KR102649777B1 - Light irradiation unit and light irradiation system including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A light irradiation unit according to an embodiment includes a main circuit; an LED module mounted on the main circuit and emitting light; an LED adapter that is replaceably mounted on an end of the LED module to change the shape of the light particles; and a camera module disposed on the main circuit at the center of the main circuit or at the center of the plurality of LED elements to measure the condition of the skin or the pattern of irradiated light.

Description

A light irradiation unit and a light irradiation system including the light irradiation unit {LIGHT IRRADIATION UNIT AND LIGHT IRRADIATION SYSTEM INCLUDING THE SAME}

The present invention relates to a light irradiation unit and a light irradiation system including the light irradiation unit, and more specifically, to effectively perform skin treatment by adjusting the pattern of light irradiated from the light irradiation unit or the distance between the light irradiation unit and the skin surface. It relates to a light irradiation unit capable of emitting light and a light irradiation system including the light irradiation unit.

Phototherapy has been used for a long time for skin-related treatments.

Recently, with the advancement of LED technology, LED technology that can emit various light wavelengths is being developed, and various products that show skin treatment effects depending on the wavelength of light are being released.

For example, 630~660nm (wavelength) is known to be effective in treating inflammation.

However, the biggest problem with LEDs for treating skin diseases is that their clinical effectiveness is not certain. Clinical trials are continuously being conducted through LED manufacturers, university hospitals, and government-funded research institutes, but animal testing is still being conducted in parallel and the number of human experiments is insufficient. Even in the trials that have been conducted, specific LEDs are used for specific patients. Based on this, it can be problematic when used for diseases that require long-term use, such as exfoliation or atopic skin disease. It is difficult to accurately predict what results will occur due to the lack of clinical trial results using light wavelengths for a long period of time on normal skin excluding the skin area in question. Therefore, technology is needed to avoid use on areas other than diseased skin as much as possible.

Accordingly, various studies are being conducted on LED-based skin treatment systems. For example, KR 20-2015-0002819, filed on April 30, 2015, discloses 'LED irradiator for skin treatment with joint structure'. there is.

The purpose of one embodiment is to provide a light irradiation unit that can irradiate light only to the treatment area, thereby shortening the treatment time and preventing side effects on normal skin, and a light irradiation system including the light irradiation unit. It is provided.

The purpose according to one embodiment is to modularize the LED so that it can be replaced with various types of LED elements, and to include a light irradiation unit that can replace an LED adapter for the LED module to suit the user's skin position, and the light irradiation unit. To provide a light irradiation system.

The purpose according to one embodiment is to prevent side effects on normal skin by applying weighting to light intensity, and to apply a light irradiation unit to the skin surface at an optimal light intensity at an optimal distance through a user notification through a user interface. The object is to provide a light irradiation unit that can help improve skin and a light irradiation system including the light irradiation unit.

A light irradiation unit according to an embodiment for achieving the above object includes a main circuit; an LED module mounted on the main circuit and emitting light; an LED adapter that is replaceably mounted on an end of the LED module to change the shape of the light particles; and a camera module disposed at the center of the main circuit or the center of the LED module on the main circuit to measure the condition of the skin or the pattern of light irradiated to the irradiation target.

According to one side, the LED module includes a plurality of LED elements, and the plurality of LED elements may be symmetrically spaced apart from each other around the camera module.

According to one side, the plurality of LED elements can be individually controlled, and the wavelength of light emitted from the plurality of LED elements can be controlled based on the condition of the skin measured by the camera module.

A light irradiation system according to an embodiment for achieving the above object includes a main body; a light irradiation unit connected to one side of the main body and irradiating light toward the skin surface; and a control unit provided in the main body to control the operation of the light irradiation unit, wherein the pattern of light emitted from the light irradiation unit or the distance between the light irradiation unit and the skin surface may be adjusted by the control unit.

According to one side, the light irradiation unit includes: an LED module that irradiates light toward the skin surface; an LED adapter replaceably mounted on an end of the LED module; and a camera module that measures the condition of the skin or the pattern of irradiated light, wherein an area of interest is selected by the user from an image of the condition of the skin measured by the camera module, and information about the selected area of interest is provided. may be transmitted to the control unit.

According to one side, the control unit selects a weight of 1 when the region of interest occupies the entire cell, and calculates the weight when the region of interest occupies a portion of the cell, and the weight is calculated by the equation below. become,

Weight = (Area of cell - Number of selected pixels ² /2)÷ Area of cell

The area of the cell may be the total number of pixels constituting the cell, and the number of selected pixels may be the number of selected pixels within the area of the cell.

According to one side, a reference distance between the light irradiation unit and the skin surface according to a reference pixel is stored in advance in the control unit, and the relative distance to the reference distance is calculated by the equation below,

Relative distance = (number of selected pixels × reference distance between light irradiation unit and skin surface) ÷ number of reference pixels

Information about the calculated relative distance may be transmitted to the control unit.

According to one side, the control unit includes a user interface capable of input and output for the user; and a main controller that transmits a control signal to the light irradiation unit based on information input from the user interface, wherein the information processed by the main controller may be notified to the user through the user interface.

According to one side, it further includes a position control unit connected between the main body and the light irradiation unit to adjust the distance between the light irradiation unit and the skin surface, and the position control unit may be provided as an articulated arm.

According to a light irradiation unit according to an embodiment and a light irradiation system including the light irradiation unit, light can be irradiated only to the treatment area, thereby shortening the treatment time and preventing side effects on normal skin. .

According to a light irradiation unit according to an embodiment and a light irradiation system including the light irradiation unit, the LED is modularized and can be replaced with various types of LED elements, and an LED adapter is installed for the LED module to suit the location of the user's skin. It can be replaced.

According to a light irradiation unit according to an embodiment and a light irradiation system including the light irradiation unit, side effects on normal skin can be prevented by applying weighting to the light intensity, and the light irradiation system can be prevented through a user notification through a user interface. The irradiation unit is applied to the skin surface at the optimal distance and with the optimal light intensity, which can help improve the skin.

1 shows the configuration of a light irradiation system according to one embodiment.
Figure 2 shows a light irradiation system according to one embodiment.
Figure 3 is a configuration diagram of the light irradiation unit.
Figure 4 shows control of the light irradiation unit by the control unit.
Figure 5 shows how a region of interest is selected in the user interface.
Figure 6 shows the change in image according to the distance between the light irradiation unit and the skin surface.
Figure 7 is a flowchart showing a light irradiation method using a light irradiation system according to an embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail through exemplary drawings. When adding reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that identical components are given the same reference numerals as much as possible even if they are shown in different drawings. Additionally, when describing an embodiment, if a detailed description of a related known configuration or function is judged to impede understanding of the embodiment, the detailed description will be omitted.

Additionally, in describing the components of the embodiment, terms such as first, second, A, B, (a), and (b) may be used. These terms are only used to distinguish the component from other components, and the nature, sequence, or order of the component is not limited by the term. When a component is described as being "connected," "coupled," or "connected" to another component, that component may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but there is no need for another component between each component. It should be understood that may be “connected,” “combined,” or “connected.”

Components included in one embodiment and components including common functions will be described using the same names in other embodiments. Unless stated to the contrary, the description given in one embodiment may be applied to other embodiments, and detailed description will be omitted to the extent of overlap.

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of a light irradiation system according to an embodiment, FIG. 2 shows a light irradiation system according to an embodiment, FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a light irradiation unit, and FIG. 4 shows a light irradiation unit by a control unit. shows the control, Figure 5 shows the region of interest being selected in the user interface, Figure 6 shows the change in image according to the distance between the light irradiation unit and the skin surface, and Figure 7 shows the light according to one embodiment. This is a flowchart showing the light irradiation method by the irradiation system.

Referring to Figures 1 or 2, the light irradiation system 10 according to an embodiment may include a main body 100, a light irradiation unit 200, a position adjustment unit 300, and a control unit 400.

The light irradiation system 10 according to one embodiment is for treating a damaged skin surface by irradiating light from the light irradiation unit 200 to an irradiation target, for example, the skin surface.

At this time, the irradiation target may be prepared in various ways, but hereinafter, the case where the irradiation target is the skin surface will be explained as an example.

The main body 100 may be placed on one side of the user, and a light irradiation unit 200 or a position adjusting unit 300 may be connected to the main body 100, and a control unit 400 may be installed inside or outside the main body 100. ) can be placed.

At this time, the main body 100 is miniaturized and movable, so it is natural that user convenience can be improved regardless of location.

A light irradiation unit 200 may be connected to one side of the main body 100.

The light irradiation unit 200 may irradiate light toward the skin surface.

At this time, the light irradiation unit 200 can be modularized and configured as a 'light irradiation unit', and can be mounted and used in various devices that require light irradiation.

In particular, referring to FIG. 3 , the light irradiation unit 200 may include a main circuit 210, an LED module 220, an LED adapter 230, and a camera module 240.

An LED module 220 that irradiates light may be mounted on the upper surface of the main circuit 210.

Specifically, a control signal for the LED module generated from the control unit 400 disposed in the main body 100, for example, an LED wavelength control signal or an LED light pattern control signal, is transmitted to the main circuit 210, and the main circuit ( The operation of the LED module 220 can be controlled through 210).

The LED module 220 may include a plurality of LED elements.

The plurality of LED elements may be arranged to be spaced apart from each other on the main circuit 210. For example, a plurality of LED elements may be spaced apart from the center of the main circuit 210 and arranged in a structure that is symmetrical to each other. Alternatively, the plurality of LED elements may be arranged symmetrically spaced apart from each other around the camera module 240 mounted on the upper surface of the main circuit 210.

In Figure 3, there are a total of four LED elements, and it is shown that two are arranged on the left and right sides centered on the camera module 240. However, the number of LED elements is not limited to this, and the arrangement of the plurality of LED elements is not limited to this. Any method is possible as long as light irradiation can be effectively performed on the skin surface.

In addition, since a plurality of LED elements can be individually replaced, mounted, or separated on the main circuit 210, the type of LED element suitable for treatment can be selectively applied depending on the condition or location of the skin, and the LED module A plurality of LED elements included in (220) can be configured in various ways.

In addition, since the plurality of LED elements can be individually controlled, some of the plurality of LED elements, especially LED elements located on normal skin, are turned off, and LED elements located on skin requiring treatment are turned on. On), the efficiency of skin treatment can be improved and damage to normal skin can be prevented.

An LED adapter 230 may be mounted at the end of the above-described LED module 220.

The LED adapter 230 can be provided as a convenient model for treating skin according to the user's skin condition or skin location. For example, when the location where light is to be irradiated is the flat surface, face, elbow, heel, etc., the LED adapter 230 may have different shapes.

At this time, the LED adapter 230 may change the shape of the light (hereinafter referred to as the shape of the light particle) so that the irradiated lights do not overlap, or may change the finally determined image distance.

In Figure 3, the shape of the light particle is shown as being circular, but the shape of the light particle is not limited to this, and it is natural that it can be provided in various shapes or shapes.

Specifically, when the end diameter of the LED adapter 230 becomes larger through a change in the shape of the LED adapter 230, the diameter or image distance of the light particles may also increase, which means that the position where the light should be irradiated is flat or relatively flat. It can be effective when covering a large area.

Alternatively, if the end diameter of the LED adapter 230 becomes smaller through a change in the shape of the LED adapter 230, the diameter or image distance of the light particles may also be reduced, which may mean that the location where the light is to be irradiated is curved or relatively It can be effective when occupying a small area.

On the other hand, when the amount of light irradiated from the LED module 220 changes according to the shape of the LED adapter 230 or the ultimately determined distance of the image, the amount of light to be irradiated to the skin surface through control of the LED module 220 or LED wavelength control is changed. The optimal amount of light can be secured.

Additionally, a camera module 240 may be disposed on the above-described main circuit 210 at the center of the main circuit 210 or at the center of a plurality of LED elements.

The camera module 240 can measure the condition of the skin or the pattern of irradiated light. Specifically, the camera module 240 can measure the current position of the skin and confirm the range and location where light is irradiated on the skin surface.

In this way, the skin condition or light pattern measured by the camera module 240 can be used to control the wavelength of the LED module, for example, to control the wavelength of light emitted from a plurality of LED elements.

In particular, the image of the skin condition measured by the camera module 240 can be used to select a region of interest (ROI) by the user, and the LED can be used to irradiate light within the region of interest and not irradiate light outside the region of interest. The wavelength of the module can be controlled.

Additionally, referring again to FIG. 2, a position adjusting unit 300 may be connected between the main body 100 and the light irradiating unit 200.

The position adjusting unit 300 is used to adjust the distance between the light irradiation unit 200 and the skin surface, and specifically can adjust the distance between the end of the LED adapter 230 and the skin surface.

For example, the position adjusting unit 300 may be provided as an articulated arm, including a first arm 310 connected to one side of the main body 100, and a second arm connected to an end of the first arm 310 ( 320), and a third arm 330, one end of which is connected to an end of the second arm 320 and the other end of which is connected to the main circuit 210 of the light irradiation unit 200.

At this time, the position adjusting unit 300 may be provided to be detachable from the main body 100 and the light irradiation unit 200, and the first arm 310, the second arm 320, and the third arm 330 may be provided. Can be rotated individually. As a result, the position of the light irradiation unit 200 with respect to the main body 100 can be adjusted in various ways, and light can be efficiently irradiated toward various skin surfaces.

However, the configuration of the position adjusting unit 300 is not limited to this, and any configuration is possible as long as the position of the light irradiating unit 200 with respect to the main body 100 can be freely adjusted. For example, the position adjusting unit 300 may be provided to move the light irradiating unit 200 in 6 axes with respect to the main body 100.

Additionally, the control unit 400 may be disposed inside or outside the main body 100.

The control unit 400 may control the operation of the light irradiation unit 200 or the position control unit 300 described above.

In particular, referring to FIG. 4 , the control unit 400 may include a main controller 410 and a user interface 420.

The main controller 410 may serve to overall manage the operation of the light irradiation unit 200 or the position control unit 300.

In addition, the user interface 410 is intended to enable input and output for the user, and it is natural that it can be provided as a smart device, for example, outside the main body 100.

The user interface 410 may allow the user to check information input to the main controller 410, select a type of LED device, select an LED module, etc. Additionally, the user interface 410 may provide a notification (message, sound, voice, etc.) to the user to select the distance between the light irradiation unit 200 and the skin surface. In this way, information processed by the main controller 410 can be notified to the user through the user interface 420 in various ways.

Specifically, the light irradiation unit 200 and the position adjusting unit 300 can be controlled through the control unit 400 as follows.

First, when the LED adapter 230 is selected through the user interface 420, information about the selected LED adapter 230 may be transmitted to the main controller 410. Accordingly, the main controller 410 can control the LED wavelength based on the shape of the light particle that changes depending on the LED adapter 230 or the intensity of light that changes depending on the finally determined image distance.

Additionally, upon confirming the LED module 220 selected by the user, initial parameter settings can be performed on the main controller 410 to perform basic settings for LED wavelength control. At this time, the initial parameters may include the type of LED element and the wavelength value according to the distance.

Additionally, after confirming the current location of the skin through the camera module 240, the user may select an area of interest from the image of the skin condition measured by the camera module 240. At this time, it is natural that camera area selection can be performed by the user through the user interface 420, and information about the area of interest selected by the user can be transmitted to the main controller 410.

Light control or wavelength control of the LED module can be performed based on information about the area of interest transmitted to the main controller 410.

Specifically, the main controller 410 generates a control signal to turn off the LED elements that emit light to areas other than the selected area of interest (or important area), and a control signal to turn on the LED elements that emit light to the selected area of interest. can be created.

With further reference to FIG. 5, the main controller 410 selects a weight of 1 when the area of interest (A) occupies the entire cell, such as area B, and the area of interest (A) occupies the entire cell, such as area B. If it occupies part of a cell, the weight can be calculated.

For example, the weights can be calculated by Equation 1 below.

Weight = (Area of cell - Number of selected pixels ² /2)÷ Area of cell

For example, if the total number of pixels making up one cell is 100 pixels, and the pixels selected in one cell are 6 pixels, the weight may be (100 - 6 ² /2) ÷ 100 = 0.82.

In this way, the weight calculated by the main controller 410 can be used to control the LED wavelength, so that the area of interest selected by the user can be irradiated with an appropriate intensity of light, and the area of interest is located in a part of one cell. In this case, irradiation may be performed with a reduced light intensity, and light irradiation may not be performed on areas other than the area of interest.

In addition, when performing LED wavelength control in the main controller 410, information about the selected LED adapter 230, information about the LED module 210, and image information acquired from the camera module 240 are integratedly considered. It is natural that it can be done.

Additionally, although not specifically shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 400 can control the operation of the position adjusting unit 300, and the main controller 410 calculates the optimal distance between the light irradiation unit and the skin surface to adjust the position. A control signal may be generated for the unit 300.

Specifically, as the distance between the end of the LED adapter 230 and the skin surface increases, the light irradiation pattern may change. Therefore, in order to obtain the desired light irradiation pattern, the distance between the end of the LED adapter 230 and the skin surface is There is a need to control.

Referring to FIG. 6, it can be seen that when a specific LED adapter 230 is selected and attached to the skin at the initial distance value, the light irradiation pattern becomes 18 pixels in size.

At this time, the control unit 400, for example, the main controller 410, may store in advance the reference distance between the light irradiation unit 200 and the skin surface according to the reference pixel. For example, if the reference pixel is 40 pixels, the reference distance between the light irradiation unit 200 and the skin surface may be stored as 4 cm.

At this time, the main controller 410 can calculate the relative distance to the reference distance using Equation 2 below.

Relative distance = (number of selected pixels × reference distance between light irradiation unit and skin surface) ÷ number of reference pixels

Specifically, if the number of selected pixels is 20 pixels, the relative distance can be (20 × 4) ÷ 40 = 2 cm.

Accordingly, the optimal wavelength can be obtained by moving the LED adapter 230 toward the skin surface by a relative distance of 2cm.

At this time, the main controller 410 can adjust the intensity of light through LED wavelength control or inform the user of information about the relative distance calculated by the main controller 410 through the user interface 420. And when the number of pixels selected through the camera module 240 is confirmed, the user interface 420 may notify the user for operation of the position control unit 300.

On the other hand, when LED wavelength control is implemented, if a suitable wavelength cannot be provided beyond the allowable range of LED light intensity control, a message is delivered to the user through the user interface 420, and the light irradiation unit 200 is applied to the skin surface. It can be moved directly to a closer or further location.

In this way, the reference distance between the light irradiation unit and the skin surface according to the reference pixel is stored in advance in the main controller 410, so that the light irradiation unit and the skin surface are relatively relatively used without an additional distance sensor through the size of the image confirmed by the camera module 240. The distance between them can be measured.

Meanwhile, referring to FIG. 7, light irradiation may be performed as follows using a light irradiation system according to an embodiment.

First, check the user interface (S10) and then directly select the LED adapter or LED module (S20).

Then, check the skin with the camera module (S30).

At this time, an image of the skin condition can be measured by the camera module, and a region of interest is selected by the user from the image of the skin condition measured by the camera module (S40).

It goes without saying that the region of interest can be selected by the user through the user interface.

At this time, a weight is determined for the selected region of interest. The weight is calculated by determining whether the region of interest occupies the entire cell or a portion of the cell (S50).

Specifically, if the region of interest occupies the entire cell, the weight is selected as 1, and LED wavelength control is performed by the main controller (S70).

On the other hand, if the region of interest occupies a portion of the cell, the weight is calculated according to Equation 1 described above, and LED wavelength control is performed by the main controller based on the calculated weight (S70).

Additionally, the distance between the skin surface and the LED adapter is calculated (S60).

At this time, the distance between the skin surface and the LED adapter can be calculated by Equation 2 described above.

After the position controller operates according to the distance between the skin surface and the LED adapter calculated by the main controller, when measurement is possible on the camera module, LED wavelength control is performed by the main controller (S70).

On the other hand, if measurement is not possible from the camera module after the position control unit is activated according to the distance between the skin surface and the LED adapter calculated by the main controller, a notification message about the distance between the skin surface and the LED adapter is sent for optimal distance. is delivered to the user (S80). At this time, after checking the notification message, the user can directly adjust the distance between the skin surface and the LED adapter.

In this way, the light irradiation unit according to one embodiment and the light irradiation system including the light irradiation unit can prevent side effects on normal skin by applying weighting to the light intensity, and can prevent side effects on normal skin by providing a user notification through a user interface. The irradiation unit is applied to the skin surface at the optimal light intensity at the optimal distance, which can help improve the skin.

As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with specific details such as specific components and limited examples and drawings, but this is only provided to facilitate a more general understanding of the present invention, and the present invention is limited to the above embodiments. This does not mean that various modifications and variations can be made from this description by those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the spirit of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, and all claims that are equivalent or equivalent to the claims as well as the following claims fall within the scope of the present invention.

10: Light irradiation system
100: body
200: Light irradiation unit
210: main circuit
220: LED module
222: A plurality of LED elements
230: LED adapter
240: Camera module
300: Position control unit
400: Control unit
410: Main controller
420: User interface

Claims (9)

main circuit;
a plurality of LED modules mounted in a straight line on the main circuit and emitting light;
LED adapters that are replaceably mounted on the ends of the plurality of LED modules to modify the shape of the light so that the irradiated lights do not overlap; and
a camera module disposed at the center of the plurality of LED modules on the main circuit to measure the condition of the skin or the pattern of irradiated light;
A light irradiation unit comprising a.
According to paragraph 1,
The LED module includes a plurality of LED elements,
A light irradiation unit in which the plurality of LED elements are symmetrically spaced apart from each other around the camera module.
According to paragraph 2,
The plurality of LED elements are individually controlled,
A light irradiation unit in which the wavelength of light emitted from the plurality of LED elements to the irradiation target is controlled based on the condition of the skin measured by the camera module.
main body;
Connected to one side of the main body to irradiate light toward the skin surface, a main circuit, a plurality of LED modules mounted in a straight line on the main circuit to irradiate light, can be replaced at the ends of the plurality of LED modules A light irradiation unit including an LED adapter that is mounted to change the shape of the light so that the irradiated lights do not overlap, and a camera module that is disposed at the center of the plurality of LED modules on the main circuit and measures the condition of the skin or the pattern of the irradiated light. ; and
a control unit provided in the main body to control the operation of the light irradiation unit;
Including,
A light irradiation system in which the pattern of light irradiated from the light irradiation unit or the distance between the light irradiation unit and the skin surface is adjusted by the control unit.
According to clause 4,
The light irradiation unit,
A light irradiation system in which a region of interest is selected by a user from an image of the skin condition measured by the camera module, and information about the selected region of interest is transmitted to the control unit.
According to clause 5,
The control unit selects a weight of 1 when the region of interest occupies the entire cell, and calculates the weight when the region of interest occupies a portion of the cell,
The weight is calculated by the equation below,
Weight = (Area of cell - Number of selected pixels ² /2)÷ Area of cell
The area of the cell is the total number of pixels making up the cell,
The light illumination system of claim 1, wherein the number of selected pixels is the number of selected pixels within an area of the cell.
According to clause 5,
The control unit stores in advance a reference distance between the light irradiation unit and the skin surface according to the reference pixel,
The relative distance to the reference distance is calculated by the equation below,
Relative distance = (number of selected pixels × reference distance between light irradiation unit and skin surface) ÷ number of reference pixels
A light irradiation system in which information about the calculated relative distance is transmitted to the control unit.
According to clause 5,
The control unit,
A user interface that allows input and output for the user; and
a main controller that transmits a control signal to the light irradiation unit based on information input from the user interface;
Including,
A light irradiation system in which information processed by the main controller is notified to the user through the user interface.
According to paragraph 4,
a position control unit connected between the main body and the light irradiation unit to adjust the distance between the light irradiation unit and the skin surface;
It further includes,
A light irradiation system in which the position control unit is provided with an articulated arm.

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