JPH0938221A - Beam therapeutic device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a beam therapeutic device used mainly for the treatment of neonatal jaundice but effective also for treatment of jaundice of child or adult, or treatment of violet or yellow blotch such as bruise by using, as emitting light source, a light emitting diode having lights within a light wavelength area extending from blue to green as the central wavelength of emission. SOLUTION: A beam therapeutic device using a light emitting diode as light source can reduce the subcutaneous bilirubin concentration to treat a jaundice by emitting the light of a diode for emitting a blue, blue green or green light to a jaundiced patient. It emits only pure color lights of narrow wavelength spectra of light wavelength area 400-550nm (blue to green through blue green) effective for the treatment of bilirubin jaundice, and never emits a beam harmful to the eyes such as ultraviolet ray or a hot beam (infrared ray). A voltage necessary for the lighting of the light emitting diode of this wavelength is about 3.5V, and there is not fear of electric shock as long as it is connected in parallel. A blue green light emitting diode is mounted on the lid of an incubator to treat the jaundice of a neonate.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a medical device / apparatus / apparatus used in hospitals, medical facilities, medical / medical research institutions and research facilities, universities, etc., which is caused by jaundice treatment and subcutaneous bleeding. It is intended for the treatment of localized jaundice.

[0002]

Jaundice is a bilirubin in blood.
It is caused by a yellow substance called "ubin" (bile pigment). When red blood cells are lysed, this substance is formed from hemoglobin, which is a blood cell pigment.However, the rate of bilirubin production and its degradation rate in the liver are imbalanced, and the rate of degradation is relatively slowed, resulting in a concentration of bilirubin in blood. Jaundice occurs when the height becomes higher. The most prominent manifestation of jaundice is in the newborn. Jaundice in newborns is believed to occur because the degrading enzymes in the baby's liver do not work well for about a week after birth and the bilirubin concentration in the blood increases. In newborns, degrading enzymes usually start to degrade bilirubin and jaundice disappears in about 2 weeks, but premature babies who have not developed this degrading action may have strong jaundice symptoms. Severe jaundice may also occur if the blood types of the mother and fetus are incompatible during pregnancy. Such a strong jaundice symptom is called nuclear jaundice, and it causes disorders of the central nervous system including the cerebrum of the newborn, and in severe cases, it may lead to cerebral palsy and death. Phototherapy is used as a physical treatment method for such newborn jaundice. This is a substance in which bilirubin, a pigment that causes jaundice, is easily decomposed into light, and in particular, by irradiating the skin with blue, blue-green or green light having a wavelength of 400 to 550 nanometers (nm), This is because the bilirubin concentration decreases. This is because light of such a wavelength changes bilirubin (indirect bilirubin), which is difficult to dissolve in water immediately after generation, to water-soluble, that is, a form that easily dissolves in blood (direct bilirubin), and from the liver along with bile. This is because it is excreted in the intestine, and then excreted outside the body by mixing with feces and urine. As a radiation source for phototherapy, a fluorescent tube lamp (fluorescent lamp) in which a blue or blue-green fluorescent substance is applied to the inner wall of the tube has been used as a light source that emits light whose main component is the above wavelength range. Has been used up. In addition, a high-intensity lamp (halogen lamp, xenon lamp, etc.) is equipped with a bandpass filter (bandpass filter) that passes only the above wavelength range, and the output light is extracted with a multi-branched optical fiber for use. There are also things.

The problems with such a conventional light source for phototherapy are, in the case of a fluorescent lamp, (1) In addition to the blue and blue-green light components, ultraviolet rays harmful to the eyes are contained, so that the baby's retina can be damaged. It is necessary to wear an eye patch to protect it, (2) the intensity of light cannot be freely changed, (3) the lamp voltage is as high as several tens of volts, and there is a danger of electric shock, (4) the risk of breaking the lamp (5) Since the lamp is rod-shaped, it can be used only as a fixed light source, (6) Can not irradiate light on the skin, (7) The lamp itself heats up considerably,
(8) The lamp has a lifespan, (9) gives the mother anxiety, etc. On the other hand, in the case of a light source using an optical fiber, light can be irradiated in contact with the skin, but (1) light utilization efficiency is poor, (2) power consumption is large, (3) device itself is expensive, (4) There is no danger of electric shock, but the optical fiber cable itself is thick and difficult to bend, making it difficult to use.

[0004]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION According to the present invention, oily bilirubin (indirect bilirubin) which is a causative substance of jaundice is dissolved in water by photochemical action (direct bilirubin).
The present invention is to devise an effective and simple jaundice phototherapy device by using as a radiation light source a light emitting diode that emits light of a wavelength that is efficiently converted into light. For jaundice treatment,
Although it is necessary to control the intensity of irradiation light according to the severity of jaundice, it is difficult to freely adjust the irradiation light with conventional light sources such as fluorescent lamps. When the light emitting diode is used as the light emitting source, the light intensity proportional to the input current can be easily obtained, and thus the irradiation light control can be easily performed.

[0005]

A light emitting diode (LED) capable of lighting with a low voltage, a low current, and a small power is widely used as a representative of a semiconductor light emitting element for an optical display element (optical display), a light source for optical communication, and the like. Has been. In the early 1980s, an ultra-high brightness red light emitting diode with a luminous intensity of more than 1 candela (cd) was developed. After that, high brightness and short wavelength emission color have been rapidly developed, but high brightness blue and blue green light has been developed. Light-emitting diodes that emit light were extremely difficult to manufacture, and it was expected that they would be introduced in the 21st century. However, in November 1993, Nichia Corporation announced that it was the first in the world to successfully develop a 1 cd ultra-bright blue light emitting diode (emission peak wavelength 450 nm). This epoch-making achievement made it possible to replace the conventional blue fluorescent tube (fluorescent lamp) using a blue light emitting fluorescent material with a blue light emitting diode. In addition, the company
We also announced a 2 cd ultra-bright blue-green LED with a peak emission wavelength of 500 nm. The present inventor, who has been engaged in application research of light-emitting diodes for many years, has focused on these invention articles, and has come up with the idea of using a blue or blue-green light-emitting diode as a light source for jaundice treatment.

[0006]

A phototherapy device using a light emitting diode as a light source in the present invention, a bilirubin concentration under the skin is lowered by irradiating a patient with jaundice with light of a light emitting diode emitting blue, blue-green or green light, Jaundice can be treated. Moreover, this phototherapy device has various effects as follows. (1) Light wavelength region 40 effective for treatment of bilirubin jaundice
It emits only pure color light with a narrow wavelength spectrum of 0 to 550 nm (from blue to blue-green to green), and does not emit light rays harmful to eyes such as ultraviolet rays, unnecessary light, and heat rays (infrared rays). (2) The voltage required for lighting the blue to green light emitting diodes is at most 3.5 V, and there is no risk of electric shock as long as the light emitting diodes are connected in parallel. It can be lit with a low voltage of several volts, and there is almost no danger of electric shock. (3) Low power consumption and good efficiency. (4) Even if it is a normal light emitting diode, the diameter is 5 m.
m, a length of about 8 mm or less, which is small,
The ultra-high brightness type can obtain an extremely strong optical output with a small input current of a few mA (milliampere). (5) By mounting a large number of light emitting diodes not only on a plate-shaped substrate but also on a flexible substrate, it is possible to provide a planar light source which is free-form and can be bent. Therefore, not only the conventional type of light therapy device with a light source provided on the upper lid of the incubator, but also light therapy that embeds the light emitting diode in the shape of clothes such as belts (girdles) and gowns, and futons, mats, and cloths. A tool can be realized. (6) The light emitting diode is molded with a very hard and hard plastic, and is unlikely to be broken by a normal impact. (7) Since the light output of the light emitting diode is almost proportional to the input current, it is possible to control the current value and adjust the light intensity according to the degree of jaundice. Thus, the skin of neonatal jaundice and general patients, by irradiating the light of one or multiple light-emitting diodes that emit light in the wavelength range from blue to green, lower the concentration of subcutaneous bilirubin, Can reduce jaundice symptoms.

[0007]

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of the present invention, which is a neonatal jaundice phototherapy device in which a blue-green high-intensity light emitting diode is attached to the upper lid of an incubator. Incidentally, FIG. 3 shows a conventional fluorescent lamp phototherapy device.

FIG. 4 shows a phototherapy device in which a blue-green light emitting diode is sewn on a cloth band, which is used by being wound around a baby's body.

FIG. 5 shows a phototherapy device of the type in which a blue-green light emitting diode is embedded in a bedding (or mat).

[0010]

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention is mainly intended to treat neonatal jaundice, but is also effective for treating jaundice in children and adults. It is also effective for the treatment of internal bleeding due to bruises, purple or yellow bruise on the skin caused by infusion or injection. It is considered that the jaundice phototherapy device of the present invention using a light emitting diode as a light source may replace the fluorescent lamp type jaundice therapy device currently widely used.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an input current-to-light illuminance characteristic of a blue-green light emitting diode NLPC500E-490 (one) manufactured by Nichia Corporation used in the present invention, in which the current and the light illuminance increase in proportion to the current. It is shown that.

FIG. 2 is a neonatal jaundice phototherapy device in which a blue-green light emitting diode is attached to the upper lid of the incubator.

FIG. 3 is a conventional neonatal jaundice phototherapy device in which a blue fluorescent lamp is attached to the upper lid of the incubator.

FIG. 4 is a jaundice light treatment device in which a blue-green light emitting diode is sewn into the abdominal band.

FIG. 5 is a jaundice phototherapy device in which a blue-green light emitting diode is embedded in a bed futon.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A medical treatment for phototherapy of jaundice, which uses a light-emitting diode as a radiation light source having a central wavelength (peak wavelength) of light emission in a light wavelength range from blue to green (400 nm to 550 nm). Equipment, equipment, and utensils. 2. A skin bleeding due to subcutaneous bleeding (internal bleeding), which uses a light-emitting diode as a radiation light source having a central wavelength (peak wavelength) of light emission within a light wavelength range from blue to green (400 nm to 550 nm). Medical devices, equipment and instruments for the treatment of localized jaundice such as bruise. 3. A phototherapy for the treatment of neonatal jaundice, which uses a light emitting diode as a radiation light source having a central wavelength (peak wavelength) of light emission within a light wavelength range from blue to green (400 nm to 550 nm). Incubator with functions.