or the conductor 42.

Figure 6 is a circuit diagram of circuit section 53 of detection section 51. Circuit section 53 uses the VHF power received by antenna section 52 to light up detection display sections 54-1, 54-2, and 54-3. Detection display section 54-1 is illuminated using LED 641. Similarly, detection display section 54-2 is illuminated by LED 642, and detection display section 54-3 is illuminated by LED 643. LED 641, LED 642, and LED 643 use blue LEDs.

In the figure, one LED is used for each of the detection display units 54-1 to 54-3, but the number of LEDs is not limited to this, and the detection display units may be configured with different numbers of LEDs. For example, the detection display unit 54-1 may be configured with one LED 641, the detection display unit 54-2 may be configured with two LEDs 642, and the detection display unit 54-3 may be configured with three LEDs 643. Furthermore, the LEDs used for each detection display unit may be different for the detection display units 54-1 to 54-3, or the same LEDs may be used. For example, instead of increasing the number of LEDs used, a configuration may be used in which LEDs with high brightness are used, or each detection display unit may be configured with a different number of LEDs as well as different brightness.

Detection display units 54-1 to 54-3 are set to light up according to the strength of the detected VHF. In this embodiment, when the detected VHF is relatively weak, only detection display unit 54-1, i.e., only LED 641, lights up. When it is moderate, detection display units 54-1 and 54-2, i.e., LEDs 641 and 642, light up. When it is relatively strong, all of detection display units 54-1 to 54-3, i.e., LEDs 641, 642, and 643, are set to light up. To light LED 641, a circuit using diode 621, resistor 631, Zener diode 651, capacitor 661, and resistor 671 (hereinafter referred to as the first stage circuit) is used, and detection display 54-1 is lighted by LED 641 using the power received by antenna unit 52. A circuit using diode 622, resistor 632, Zener diode 652, capacitor 662, and resistor 672 (hereinafter referred to as the second stage circuit) is used to light LED 642, and detection display unit 54-2 is turned on by LED 642 using the power received by antenna unit 52. Similarly, a circuit using diode 623, resistor 633, Zener diode 653, capacitor 663, and resistor 673 (hereinafter referred to as the third stage circuit) is used to light LED 643, and LED 643 is turned on using the power received by antenna unit 52, and detection display unit 54-3 is turned on. Such settings can be freely set by adjusting the specifications and parameters of resistors, capacitors, diodes, etc. in the circuit of FIG. 6.

Figure 7 shows the relationship between the lighting state of the detection display units 54-1 to 54-3 and the power of the detected VHF. The horizontal axis indicates the power of the VHF detected by the antenna unit 52, and the vertical axis indicates the brightness of the LED used in each display unit. The solid line indicates the light emission characteristics of the LED 641 of the detection display unit 54-1, the dotted line indicates the light emission characteristics of the LED 642 of the detection display unit 54-2, and the dashed and dotted line indicates the light emission characteristics of the LED 643 of the detection display unit 54-3. First, when the received power is P1, the detection display unit 54-1 starts to light up. However, the brightness at P1 is not very high. As the received power increases further, the detection display unit 54-1 gradually becomes brighter. When the received power is P2, the detection display unit 54-2 starts to light up. When the received power is between P1 and P2, the brightness of the detection display unit 54-1 increases according to the received power. When the received power reaches P3, the detection display unit 54-3 starts to light up and becomes brighter. When the power is between P2 and P3, the brightness of the detection display unit 54-1 does not change, but the brightness of the detection display unit 54-2 gradually increases depending on the received power. Similarly, the brightness of the detection display unit 54-2 and the detection display unit 54-3 changes depending on the strength of the received power.

Figure 7 is one example, and various settings are possible for the lighting state of the detection display unit instead of that shown in Figure 7 by setting the resistors and diodes described above, or by selecting an LED. For example, in Figure 7, the second stage detection display unit 54-2 starts lighting before the detection display unit 54-1 reaches its maximum brightness, and the third stage detection display unit 54-3 starts lighting before the second stage detection display unit 54-2 reaches its maximum brightness, but this is not limited to this, and the detection display unit 54-2 starts lighting after the detection display unit 54-1 reaches its maximum brightness or almost its maximum brightness, and the detection display unit 54-3 starts lighting after the detection display unit 54-2 reaches its maximum brightness or almost its maximum brightness.

Figure 8 shows the relationship between the lighting state of the detection display units 54-1 to 54-3 and the VHF detection power in this case. At detection power P1, the detection display unit 54-1 starts to light up, and at P5, the detection display unit 54-2 starts to light up. At P5, the detection display unit 54-1 is at or near maximum brightness. Furthermore, at P6, the detection display unit 54-3 starts to light up. At P6, the detection display unit 54-2 is already at or near maximum brightness.

In Figures 7 and 8, the maximum brightness of each detection display unit, i.e., the maximum brightness of each LED, is different, but this is not limited to the above, and the maximum brightness of all detection display units may be constant, or the maximum brightness of the LEDs of some detection display units may be constant while the others are changed. For example, the maximum brightness of detection display unit 54-1 and detection display unit 54-2 may be set to the same, and the brightness of detection display unit 54-3 may be set to be greater than that of detection display units 54-1 and 54-2.

In this embodiment, LEDs 641, 642, and 643 used in the detection and display unit are the same color, for example, blue, but are not limited to this and may be white or red. Furthermore, all LEDs may not be the same color, but may be different colors. For example, LED 641 used in detection and display unit 54-1, which lights up when the weakest power is detected, may be white, LED 642, which lights up next and is blue in this embodiment, and LED 643, which is the LED indicating the highest power and is a yellow LED in this embodiment. In this way, it is possible to change the color of the LED depending on the detected power, which is more preferable as it allows the user to more easily recognize the received power.

As described above, in this embodiment, depending on the power of the detected VHF, if the detected power is relatively weak, detection display unit 54-1 lights up, if it is medium, detection display unit 54-2 lights up, and if it is relatively strong, detection display unit 54-3 lights up. In other words, the detected power is displayed in four stages, including zero or very weak. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to have two stages indicating whether or not power is detected, that is, only detection display unit 54-1 and the first stage circuit are arranged, and if VHF is detected, detection display unit 54-1 lights up, and if it is not detected or the detected power is close to zero and very weak, the detection display unit does not light up.

Alternatively, there may be three levels: the detected power is strong, weak, or undetectable or very close to zero. Or there may be five or more levels. In addition, a power meter may be provided to display the detected power, or the detected power may be quantified and displayed digitally. Furthermore, instead of using the power to light up an LED as described above, a sound may be generated. For example, when the detected power is low, a low sound may be generated, and as the power increases, a higher pitched sound may be generated.

In the above embodiment, the case where the main body 11 fails is not taken into consideration, but it is unavoidable that the device will fail or malfunction temporarily due to aging, misoperation, or other reasons. If a failure or temporary malfunction occurs, the patient may be irradiated with extremely strong microwaves that exceed expectations. If measures such as immediately turning off the device or removing the conductor from the patient are not taken as soon as possible, this could lead to an accident in which the patient suffers a burn. The present invention can also handle this situation.

Figure 9 shows another example of the circuit section 53. In this figure, in addition to the third stage circuit, a fourth stage circuit is arranged, and a warning circuit as a warning means and a buzzer 91 as a warning section are connected to the fourth stage circuit. That is, the warning means is used as the second notification means. The fourth stage circuit uses a diode 924, a resistor 934, a Zener diode 954, a capacitor 964, and a resistor 974 to form a warning circuit. In this example, when a relatively weak ultra-short wave is detected, the first stage circuit causes the LED 641 to emit light and the detection display section 54-1 to light up, and when the detected power becomes large, the second stage circuit causes the LED 642 to emit light and the detection display section 54-2 to light up, and when the power of the ultra-short wave becomes even larger, the third stage circuit causes the LED 643 to emit light and the detection display section 54-3 to light up. However, when a very strong power that exceeds the expected level is detected due to a malfunction or failure of the device, the fourth stage circuit sounds the buzzer 91 to notify a warning. The warning means is not limited to a buzzer, and may be configured to issue a warning using a speaker. Or, instead of issuing a warning by sound, a very bright LED or a red LED may be used, or a combination of these LEDs and audible warnings, such as a buzzer 91, may be used.

In addition, while FIG. 9 shows a configuration capable of performing three stages of detection display and warning, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration using a first stage circuit and a warning circuit is also possible, or a second stage circuit in addition to the first stage circuit and a warning circuit may be used. Alternatively, a configuration may be used in which only the warning circuit shown in FIG. 9 and the warning means, i.e., a buzzer 91, is used, without providing a visual notification unit 55 as the second notification means.

Next, the configuration of the conductor 43 will be described in further detail. In FIG. 5(a), the conductor portion 43-2 is provided with a dome-shaped gripping portion 56 for gripping the conductor portion 43-2, a contact plane 57 where the conductor portion 43-2 comes into contact with the surface of the human body, and a small dome-shaped protrusion 58 provided on the contact plane 57.

Figure 5 (c) is a cross section of the conductor section 43-2. Thus, the VHF output section 512, which is an electrical energy output section, is provided inside the protrusion 58, and the cable 48-2 passes through the antenna 52 and circuit section 53 provided inside the tube section 59, that is, through the inside of the detection section 51, and is connected to the VHF output section 512. The circuit section 53 has the above-mentioned first stage circuit and the like provided on a doughnut-shaped substrate, and the cable 48-2 passes through a hole in the center of the doughnut-shaped substrate. The substrate of the circuit section 53 may be a single substrate on which the above-mentioned first stage circuit, second stage circuit, and third stage circuit are provided, or may be configured, for example, by providing the first stage circuit, second stage circuit, and third stage circuit on three substrates, respectively. In this embodiment, the cable 48-2 is connected to the microwave emission unit 512 through a central hole in the doughnut-shaped substrate inside the detection unit 51, but this is not limited to this, and the cable 48-2 may be configured to be located on either side or both sides.

The notification unit 55 is provided on the surface of the tube portion 59. The detection display unit 54-1, the detection display unit 54-2, and the detection display unit 54-3 of the notification unit 55 are arranged on the left side of the tube portion 59 in FIG. 5(b) so that they are easy to see when the conductor portion 43-2 is held with the right hand, but are not limited to this. They may be arranged on the right side of the tube portion 59, on both the right and left sides, or in three directions with a central angle of 120 degrees, or may be provided in a ring shape around the entire circumference of the tube portion 59. When arranged around the entire circumference, for example, a configuration using multiple circuit units 53 illustrated in FIG. 6, for example, three or four or more, may be used. In this case, the antenna unit 52 may be arranged in each of these multiple circuits, or the antenna unit 52 may be common to these multiple circuits. Alternatively, only one circuit unit 53 may be arranged, and multiple LEDs 641, 642, and 643 may be used and arranged around the entire circumference of the tube portion 59. For example, three LEDs 641 may be arranged evenly around the entire circumference of the tubular portion 59, six LEDs 642 may be arranged around the entire circumference of the tubular portion 59, and nine LEDs 643 may also be arranged around the entire circumference of the tubular portion 59.

The conductor 43-2 has a protrusion 58 as shown in FIG. 5. The protrusion 58 and the contact plane 57 are very useful for a probe-type conductor, such as the conductor 43-2. As described above, such a probe-type conductor is used by moving it in a sliding manner on the surface of the human body. For example, when moving while searching for a severely stiff affected area (hereinafter referred to as a stiff area), it is difficult to find the stiff area using only the contact plane 57 without the protrusion 58, and the stiff area cannot be found efficiently and reliably, and treatment cannot be applied to the stiff area, resulting in poor treatment efficiency. However, by having the protrusion 58, for example, when the protrusion 58 approaches the stiffness of the back or shoulders, the force with which the user slides the conductor 43-2 becomes larger only in the stiff area, or the feeling transmitted to the hand when sliding differs depending on whether or not there is stiffness, so the stiff area, that is, the affected area to be treated, can be easily found. Therefore, even though the conductor 43-2 should slide smoothly, the conductor does not slide smoothly, making it easy to find the affected area and accurately treat the stiff area, thereby improving treatment efficiency.

When a pen-type conductor, i.e., a conductor that does not have a surface that comes into contact with the patient's surface like the conductor portion 43-2 and is composed only of a convex portion as the part that comes into contact with the patient, is used by abutting it against the patient's surface and sliding it over the patient's surface, it is necessary to adjust the force with which the convex portion of the tip of the pen-type conductor is pressed against the patient's surface and the force with which it is slid, and it is not easy for an inexperienced person or an untrained person to slide the pen-type conductor over the patient's body surface to find the stiff area ... the treatment efficiency is not sufficiently improved. For example, if the force applied to the pen-type conductor is strong, the convex portion of the tip is pressed more strongly against the human body, making the pen-type conductor less likely to slide well, or requiring a strong force to slide the pen-type conductor, making it difficult to find the stiff area. Furthermore, problems such as the patient feeling pain due to the strong pressing, the affected area being further damaged by unintentionally pressing the convex portion of the tip of the pen-type conductor with strong force against the affected area, and normal muscles and tendons being damaged by pressing the tip of the pen-type conductor with more force than necessary have occurred. Conversely, if the pressure applied to the pen-type electrode is too weak, the pen-type electrode will slide easily, but on the other hand, the stiffness will often go unnoticed, and there will be problems with not being able to administer treatment with microwaves. Or there will be problems with not being able to notice the inflamed area, and irradiating the microwaves and worsening the inflammation. Because of these problems, the use of the pen-type electrode does not improve treatment efficiency, and in many cases this results in a decrease in treatment efficiency.

In this embodiment, as described above, it has both a contact plane 57 and a convex portion 58 that come into contact with the surface of the human body. By having both a contact plane 57 and a convex portion 58, even if a stronger force than necessary is applied to the conductor 43-2, the contact plane 57 will not press the convex portion 58 against the human body more than necessary, i.e., the force applied to the convex portion 58 is appropriately limited, so that the conductor portion 43-2 can be slid smoothly and stiffness can be easily detected. Therefore, stiffness can be easily detected and appropriate treatment can be performed immediately, so that treatment efficiency is not reduced and treatment efficiency can be improved.

Furthermore, the contact plane 57 and the convex portion 58 also solve the following problem. For example, there may be an inflamed area near the affected area to be treated. Since the treatment device in this embodiment performs treatment by the thermal effect of ultrashort waves, the inflamed area cannot be exposed to the ultrashort waves. In this case, if the conductor 41 or conductor 42 is used, the ultrashort waves are emitted over a relatively wide area, and the ultrashort waves also act on the inflamed area, causing a thermal effect, which worsens the inflammation and reduces the effectiveness of the treatment. In contrast, if the conductor 43 is used to move the conductor portion 43-2 by sliding it over the surface of the human body, when the convex portion 58 approaches the inflamed area, the force required to slide the conductor portion 43-2 and the sensation transmitted to the hand when sliding differ depending on whether or not there is inflammation, so it is easy to find the inflamed area, that is, the affected area to which ultrashort waves should not be irradiated. In other words, by easily finding affected areas that should not be treated with ultrashort waves and treating only those areas that should be treated, inflammation is not aggravated, the therapeutic effect is not reduced, and only the affected areas can be treated accurately, improving the efficiency of treatment.

The gripping prevention means in FIG. 5(a) and FIG. 5(b) will be described. In FIG. 5, a gripping prevention portion 511 is arranged as a gripping prevention means. In the absence of the gripping prevention portion 511, the user may not hold the conductor portion 43-2 by gripping the tubular portion 59, for example, by gripping the middle of the tubular portion 59, or by gripping the lower part of the tubular portion 59, instead of the gripping portion 56 that should be gripped, or may not hold the conductor portion 43-2 properly, such as by hooking a finger on the tubular portion 59 even if the gripping portion 56 is held. The probe-type conductor of the present embodiment is designed so that the conductor can be used without waste or strain by properly gripping the position that should be gripped. Therefore, if the conductor is gripped at a position that should not be gripped or gripped improperly, the conductor cannot be slid appropriately for use, that is, when the conductor portion 43-2 is slid on the surface of the human body for treatment, sufficient force is not applied, and the conductor portion 43-2 cannot be slid. If the conductor 43-2 is not held properly, the use of the probe-type conductor 43-2 places an extra burden on the user, requiring more force than necessary, or the conductor 43-2 becomes easily fatigued and shifts from the appropriate position, making it impossible to maintain the conductor 43-2 in the appropriate position relative to the affected area for a long period of time, resulting in reduced treatment efficiency. Furthermore, if the conductor 43-2 is not held properly, the conductor 43-2 cannot be slid smoothly over the surface of the human body, making it impossible to find the affected area, or making it difficult to find the affected area, and it takes time to find the affected area, making it impossible to treat the affected area sufficiently, resulting in reduced treatment efficiency. Furthermore, as described above, if there is an inflamed area, especially an inflamed area around the affected area, the inflamed area may not be found and may be overlooked, which may lead to the problem of the irradiating the ultrashort waves to heat the inflamed area and worsen it.

However, since the conductor of the present invention has a gripping prevention portion 511 like the conductor portion 43-2, the user cannot hold the tubular portion 59 or hold the tubular portion 59 with his/her fingers, and is forced to grip the grip portion 56 appropriately. For example, the conductor portion 43-2 is gripped by placing the hand on the grip portion 56 as if holding a mouse used for a personal computer. Therefore, since the user grips the grip portion 56 appropriately, the conductor portion 43-2 can be used appropriately, and the affected area can be efficiently found and treated, improving the efficiency of treatment. Since the user grips the grip portion 56 appropriately, the user can efficiently operate the conductor portion 43-2 without placing extra strain on the user and without getting tired, and can be properly abutted against the affected area for a long time. Furthermore, it becomes possible to easily find areas that should not be irradiated with the electrical energy used for treatment, which is ultra-short waves in this embodiment, such as inflamed areas, and therefore ultra-short waves are not irradiated to the inflamed area by mistake, and the inflamed area is not given a thermal effect, and the inflammation is not aggravated, allowing appropriate treatment and improving the treatment effect. In this sense, the gripping prevention unit 511 is both a gripping prevention means and a gripping guidance unit that functions to allow the conductor unit 43-2 to be gripped appropriately.

The gripping prevention unit 511 also solves the following problem. As shown in FIG. 5, the antenna unit 52 of the conductor unit 43-2 is disposed inside the tube unit 59. The antenna unit 52 detects the power transmitted through the cable 48-2 by receiving the power leaking from the cable 48-2, and displays it as the output of the ultra-short waves using the detection and display units 54-1 to 54-3. However, if the vicinity of the antenna unit 52 is gripped or a finger is placed on it, the power that can be received by the antenna unit 52 is affected, and the ultra-short waves are erroneously detected. If the erroneous detection is greater than the actual power, the ultra-short waves of a lower power than the power displayed by the notification unit 55 are applied to the patient, so the power of the ultra-short waves is insufficient to obtain a sufficient therapeutic effect, and there is a problem that the therapeutic effect is not improved. Conversely, if the erroneous detection is less than the actual power, more ultra-short waves than necessary are irradiated to the affected area, causing the patient to feel heat in the affected area, causing discomfort, and in some cases, causing burns. These false detections vary depending on the angle, position, distance, and other factors of the user's hand or finger relative to the antenna unit 52, and the most reliable countermeasure is to avoid placing hands or fingers near the position of the antenna unit 52 located on the tube portion 59 or around it.

In the present invention, the gripping prevention section 511 is disposed near the antenna section 52. In other words, the gripping prevention section 511, which is a gripping prevention means, is disposed between the antenna section 52, which is a detection means, and the gripping section 56 that is held by the user. This allows the user to hold the conductor section 43-2 appropriately without holding it at the position of the antenna section 52 or placing a finger near the antenna section 52, and also makes it possible to prevent the user from gripping the antenna section.

It is often thought that it is desirable to place the antenna unit 52 not in the center of the tube part 59 but at the tip of the tube part 59 near the joint protection part 513, or inside or outside the joint protection part 513, or on the cable 48-2, as shown in FIG. 5, and to place the antenna unit 52 as far away as possible from the user's hands and fingers, but in this embodiment, the antenna unit 52 and the circuit part 53 are placed near the center of the tube part 59. The reason for this is to avoid the fact that if the antenna unit 52 and the circuit part 53 are placed at the tip of the tube part 59, their weight makes it difficult to find the center of gravity of the conductor part 43-2, which makes it difficult for the user to use the device. As far as the weight of the antenna unit 52 and the circuit part 53 is taken into consideration, it is better to position them as low as possible, that is, close to the grip part 56, but there is a problem that the detection by the antenna unit 52 is easily affected by the user's hands and fingers when the user grips the grip part 56. Therefore, the antenna unit is placed near the center of the tube part 59. By positioning the antenna unit 52 in the center of the tube portion 59 in this way, it is possible to improve both the above-mentioned problem caused by the difficulty in locating the center of gravity of the lead portion 43-2 and the false detection of the antenna unit 52 by the user's hand or finger.

Furthermore, since the gripping prevention portion 511 is arranged, when the conductor 43-2 is gripped, the gripping prevention portion 511 can reliably separate the antenna portion 52 from the user's hand or fingers, and considering the center of gravity of the entire conductor portion 43-2 due to the weight of the antenna portion 52, circuit portion 53, and conductor portion 43-2, the conductor portion 43-2 can be arranged in the position shown in FIG. 5, where the center of gravity is as low as possible so that the user can easily operate the conductor portion 43-2. As described above, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 5, the antenna portion 52 and circuit portion 53 are arranged in the center of the tube portion 59, and further, the gripping prevention portion 511 is arranged, so that these problems can be prevented, diseased or inflamed areas can be easily found, and the conductor portion 43-2 can be maintained in an appropriate position for a long period of time, thereby further improving the efficiency of treatment.

The gripping prevention means is not limited to the gripping prevention unit 511 as shown in FIG. 5. The detection display unit 54-1, which is the notification unit 55, and other parts will not be visible if this part is gripped, so the user will not grip this part. Therefore, the antenna unit 52, or the antenna unit 52 and the circuit unit 53, may be located inside the tube portion 59 at the position of the notification unit 55.

Figure 10 shows an example of this state. In this case, if the user grasps the notification unit 55 or the detection display units 54-1 to 54-3, the user cannot see the detection display unit 54-1, so the user will grasp the detection display unit 54-1 and the like. Therefore, the detection display unit 54-1 and the like that are the notification unit 55 also correspond to the grasping prevention means. Also, in this case, the antenna unit 52, the circuit unit 53, and the notification unit 55 may be configured and arranged as an integrated unit.

In this embodiment, the gripping prevention portion has a semicircular shape, and is shown as a semicircular shape in FIG. 5(b), but is not limited to this and may be other polygonal shapes such as rectangular, square, or triangular, or may be a pin-shaped protrusion.

As shown in FIG. 11(a), the gripping prevention portion 514 may be shaped so that a portion of the tube portion 59 protrudes. In this case, the user places his or her hand or fingers between the gripping prevention portion 514 and the gripping portion 56 and grips the gripping portion 56 in the same way as holding a mouse for a personal computer.

Alternatively, the gripping prevention portion may be an annular gripping prevention portion 515 that surrounds the tube portion 59 as shown in FIG. 11(b). In this figure, the gripping prevention portion 515 is offset toward the conductor, or to the right in this figure, relative to the tube portion 59, but this is not limited thereto, and the gripping prevention portion may be formed as a concentric circle relative to the tube portion 59, or may even be an ellipse.

In addition, in FIG. 5(b), the gripping prevention means is provided with two gripping prevention portions 511, but this is not limited to this. For example, three or more gripping prevention portions may be attached to the peripheral surface of the tubular portion 59, or there may be only one. Furthermore, it may be used in combination with gripping prevention means represented by the two types of gripping prevention means shown in FIG. 11.

The gripping prevention means may have the following configuration. For example, instead of forming the entire tube portion 59 in a cylindrical shape as described above and arranging a separate gripping prevention portion or forming it integrally with the tube portion 59, the cross section of the tube portion 59 may be, for example, triangular or rectangular rather than circular as a gripping prevention portion.

Figure 12 (a) shows an example in which the shape of the conductor portion 43-2, for example the shape of the tubular portion 59, has been changed as a gripping prevention means. In this figure, the detection display portion and the like have been omitted for simplicity. As shown in the figure, the tubular portion 59 has a portion slightly below the antenna portion 52 as tubular portion 59-1, and a portion above tubular portion 59-1 as tubular portion 59-2 which includes the antenna portion 52. In this way, the tubular portion may be divided into two portions to form a gripping prevention means.

In the example of FIG. 12, the shape of the cross section of the tube portion 59-1 (cross section of the arrow B) is a circle as shown in FIG. 12(b), and the shape of the cross section of the tube portion 59-2 (cross section of the arrow C) is a square as shown in FIG. 12(c), but the shape is not limited to this, and for example, the cross section of the tube portion 59-2 may be a triangle instead of a rectangle. In addition, in order to prevent grasping as in this example, the diameter and size of the cross section of the tube portion may be changed to make the cross section square to make the shape more difficult to grasp, but the cross section shape may be changed without changing the diameter. Conversely, a configuration in which only the diameter is changed without changing the cross section shape may be used. For example, the cross section of the tube portion may be made circular and the diameter of the tube portion may be increased at or near the position of the antenna portion 52, or conversely, the tube portion may be made narrower at or near the position of the antenna portion 52 to make it difficult for the user to grasp. Alternatively, the diameter and cross section shape may be changed as described above only for the part where the antenna portion 52 is located. For example, in FIG. 12(a), the tube portion 59 is divided into two parts, but this is not limited thereto and may be divided into three or more parts.

Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 12(d), a curved portion 59-3 may be provided as a gripping prevention means. Normally, if a user is trying to grip something that is cylindrical and has a curved portion, they tend to grip the object while avoiding the curved portion. Therefore, by providing and curving the curved portion 59-3 as shown in FIG. 12(d) and locating the antenna unit 52 at or near the curved portion 59-3, the user will not grip the curved portion 59-3 or its vicinity, and will not place their hands or fingers near the antenna unit 52. Therefore, the curved portion 59-3 becomes a gripping prevention portion, which is a gripping prevention means for the antenna unit 52.

In the above, for example, in Fig. 5 and Fig. 10, a physical protrusion is described as the gripping prevention means. On the other hand, in Fig. 12(d), the curved portion 59-3 functions as the gripping prevention means, and in Fig. 10, the detection display unit 54-1 and others, which are the notification unit 55, function as the gripping prevention means. In this way, the gripping prevention means is not limited to being a physical protrusion and may be a non-protrusion. In Fig. 5, the detection display units 54-1 and others need to be visually checked by the user, and therefore the detection display units 54-1 to 54-3 are not gripped, and therefore the detection display units 54-1 to 54-3 are used as the gripping prevention means, which are non-protrusions. Similarly, in Fig. 12(d), the shape of the tube portion 59 is used as a non-protrusion as the gripping prevention means. In other words, the gripping prevention means is not limited to a physical protrusion, etc., as long as it suppresses the user's gripping.

It is not determined that the above gripping prevention means should be used alone. For example, it is possible to use multiple gripping prevention means in combination. For example, as shown in FIG. 12(e), a curved portion 59-3 that is a non-protruding object and a gripping prevention portion 516 that is a protruding object may be arranged as a gripping prevention means. In order to more reliably prevent the user from bringing their hands or fingers close to the antenna 52, multiple gripping prevention means may be combined, and there are no particular limitations on the combination.

The conductor 43 can also solve the following problem. As mentioned above, the conductor 41 and the conductor 42 can be fixed to the affected area by a belt or the like, but the probe-type conductor cannot be fixed. The conductor portion 43-2 is always held by the user in his/her hand and placed against the affected area. If there is no protrusion 58 and the contact plane 57 is used, the conductor portion is likely to slip off the affected area. It is not easy for the patient to stay still for a long time, especially if the patient is a child. If the child moves unexpectedly, the conductor also moves, so the conductor slips off the affected area, and it is quite difficult to keep the conductor portion in the same position. However, if there is a protrusion 58, the conductor portion 43-2 is less likely to slip and move than when there is no protrusion 58, so that even if the patient is a child, it is easier to maintain the conductor portion 43-2 in the same position for a relatively long time. This prevents a decrease in treatment efficiency caused by the conductor portion slipping off the affected area, and improves treatment efficiency.

Furthermore, the convex parts 58 stimulate areas of stiffness and acupressure points, providing an acupressure effect, which in combination with the therapeutic effect of the ultrashort waves improves the therapeutic effect. This acupressure effect is achieved by appropriately limiting the force with which the convex parts 58 are pressed by the contact plane 57, preventing problems caused by pressing too hard, such as pain, and preventing the aforementioned decrease in therapeutic efficiency resulting from pressing the conductor too hard, thereby improving therapeutic efficiency.

In addition, in a configuration having a contact plane 57 and a protrusion 58 like the above-mentioned conductor portion 43-2, the protrusion 58 is located at the tip of the contact plane 57. That is, by locating the protrusion 58 closer to the tip of the finger when gripping the grip portion 56, it has the effect of making it easier to press the protrusion 58. This reduces the fatigue of the user caused by pressing the conductor portion 43-2 against the affected area, and makes it possible to abut the conductor portion 43-2 in an appropriate position for a long period of time. Therefore, when using the acupressure effect for treatment, force can be applied efficiently to the protrusion 58, so that more reliable treatment can be performed for a long period of time and treatment efficiency is improved.

Figure 13 shows an example of another probe-type conductor 43-3. Compared to Figure 5, there is no protrusion 58, but in addition to the grip 56 and tube 59, there is also the notification section 55, antenna section 52, and circuit section 53, making it almost the same. The conductor 43-2 is effective on relatively wide, flat areas such as the back and abdomen, as described above. On the other hand, it may not be effective enough on the elbows, knees, ankles, etc. These areas have large uneven surfaces due to the joints, and these uneven surfaces prevent the conductor 43-2 from sliding smoothly over the surface. Or, even if the surface is relatively smooth, the area just below the skin is very rough due to bones and muscles, so the conductor 43-2 does not slide smoothly over the surface. For example, in the chest, the ribs prevent the protrusion 58, making it impossible for the conductor 43-2 to slide smoothly over the chest surface. Furthermore, the protrusion 58 presses against the ribs more than necessary, causing problems such as pain. Similarly, in the case of elbows, knees, and ankles, the convex portion 58 prevents the conductor portion 43-2 from sliding, making them unsuitable for treatment. This can also prevent microwave treatment from starting, or the contact with the convex portion 58 can cause pain so severe that treatment is stopped midway, reducing the efficiency of treatment.

Therefore, it is desirable to use the conductor 43-3, rather than the conductor 43-2, in the chest, elbows, knees, ankles, etc. When treating such areas, the conductor 43-2 having the convex portion 58 will cause the above-mentioned problems, as with a pen-type conductor, due to the conductor 43-2 abutting the convex portion 58 more strongly than necessary against these areas. However, the conductor 43-3 in FIG. 13 does not have the convex portion 58, so even if there is a bone directly under the skin, the conductor 43-3 can be smoothly slid by the contact plane 57, making it easy to treat with ultrashort waves even in joints, etc., and improving treatment efficiency. In these joints, etc., the conductor 42, etc. may be fixed with a belt, but in this case, the angle of the conductor 42 may not always be properly maintained, and the user or patient must hold the conductor 42 in their hands to maintain the appropriate angle. The conductor 42, etc. is not designed to be used by hand, and the conductor 42 cannot be maintained in the appropriate position or angle for a long time, and treatment efficiency cannot be improved. In contrast, the conductor 43-3 can be held by the user, allowing the user to maintain the conductor 43-3 at the appropriate position and angle relative to the affected area for long periods of time, improving treatment efficiency.

Figure 13(b) is a cross section of the conductor section 43-3. The difference with the conductor section 43-2 is that, in addition to the absence of the protrusion 58, the VHF emission section 512 is located in the center of the contact plane 57. Note that the VHF emission section 512, which is an electrical energy emission section, is not limited to this position, and may be located in front of the contact plane 57, that is, on the left side of the drawing, which is the same position as in Figure 5(c). Alternatively, conversely, it may be located behind the contact plane 57, that is, on the right side of the drawing, behind the conductor section 43-3 as shown by the dotted line in Figure 13(b).

Next, in this embodiment, the notification unit 15, which is the first notification unit, and the notification unit 55, which is the second notification unit, will be described. Here, an example will be described in which the conductor 43 is used for treatment. The connector 49 of the conductor 43 is connected to the connector connection unit 31-1 and used, that is, channel 1 is used. When the output start button 22-1 that starts the output of channel 1 is pressed, the output (assumed to be Ps) set by the adjustment unit 24-1 is supplied to the ultrashort wave emission unit 512 built into the conductor unit 43-2, and the ultrashort wave is emitted. However, in reality, part of the ultrashort wave is absorbed by the patient and part is reflected. If the power absorbed by the patient is Pi and the reflected power is Pr, it can be approximated as Ps = Pi + Pr. Pr is reflected by the patient and returns to the cable 48-2 as it is, so it cancels out with the power supplied from the main unit 11, and the ultrashort wave power transmitted through the cable is Ps - Pr, which becomes Pi. It should be noted that Pr can be easily changed by adjusting the position, angle, and pressure of the conductor 43-2 against the affected area. By adjusting the position, angle, and pressure of the conductor 43-2 against the affected area to minimize Pr and maximize Pi, the microwaves can be applied efficiently to the patient, improving the efficiency of treatment. The power Pd detected by the antenna 52 is Pd = f (Pi), which is a function of Pi. The relationship between Pi and the detected power Pd here varies depending on the characteristics of the antenna 52 used and the distance between the antenna 52 and the cable 48-2, and is not an essential issue of the present invention, so a description will be omitted. What is important is that the detected power is an index that indirectly represents the power applied to the patient, is easily changed by the reflected power Pr, and by reducing Pr, the power absorbed by the patient increases, improving the efficiency of treatment.

However, as mentioned above, the Pr can easily change by changing the angle or distance of the conductor portion 43-2 or the way it is pressed against the affected area. Therefore, the user always adjusts the conductor portion 43-2 to an appropriate orientation and position, and performs treatment while maintaining that appropriate position and orientation. However, when the user starts treatment, even if the way or position of the conductor portion 43-2 is changed, the lighting of the detection display portion 54-1 and other components constituting the second notification portion, the notification portion 55, may differ from the lighting expected by the user. For example, the detection display portion 54-1 may not respond at all. In this case, the following two causes are considered. Cause 1: The output start button 22-1 of the main body portion 11 has not been pressed, and no output is being generated. Cause 2: The output start button 22-1 has been pressed, but for some reason, power is not being supplied to the conductor portion 43-2 through the cable 48-2.

Only the conductor section 43-2 is provided with a notification section. If the main body section 11 does not have a notification section, the user cannot easily notice that ultra-short waves are not being output. In this case, the user may mistakenly think that the detection display section 54-1 and other sections are not lit because the conductor section 43-2 is not being applied properly, and may persist in adjusting the application of the conductor section 43-2 even though ultra-short waves are not being output. This makes it difficult to start actual treatment, leading to a problem of reduced treatment efficiency.

In the medical device 1 in this embodiment, the conductor section 43-2 has a notification section 55 as a second notification section, the main body section 11 has a notification section 15 as a first notification section, and the main body section 11 has LEDs 32-1 to 32-3, so that these causes can be easily identified and dealt with promptly as follows. First, the user checks the LED 32-1 of the notification section 15 of the main body section 11. If the output start button 22-1 is pressed, the LED 32-1 is lit, so it is possible to instantly determine whether or not the cause is 1 based on whether the LED 32-1 is lit. If the LED 32-1 is off, it is easy and instantaneous to determine that the output start button 22-1 has not been pressed, so the user can immediately realize that he or she has forgotten to press the output start button 22-1 and can quickly press the output start button 22-1 to start treatment. Therefore, even if the user forgets to start the output, he or she will not mistakenly believe that the output is being output and continue the treatment, but will be able to instantly identify the cause of the problem and deal with it immediately, which is expected to improve the efficiency of treatment. Conversely, if the LED 32-1 is lit, it is known that the cause is 2. In other words, the user can easily determine which is the cause without having to leave the patient and go to the main unit 11 to check, and can promptly start actual treatment without mistakenly assuming that an output is being generated and continuing treatment, which is expected to improve treatment efficiency.

The medical device 1 to which the present invention is applied is provided with a sound generating unit 33 as a first notification unit. The sound generating unit 33 can also be used to determine the above-mentioned cause. As described above, when the lighting of the detection display unit 54-1 and the like is different from the lighting expected by the user, for example, when the detection display unit 54-1 does not react at all, the sound from the sound generating unit 33 is used as follows. First, the user checks whether or not he hears a sound from the sound generating unit 33. If the output start button 22-1 is pressed, a sound from the sound generating unit 33, a bell sound in this embodiment, is heard, so that the presence or absence of the sound can instantly determine whether or not the cause is 1. If no sound from the sound generating unit 33 is heard, it can be easily and instantly determined that the output start button 22-1 has not been pressed, so that the user can quickly press the output start button 22-1 to start treatment. Therefore, the user does not have difficulty in determining why the detection display unit is not lit, and does not mistakenly believe that ultra-short waves are being output when they are not, and continues treatment. Treatment can be started quickly, and treatment efficiency is expected to improve. Conversely, if a bell sound is heard, it can be determined that the cause is 2.

In addition, in this embodiment, the treatment is set to 20 minutes, so the ultra-short waves stop after 20 minutes. In general, when a timer is used, a buzzer or warning sounds only once when a specified time has elapsed. In ordinary hospitals, this buzzer is usually set to a very small or very short sound so as not to affect other patients or treatments, and users often miss it. In particular, when a probe conductor such as the conductor 43 is used, the user focuses on the conductor section 43-2, especially the detection display section 54-1, etc., and often misses the buzzer when the timer expires, and when the detection display section 54-1, etc., no longer lights up, the user often mistakenly believes that the conductor section 43-2 has shifted from the appropriate position or that the conductor section 43-2 has been applied improperly. However, in the case of this embodiment, while the ultra-short waves are being output, a bell sounds every 10 seconds by the sound generating section 33, and when the treatment time has elapsed and the ultra-short wave output is stopped, this bell also stops, so that it is easy to check whether the output of the ultra-short waves has ended by simply checking whether the bell sounds at equal intervals. If the bell has stopped, the user can immediately determine that the treatment time has ended and the ultrashort waves have stopped, and can therefore end the treatment operation. If the bell has not stopped, and if the detection display unit 54-1 is off, it can be instantly determined that the cause is that the conductor unit 43-2 has shifted or tilted, and the conductor unit 43-2 can be returned to the appropriate position or orientation, preventing a decrease in treatment efficiency due to an inappropriate position or angle of the conductor, and allowing appropriate treatment to be continued, improving treatment efficiency without a decrease in treatment efficiency. In this way, the sound generation unit 33 does not require the user to change their line of sight, turn their face, turn around, or stand up in order to visually check the notification unit 15 of the main unit 11. The user can keep their eyes on the conductor unit 43-2, and in particular the detection display unit 54-1 and other units of the notification unit 55, and can find out why the detection display unit 54-1 and other units are not lit as expected, preventing a decrease in treatment efficiency and improving treatment efficiency.

As described above, particularly when using a probe-type conductor 43, the way in which the conductor portion 43-2 is applied to the affected area is important, so the doctor or other user always pays attention to the conductor portion 43-2, and in particular to the notification portion 55, which is the second notification portion, while performing treatment. Therefore, the user does not want to take their eyes off the conductor portion 43-2 as much as possible, and does not want to move the conductor portion 43-2 away from the place where it is applied. However, if the lighting of the detection display portion 54-1, etc. is different from the expected lighting, without the first notification portion, it is not possible to distinguish whether this is because the user forgot to start output or because the conductor portion 43-1 is applied improperly, and the only option is to move away from the patient and return to the main body portion 11 to check the main body portion 11 and determine whether the conductor portion 43-1 is applied improperly. However, in the present invention, since the main body 11 has a first notification section, even when using a probe-type conductor 43, it is possible to easily determine whether the user forgot to start output or whether the conductor 43-1 is being applied improperly, without removing the conductor 43-2 from the patient while keeping it in contact with the patient. Therefore, if the conductor 43-1 is not being applied properly, the position or inclination of the conductor 43-1 can be immediately adjusted to prevent a decrease in treatment efficiency and improve treatment efficiency.

In this embodiment, the first notification unit has both a visual notification means that utilizes the sense of sight and an audio notification means that utilizes the sense of hearing. The present invention is not limited to this, and the first notification unit may be only a visual notification means or only an audio notification means.

It is preferable that at least an auditory notification means is used as the first notification unit. When using a probe-type conductor as described above, the user should focus on the conductor, in this embodiment the conductor unit 43-2, and not take their eyes off it. This is especially true when a notification unit is provided on the conductor unit as in this embodiment, and a detection display unit 54-1 or the like is arranged. In such cases, an auditory notification means is more preferable, as it does not require the user to direct their gaze towards the main unit 11, or to turn their face towards the main unit 11, or to stop treatment and leave the patient to move to the main unit 11 if the main unit 11 is not visible.

The above embodiment is also effective in the following cases. For example, even though the treatment has ended and the ultrashort waves should have stopped, the detection display unit 54-1 and the like may be lit. This indicates that the ultrashort wave output is continuing unintentionally, which is not desirable and may lead to failure of the main body unit 11 or the conductor unit 43-2, or may lead to electrical leakage, smoke, or fire, ultimately resulting in a fire. In this case, it is easy to determine whether or not there is a malfunction in the main body unit 11 by immediately checking whether or not there is a bell sound from the sound generation unit 33 and whether or not the LED 32-1 and other indicators are lit. For example, if the LED 32-1, LED 32-2, and LED 32-3 are lit, or a bell sound is ringing, and the detection display unit 54-1 and other indicators are lit, this means that the output stop button 23-1 and the like have not been operated properly and the output stop has not been set. In this case, the output can be stopped by immediately operating the output stop button 23-1 and other indicators. Conversely, if LED32-1, LED32-2, and LED32-3 are not lit, or if the detection display unit 54-1 and other units are lit even though the bell is not ringing, this indicates that the output is continuing even though the main unit 11 has been set to stop outputting ultra-short waves, and that the main unit 11 has temporarily gone out of control and is in a state where output control is not possible. If the main unit 11 continues to output in this way, it is likely to cause a malfunction of the main unit 11, and it is necessary to immediately press the main switch 25 to turn off the power to the main unit 11 and restart the main unit 11, etc. This makes it possible to avoid device malfunctions, prevent a decrease in treatment efficiency due to malfunctions, and improve treatment efficiency. Or, if the device is not out of control but has already malfunctioned, the ability to immediately detect the malfunction can prevent further malfunctions due to malfunctions, such as accidents such as fires.

In the above embodiment, both the visual notification means and the audio notification means arranged in the notification unit 15, which is the first notification unit, notify in two stages, that is, whether there is an output or not. The present invention is not limited to this, and the effect of the present invention is more pronounced by making the notification by these first notification units multi-stage. For example, it is desirable to divide the output into "weak", "medium", and "strong" and change the sound emitted from the sound generating unit 33 according to the power. In this case, when the output setting is divided into six stages, for example, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, with 1 being the weakest and the output increasing as the numbers increase to 2 and 3, the output settings 1 and 2 may be divided into "weak", the output settings 3 and 4 into "medium", and the output settings 5 and 6 into "strong". Alternatively, the output settings 1, 2, and 3 may be divided into "weak", the output settings 4 and 5 into "medium", and the output setting 6 into "strong", with no particular limitation. Furthermore, it does not have to be six stages, but may be, for example, five stages or less, seven stages or more, or it may be steplessly set by analog volume. Furthermore, although it is divided into three stages, "weak", "medium", and "strong", it is not limited to this, and it may be two stages, "weak" and "strong", or it may be four stages or more, and is not particularly limited.

When the output is divided into three levels, for example, the sound emitted from the sound generator 33 in the above embodiment is a bell sound, so it may be configured to change the bell sound according to the set microwave power, with bell sound 1 for a weak output, bell sound 2 for a medium output, and bell sound 3 for a strong output. Here, the channel sound is also set to three levels according to the set power divided into three levels of "weak," "medium," and "strong," but this is not limited to this, and the set power may be set to two levels or four or more levels, and the sound emitted may be changed accordingly.

When changing the sound according to the set output, it is possible to use a different sound that corresponds to the set output, or it is also possible to simply change the volume or pitch of the sound. For example, if the set power is low, a low-pitched bell 1-1 may be used, if the power is high, a higher-pitched version of bell 1-1 may be used (bell 1-3), and if the power is medium, a bell 1-2 with a pitch between bell 1-1 and 1-3 may be used.

Furthermore, different sounds may be used corresponding to each channel. For example, bell 1 may be used for channel 1, bell 2 for channel 2, and bell 3 for channel 3, and it is more desirable to change the pitch and sound quality of the bells according to the power set for each channel. For example, when low power is set for channel 1, bell 1-1 may be used, when high power is set, bell 1-3 may be used, which is a higher quality version of bell 1-1, and when medium power is set, bell 1-2 may be used, which is a sound quality between bell 1-1 and bell 1-3. Similarly, when low power is set for channel 2, bell 2-1 may be used, when high power is set, channel sound 2-3 may be used, which is a higher quality version of bell 2-1, and when medium power is set, bell 2-2 may be used, which is a sound quality between bell 2-1 and bell 2-3. Similarly, when low power is set for channel 3, bell 3-1 may be used, when high power is set, bell 3-3 may be used, which is a higher quality version of bell 3-1, and when medium power is set, bell 3-2 may be used, which is a sound quality between bell 3-1 and bell 3-3.

Although the above describes a configuration in which the emitted sound itself is changed depending on the set power, this is not limiting, and it is sufficient that the set power is displayed and the user or patient is aware of the power. For example, rather than changing the sound quality or the sound itself, the set power may be expressed by the number of sounds or the length of the sounds emitted. For example, if the set power is expressed in three stages as above, the sound may be made once when the set power is weak, twice when the set power is medium, and three times when the set power is strong, thereby notifying the user of the set strength of the ultra-high frequency waves using their sense of hearing.

Furthermore, the sound for each channel may be changed. For example, as in the above, bell 1 may be used for channel 1, bell 2 for channel 2, and bell 3 for channel 3. In order to notify the set power, the number of times each sound is emitted may be changed according to the set power. For example, if the set power is low, it may be emitted once, if it is medium, it may be emitted twice, and if it is high, it may be emitted three times. And, for example, when treatment is performed using all channels, if medium power is set for channel 1, high power for channel 2, and low power for channel 3, the sound generator 33 will emit the following sounds: Bell 1 twice, Bell 2 three times, and Bell 3 once, which are repeatedly emitted by the sound generator 33 at 10-second intervals.

Figure 14 shows this. The horizontal axis of the figure is time, and the vertical axis indicates whether sound is "on" or "off," with "on" being ON and "off" being OFF. As mentioned above, sound is emitted at 10 second intervals. First, bell 1 is sounded twice to indicate the power set for channel 1. Next, bell 2 is sounded three times to indicate the strong power set for channel 2. Then, bell 2 is sounded once to indicate the weak power set for channel 3, and this is repeated in 10 second cycles.

In this case, if the output stop button is pressed or if the VHF output is automatically stopped after a specified time has elapsed, only the sound corresponding to the stopped channel will stop. For example, in FIG. 14, if the output stop button 23-1 is pressed and the VHF output of channel 1 is stopped, only bell sound 1 will stop, and bell sounds 2 and 3 will continue to be emitted from the sound generation unit 33.

Or, in FIG. 14, for example, if the treatment time for channel 2 has elapsed and the VHF output for channel 2 is automatically stopped, bell sound 2 corresponding to channel 2 is stopped, while bell sounds 1 and 3 corresponding to channels 1 and 3, whose output continues, continue to be emitted from sound generator 33.

The control as represented in FIG. 14 has the following effect. The user sets the intensity of the microwaves to be applied to the patient prior to treatment. However, even if the user intends to set a strong intensity, it may be that only a medium intensity is actually set. In such a case, only the detection display unit 54-1 and the detection display unit 54-2 are lit. In this state, even though only the detection display unit 54-2 is lit in the first place, the user believes that a strong intensity has been set, so he or she tries to turn on the detection display unit 54-3 by moving, tilting, or pressing the conductor unit 43-2 against the affected area, wasting unnecessary time through trial and error, resulting in a poor therapeutic effect and a decrease in therapeutic efficiency. However, with the present invention, the user can hear the sound emitted from the sound generating unit 33 and know the microwave intensity actually set in the conductor 43 by hearing only the sound, without changing the treatment position, without looking back at the main body unit 11, and without taking his or her eyes off the detection display unit 54-1 and other units on the conductor unit 43-2, and can immediately realize that his or her settings are incorrect and change the settings.

When a nurse or assistant is instructed to set the power, the instruction may not be properly conveyed, and the nurse or assistant may set a strong power even if the doctor instructs a medium power. In this way, if a strong power is set unintentionally, even if the detection display units 54-1 and 54-2 are lit up properly, the detection display unit 54-3 may light up if the angle or position of the conductor unit 43-2 changes slightly. This indicates that a very strong microwave has been supplied to the patient, which is undesirable and may cause the patient to feel uncomfortable, such as heat, or even cause burns. However, in the case of the main unit 11 to which the present invention is applied, the sound generation unit 33 notifies the user that a strong power is set, so the doctor can easily know that an unintended power is set, and the patient will not feel uncomfortable or be burned, which ultimately improves the efficiency of treatment.

The present invention is also effective when the device is broken or the output power cannot be controlled properly, as in the following case. Consider the case where a doctor sets channel 3 to a medium intensity. If the main unit 11 is normal, for example, when the output of channel 3 is set to medium power by the sound generator 33, bell sound 3 is emitted twice and the detection display units 54-1 and 54-2 light up properly. However, no matter how much the position or angle of the conductor unit 43-2 is adjusted, only the detection display unit 54-1 lights up, and the detection display unit 54-2, which should be lit, does not light up. In this case, even though a medium output is set, the user can easily and instantly know that medium power is not being output appropriately to the conductor 43, that is, that the main unit 11 has broken down and a drop in output has occurred.

Conversely, not only the detection display units 54-1 and 54-2 but also the detection display unit 54-3 may light up, allowing the user to easily and instantly know that moderate power is not being output appropriately, in other words, that there is a high possibility that the main body unit 11 has malfunctioned and is unable to control the output, resulting in excessive output. Even if the user has set it correctly in this way, the user can easily and instantly know by hearing the sound that unintended power is being supplied, preventing the patient from feeling uncomfortable due to heat or suffering burns, which ultimately improves the efficiency of treatment.

These effects are obtained by the fact that the notification by the first notification unit corresponds to the set power value, or the notification by the second notification unit corresponds to the detected power value, or by both. In other words, it is a special effect obtained by having a first notification unit and a second notification unit. As described above, the above embodiment has a first notification unit that notifies that ultra-short waves are being output from the main body unit 11 and a second notification unit that notifies that ultra-short waves are actually being emitted by the conductor, so that it is possible to easily know of any erroneous operation by the user or malfunction or failure of the device.

Furthermore, since the notification by the first notification unit corresponds to the power setting value, and the notification by the second notification unit corresponds to the detected power value, the setting value of the device and the state of the conductor can be known in more detail.

In addition, at least the first notification unit uses the sense of hearing to provide notification, so the user can easily determine, without taking his or her eyes off the conductor or the patient, that the position or angle of the conductor needs to be adjusted, that the state of the device is unstable, that the device has broken down, or that the device is not being operated properly, without taking his or her eyes off the conductor or the patient, and this can prevent a decrease in the therapeutic effect resulting from these factors and improve the efficiency of treatment.

In the above, an example is described in which the notification unit 15, which is the first notification unit, shows three levels, "weak," "medium," and "strong," and four levels including zero or extremely low output. Furthermore, it is described that the detection display units 54-1 to 54-3, which are the second notification unit, do not light up when the detected power is zero or extremely weak, and when the detected power is weak, the detection display unit 54-1 and the detection display unit 54-2 light up, when the detected power is medium, and when the output is strong, the detection display unit 54-1, the detection display unit 54-2, and the detection display unit 54-3 light up, but the present invention is not limited to these. For example, a configuration in which the detection display units 54-1 and the detection display unit 54-2 light up when the output is weak, the detection display units 54-2 and the detection display unit 54-3 light up when the output is medium, and the detection display units 54-1, the detection display units 54-2, and the detection display unit 54-3 light up when the output is strong may also be used. Alternatively, if the first notification unit provides a three-level notification, the second notification unit may provide more or less than three levels. For example, the configuration may be such that when the output is weak, the detection display unit 54-1 and the detection display unit 54-2 light up, and when the output is medium or strong, the detection display unit 54-1, the detection display unit 54-2, and the detection display unit 54-3 light up. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the second notification unit is disposed only in the conductor unit 43-2 and the conductor unit 43-3, but is not limited to this and may be disposed in the conductor 41 or the conductor 42.

The present embodiment will be further described. In FIG. 1, the side of the main body 11 has a handle 16, which is a first grip used mainly when moving the main body 11. The handle 16 is mainly used when installing or removing the main body 11. Since the medical device 1 is very small compared to X-ray or MRI equipment, it may be used in different locations. For example, the handle 16 is used when moving it from an examination room to a hospital room. For this reason, the handle 16 is attached near the center of the side of the main body 11 to make it easier to move. Although the handle 16 is only shown on the right side of the main body 11 in FIG. 1, it is also located on the left side of the main body 11 at a position corresponding to the handle 16.

Furthermore, the main body 11 is provided with a handle 17, which is a second grip. The handle 17 is made of a metal pipe and is arranged on the front side of the side of the main body 11 from the side of the operation unit 12 to the side of the connection unit 14. The handle 17 is arranged not only on the right side of the main body 11 as shown in FIG. 1, but also on the left side of the main body 11 at a position corresponding to the handle 17. When performing operations using the operation unit 12, storing a lead in the storage unit 13, or removing a lead from the storage unit 13, the user can grasp the handle 17 to make the operation easier, and the lead can be inserted and removed more easily and reliably. Furthermore, when inserting or removing the lead connector into or from the connection unit 14, the connector can be inserted and removed more easily and reliably by grasping the handle 17 while pulling or inserting it. Furthermore, when inserting or removing the lead connector, even if a relatively large force is applied, the handle 17 is grasped, so that the main body 11 can be prevented from moving, tilting, or falling, and can be stabilized. In addition, if you want to move the main body 11 slightly, for example to bring it a little closer to the patient, you can easily shift the main body 11 slightly using this handle 17.

Medical equipment such as that shown in the figure is usually not placed alone, but is often placed alongside other medical equipment and other objects, such as cabinets and examination tables, and is often placed against a wall. For this reason, when it is necessary to shift the main body 11 slightly, or when it is necessary to fix the main body 11 by hand, such as when inserting and removing the connector of the conductor, the handle 16 located on the side of the main body 11 is located relatively far back on the side of the equipment, and is sandwiched between adjacent medical equipment or a wall, making it difficult to grasp and use. For this reason, when inserting or removing the connector of the conductor with force, the main body 11 moves unintentionally, or the main body 11 falls over, causing damage or malfunction to the main body 11. However, in the present embodiment, the main body 11 is provided with a handle 17 in addition to the handle 16, so that by grabbing the handle 17, it is possible to easily operate the main body 11, insert and remove the conductor, or move the main body 11 slightly without using the handle 16, thereby improving operability in these respects and improving treatment efficiency.

Furthermore, the handle 17 is even more effective when the main body 11 is provided with casters. For example, even when operating the operation unit 12, the main body 11 may easily move or rotate due to the casters. Similarly, this problem occurs more prominently when inserting or removing the conductor into the storage unit 13, or inserting or removing the conductor connector into the connection unit 14. If the main body 11 moves or rotates unintentionally due to the presence of casters, not only is it impossible to operate the device or insert or remove the conductor, but if treatment is already being performed due to the rotation or movement of the main body 11, problems such as the conductor attached to the patient coming off, the cable being broken, or the connector being pulled out may occur, reducing the efficiency of treatment. However, since the main body 11 of this embodiment is provided with a handle 17 in addition to the handle 16, operation, insertion and removal of the conductor, and insertion and removal of the conductor can be easily and reliably performed by grabbing the handle 17, improving operability in these respects and improving treatment efficiency.

Although the handle 17 is used as described above, it does not necessarily have to be arranged on the left and right. It may be on the right side or the left side. Furthermore, it is not limited to the side, but may be on the front or the top, and is not particularly limited. Furthermore, the handle 17 is configured to be long vertically in FIG. 1, but is not limited to this, and may be arranged in a horizontal direction. For example, it may be arranged in the front position of the top surface in the longitudinal direction of the top surface. It may be arranged on the front side and above the operating unit 12. Alternatively, it may be arranged at a position below the connection unit 14, or may be arranged between the operating unit 12 and the storage unit 13, or between the storage unit 13 and the connection unit 14. Alternatively, it may be arranged in multiple positions without being limited to one of these positions. Furthermore, in FIG. 1, one handle 17 is arranged from the operating unit 12 to the connection unit 14, but is not limited to this, and multiple handles may be arranged, such as one handle next to the operating unit 12, one handle next to the storage unit 13, and one handle next to the connection unit 14, that is, one handle may be arranged in each part. Alternatively, one common handle may be arranged next to the operating section 12 and the storage section 13, one handle may be arranged on the connection section 14, and a handle common to multiple sections may be arranged. The handle shapes described in this paragraph may be combined. Furthermore, although the handle is shaped like a pipe in FIG. 1, it is not limited to a pipe shape as long as the user can grip the handle during operation, when inserting or removing the conductor, or when inserting or removing the connector, and the handle can be prevented from shifting, rotating, or falling over. For example, the handle may be made of a wooden block, may be in the shape of a recess or groove provided on the main body 11, may be a protrusion that can be grasped by the user, or may be a combination of these.

Figure 15 (a) shows the handle 16 as seen from the arrow A in Figure 1, that is, from above. The shaded area in the figure indicates the main body 11. The handle 16 has a gripping part 112 that is gripped when moving the main body 11, a holding part 113 that temporarily stores the cables of the conductors by hanging them on both sides of the gripping part 112, and a protrusion 111 at the tip of the holding part 113 to hold the temporarily bundled cables in the holding part 113. The distance between the tip of the protrusion 111 and the main body 11 is preferably about the same as the diameter of the cable used or slightly smaller than the diameter of the cable. Even if it is slightly smaller, the cable is usually made of rubber or silicone, so it can easily slip between the main body 11 and the protrusion 111 by utilizing its elasticity and be held in the holding part 113, or the cable can be easily removed from the holding part 113.

The holding section 113 can be used to hang unused conductor cables together so that they do not get in the way. Alternatively, when moving the device, the cables of each conductor can be temporarily bundled together in this holding section to keep them from becoming disorganized. If the cables become disorganized, when connecting the conductor cable to be used to the connection section 14, other unused cables can get in the way, causing problems such as poor connection or insufficient connection, or connection to the wrong place. Furthermore, when moving, cables that are not bundled together can get caught on other equipment, etc., causing problems such as the cable being broken, the connector or connector connection section being damaged, the main body section 11 falling over, or other equipment being damaged. However, the medical device in Figure 1 uses the handle 16 to properly and easily organize the cables in this way, avoiding problems caused by cables becoming disorganized, preventing a decrease in treatment efficiency, and improving treatment efficiency.

The handle 16 is not limited to the one shown in Fig. 15(a), but may be in the form shown in Fig. 15(b) or Fig. 15(c) in which the holding portion 113 is arranged on only one side. In particular, in (b), the holding portion 113 is on the rear side of the gripping portion 112, so the cable is easily stored in the holding portion 113, and the cable gathers towards the front of the holding portion 113, towards the bottom of the drawing, and is therefore preferable as it does not exceed the protrusion 111 and come off. Conversely, if priority is given to ease of holding the cable to the holding portion 113, Fig. 15(c) is preferable.

Furthermore, when moving the medical device 1, it is not necessary to grasp the gripping portion 112, but it is more desirable to give the holding portion 113 sufficient strength so that it can be moved by holding it. Conversely, if the holding portion 113 is not strong enough, it may be damaged if it is mistakenly held when moving the device. In this way, giving the holding portion 113 sufficient strength increases the freedom to select which part of the handle 16 to grasp when moving the device, improving the efficiency of movement, allowing the medical device 1 to be moved more smoothly and treatment to begin sooner, thereby improving the efficiency of movement and the efficiency of treatment.

In the medical device 1 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the storage section 13 is provided above the connection section 14 in the main body section 11, and this will be described. Before considering this configuration, consider the reverse arrangement, i.e., the case where the storage section 13 is below the connection section 14.

Figure 16 (a) shows the storage section and connection section arranged in the opposite direction to that in Figure 1. That is, the connection section 1214 is arranged above the storage section 1213. In the figure, the operation section 12 and the notification section 15 other than the storage section 1213 and the connection section 1214 are omitted for simplicity. For further simplicity, only the cables to which each lead is connected to the connection section 1214 are shown, and the connector connection section and connectors are omitted.

In FIG. 16(a), in which the storage section and the connection section are arranged in the opposite direction to FIG. 1, many cables connected to the connection section 1214 hang down in front of the storage section 1213. In this state, the leads are hidden by the cables, and it may be difficult to easily find each lead stored in the storage section 1213, which may lead to problems such as the lead being picked up by mistake or the desired lead being difficult to find, which may delay the start of treatment. Furthermore, when removing the desired lead, the cables of other leads get in the way, making it difficult to remove the lead easily, or when removing the desired lead, the cables of other leads get caught, which causes the cable to be pulled, leading to the cable being pulled out or the cable being broken. These problems are extremely effective for medical devices that use ultra-short waves or microwaves. The cables used in these medical devices are characterized by being very thick and long. Therefore, when the cables hang down, it is very common for them to hide the leads, make it difficult for the user to find the stored leads, or get in the way when removing the stored leads.

However, when the storage section 13 is above the connection section 14 as in FIG. 1, the cables of other leads do not hang down in front of the storage section 13 as in FIG. 16(b), the leads stored in the storage section 13 can be easily found, the wrong lead is not picked up, the desired lead can be easily removed, and treatment can be started smoothly. Furthermore, when removing the lead, other cables are not caught, and therefore other cables are not pulled, so other cables are not pulled out and are not broken. Therefore, by having the storage section 13 above the connection section 14 as in FIG. 1, the storage section 13 is not hidden by the cable, the lead can be easily removed without affecting other cables, and the inconvenience caused by cables hanging down in front of the storage section can be eliminated, improving treatment efficiency.

Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above, and various combinations are possible within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention.
In addition, the medical device of the present invention is a medical device having a main body, a plurality of electrodes used in treatment using ultra-short waves, a plurality of cables connecting the plurality of electrodes to the main body, a connection portion to which the plurality of cables are connected, a storage portion in which the plurality of electrodes are stored, and an operating portion for controlling the ultra-short waves output from the plurality of electrodes, and is characterized in that the storage portion is provided on the connection portion .

1 Medical device 11 Main body 12 Operation section 13 Storage section 14 Connection section 15 Notification section 16 Handle 17 Handle 21-1 Setting section 21-2 Setting section 21-3 Setting section 22-1 Output start button 22-2 Output start button 22-3 Output start button 23-1 Output stop button 23-2 Output stop button 23-3 Output stop button 24-1 Adjustment section 24-2 Adjustment section 24-3 Adjustment section 25 Main switch 31-1 Connector connection section 31-2 Connector connection section 31-3 Connector connection section 32-1 LED section 32-2 LED section 32-3 LED section 33 Sound generation section 41 Conductor 41-1 Conductor section 42 Conductor 42-1 Conductor section 42-2 Conductor section 43 Conductor 43-1 Conductor section 43-2 Conductor section 43-3 Conductor section 44 Cable 45 Connector 46-1 Cable 46-2 Cable 47 Connector 48-1 Cable 48-2 Cable 49 Connector 51 Detection unit 52 Antenna 53 Circuit unit 54-1 Detection display unit 1
54-2 Detection display unit 2
54-3 Detection display unit 3
55 Notification section 56 Grip section 57 Contact plane 58 Convex section 59 Cylindrical section 59-1 Cylindrical section 59-2 Cylindrical section 59-3 Curved section 91 Buzzer 111 Projection section 112 Grip section 113 Hold section 511 Grip inhibiting section 512 VHF emission section 513 Joint protection section 514 Grip inhibiting section 515 Grip inhibiting section 516 Grip inhibiting section 621 Diode 622 Diode 623 Diode 631 Resistor 632 Resistor 633 Resistor 641 LED
642 LED
643 LED
651 Zener diode 652 Zener diode 653 Zener diode 661 Capacitor 662 Capacitor 663 Capacitor 671 Resistor 672 Resistor 673 Resistor 924 Diode 934 Resistor 954 Zener diode 964 Capacitor 974 Resistor 1213 Storage section 1214 Connection section

Claims (1)

The main body,
A plurality of electrodes used in treatment using ultrashort waves;
A plurality of cables connecting the plurality of leads to the main body;
a connection portion to which the plurality of cables are connected;
a storage section that is configured with an opening and a closed surface other than the opening , stores the plurality of conductors by inserting the conductors through the opening, and stores the conductors so that the cable is exposed to the outside of the main body from the opening into which the conductors are inserted ;
An operation unit for controlling the ultrashort waves output from the plurality of electrodes,
the main body is a housing having a surface that constitutes the housing, and the connection portion, the opening portion, and the operation portion are each provided along the surface ,
A medical device characterized in that the opening is provided between the connection portion and the operating portion on the one surface of the housing.