JPH11164848A - Plane heat generator for thermotherapy - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a portable plane heat generator for thermotherapy which has an excellent treatment effect. SOLUTION: This plane heat generator for thermotherapy consists of a plane heat generator main body 1 with a heat generator layer made of fabric containing carbon particles, heat insulating layer attached on the rear, two protective sheets 3 and 4 protecting the main body from outside, and a sensor to detect the temperature of the hrat generator main body. The interval between electrodes and the quantity of carbon particles in the heat generator main body are decided so that the temperature can be increased to 38 deg.C and higher under a voltage not higher than 6 volts, and the temperature of the heat generator can be maintained at about 38 deg.C for a prescribed period of time by a control mechanism.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a planar heating element for hyperthermia utilizing the planar heating element in the medical field.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Hyperthermia in which heat is applied to an affected part of a patient is widely used. In the treatment, heating using a hot pack, a low frequency, a high frequency, a laser, or the like is usually performed using a large device permanently installed in a medical institution. In recent years, a simple type of thermotherapy device using a rechargeable battery that can be used by patients at home personally has been developed (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-275379).
Hyperthermia is becoming more widespread.

[0003]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The above-mentioned Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-275.
The thermal treatment apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 379 uses a sheet heating element, which is a far-infrared radiation sheet made of carbon fiber mixed paper, as a heat source, and is thin, lightweight, flexible and flexible. Because of its flexibility, thermal treatment can be effectively applied to body parts such as shoulders, necks and joints. However, in such a thermal treatment device having a conventional sheet heating element, a sufficient study has been made on the configuration of the sheet heating element from the viewpoints of both a temperature suitable for thermotherapy and ease of use. However, by using a power source with a higher voltage than necessary, the size of the battery is reduced and portability is impaired, or by maintaining the sheet heating element at an unnecessarily high temperature, the battery life is shortened. It is going to be shorter.

[0004] It is an object of the present invention to provide a thermotherapy surface heating element which solves the above-mentioned disadvantages in a thermal treatment device using a surface heating element as a heat source, and more specifically, a lower voltage. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a planar heating element for hyperthermia which can maintain a temperature suitable for hyperthermia for a long time.

[0005]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a planar heating element for thermotherapy according to the present invention has flexibility and shrinkage having a heating layer in which carbon particles are impregnated in a heat-resistant woven fabric. A planar heating element main body having a property, a heat insulating layer disposed on the back surface thereof, and interposing the planar heating element main body and the heat insulating layer between the main body and the heat insulating layer, 2 A sheet heating element for hyperthermia comprising a plurality of protective sheets and a sensor for detecting the temperature of the sheet heating element main body,
The main body of the sheet heating element is 6 volts or less, preferably 1.5 volts.
The distance between the electrodes and the amount of carbon particles are set so that the temperature can be raised to a temperature of 38 ° C. or more with a voltage of 〜6 volts. It is characterized in that it can be held for a predetermined time.

The planar heating element for hyperthermia according to the present invention has the above-mentioned structure, and can maintain a required temperature at a low voltage, so that the physical volume of the battery can be reduced. Portability is further improved. In addition, since the temperature can be maintained at about 38 ° C. for a long time by the control mechanism, it becomes easy to perform the thermal treatment in a stable state for a long time (3.
Prolonged hyperthermia at temperatures around 8 ° C. has been found to be most effective). Thereby, as a medical device for hyperthermia, it has a great effect on relieving pain in the affected area and improving circulation.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows an embodiment in which the patient is wound around and fixed on a part of the body to carry out thermotherapy of an affected part, and FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof. In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a planar heating element main body, which has a heating layer portion in which heat-resistant woven fabric is impregnated with carbon fine particles. A heat insulating material 2 made of a flexible material such as a shrinkable urethane tape is arranged on the back surface of the sheet heating element main body 1, and the sheet heating element body 1 and the heat insulating material 2 are soft and stretchable like a knit. The front protection sheet 3 which is a material having a property and the rear protection sheet 4 which is a material such as a shrinkable tape are wrapped so as to be sandwiched from the front and rear, and are shielded from the outside.

In this example, at least the rear protective sheet 4 has a laterally elongated shape, and, for example, magic fasteners (trade name) 5 and 6 which can be freely joined and detached near both ends thereof, and one of which is a front surface. On the side and the other on the rear side. The size of the planar heating element main body 1 is as follows.
Depending on the site to which this heat therapy sheet heating element is attached, the dimensions are appropriately determined.For example, when used for the lumbar spine,
A size of about 60 mm width x 100 mm length is suitable,
As shown in FIG. 4A, the main body 1 is wound around the waist so that the main body 1 comes into contact with the affected part, and is fixed to the body by the fasteners 5 and 6.

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of the sheet heating element for thermotherapy according to the present invention. The sheet heating element body 1 has copper wires woven in a woven cloth at both ends along the longitudinal direction of the heating layer. Electrodes 7a and 7b are provided.
b is connected to the battery in the battery case 9 via the lead wire 8. A temperature control mechanism (not shown) is accommodated in the battery case 9, and is connected to a temperature sensor 10 disposed on the sheet heating element main body 1 via a wiring 11.

In the present invention, a storage battery or a dry battery having a voltage of 6 volts or less is used as a battery.
The distance between the electrodes 7a and 7b and the amount of carbon particles impregnated in the woven fabric are set so that the temperature can be raised to a temperature of not less than ° C. Specifically, in the case of twisting a cotton No. 20 single yarn and a polyester spun yarn as a woven fabric to form a plain weave or a twill weave, carbon particles having a thickness of about 400 microns are impregnated, and the electrodes 7a, 7b The distance between them is about 50 mm. When a heat generating layer having a large area is required, a plurality of pairs of electrodes may be used instead of a pair of electrodes. Further, the heat generating layer can be maintained at a temperature of about 38 ° C. for a predetermined time by the control mechanism by a conventionally known means.

According to the planar heating element for hyperthermia of the present invention having the above-described structure, a battery having a low voltage of about 6 volts or less is used, so that the battery case can be made small and portable. Is improved. In addition, a low voltage of about 38 ° C., which is optimal for hyperthermia, can be maintained for a long time, so that long-term medical treatment and medical treatment in any place can be performed.

The above description is a preferred embodiment of the planar heating element for hyperthermia according to the present invention, and there are many other variations. The distance between the electrodes and the amount of the carbon particles may be set so that the planar heating element body can be heated to a temperature of 38 ° C. or more with a voltage of 6 volts or less. In addition, heat-resistant woven by integrating the level of the woven fabric and the electrode by arranging the electric wire which wound 10 pieces of nickel-plated twisted copper wire of 0.08mmφ for 0.2mmφ of tetron monofilament at the counter electrode, and integrated the level of the woven cloth and electrode. An embodiment of a thermotherapy device having a cloth capable of making the electrode stretch 15% or more and having contractility is also possible.

[0013] Also, although described for the lumbar spine, this is also an example and can be applied to any other location as shown in Figs. 4b to 4e. Figure 4b is for the knee joint, Figure 4c is for the cervical spine, Figure 4d is for the cervical shoulder arm,
FIG. 4e is for the wrist joint. The size of the sheet heating element main body 1 and the shape of the rear surface protection sheet 4 are set so as to match each part. Depending on the part used,
For example, as in the case of the neck and shoulder arm of FIG. 4d, the fasteners 5 and 6 may not be provided, and may be brought into direct contact with the skin of the shoulder by means such as binding with a shrinkable tape.

[0014]

According to the planar heating element for hyperthermia of the present invention, in addition to being excellent in portability as a whole and extremely easy to use, the optimal temperature for hyperthermia is maintained at a low voltage for a long time. Therefore, it can be highly effective in relieving pain in the affected area and improving circulation. For example, low-voltage DC of 3 to 6 volts prevents the generation of electromagnetic waves and has a width of 60 mm.
It has been experimentally proved that power consumption when a sheet heating element having a length of 100 mm is heated at about 38 ° C. to 42 ° C. with a low output of 0.5 to 0.9 W is sufficient. In addition, experiments have shown that far-infrared rays emitted from carbon raise the temperature in the deep part of the human body.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of a planar heating element for thermotherapy according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the thermotherapy sheet heating element shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a planar heating element for hyperthermia according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a view showing various usage modes of the sheet heating element for hyperthermia according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Planar heating element main body, 2 ... Heat insulation layer, 3 ... Front protection sheet, 4 ... Rear protection sheet, 5, 6 ... Fastener, 7a,
7b: electrode, 9: battery case, 10: temperature sensor

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A flexible and shrinkable planar heating element body having a heating layer in which heat-resistant woven fabric is impregnated with carbon particles, a heat insulating layer disposed on the back surface thereof, A thermotherapy surface comprising: two protective sheets for intercepting the body heating element and the heat insulation layer with the body body and the heat insulation layer interposed therebetween, and two sensors for detecting the temperature of the sheet heating element body. The distance between the electrodes and the amount of carbon particles are set so that the planar heating element main body can be heated to a temperature of 38 ° C. or more with a voltage of 6 volts or less, A planar heating element for hyperthermia, wherein the temperature can be maintained at about 38 ° C. for a predetermined time by a control mechanism.