JPH08299465A - Low frequency medical treatment apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a low frequency medical treatment apparatus certainly informing a user of the rythm of an exhalation phase by simple constitution to efficiently perform medical treatment. CONSTITUTION: When a start button is operated to close a switch SW2, medical treatment is started and language is formed by a sound synthesizing IC 23 to be amplified by an operational amplifier to output a sound from a speaker 26. A sound 'breathe according to a command' is outputted from the speaker 26 and, after several sec, 'breathe in' and 'breathe out' are alternately outputted at a constant cycle. Pulses with frequency of 3-10Hz and a pulse width of about 0.2μsec are outputted from an output socket along with the sound output of 'breathe out' and output of a degree not contracting a muscle is issued from an electrode pad. A large sound is outputted at the initial stage of medical treatment in order to match respiration and, since respiration is naturally matched on the way, a sound is made low and made large just before the completion of medical treatment to let that the completion of medical treatment approaches know.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a low frequency treatment device for applying low frequency pulses.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there has been known a low-frequency therapeutic device for stimulating a living body by attaching a pointer or a pair of electrodes to the skin of a human body and applying a low-frequency pulse between the pointer or the pair of electrodes.

Further, in recent years, it has been considered that there is a relationship between stimulation and respiration. First, considering the movement of the autonomic nerve as a change in the pulsation of the heart in which the sympathetic nerve and the parasympathetic nerve maintain moderate tension and is constantly moving rhythmically, the heart rate decreases during exhalation and the heart rate decreases during inspiration. Will increase. That is, it means that the parasympathetic nerve is enhanced and the sympathetic nerve is suppressed during exhalation, and conversely, the parasympathetic nerve is suppressed and the sympathetic nerve is enhanced during inspiration,
It can be seen that the directions of changes in the autonomic nerves are opposite between expiration and inspiration.

Next, regarding the autonomic nerve reaction and stimulation, it has been found that stimulation to the skin and subcutaneous tissue enhances the parasympathetic nerve function, and stimulation to the muscle enhances the sympathetic nerve function.

It has also been found that stimulation of sympathetic nerve function inhibits parasympathetic nerve function.

However, in physical therapy in which stimulation is performed by simply energizing a low-frequency pulse, the autonomic nerve as a movement of the living body can be obtained simply by selecting the site of stimulation, the type of stimulation, or the amount of stimulation. There is a problem that it cannot be said to be an effective treatment because it simply stimulates via the structural and functional mechanisms of the living body such as the nervous system or vascular system without considering the reaction.

Therefore, as a low-frequency treatment device for stimulating according to breathing, a structure described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-83671 is known.

The low-frequency treatment device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-83671 is a sensor that directly or indirectly senses a specific timing for at least one of expiration and inspiration, for example, a change in breathing. The physical stimulus is detected and a physical stimulus to the living body is generated in synchronization with this specific time.

[0009]

However, in the conventional low-frequency treatment device disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 60-83671, a respiratory phase is detected by using a sensor for detecting a respiratory change, and stimulation is generated. In the configuration, the configuration becomes complicated, resulting in an increase in size of the device, a decrease in manufacturability, and an increase in cost.

Further, the user is informed by a buzzer sound or light such as a light emitting diode at a predetermined interval in response to a rhythm of a predetermined respiratory phase without using a sensor for detecting a change in breath, and in response to this notification cycle. It may be possible to output a low-frequency pulse, but since the notification is made in a fixed cycle, it becomes unclear whether the notification of inspiration or expiration is in use, and the user may exhale even if it is in the inspiration phase, or However, there is a possibility that respiratory treatment will be reversed due to inhalation, resulting in efficient treatment.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a low-frequency treatment device which can inform the user of the rhythm of the respiratory phase with a simple structure and perform efficient treatment. And

[0012]

A low-frequency treatment device of the present invention comprises a pair of electrodes, and an informing means for informing the expiration and inspiration in language at predetermined intervals substantially corresponding to the rhythm of the respiratory phase, It is provided with pulse output means for outputting a low frequency pulse to the electrode, and control means for causing the pulse output means to output in synchronization with the notification by the notification means.

[0013]

In the low frequency treatment apparatus of the present invention, the notifying means surely informs the user of the predetermined interval substantially corresponding to the rhythm of the respiratory phase by the language at the time of exhalation or inspiration, and the control means notifies by the notifying means. By outputting a low-frequency pulse to the electrode with the pulse output means in synchronization with the interval corresponding to expiration or inspiration, the user does not confuse whether it is exhalation or inhalation, and the expiration time at a predetermined interval can be maintained. The parasympathetic nerves are synergistically enhanced by exhaling according to the language informed, and the sympathetic nerves are synergistically enhanced by inhalation according to the language informing inspiration at a predetermined interval, and the parasympathetic or sympathetic nerves are synergistically It is effective in treating parasympathetic nerves or sympathetic nerves.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the low frequency treatment apparatus of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 denotes a rectangular case body, and the low frequency pulse generating circuit 2 shown in FIG. 1 is housed in the case body 1.

The case body 1 is connected with an output adjusting dial 3 for adjusting the opening / closing of the power source and the output of low frequency pulse energization, and a pair of electrode pads serving as a pair of treatment conductors (not shown) for energizing the pulse. Is provided with an output socket 4 as a pulse output means for connecting a starter and a start button 5 for starting pulse energization. The start button 5 has a light emitting diode LED1 for start display.
Is provided.

Further, the case body 1 is provided with a breathing cycle adjusting slider 6 for adjusting the time of a breathing cycle in which exhalation and inspiration are one cycle, and a time display 5 is provided.
A treatment time display section 7 for displaying the treatment time as a level is provided by arranging two light emitting diodes LED2 to LED6 on a straight line.

Further, the case body 1 has an output switching button 8 for switching between an exhalation mode in which a low-frequency pulse is energized during exhalation and an inhalation mode in which a low-frequency pulse is energized during inhalation, and the output switching button 8 is switched over. Accordingly, a light emitting diode LED7 for exhalation display and a light emitting diode LED8 for inhalation display, which emit light in accordance with the exhalation output, are provided.

Further, a pin jack 11 for connecting an informing means for informing by language such as a speaker, a headphone or an earphone is provided, and a volume adjusting dial 12 for adjusting an informing volume is provided.

Further, on the back surface of the case body 1, a plurality of round holes through which the sound from a speaker (not shown) passes are provided facing the speaker.

Next, regarding the low frequency pulse generation circuit 2,
This will be described with reference to the circuit diagram shown in FIG.

The low frequency pulse generating circuit 2 includes a central processing unit (Central Processing Unit) as a control means.
t: CPU) 21 is provided, and the input terminal of this CPU 21 is connected to the other end of the switch SW1 whose one end is grounded by setting the opening / closing of the power supply in conjunction with the output adjustment dial 3 Resistor for pull-up connected to Vcc
The other end of R1 is connected. Similarly, at the output terminal, a variable resistor R2 having one end connected to the power supply Vcc is connected to the amplifier 22.
Connected via power supply Vcc and output adjustment dial 3
The output terminals 4a and 4b of the output socket 4 are formed by the sliders of the variable resistor R2 that continuously changes the output in conjunction with the.

Further, the input terminal of the CPU 21 is connected to the other end of the switch SW2 whose one end is operated by the operation of the start button 5 and whose one end is grounded, and one end is connected to the power supply Vcc for pull-up resistor R3. The other end of is connected. Then, the output terminal is connected to a light emitting diode LED1 for start display, and this light emitting diode LED1 is a resistor.
The light emitting diode LED1 is lit by being connected to the power source Vcc via R4 and operating the switch SW2.

Further, similarly, to the input terminal of the CPU 21,
The other end of a switch SW3 whose one end is operated by operating the output switching button 8 is grounded, and the other end of a pull-up resistor R5 whose one end is connected to a power supply Vcc is connected. Further, a light emitting diode LED7 for exhalation display and a light emitting diode LED8 for inhalation display are respectively connected to the two output terminals.
Further, the light emitting diode LED8 is connected to the power source Vcc via the resistor R6, and the switch SW3 is operated, so that either the light emitting diode LED7 or the light emitting diode LED8 is turned on.

A resistor R7 is connected between the power source Vcc and the ground, and a resistor operating according to the breathing cycle adjusting slider 6 connected to the input terminal of the CPU 21 is connected to the resistor R7. It has a / D conversion function.

Furthermore, a light emitting diode LED2 for displaying time
One ends of the LEDs ~ LED6 are connected to the input terminals of the CPU 21, respectively, and the other ends of the light emitting diodes LED2 ~ LED6 are connected to the power supply Vcc via the resistor R8.

Furthermore, the input terminal of the voice synthesizing IC 23 whose voice is stored in the ROM is connected to the input / output terminal of the CPU 21, and the output terminal of this voice synthesizing IC 23 is through the low-pass filter 24, the resistor R9 and the resistor R10. Grounded. The collector and emitter of the transistor Q1 are connected between both terminals of the resistor R9, and the base of the transistor Q1 is connected to the input terminal of the CPU 21. Then, the input terminal of an operational amplifier 25 having a slider driven by the volume adjusting dial 12 is connected to the resistor R10, and the output terminal of the operational amplifier 25 is connected to a DC cut capacitor C1 and a changeover switch SW4. A speaker 26 as a notification means is connected to 11. An earphone (not shown) as an informing means can insert the pin jack 11, and when the earphone is inserted into the pin jack 11, the speaker 26 is turned off and is output to the earphone.

A crystal oscillator 27 is also connected to the CPU 21.

Next, the operation of the above embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

First, the plug to which the electrode pad is connected is connected to the output socket 4. And output adjustment dial 3
Operate to close switch SW1 and put it in standby mode. In this state, the output pulse is set to be generated upon expiration, and the light emitting diode LED7 is in a light emitting state. In addition, when setting to generate an output pulse at the time of inspiration, by operating the output switching button 8, the switch SW3 is closed, the timing at which the output pulse is generated is changed, and the light emitting diode LED7 is turned off. Let
The light emitting diode LED8 is caused to emit light.

Then, in the standby state when the output pulse is generated in the exhalation, the start button 5 is operated to operate the switch SW.
Closing 2 starts treatment.

First, the voice signal of the synthesized word selected by the voice synthesis IC 23 is output, and the voice is output from the speaker 26 via the low-pass filter 24 and the operational amplifier 25. Also, if you want to change the output, such as to increase or decrease the audio output, use the audio adjustment dial 12
Is rotated to move the slider of the resistor R10 to change the gain of the operational amplifier 25 via the resistor R10 and adjust the output from the speaker 26. On the other hand, when the earphone is connected to the pin jack 11, the changeover switch SW4 is switched, the output to the speaker 26 is stopped, the sound is output to the earphone, the sound is output from the earphone, and the surroundings are annoying. Can be prevented.

Then, from the speaker 26, a voice message "Please breathe according to the instruction" is output, and after a few seconds, "take a breath" and "wear" are alternately output at a constant cycle. Further, when it is desired to lengthen or shorten this cycle, the respiratory cycle adjusting slider 6 is slid to change the resistance value of the resistor R7, the voltage from this resistor R7 is read into the CPU 21, and A / D converted, Adjust to any cycle.

In this case, since a pulse is generated in accordance with expiration, 3 is output along with the voice output of "YES".
A pulse having a frequency of Hz to 10 Hz and a pulse width of about 0.2 μsec is output from the output socket 4, and output from the electrode pad is such that muscle contraction does not occur. As described above, the reason for setting the pulse frequency to 3 Hz to 10 Hz is to enhance the accessory sympathetic nerve function, and it is effective to stimulate the skin and subcutaneous tissues during exhalation, and the skin and subcutaneous tissues are appropriately stimulated. This is because the muscles can be given, and the muscles are not stimulated or electromyographically contracted. Therefore, since the skin and subcutaneous tissues can be appropriately stimulated during expiration, the accessory sympathetic nerve function can be synergistically enhanced. For this reason, it is particularly effective in the case of fatigue, a state where the physical strength is lowered, a state where the autonomic nerve function is unstable, and the like. The gain of the operational amplifier 25 can be changed by rotating the output adjustment dial 3 and changing the resistance value of the resistor R10, and the audio output can be set arbitrarily.

On the other hand, when the output switching button 8 is switched and a pulse is generated in accordance with the inspiration, a pulse having a frequency of 10 Hz to 50 Hz and a pulse width of 0.2 μsec is output from the output socket 4 together with the sound output of “breath in”. The output is performed, and the output is made relatively strong so as to cause a slight pain by causing electromyography from the electrode pad. In this way, the pulse frequency is 10Hz
The reason for setting to 50 Hz is to enhance the sympathetic nerve function, and it is effective to stimulate the muscles during inspiration, and it is possible to give electromyography and not to the skin and subcutaneous tissues. is there. Therefore, since myoelectric contraction can be performed during inspiration, the sympathetic nerve function can be synergistically enhanced. Therefore, it is particularly effective for bronchial asthma attack and orthostatic dysregulation.

In addition, the time display light emitting diode LED2 ~
For LED6, for example, when the treatment time is set to 10 minutes, the light emitting diodes LED2 to LED6 will light up according to the remaining time or the elapsed time corresponding to every 2 minutes, and "Yes, it's finished." All goes off with the sound of.

Furthermore, by supplying a base current to the transistor Q1 to turn on the transistor Q1 and bypassing the current of the resistor R9 during the time 1 to 2 minutes before the start of the treatment and about 30 seconds before the end of the treatment, As shown in 2, the audio output is set to a high output state, and at other times, the transistor Q1 is turned off without supplying the base current to the transistor Q1 to supply the audio signal to the operational amplifier 25 via the resistor R9. And reduce the sound. In other words, at the beginning of the treatment, a loud voice is used to match the respiration, and in the middle of the treatment, the respiration becomes natural, so the voice is reduced, and at the end of the treatment, the voice is increased to notify that the end is approaching. .

Then, when the treatment time ends, it returns to the standby state.

In the above embodiment, the light emitting diode LED2
~ Elapsed time is shown by turning on LED6.
Minutes. As described above, a voice display may be performed, or the same effect can be obtained by using an LCD bar graph.

The same effect can be obtained by using a needle instead of the electrode pad.

[0041]

According to the low frequency treatment apparatus of the present invention, the notification means reliably notifies the user of the predetermined interval substantially corresponding to the rhythm of the respiratory phase by the language at the time of expiration or inspiration, and the control means notifies. By outputting a low-frequency pulse to the electrode by the pulse output means in synchronization with the interval corresponding to expiration or inspiration notified by the means, the user does not confuse whether it is expiration or inspiration, and the parasympathetic nerve. Alternatively, the sympathetic nerve can be synergistically enhanced, and the treatment can be applied to enhance the parasympathetic nerve or the sympathetic nerve.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing an embodiment of a low frequency treatment device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an external view showing the same low-frequency treatment device.

FIG. 3 is a waveform diagram showing the same operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 4 Output Socket as Pulse Output Means 21 Central Processing Unit (CPU) as Control Means 26 Speaker as Notification Means

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A pair of electrodes, an informing means for announcing inspiration and inspiration in language at predetermined intervals substantially corresponding to the rhythm of the respiratory phase, and pulse output means for outputting a low-frequency pulse to the electrodes. A low-frequency treatment device comprising: a control unit that outputs the pulse output unit in synchronization with the notification by the notification unit.