JPH08131560A - Anti-allergic skin-contact medical treatment device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To improve skin allergy reaction reducing effect by applying a single pole voltage pulse line of a pulse width, a duty ratio a repetition frequency, and a peak voltage of specified value respectively to a range of a skin surface through which an allergen has invaded. CONSTITUTION: An electron switch 9 gets on between on-outputs of a timer 6, a power supply circuit 8 applies a voltage to an oscillation circuit 7. The oscillation circuit 7 outputs specified rectangular waves during its period by application of this voltage. As electrodes 2, 3 get in contact with the skin, a closed loop is formed from the power supply circuit 8 through the oscillation circuit 7, the electrode 2, the man's body, the electrode 3, and the electron switch 9 to the power supply circuit 8, so the rectangular waves are applied to the man's body. For this applied voltage, a pulse width, a duty ratio, a repetition frequency, and a peak voltage value are set in the range of 100μs to 10ms, less than 50%, 20-800Hz, and 0.05-20V respectively.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an anti-allergic skin treatment device which suppresses an allergic reaction on the skin and exerts anti-inflammatory and / or metabolic promoting action.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are various types of allergic reactions that occur on the skin in daily life. Allergic reaction is
When an antigen (allergen) invades the body, the immune system operates to develop the disease. The allergic inflammation that develops in the skin can be broadly divided into those that occur exogenously, such as when bitten by an insect, and those that are endogenous, such as those that result from an allergen in food absorbed in the body. Although the mechanism of allergic dermatitis has not been fully elucidated, it is said that endogenous diseases particularly reflect modern complicated social life. For hay fever and atopic dermatitis,
It is also said that it is not related to a single allergen, but to the double contamination of food, air and water. Of these, extrinsic allergic dermatitis is the most easily identified cause and is relatively easy to treat. For example, when insect bites are bitten, the saliva and poison of insects penetrate into the body and cause an allergic reaction, but the allergens that cause rash and itching are initially localized at specific locations near the skin surface. It is easy to treat because it is there. However, if left untreated, the treatment becomes difficult because the inflammation becomes serious and the allergen diffuses by the bloodstream and reaches the wide and deep part. Insects that are relatively common in daily life include mosquitoes, fleas, mites, bees and moths. In order to deal with allergic reaction, it is a general treatment method to take adrenaline, ephedrine, and antihistamine as an antiallergic agent by oral administration, injection and application. To the venom of insects, an alkaline solution such as diluted ammonia solution is applied to neutralize the acidic components.

On the other hand, for endogenous diseases such as atopic dermatitis, there are not many effective drugs other than steroid hormones, and if the allergen cannot be specified, treatment becomes difficult. This is considered to be a result of abnormal activation of Langerhans cells having an antigen-presenting action existing in the skin and causing a hypersensitive reaction to other stimuli. Therefore, in order to cure the endogenous disease, it is necessary to remove allergen and administer the drug, and at the same time, continuously carry out daily life with less irritation.

[0004]

As described above, allergic diseases of the skin, whether acute or chronic, include rash, itch,
With pain and, if it becomes serious, suppuration, muscles, and neuralgia may occur, and death may occur due to shock symptoms. The treatment requires the use of strong drugs such as the removal of allergens and the administration of antiallergic agents and corticosteroids, and if the timing of the treatment is delivered, it will not be cured for a long time. For this reason, side effects and tolerance of drugs and obstacles to patients' daily lives are major problems.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple skin treatment device which can suppress the administration of a drug as much as possible and effectively calm the allergic reaction of the skin. Another object of the present invention is to provide a simple skin treatment device capable of promptly recovering skin damage without depending on drug administration at the same time.

[0006]

According to the present invention, a pair of electrodes made of a conductive material and electrically and spatially separated from each other, and a unipolar voltage pulse train connected between the pair of electrodes are generated. In an apparatus including an electric circuit for driving the same and a drive circuit for applying the unipolar voltage pulse train to a living body by bringing the pair of electrodes into contact with the skin, a pulse width of the unipolar voltage pulse train is 100 μs to 10 ms. , A duty ratio of 50% or less, a repetition frequency of 20 to 800 Hz, and a peak voltage of 0.05 to 20 V.
Disclosed is an anti-allergic anti-inflammatory and / or metabolic-promoting skin-contact therapeutic device, which is characterized by a suitable value of between.

[0007]

[Function] A large number of dendritic Langerhans cells derived from bone marrow are distributed in the upper part of the basal layer of the epidermis, and serve to present the antigen invading from the skin surface to the antibody production system. That is, Langerhans cells are trapped by invasion of allergen and induce a reaction of helper T cells to induce a strong allergic reaction. At this time, if the above-mentioned unipolar voltage pulse train is applied to the skin surface area where the allergen has invaded, Langerhans cells are temporarily inactivated as in the case of being irradiated with strong ultraviolet rays, and the allergen is suppressed by the suppressor T.
It is thought to activate cells. This condition is immune non-responsiveness, and the allergic reaction is suppressed.

The pulse width of the unipolar voltage pulse is 100 μ
s or more is required. When the pulse width is narrower than this range, inactivation of Langerhans cells is insufficient. However, if the pulse width exceeds 10 ms, there is a problem in pulse recognition of Langerhans cells. Therefore, an appropriate pulse width is 100 μs
To 10 ms, more preferably 500 μs to 5 ms. When the pulse repetition frequency is 10 Hz or less, the effect of suppressing allergic reaction is not observed. Also, 10 to 20
In the frequency band of Hz, muscle currents are accompanied by straining / relaxing movements, so that the flowing muscle current becomes noise and the effect is weak. Duty ratio is 5
Although 0% or less is suitable, when the repetition frequency is increased to around 1 KHz, the Langerhans cell makes the distinction between adjacent pulses unclear due to the influence of reflection and dispersion in the process of propagation of the voltage pulse through the skin tissue. As a result,
A suitable frequency is 20 to about 800 Hz, more preferably 50 to 4 since the influence of allergic reaction becomes insufficient.
It is 00 Hz.

The peak value of the unipolar voltage pulse may be lower in principle, so that the allergen is localized in a region closer to the skin surface, that is, in an early stage disease. Immediately after being bitten by an insect or the like, the effect can be seen even at 0.05 V, but generally several V may be applied. When the peak value exceeds 20 V, shock stimulus given to the skin sensitized by the allergic reaction has an adverse effect. Therefore, a suitable peak voltage value is 0.
05V to 20V, more preferably 1 to 10V.

The waveform of the unipolar voltage pulse is usually a rectangular wave, but it may be a sawtooth wave (triangular wave), a sine wave, or a distorted wave that is a combination of these as long as the pulse conditions are satisfied. . The point is to apply the same waveform wave repeatedly to the allergen invasion site. Generally, when the allergic symptom is strong, the application is long (5 to 10 minutes), and conversely, when the symptom is mild, the application is short (1 to 3 minutes). The suppressive effect on the allergic reaction extends for 6 to 24 hours.

Further, the unipolar voltage pulse acts on peripheral nerve synapses distributed in large numbers in the dermis region. The pulse train applied to the presynaptic fiber causes calcium ions (Ca ²⁺ ) to flow into the presynaptic fiber terminal or posterior fiber to excite the synapse. It is considered that this is because Ca ²⁺ continuously increases neurotransmitter receptor sensitivity through some biochemical process. The excitatory potential of synapses reaches a maximum of 4 to 5 times the normal level, and as a result, skin cells in the peripheral nerve innervating area are physiologically activated to promote metabolism. Such acceleration of metabolism occurs under the condition overlapping with the above-mentioned pulse voltage condition (allergic reaction suppressing condition) and extends for several hours to several tens of hours. When the excitement of the synapse deviates from the range of the pulse width and the repetition frequency described above, the physiological activation of the synapse is not significantly observed even when the pulse voltage train is applied.

That is, the unipolar voltage pulse train under the above conditions suppresses allergic reaction and at the same time promotes metabolic reaction of cells. Therefore, in the case of insect damage, cuts, burns, etc., the anti-inflammatory effect and the skin regenerating effect are simultaneously induced.

[0013]

The present invention will be described in more detail based on the following examples. (No. 1) The treatment device of the present invention was applied to insect pests. 1A and 1B are views showing the outer shape of the handy type therapeutic device used in the embodiment. Figure 1 (A)
Is a top view, and FIG. 1B is a back view. In the figure, 1 is a body case, and 2 and 3 are a pair of electrodes, which also have a function of a start switch (including a case of being connected to the start switch). 4 is a pilot lamp, 5 is a display showing the set time and the remaining time of operation, and 6 is a timer.

The body case 1 is made of, for example, plastic and has an electric circuit for oscillating a unipolar voltage pulse train and a drive circuit thereof built therein. The pair of electrodes 2 and 3 are usually made of metal, and may be made of the same metal or different metals. As a material having durability against sebum, sweat, and dirt, the skin contact surface is preferably made of a noble metal such as gold, but is not limited to this. At the time of starting, the switch is turned on when the pressure is applied by skin-contacting 2 and 3, and the timer 6 operates. The pilot lamp 4 is an LED, which lights up when the electric circuit in the body case 1 is oscillating to show the user. The display 5 is usually an LCD, and the scheduled operation time set in advance by the timer 6 is displayed, and the number decreases every moment when the switch is turned on (that is, the remaining time is displayed). When the display 5 becomes zero, the oscillation stops.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of an energization system including an electric circuit built in the body case 1. In FIG. 2, 7 is a small voltage pulse oscillation circuit, 8 is a power supply circuit, and 9 is an electronic switch. The other symbols are as described in FIG. The timer 6 outputs an ON output during the set time. The display 5 displays the remaining time after subtracting the consumption time from the set time. The electronic switch 9 is turned on while the ON output of the timer 6 is output, that is, during the timer setting time. Power circuit 8 is switch 9
The voltage (or current) is applied to the oscillation circuit 7 during the ON state. By applying this voltage (or current), the oscillator circuit 7 outputs a predetermined rectangular wave to the electrode 2 during that period. Then, when the electrodes 2 and 3 are skin-contacted, a closed loop of the power supply circuit 8 → oscillation circuit 7 → electrode 2 → human body → electrode 3 → electronic switch 9 → power supply circuit 8 is formed, and a rectangular wave is administered to the human body. . The small voltage pulse oscillation circuit 7 is formed compact by a well-known transistor oscillation circuit so that a rectangular wave can be oscillated.

The effect of the treatment device of the present invention was examined on the affected patients for insect moth larvae, cat flea and mosquito. Both were given the first application within 1 hour of receiving the insect bruise. Table 1 shows the results. For comparison, with regard to cat flea and mosquito, the same patient was left untreated and left as it was. The oscillation voltage pulse in the treatment device of FIG. 1 has a peak voltage of 3V and a repetition frequency of 250H.
A rectangular wave having z, a duty ratio of 50% and a pulse width of 2 ms was used.

[0017]

[Table 1]

Before use, the treatment time is set by the timer 6, and a pair of electrodes 2 and 3 are pressed against the affected area after the relative contact,
The voltage pulse train was applied only for the set predetermined time. Table 1 shows the obtained results. No medical treatment was used for the treatment, and only physical treatment was performed using this treatment device.

Table 1 shows the remarkable healing effect of the present treatment device. That is, it has been shown that the short-term application of a small voltage pulse train 1 to 3 times a day rapidly suppresses the allergic reaction of the skin induced by insect bites (saliva or poisonous needle) and extinguishes the inflammation. On the other hand, if the cat flea and mosquito are bitten and not treated at all, the allergic reaction may cause redness, swelling and itching for several hours to several days. It can be determined that the application of the voltage pulse train resulted.

Next, a medical treatment test was conducted by changing the oscillation condition of the small voltage pulse oscillator 7. The clinical trial was only for the case of being bitten by a house mite. As a result, a rectangular pulse has a pulse width of 100 μs to 10 ms (where the repetition frequency is 100
Hz), repetition frequency 50 to 80 Hz (pulse width 500 μs limited), peak voltage 0.1 to 2
0V (However, pulse width 1ms, repetition frequency 250Hz
(Limited to), the allergic reaction was suppressed and the anti-inflammatory effect was observed.

(Part 2) A case in which the treatment device of the present invention is applied to damages to deep skin such as wounds and burns will be described. FIG. 3 is a view showing a schematic outer shape of the treatment device used in this example.

In this treatment device, the pair of electrodes 2 and 3 are comb-shaped electrodes made of a thin metal plate plated with gold. Of course, other than this, for example, a durable material plated with platinum or rhodium, or a sterilized material plated with silver may be used for the electrode. The pair of electrodes 2 and 3 are flexible electrodes adhered onto a thick cloth 10, and electric circuits inside the body case 1 arranged outside the cloth 10 by conducting wires 11 and 12 (see FIG. Connected (not shown). By providing removable terminals on the conductors 11 and 12,
The pair of electrodes 2 and 3 can be disposable with the cloth 10.

In the body case 1, as in the previous embodiment, a small voltage pulse oscillation circuit 7, a power supply circuit 8 and an electronic switch 9 are incorporated. Although the display 5 is not connected to the present treatment device, it is obvious that it can be attached if necessary. However, the pilot lamp 4 and the timer 6 are provided at positions where they can be observed and operated from the outside. The timer 6 is provided with a switch function, and a small voltage pulse oscillation circuit 7 is driven by pressing a button after setting the operation time. The power source is usually a battery, but it can be connected to a 100V power source through an adapter or the like, if necessary.

The cloth 10 is brought into close contact with the skin so that the pair of electrodes 2 and 3 come into contact with the affected area, and is adhered with a plaster or the like. After that, the timer 6 is set to a predetermined time, the switch is turned on, and a small voltage pulse is applied to the affected skin. Table 2 shows the results of applying the present treatment device within 10 to 20 minutes after the occurrence of wounds and burns.

[Table 2] The blood was applied to the wound after hemostasis. In addition, the burn was applied to the affected area where bleeding was 2-3 degrees and chickenpox was present but no bleeding had occurred.
In no case was the drug used at all. The voltage pulse conditions in Table 2 are: pulse width 500 μs, repetition frequency 400 Hz, duty ratio 30%, peak voltage 8 V
With a rectangular wave. The results in Table 2 show that the treatment using this treatment device has the effect of suppressing the shock symptoms to the peripheral area due to wounds and burns, suppressing suppuration, activating the metabolism of skin cells, and healing the wound. Shows.

For comparison, the oscillating circuit 7 for low power pulse shown in FIG. 3 is replaced with a pulse waveform of a triangular wave and a unipolar sine wave (both have a peak voltage of 8 V, a pulse width of 1 ms,
The effect of a repetition frequency of 100 Hz) was examined in another wound patient. In each case, the results are similar to those in Table 2,
It was confirmed that short-term pulse application cures without using the drug.

(Part 3) In order to examine the skin regeneration function of this treatment device, application to keratinized skin was tried. FIG.
FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an outer shape of a treatment device used in this example. still,
In FIG. 4, the main parts of the electric circuit and wiring housed in the body case 1 are also shown by dotted lines. The pair of electrodes 2A and 3A according to the present embodiment has a rotating cylindrical shape, and the surface thereof is plated with platinum. The rotary shafts 20 and 21 are fitted and fixed in the body case 1, respectively,
As shown in the figure, the fixed portion of each rotary shaft is connected to the internal circuit by a conductor. Reference numeral 4 is a pilot lamp, 6 is a timer, and the timer 6 also has a switch function as in the previous embodiment. Further, 7 which is housed in the body case 1 and is indicated by a dotted line is a small voltage pulse oscillation circuit, and 8 is a power supply circuit including a battery power supply. The body case 1 may be made of metal or plastic. A pair of electrodes 2A and 3A
Has a function of freely rotating while making skin contact with the shaft, and has a function of keeping conductive contact with the electric circuit in the body case 1 by the slip ring even during rotation. This rotation may be automatic rotation by a motor, as well as an example using a driving force by a human hand.

After setting the required predetermined time with the timer 6,
When the handle of the timer is pushed, the built-in small voltage pulse oscillation circuit 7 is driven, and a small voltage pulse train is supplied to the pair of electrodes 2A.
And 3A. At this time, the pilot lamp 4 lights up to inform the subject that the device is in operation.
Of course, if necessary, a display for notifying the remaining operation time can be attached. By rotating the pair of electrodes 2 and 3 while skin-contacting at the same time, it is possible to easily give pulse stimulation even in a relatively wide range.

For a subject having a keratinized affected area,
Table 3 shows the results of a medical treatment test using the treatment device of FIG.

[Table 3] In this case, a triangular wave is used as the small voltage pulse, the peak voltage is 6 V, the duty ratio is 25%, the pulse width is 1.4 msec at the 50% pulse height position, and the repetition frequency is 100 Hz.
And It can be seen that generally good results were obtained for keratinization in a short period of time. This is considered to be the result of the small voltage pulse train activating the peripheral nerve synapses distributed in the inner part of the skin while suppressing allergic reactions such as metal allergy and promoting metabolism. Actually, when the skin impedance was measured, after the treatment with the treatment device in FIG. 4, the impedance was reduced by about one digit in the affected area as compared with before the treatment. This is a phenomenon often observed in skin regeneration induced as a result of increased plasticity of nerve synapses. The keratinized skin regeneration of this example does not cause side effects such as redness, pain, and itch due to the suppression of allergic reaction.

In the treatment device of the same type as in FIG. 4, the oscillation waveform is changed to a sine wave or a rectangular wave, and the peak voltage is 6 V and the duty ratio is 2.
Even when the treatment was performed under a pulse oscillation condition of 5% and a repetition frequency of 100 Hz, almost the same regenerative effect was observed.

The above examples have been used to describe the function of the therapeutic device of the present invention for suppressing the allergic reaction of the skin and suppressing inflammation and / or skin regeneration. However, the application of the present invention is not limited to the insect erosion, wounds, burns or stratum corneum of the examples. For example, it is the promotion and growth of the hair produced by the hair follicle epithelium, which is a special keratinocyte distributed in the dermis region of the skin, and the suppression and treatment of atopic dermatitis which is an endogenous allergy. By applying a unipolar small voltage pulse train satisfying the requirements of the present invention to a predetermined part of the skin, these temporarily create an immune non-responsiveness situation locally, and at the same time suppress allergic reaction and shock symptoms, The effect is expressed by a complex action that excites peripheral nerve synapses and activates metabolism.

The unipolar low voltage pulse is generally mild in skin diseases, and the shorter the elapsed time from the onset, the more effective the peak voltage and the lower repetition frequency are. For example, even after being bitten by an insect, immediately after that, the effect of suppressing the allergic reaction was observed even at a peak voltage of 0.05 V and a repetition frequency of about 20 Hz. However, when a long time has passed from the onset of the disease and the allergen has diffused deep inside, for example, 12 hours or more after being bitten, the peak voltage of the small voltage pulse is 5 to 20 V, and the repetition frequency is 100 to 800 Hz. Strong stimulation is required. However,
The pulse width of the small voltage pulse is 100 μs for both mild and severe cases
ec or more is required, and preferably 500 μsec to several msec.

Regarding the electrode material, the case of noble metal was described in the above embodiment. A noble metal is preferable in consideration of durability, but it is obvious that generally a conductive material can be used. For example, carbon electrodes and semiconductor electrodes. In particular, when one of the pair of electrodes is a noble metal and the other is a semiconductor, a chemical battery is formed on the skin contact surface, and a DC electromotive force can be stably obtained. When the pulse voltage is applied while the ionic current is generated in the skin by the DC electromotive force, the allergen is oxidized and reduced by the ionic current to weaken the antigenic action, and therefore, the weak allergic reaction can suppress the allergic reaction. There are advantages.

The therapeutic device of the present invention may be used in combination with a drug without causing any problem. The shape of the present treatment device is not limited to that described in the embodiment, and may be, for example, a cloth shape in which a pair of electrodes is woven. The point is that a unipolar low-voltage pulse train should satisfy the conditions of the present invention. It is also obvious that the presence of pilot lamps and timers is not essential.

The oscillation conditions of the small voltage pulse capable of suppressing the allergic reaction of the skin have been described in the above embodiments. The pulse oscillation of the therapeutic device of each of the above-described embodiments was performed under a predetermined constant condition, but the present invention is not limited to this. A device in which the pulse oscillation condition is variable with one therapeutic device is also within the scope of the present invention. Such variable devices may be more preferable in the treatment of allergic reactions. For example, in the "early disease" where allergen penetration is relatively shallow,
A curative effect can be expected with a low peak voltage, a low repetition frequency, and a narrow pulse width, but a stronger pulse needs to be applied to suppress the allergic reaction that has passed from the onset of time. In many cases, patients and doctors do not always know the optimum pulse condition for the current symptom. Therefore, in order to obtain the effect in a shorter period of time, a method of swinging by varying the pulse oscillation condition may be considered. That is, for example, the peak voltage and the pulse width are kept constant and the repetition frequency is 50
That is, a circuit for continuously changing periodically in the range of up to 700 Hz is added to the oscillation circuit 7 for a small voltage pulse. The allergic reaction suppression pulse begins to exert its effect when at least about 10 shots are incident. Therefore, even if the repetition frequency of the applied pulse changes due to the frequency swing circuit, it is possible to sufficiently secure the optimum condition and the treatment pulse in the vicinity thereof. it can.

Although the example of swinging the repetition frequency has been described above, it is of course possible to swing the peak voltage and / or the pulse width. By providing these pulse oscillation condition swing circuits, a higher allergic reaction suppressing effect can be obtained in a short period of time.

It is also possible to attach a dial to the outside of the body case 1 of the therapeutic device so that the patient or doctor can arbitrarily set the peak voltage, the pulse width and / or the repetition frequency. By applying an appropriate instruction manual or accumulating experience, it is possible to select an applied pulse condition that suits the symptom, so that a shorter period of healing can be expected. There is also an example in which a circuit is configured to select and output a pulse waveform, a sine wave, a triangular wave, etc., and these are used selectively.

[0037]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to effectively suppress skin allergic reactions and shock symptoms mainly caused by exogenous diseases.
Inflammation and / or inflammation within a short time without the use of drugs
Alternatively, the effect of skin regeneration could be improved. Therefore, it is considered that the skin damage can be healed without causing side effects due to the drug or significantly reduced.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outer shape of a skin treatment device according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of electrical wiring of the skin treatment device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a skin contact treatment device according to another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a skin contact treatment device according to still another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Body Case 2, 3, 2A, 3A Pair of Electrodes 4 Pilot Lamp 5 Display 6 Timer 7 Small Voltage Pulse Oscillation Circuit 8 Power Supply Circuit 9 Electronic Switch 10 Cloth 11, 12 Conductor

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pair of electrodes made of a conductive material and electrically and spatially separated from each other, an electric circuit connected between the pair of electrodes to generate a unipolar voltage pulse train, and a driving circuit therefor. In the skin contact treatment device, which includes simultaneously applying the pair of electrodes to the skin and applying the unipolar voltage pulse train to a living body, the unipolar voltage pulse train has a pulse width of 100 microseconds (μs) to 10 milliseconds. (Ms), a duty ratio of 50% or less, and a repetition frequency of 20 to 800 Hz.
An anti-allergic skin contact treatment device having a peak voltage value of 0.05 to 20 V.