KR20160001890A - Anti-aging skin theragnostic system using ultrasound and OCT - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating and diagnosing skin which comprises: an ultrasonic wave controlling device including an ultrasonic wave converter so as to carry out treatment for skin by generating ultrasonic waves; and an optical coherence tomography (OCT) including a Galvano mirror, sequentially radiating skin with light emitted from a light source in accordance with the rotation of the Galvano mirror, sequentially detecting the light reflected from the skin by using a light detector so as to extract an image for a section of the skin.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a skin diagnosis and treatment system combining ultrasound and OCT for anti-

The present invention relates to a non-invasive ultrasound skin therapy system (Anti-Aging Skin Therapeutic System) for non-invasively effecting skin regeneration through skin stimulation for anti-aging, (OCT), which is a high-resolution imaging technique for the skin defect, can be used for diagnosis and real-time therapeutic effect confirmation through OCT imaging. In addition, an ultrasound skin reproducing system using a multi-focus concept is implemented To a skin diagnosis and treatment system.

Recently, interest in aging and skin beauty is increasing.

Currently, medical devices for anti-aging include laser-based therapeutic devices, high frequency therapeutic devices, and ultrasonic therapeutic devices.

Existing skin regeneration systems are performed after reducing pain through anesthesia, or by using a method of sequentially treating a large area through mechanical scanning, which has a long application time. In addition, when mechanical scanning is performed, separate small ultrasound image probes are used together to provide images, but ultrasound images can not be simultaneously acquired during the treatment due to interference between the ultrasound waves.

In addition, recently, a skin regeneration system using a long ultrasonic transducer has shown a way to reduce the time for scanning the skin by treating the skin in a single line, but this still requires much time

Therefore, in the case of the prior art, there is a disadvantage that the image resolution is low due to the limitation of the ultrasound image, and the ultrasound image can not be simultaneously acquired during the treatment due to the interference between the ultrasound waves.

Second, in order to treat all of the two-dimensional skin area, it takes a lot of time to use the conventional mechanical scanning or the focus group consisting of one line. Therefore, the procedure time required for the whole face treatment takes more than one hour, which causes inconvenience to the practitioner and the recipient, and there is a disadvantage that the overload of the system due to the overloading can cause an adverse effect such as heat generation.

Third, there is a disadvantage in that it is difficult to confirm the treatment in real time due to the absence of a high-resolution diagnostic system which can judge whether or not the treatment is performed at the same time as the treatment.

Therefore, the skin regeneration system for anti-aging is required to have a non-invasive and non-adverse skin regeneration system that adds safety-enhancing imaging techniques during treatment for skin regeneration.

The ultrasound stimulation system is suitable for skin regeneration through non-invasive skin stimulation. In the absence of interference from the sound waves, the most detailed resolution of the skin layer is the combination of OCT It is most appropriate.

To this end, the inventors of the present invention have registered a patent of Korean Patent No. 10-1352507 on ultrasonic wave generator and ultrasonic vibrator.

The ultrasonic wave generator of Korean Patent No. 10-1352507 includes at least one pair of transducer elements composed of two symmetrical elements and an ultrasonic wave having at least one focus region is generated according to the phase difference between the elements A controller for controlling the ultrasonic driver to adjust the number of focus areas of the ultrasonic waves while changing the phase difference between the ultrasonic transducers, and a controller for controlling the ultrasonic waves generated by the ultrasonic vibrator to irradiate the skin, And an ultrasonic output unit.

Korean Patent No. 10-1352507 is an apparatus considering only ultrasonic therapy, and means for simultaneously acquiring ultrasound images during treatment are not imposed.

Therefore, the combination of the non-invasive ultrasonic skin regenerating system and the OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) image, which is a high-resolution imaging technique for the skin layer in the absence of interference by sound waves, There is a demand for a skin diagnosis and treatment system that enables diagnosis and real-time therapeutic effect confirmation through an image, and also realizes an ultrasound skin regeneration system using a multi-focus concept.

In the skin diagnosis and treatment technology for antiaging, generally, when appropriate stimulation is applied to the surface layer-based system, skin regeneration is activated and antiaging is possible.

The skin layer, which is the root cause of wrinkles, is the superficial Muscular Aponeurotic System (SMAS) of the fibrous fascia layer and is the outermost muscle tissue of the skin. Skin tissue is divided into the epidermal layer, dermal layer, subcutaneous fat, and SMAS muscle layer, and the surface layer is the SMAS muscle layer. Therefore, when proper stimulation is applied to the surface layer-based system, skin regeneration is activated, and anti-aging is possible.

Ultrasound is a treatment technique used in HIFU (High Intensity Focused Ultrasound), skin drug delivery, gene therapy, etc. Non-invasive treatment is possible, and the center frequency, device size, the treatment desired by adjusting the size and focus area (spot size of 3mm ³ or less available) can be selectively applied.

OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) technology is optical interferential tomography technology used for biomedical imaging, ocular measurement, and opaque tissue imaging. It is the technology that obtains the finest resolution for 5μm skin layer. OCT, an optical coherent tomographic imaging technique, can be applied to the study of various skin diseases.

A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a noninvasive ultrasonic skin regeneration system for non-invasively skin regeneration through non-invasive skin stimulation for anti-aging, and a non-invasive ultrasonic skin regeneration system, And the OCT image, which is a high-resolution imaging technique, can be used to diagnose and diagnose the OCT image and to realize a real-time therapeutic effect. In addition, a skin diagnosis and treatment system, which implements an ultrasound skin regeneration system using a multi- .

Another problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an OCT module using a full range technique for a 3 mm depth image and an ultrasonic module using a sector vortex technique for rapid treatment, Therapeutic system and diagnosis system that implements a therapeutic system and a diagnostic system simultaneously.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a skin diagnosis and treatment system that implements a skin regeneration system that is non-invasive and has no side effects, which is added with an image technique to ensure safety even during therapeutic treatment for skin regeneration.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an ultrasound skin regeneration system capable of realizing multi-focus by electronically controlling the phase difference between elements of the array type elements, thereby enabling simultaneous stimulation of a large area skin within a short time, In addition, by combining OCT technology that can confirm skin condition with high resolution, it is possible to check the status change in real time simultaneously with diagnosis and treatment before treatment, thereby enabling diagnosis and treatment of skin more safely and accurately. .

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasound system including: an ultrasound controller for generating ultrasound waves by using ultrasound transducing elements to treat skin; and a galvanometer mirror, And an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) apparatus for detecting an image of a skin defect layer by sequentially detecting light reflected from the skin by a photodetector, the ultrasonic transducer comprising: Ultrasonic transducer; A second ultrasonic transducer spaced apart from the first ultrasonic transducer and disposed symmetrically to the first ultrasonic transducer, and a galvanometer mirror positioned at the center of the first ultrasonic transducer and the second ultrasonic transducer.

The apparatus for diagnosing and treating the skin further includes a second beam steering unit composed of two convex lenses on the galvano mirror, and the convex portions of the two convex lenses are arranged to face each other.

The OCT apparatus includes an Axicon generating a Bezel beam from light from a light source; A first beam steering unit having two convex lenses arranged so that the convex portions of the two convex lenses are opposed to each other to adjust the traveling direction of the light emitted from the axicon to transmit the vessel beam to the galvanometer mirror; As the galvanometer mirror rotates, the vessel beam exits to the skin through the second beam steering unit 460, and the vessel beam reflected from the skin passes through the second beam steering unit, the galvanometer mirror, the first beam steering unit, And a photodetector for detecting the light reflected from the mirror.

The skin diagnosis and treatment apparatus further includes a spherical lens between the axicon and the first beam steering unit, and the spherical lens is spaced apart from the conical surface of the axicon.

The mirror is provided between the spherical lens and the first beam steering portion.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus comprising: an ultrasonic wave control device for generating ultrasound waves by using ultrasonic transducer elements to cause skin to be treated; and a rotatable reflective mirror, And an optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus for detecting light reflected from the skin and successively detecting an image of a skin defect layer by a photo detector, the apparatus comprising: a first ultrasound transducer; A second ultrasonic transducer spaced apart from the first ultrasonic transducer and arranged to be symmetrical; And a rotating type reflector positioned at the center of the first and second ultrasonic transducer elements.

The skin diagnosis and treatment apparatus further comprises a steering lens section composed of two convex lenses on the rotating type reflection mirror, wherein the convex sections of the two convex lenses are disposed so as to face each other, Shaped lens having a spherical surface and a flat surface on the other side, the spherical surface of the hemispherical lens being disposed to face the steering lens portion side.

In the OCT apparatus, light emitted from a light source is divided into two beams in a beam splitter. In the beam splitter, one of the beams divided into two beams is transmitted to a reference mirror, and the light reflected from the reference mirror And the other beam of the beam divided by the two beams in the beam splitter is transmitted to the rotating type reflecting mirror through a focusing unit, and is transmitted to the rotating type reflecting mirror in accordance with the rotation of the rotating type reflecting mirror. The reflected light is transmitted to the skin through the steering lens unit and the hemispherical lens. The light reflected from the skin is transmitted to the rotating type reflector through the hemispherical lens and the steering lens unit, Lt; / RTI >

In the beam splitter, the light reflected from the reference mirror and the light transmitted to the beam splitter through the focusing lens according to the rotation of the rotatable reflector are combined and transmitted to the dispersion grating through the collimating lens to be dispersed, And is transmitted to the photodetector through the lens to detect the image.

An immersion layer is positioned between the hemispherical lens and the skin, and a hole is provided at the skin interface in contact with the immersion layer.

The light source is a white light source.

The present invention also relates to an ultrasonic wave control device for generating ultrasound waves by using ultrasound transducing elements to treat skin; The beam splitter divides the light incident from the light source into two beams, one of the two beams is transmitted to a reference mirror, and the light reflected from the reference mirror is again transmitted to a beam splitter, One beam is focused on the skin through the convex lens, the light reflected from the skin is transmitted to the beam splitter through the convex lens, the light reflected from the reference mirror, and the light reflected from the skin incident through the convex lens, And an OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) apparatus for combining images in a beam splitter and detecting an image through a photodetector, the apparatus comprising: a first ultrasonic transducer; A second ultrasonic transducer spaced apart from the first ultrasonic transducer and arranged to be symmetrical; And a convex lens positioned at the center of the first and second ultrasound transducer elements for focusing the light on the skin and transmitting the light reflected from the skin to the beam distributor.

The reference mirror is made to rotate.

In the image detected by the photodetector, an interference fringe is generated due to the difference in optical path between the light reflected from the reference mirror and the light reflected from the skin, which is incident through the convex lens, combined by the beam splitter. The pattern also moves.

The first ultrasonic transducer and the second ultrasonic transducer may generate ultrasonic waves with a phase difference of 0 degrees or 180 degrees, and the number of ultrasonic focus areas is one or two.

The image detected by the photodetector is amplified through an amplifier, passed through a bandpass filter, and then transmitted to an analyzing unit. The analyzing unit FFTs the received image to express the intensity according to the depth (spectrum) Observe the structural changes of the skin by measuring the phase in one piece of data.

According to the skin diagnosis and treatment system of the present invention, it is possible to provide a noninvasive ultrasonic skin regeneration system for effecting skin regeneration through non-invasive skin stimulation for anti-aging, and a non- It combines OCT images, which are high resolution imaging techniques for skin lesions, and enables diagnosis and real-time therapeutic effect confirmation through OCT images, and realizes an ultrasound skin reproduction system using a multi-focus concept.

The present invention also provides an OCT module using a full range technique for a 3 mm depth image and an ultrasonic module using a sector vortex technique for rapid treatment, (diagnosis) can be performed at the same time to implement the diagnostic system (Theragnostic).

In addition, the present invention implements a skin regeneration system that is non-invasive and has no side effects, which is added with an image technique to ensure safety even during therapeutic treatment for skin regeneration.

 The ultrasonic skin regeneration system of the present invention can realize multiple foci by electronically adjusting the phase difference between elements of the array type elements, thereby enabling simultaneous stimulation of a large area skin within a short time, And OCT technology, which can be confirmed by the diagnosis and treatment of pre-treatment simultaneously with the status change can be confirmed in real time, safe and accurate diagnosis and treatment allows.

1 is an explanatory view for explaining the concept of ultrasonic stimulation through the skin.
2 is a schematic view for explaining an ultrasonic transducer constituted by two elements according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a three-dimensional diagram showing the arrangement of two ultrasonic transducers in the ultrasonic transducer of the present invention.
Fig. 4 shows the values obtained by simulating the sound field distribution in each plane of the ultrasonic transducer of Fig.
5 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of the ultrasonic control apparatus of the present invention.
6 is a configuration diagram illustrating a Michelson interferometer.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an OCT apparatus for skin diagnosis according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG.
8 is an example of an image obtained through the OCT apparatus of the present invention.
9 is a block diagram illustrating an OCT apparatus using a vessel beam according to another embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a comparison image of an image obtained using a conventional OCT apparatus and an image obtained using a vessel-beam OCT apparatus of the present invention.
11 is an example of a skin tissue image and a skin capillary blood vessel image using the Speckle analysis technique in the present invention.
12 is an explanatory view for explaining the configuration of a skin diagnosis and treatment system combined with an OCT apparatus and an ultrasonic wave control system.
13 is a block diagram illustrating an OCT apparatus for skin diagnosis according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, a skin diagnosis and treatment system combining ultrasound and OCT for anti-aging according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is an explanatory view for explaining the concept of ultrasonic stimulation through the skin.

In skin treatment using ultrasound stimulation for antiaging, ultrasound stimulation should be able to effectively stimulate a larger area of skin within a short time. For this purpose, a focusing type ultrasound transducer should be used to concentrate the appropriate energy in a desired region, and a symmetrically configured ultrasound transducer is also required.

2 is a schematic view for explaining an ultrasonic transducer constituted by two elements according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The first ultrasonic transducer 100 and the second ultrasonic transducer 200 are integrated to form one ultrasonic transducer 50. For this purpose, the first ultrasonic transducer 100 and the second ultrasonic transducer The second ultrasonic transducer 200 should be disposed at an appropriate position and applied at the same time. In other words, the ultrasonic transducer 50 is formed by combining the two ultrasonic transducer elements 100 and 200 and appear to consist of one ultrasonic transducer element.

2 (a) is a cross-sectional view (A-A 'sectional view) of the ultrasonic transducer 50, and Fig. 2 (b) is a plan view of the ultrasonic transducer 50. Fig.

In the ultrasonic transducer 50, the first ultrasonic transducer 100 and the second ultrasonic transducer 200 are spaced apart from each other. The first ultrasonic transducer 100 and the second ultrasonic transducer 200 are mounted symmetrically with respect to the center of the first ultrasonic transducer 100, The height of the second ultrasonic wave changing element 200 is decreased as it is closer to the center.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing three-dimensional arrangement of two ultrasonic transducer elements in the ultrasonic transducer of the present invention, and FIG. 4 shows values obtained by simulation of sound field distributions in each plane of the ultrasonic transducer of FIG.

3, the first ultrasonic transducer 100 and the second ultrasonic transducer 200 are mounted to be spaced apart from each other, and are mounted symmetrically with respect to the center.

4 is a simulation result showing the shapes of the XZ plane, the ZY plane, and the XY plane sound field in the focus area in the acoustic output generated from the two ultrasonic conversion elements 100 and 200. FIG. That is, FIG. 4A shows values obtained by simulation of the sound field distribution of the ultrasonic transducer 50 when values of the X axis and the Z axis are different, and FIG. 4B shows values of the Z axis and Y axis FIG. 4 (c) shows a simulation result of the sound field distribution of the ultrasonic transducer 50 when the values of the X-axis and the Y-axis are different from each other. . Here, the intensity of the sound field is represented by a color.

In the sound field distribution in the XZ plane of FIG. 4A, the sound field is distributed in the middle portion of the Z axis even if the X axis values are different. In the sound field distribution in the ZY plane of FIG. 4B, The sound field distribution has the highest intensity in the middle portion of the axis. In the sound field distribution in the XY plane of FIG. 4 (c), the sound field is distributed in the middle portion of the Y axis, even though the X axis values are different.

That is, by using the ultrasonic transducer 50 including the two ultrasonic transducer elements 100 and 200, it is possible to form a focal point like an ultrasonic transducer composed of one element through the XZ plane, the ZY plane, and the XY plane Able to know.

The shape, position and angle of the ultrasonic transducer elements shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are not intended to limit the present invention. In the ultrasonic transducer of the present invention, the shape, position and angle of each ultrasonic transducer element are appropriately determined It is of course possible to apply the present invention to the manufacturing process. That is, the present invention includes all various types of ultrasonic transducers included in the concept and technical scope of the present invention.

There is a need for an ultrasonic control device for enabling the number and position of the focus area to be adjusted through electronic phase adjustment of the ultrasonic transducer 50. [

5 is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of an ultrasonic wave controlling apparatus for ultrasonic therapy according to the present invention. The key input unit 25, the arithmetic processing unit 30, the D / A converting unit 35, the ultrasonic driving unit 40, A converter 50, and an ultrasonic output unit 60.

In order to adjust the phase difference in the ultrasonic wave conversion period, the key input unit 25 may select one of the predetermined modes as a means for the user to select the control mode. In some cases, the user may directly input the phase difference value or the like Lt; / RTI > In some cases, the key input unit 25 may be omitted. In this case, the phase difference in the ultrasonic conversion period may be determined at the time of shipment from the factory.

The arithmetic processing unit 30 controls the ultrasonic wave driving unit 20 to change the phase difference between the ultrasonic wave conversion elements to adjust the number of focus regions of the ultrasonic waves. In particular, the arithmetic processing unit 30 may have a selectable control mode for adjusting the inter-element phase difference. That is, the operation processing section 30 controls the ultrasonic driving section 20 in accordance with the control mode received by the key input section 25 or in accordance with the predetermined control mode, and changes the phase difference between the ultrasonic transducing elements, Generates an ultrasonic driving part control signal, and transmits the control signal to the ultrasonic driving part (20).

The ultrasonic wave driving unit 40 is a means for driving the ultrasonic wave converter 50. The ultrasonic wave driving unit 40 generates an ultrasonic wave converting element driving signal in accordance with the ultrasonic wave driving unit control signal of the arithmetic processing unit 30 to drive the ultrasonic wave converter 50, ) Can be driven with different phases between the ultrasonic transducer elements. That is, the ultrasonic driving unit 40 generates an ultrasonic transducer driving signal having a continuous pulse having a specific duty according to an ultrasonic driving unit control signal of the arithmetic processing unit 30, Thereby generating a driving signal. The ultrasonic driving unit 40 may include a high-speed MOSFET driver (not shown) and a bipolar voltage MOSFET amplifier (not shown). The high-speed MOSFET driver switches the high-speed MOSFET according to the ultrasonic driving unit control signal of the operation processing unit 30 to generate a high-speed pulse signal, and the bipolar MOSFET amplifier amplifies the high-speed pulse signal output from the high-speed MOSFET driver.

The ultrasonic transducer 50 is a means for driving an ultrasonic transducer with an ultrasonic transducer driving signal (electric signal) received from the ultrasonic transducer 40 and converting the ultrasonic transducer into an ultrasonic wave. The ultrasonic transducer 50 may include a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, and ultrasound waves having a plurality of focus areas may be generated according to phase differences between elements. At this time, it is preferable that the plurality of ultrasonic transducer elements are formed symmetrically with one pair of two ultrasonic transducer elements, and at least one pair is provided.

If the ultrasonic transducer 50 is composed of a pair of ultrasonic transducer elements, that is, if two ultrasonic transducer elements are provided symmetrically, the phase difference between the elements can be selected to be 0 or 180 degrees, And the number of the ultrasonic focus regions may be one or two, respectively.

The number of the ultrasonic transducer elements constituting the ultrasonic transducer 50 is not limited to two, but a plurality of pairs can be used, so that the selection range of the phase difference can be increased according to the number of ultrasonic transducer elements used.

In this case, the phase difference between the ultrasonic transducer elements can be increased or decreased from 0 degree to 180 degrees at regular intervals, thereby changing the number of focus areas. At this time, the increasing interval may be a value obtained by dividing 180 degrees by the number of pairs of ultrasonic transducer elements (for example, a pair of two elements form one pair). Or a value obtained by dividing 360 degrees by the number of ultrasonic transducer elements.

When a pair of ultrasonic transducer elements is provided, one or two focus regions can be provided. However, if two pairs of ultrasonic transducer elements are provided, the phase difference between the elements can be adjusted to 0 degree, 90 degrees, or 180 degrees. The focus area may be one, four, or two, respectively.

The selection for adjusting the phase difference may be configured to include a user manipulation part so as to be selected by the user, or may be automatically converted according to a predetermined condition (for example, a change in time) through the phase difference automatic conversion method.

On the other hand, in the case of the user operation, the user may directly select the phase difference by selecting the phase difference. However, it is preferable to select the phase difference using a more easy-to-understand marker.

The ultrasonic wave output unit 60 is means for irradiating ultrasonic waves generated in the ultrasonic transducer 50 to the skin.

The ultrasonic control apparatus of the present invention includes a selectable control mode for adjusting the phase difference in the ultrasonic transduction period, and the phase difference in each ultrasonic transducing period can be increased or decreased by a specific number of predetermined intervals from 0 ° to 360 ° . Here, the constant interval refers to a value generated by dividing 360 degrees by the number of ultrasonic wave conversion elements. The number and position of the focus area can be adjusted through the phase difference control as described above, and a user can be provided with convenience by providing a selectable control mode.

In particular, when two ultrasonic transducers are driven in a phase of 180 °, two rows of ultrasonic waves can be formed around the central axis, which can simultaneously treat a large area of the skin. Therefore, when the operation time is mechanically scanned, You can finish it very quickly. That is, the first two ultrasound transducers are driven in the same phase to form a single-line-shaped treatment region, and then the 180-degree phase driving is performed to form an additional double-line treatment region, The group can be implemented without mechanical scanning.

Another advantage of separating into two ultrasonic transducer elements is that a space through which a laser beam can be transmitted between the two ultrasonic transducer elements is generated, so that an OCT image can be obtained with respect to the central axis of the skin to be treated.

In particular, by adjusting the phase of the multi-channel ultrasonic transducer according to the present invention, it is possible to form two or more foci (including a single focal point) at a desired region and position, or to transmit ultrasonic energy to a wide region. That is, by using the ultrasonic transducer for skin regeneration and the ultrasonic wave phase control system using the two ultrasonic transducers, it is possible to apply the wide area at the same time or at a desired site non-invasively, thus completing the treatment in a short time. In addition, various types of sound field distribution results through phase adjustment can be stored in advance and a control mode that can be selected can be executed, thereby providing convenience to the user.

Next, an optical coherence tomography (OCT) image processing method of the present invention will be described.

OCT is a technique that allows non-invasive measurement of tomographic images and cross-sectional structural shapes of an organism using an optical method. The OCT principle is to transmit light through a medium to use the time difference of light reflected in the medium Thereby forming a high resolution image. OCT, which is an optical image, is mainly used in ophthalmologic examination due to the structural characteristics of transparent eye, and OCT is very useful for morphological studies such as optical biopsy and cell or tissue function.

In the present invention, light generated from a light source is divided into two beams (lights) perpendicular to the beam splitter, and one beam is divided into a reference mirror, And the other beam (light) is reflected from the sample back to the beam splitter so that it can be seen again so that a Michelson interferometer (Michelson Interferometer). FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating a Michelson interferometer. The present invention constitutes a high-resolution skin diagnosis system using the Michelson interferometer.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram for explaining an OCT apparatus (image detecting apparatus) for skin diagnosis according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Light from the light source 310 is split into two beams at the beam splitter 320.

One of the beams divided into two beams in the beam splitter 320 is incident on a collimating lens 360. The light incident on the collimating lens 360 is converted into parallel light and is incident on a reference mirror And the light reflected from the reference mirror 370 is transmitted to the beam splitter 320 through the collimating lens 360 again. Here, the reference mirror 370 may be configured to rotate (move). In some cases, a coupler may be used instead of the beam splitter 320.

The other one of the beams divided into two beams in the beam splitter 320 is incident on a collimating lens 330. The light incident on the collimating lens 330 is converted into parallel light, (sample) 350 through a convex lens 340 and the light reflected from the skin 350 is transmitted to the beam splitter 320 via the convex lens 340 and the collimating lens 330 .

The light reflected from the reference mirror 370 enters the beam splitter 320 via the collimating lens 360 and the reflected light from the skin 350 is reflected by the beam splitter 320. [ And enters the beam splitter 320 via the convex lens 340 and the collimating lens 330) detects the image through the photodetector 400. [ At this time, in the image detected by the photodetector 400, an interference fringe is generated by the optical path difference of the two lights that are again encountered in the beam splitter 320, and when the reference mirror 370 is moved, the interference fringe is also moved accordingly .

The image detected by the photodetector 400 is amplified through the amplifier 410, the noise is removed from the band-pass filter 425, and the noise is transmitted to the analyzer 430 to be displayed. The analysis unit 430 may be a computer.

That is, in other words, the beam splitter 320 is used to divide the light from the light source 310 into two, then enters each collimating lens 330, 360, one acquires a reference value, The light source of the skin acquires the reflected signal from the inside of the skin. The thus obtained value is again received by the beam splitter 320 and the interference pattern is formed through the photodetector 400. The measured data is amplified through an amplifier 410, passed through a bandpass filter 425, and transmitted to an analyzer 430 to form an image.

The image transmitted to the analyzer 430 is expressed by the intensity (spectrum) according to the wavelength. When the FFT is performed, the intensity is represented by the intensity (spectrum) according to the depth, and the interference spectrum can be measured. We can observe the structural change of the skin by measuring the phase from the Fourier transformed data of this interference spectrum.

8 is an example of an image obtained through the OCT apparatus of the present invention.

8 is an example of a 3D rendered human finger image obtained at a laser sweep rate of 370,000 lines / s.

With OCT, it is possible to acquire 3-D images from skin cross-section to a thickness of 2 to 3 mm with a spatial resolution of 5 μm × 5 μm × 5 μm.

In addition, Bessel Beam technology, which maintains focus to a long distance using a laser, is used to enhance the contrast of images in the depth direction and to add Speckle analysis to conventional OCT equipment. You can make it available.

The Bessel beam is an optical technique used for optical tweezers and optical communication, which increases the distance of penetration of light in the depth direction in an interferometer manufacturing and absorption medium by about 5 times, It can maintain the intensity of light.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating an OCT (BLB OCT) system using a vessel beam according to another embodiment of the present invention.

The light emitted from the light source 310 is transmitted through the optical fiber 315 and the light emitted from the emitting end of the optical fiber 315 is transmitted as collimated light by the collimating lens 415 mounted on the emitting end of the optical fiber 315 And transmitted to the Axicon 420. [

An Axicon 420 is a special beam lens having a cone shape on one side and a flat surface on the other side, which is a vessel beam generating element for generating a vessel beam. At this time, the planar surface of the axicon 420 is disposed facing the light source.

The Bessel beam is an undiffracted beam of a concentric ring with the same power as the center ring. In fact, since the Bessel beam requires infinite energy, it can not be technically produced. However, the Coremate Gaussian beam and the conical lens By use, it is possible to generate a beam close to the Bessel distribution. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, a beam close to the Bezel distribution is referred to as Bezel beam.

A spherical lens 431 is spaced apart from the conical surface of the axicon 420 to generate a vessel beam, and the vessel beam thus generated is transmitted to the first beam steering unit 440. The first beam steering unit 440 includes two lenses 443 and 447, and adjusts the traveling direction of the beam. The first beam steering portion 440 may be formed of two convex lenses, and the convex portions of the two convex lenses are disposed so as to face each other, so that the curvature of the convex portion is directed. Here, the axicon 420 and the spherical lens 431 may be referred to as a vessel beam generator.

The vessel beam emitted from the first beam steering unit 440 is transmitted to a galvanometer mirror (GALVO scanner) 450.

The Galvano mirror 450 is a means for performing two-dimensional scanning by vertically arranging two mirrors. The Galvano mirror 450 is a means for performing a two-dimensional scan, and a Bezel beam incident through the first beam steering unit 440 in the axicon 420, Through the second beam steering unit 460, to the skin (sample) 350 sequentially as it rotates.

The second beam steering unit 460 includes two lenses 463 and 467 and adjusts the advancing direction of the vessel beam incident from the Galvano mirror 450 to the skin (sample) 350 It exits. The Bezel beam emitted to the skin (sample) 350 forms a Bezel distribution and is focused on the surface layer of the skin (sample) 350, that is, a specific site of the SMAS muscle layer. The beam reflected from a specific portion of the SMAS muscle layer is transmitted to the mirror 480 through the second beam steering portion 460, the Galvano mirror 450 and the first beam steering portion 440, 480 is transmitted to the photodetector 400 through the optical fiber 410 through the collimating lens 490 to form an interference fringe through the photodetector 400. [ The output of the photodetector 400 is amplified through an amplifier 410, passed through a bandpass filter 425, and transmitted to an analyzer 430 to form an image.

The coherent light with cross-sectional intensity of the Bessel function type does not spread the light for a certain distance when the medium travels in the depth direction, and the FOV (field of view) scanner is used by using a galvanometer mirror (GALVO scanner) The larger area can be scanned by adjusting the angle of the galvanometer mirror (GALVO scanner) 450. In order to produce such a vessel beam, a free space optical element called Axicon, which is a lens having a conical surface, is used. In order to generate an efficient output, alignment of each element is important. The length of the optical needle generated at this time is about 1.6 mm.

10 is a comparison image of an image obtained using a conventional OCT apparatus and an image obtained using a vessel-beam OCT apparatus of the present invention.

10 (b), the internal structure of the tissue is clearer and the noise is remarkably reduced as compared with the image obtained using the normal OCT of FIG. 10 (a).

In addition, it is possible to construct image equipment equipped with high speed Fourier domain mode locking (FDML) using a light source with a wavelength of 800 - 1300 nm. Functional information and images can be implemented by introducing speckle analysis technique that can show structural characteristics and capillary status of skin together with tissue type.

11 is an example of a skin tissue image and a skin capillary blood vessel image using the Speckle analysis technique in the present invention.

11 (a) and 11 (b) show the intensity (spectrum) according to depth when an image transmitted to the analyzer 430 is subjected to FFT, and FIG. 11 (c) The image is represented by a scan. Here, the a scan represents the amplitude of the ultrasonic wave changed with respect to time, that is, the ultrasonic signal is displayed so that the progress time of the ultrasonic wave on the X-axis and the amplitude magnitude of the ultrasonic signal on the Y-axis.

Next, a system combining an OCT (BLB OCT) system using a vessel beam and an ultrasound controller of an ultrasound therapy apparatus will be described.

12 is an explanatory view for explaining the configuration of a skin diagnosis and treatment system combined with an OCT apparatus and an ultrasonic wave control system.

FIG. 12 is a schematic view of a galvanometer mirror (GALVO scanner) 450 mounted at an intermediate portion of an ultrasonic transducer constituted by the two ultrasonic transducers shown in FIG.

12A is a sectional view (AA 'sectional view) of the ultrasonic transducer 50 mounted on a galvanometer mirror (GALVO scanner) 450, FIG. 12B is a sectional view of the galvanometer mirror (GALVO scanner) 450 Of the ultrasonic transducer 50 shown in Fig.

In FIG. 12, only the galvanometer mirror (GALVO scanner) 450 is mounted in the middle part of the ultrasonic transducer composed of two ultrasonic transducer elements. However, the present invention is not limited to this, In the middle, a part or all of the OCT apparatus for skin diagnosis is included to constitute a skin diagnosis and treatment system.

In some cases, a galvanometer mirror (GALVO scanner) 450 and a second beam steering unit 460 can be mounted in the middle of an ultrasonic transducer composed of two ultrasonic transducer elements.

The ultrasound control device for anti-aging is based on a core hand unit as shown in FIG. 12, and can be configured as a multifunctional system by combining the BLB OCT diagnosis system and performing imaging (diagnosis) and treatment (treatment) simultaneously .

The ultrasonic beam generated through the ultrasonic transducer 50 and the ultrasonic wave output unit 60 of FIG. 12 is a sectorial vortex beam, and the present invention uses the advanced sector vortex technique. In general, a special three-dimensional wavelength is called a vortex (vortex), which is a form that causes a wave to rise in addition to a two-dimensional method in which the wavelength itself spreads out and spreads outward.

FIG. 12 shows an example of an ultrasonic probe in which an ultrasonic transducer combined with two ultrasonic transducers for anti-aging and a high-resolution optical coherence tomography (BLB) OCT are combined. An example of arranging the BLB OCT device in the center between ultrasonic transducers is shown in order to acquire a high-resolution image for diagnosis and treatment at the same time with ultrasonic stimulation. The placed BLB OCT internally scans wide areas through each adjustment.

The present invention is not limited in the location of the BLB OCT GALVO scanner, but it can be applied to various forms of ultrasonic transducer and BLB OCT diagnostic system, Of course.

The ultrasonic transducer of the present invention can treat a wide area at the same time and can transmit energy only at a desired position through phase control. In addition, by using BLB OCT image, the structural and morphological changes of skin tissue due to ultrasound energy And it can be the first skin diagnosis system that can diagnose / treat at the same time.

13 is a block diagram illustrating an OCT apparatus for skin diagnosis according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Light from the light source 310 is split into two beams at the beam splitter 320. The light source 310 may be a white light source.

One of the beams divided by the two beams in the beam splitter 320 is transmitted to the reference mirror 370 and the light reflected from the reference mirror 370 is transmitted to the beam splitter 320 again.

The other beam of the beam divided by the two beams in the beam splitter 320 is transmitted to the rotating type reflector 520 via a focusing unit 510 and is reflected by the rotating type reflecting mirror 520 The beam is transmitted to the hemispherical lens 540 through the lens unit 530 composed of two lenses 533 and 537. The light transmitted to the hemispherical lens 540 is focused by the hemispherical lens 540 and transmitted to the skin 350.

The light reflected from the rotating reflector 520 is transmitted to the skin 350 through the lens unit 530 and the hemispherical lens 540 and is sequentially transmitted according to the rotation of the rotating reflector 520. The light reflected by the rotating reflector 520 can be referred to as a sample beam 600 as light that is irradiated to the skin (sample).

The steering lens unit 530 includes two lenses 533 and 537 to adjust the traveling direction of the beam. The two lenses 533 and 537 are convex lenses, and the convex portions of the two convex lenses are disposed so as to face each other, so that the curvature of the convex portion is directed.

The hemispherical lens 540 is a flat surface on one side and a spherical surface on the other side, and the hemispherical lens 540 is installed such that a flat surface is connected to the skin and a spherical surface is positioned toward the steering lens unit 530 . The spherical surface of the hemispherical lens 540 is a spherical aberration-canceling surface. For the spherical aberration-canceling surface, see H. Haferkorn, Optik 3, p. 318. < / RTI >

An immersion layer 560 is positioned under the hemispherical lens 540 and a skin 350 is positioned below the immersion layer 560. The immersion layer 560 is located below the immersion layer 560, A hole 550 is located in the skin interface 570. At this time, the hole 550 is positioned at the center of the flat surface of the hemispherical lens 540.

The immersion layer 560 may be a layer filled with a submerged solution having different refractive indexes, and immersion oil may be used as a submerged solution.

The hole 550 may be a pre-drilled hole in the skin surface portion for scanning light.

The light reflected by the skin 350 is transmitted to the rotating type reflector 520 through the immersion layer 560, the hemispherical lens 540 and the steering lens part 530, And the light reflected by the rotating type reflector 520 is transmitted to the beam splitter 320 via the focusing lens 510. [

The light reflected from the reference mirror 370 and the light incident through the focusing lens 510 in the rotatable reflector 520 are combined in the beam splitter 320 and transmitted through the collimating lens 407 to the dispersion grating 403, . The light transmitted to the dispersion grating 403 is dispersed in the dispersion grating 403 and the dispersed light is transmitted to the photodetector 400 through the focusing lens 405 to detect the image.

The dispersion grating 403 may be a diffraction grating or the like as a means for obtaining the spectrum by dividing the reflected light by wavelength. When the light source 310 is a white light source, the focus position of the light focused on the skin through the hemispherical lens 540 is different depending on the wavelength band. The light reflected from the skin 350 is dispersed in the dispersion grating 403, By detecting with the detector 400, light can be detected at different positions for each wavelength band. Thus, changes in the depth of the skin (i.e., the effect of anti-aging treatment) can be observed in more detail. At this time, by adjusting the angle of the dispersion grating 403, it is possible to adjust the interval of light for each wavelength band emitted from the dispersion grating 403.

The image detected by the photodetector 400 is transmitted to the analyzer 430, analyzed by the analyzer 430, or displayed.

When the image transmitted to the analyzer 430 is subjected to FFT, the spectrum is represented by the intensity (spectrum) according to the depth, and the interference spectrum can be measured. We can observe the structural change of the skin by measuring the phase from the Fourier transformed data of this interference spectrum.

In the present invention, as shown in FIG. 12, a part or all of an OCT apparatus for diagnosing skin is included in an intermediate part of an ultrasonic transducer constituted by two ultrasonic transducers, thereby enabling skin treatment and diagnosis. 7, 9, and 13 can be used as the OCT apparatus for skin diagnosis used herein.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, Modification is possible. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the claims appended hereto, and that all equivalent or equivalent variations thereof fall within the scope of the present invention.

25: key input unit 30:
35: D / A converter 40: ultrasonic driver
50: ultrasonic transducer 60: ultrasonic wave output unit
100: first ultrasonic transducer 200: second ultrasonic transducer
310: light source 315: optical fiber
320: beam splitter 330, 360, 415: aiming lens
370: reference mirror 340: convex lens
400: photodetector 410: amplifier
420: Axicon 425: Bandpass filter
430: Analysis section 440: First beam steering section
443, 447, 463, 467, 533, 537: lens
510: focusing lens 520: rotating type reflector
530: Steering lens unit 540: Hemispherical lens
550: hole 560: immersion layer
570: skin interface

Claims (17)

An ultrasound controller for generating ultrasound waves by using ultrasound transducing elements to treat the skin; and a galvanometer mirror for sequentially emitting light generated from the light source according to the rotation of the galvanometer mirror, 1. An apparatus for diagnosing and treating skin comprising an optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus for sequentially detecting an image of a skin layer by detecting with a photodetector,
A first ultrasonic transducer;
A second ultrasonic transducer spaced apart from the first ultrasonic transducer and arranged to be symmetrical;
A galvanomirror positioned at the center of the first and second ultrasonic transducer elements;
And a skin diagnosis and treatment apparatus. The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising a second beam steering part made of two convex lenses on the galvanometer mirror, wherein the convex parts of the two convex lenses are disposed so as to face each other. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the OCT device
An Axicon generating a Bezel beam from light from a light source;
A first beam steering unit having two convex lenses arranged so that the convex portions of the two convex lenses are opposed to each other to adjust the traveling direction of the light emitted from the axicon to transmit the vessel beam to the galvanometer mirror;
The Bezel beam emitted from the first beam steering unit exits to the skin through the second beam steering unit in accordance with the rotation of the galvanometer mirror, and the Bezel beam reflected from the skin passes through the second beam steering unit, the galvanometer mirror, A photodetector which is transmitted to the mirror through the beam steering portion and detects light reflected from the mirror;
And a skin diagnosis and treatment apparatus. 3. The method of claim 2,
A spherical lens is further provided between the axicon and the first beam steering unit,
Wherein the spherical lens is spaced apart from the conical surface of the axicon. 5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the mirror is provided between the spherical lens and the first beam steering unit. An ultrasonic control device for generating ultrasound waves by using ultrasonic transducing elements to treat the skin; and a rotating type reflecting mirror for sequentially emitting light generated from the light source in accordance with the rotation of the rotating type reflecting mirror, 1. An apparatus for diagnosing and treating skin comprising an optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus for sequentially detecting light with a photodetector and detecting an image of a skin defect,
A first ultrasonic transducer;
A second ultrasonic transducer spaced apart from the first ultrasonic transducer and arranged to be symmetrical;
A rotating type reflector positioned at the center of the first and second ultrasonic transducer elements;
And the skin diagnosis and treatment apparatus. The method according to claim 6,
The steering system according to claim 1, further comprising a steering lens unit including two convex lenses on the rotating type reflecting mirror, wherein the convex portions of the two convex lenses are disposed so as to face each other,
Further comprising a hemispherical lens having a spherical surface on one side and a flat surface on the other side of the steering lens, wherein the spherical surface of the hemispherical lens is disposed to face the steering lens unit side. 8. The OCT apparatus according to claim 7,
The light from the light source is divided into two beams in the beam splitter,
In the beam splitter, one of the beams divided into two beams is transmitted to the reference mirror, the light reflected from the reference mirror is again transmitted to the beam splitter,
The other beam of the beam divided by the two beams in the beam splitter is transmitted to the rotating type reflector through a focusing unit and the light reflected by the rotating type reflecting mirror in accordance with the rotation of the rotating type reflecting mirror is transmitted to the steering lens unit And the hemispherical lens,
Wherein the light reflected from the skin is transmitted to the rotating type reflector through the hemispherical lens and the steering lens unit and is transmitted to the beam splitter through the focusing lens according to the rotation of the rotating type reflecting mirror. 9. The method of claim 8,
In the beam splitter, the light reflected from the reference mirror and the light transmitted to the beam splitter through the focusing lens in accordance with the rotation of the rotatable reflector are combined and transmitted to the dispersion grating through the collimating lens, Is transmitted to a photodetector through a lens to detect an image. 10. The method of claim 9,
Characterized in that an immersion layer is located between the hemispherical lens and the skin and a hole is provided at the interface of the skin in contact with the immersion layer. 10. The method of claim 9,
Wherein the light source is a white light source. An ultrasonic wave control device for generating ultrasound waves by using ultrasonic transducing elements to treat skin; The beam splitter divides the light incident from the light source into two beams, one of the two beams is transmitted to a reference mirror, and the light reflected from the reference mirror is again transmitted to a beam splitter, One beam is focused on the skin through the convex lens, the light reflected from the skin is transmitted to the beam splitter through the convex lens, and the light reflected from the reference mirror and the light reflected from the skin incident through the convex lens And an optical coherence tomography (OCT) apparatus for combining images in a beam splitter and detecting an image through a photodetector, the apparatus comprising:
A first ultrasonic transducer;
A second ultrasonic transducer spaced apart from the first ultrasonic transducer and arranged to be symmetrical;
A convex lens positioned at the center of the first and second ultrasound transducer elements for transmitting light reflected from the skin to a beam splitter,
And a skin diagnosis and treatment apparatus. 13. The method of claim 12,
Wherein the reference mirror is adapted to rotate. 14. The method of claim 13,
The image detected by the photodetector,
An interference fringe is generated by a light path difference of the light reflected from the reference mirror and the light reflected by the skin that is incident through the convex lens and combined by the beam splitter, and the interference fringe also moves with the movement of the reference mirror , Skin diagnosis and treatment device. The method according to any one of claims 1, 6, and 12,
Wherein the first ultrasonic conversion element and the second ultrasonic conversion element are capable of generating ultrasonic waves with a phase difference of 0 degree or 180 degrees and the number of ultrasonic focus areas is one or two, . The method according to any one of claims 1, 6, and 12,
Wherein the image detected by the photodetector is amplified through an amplifier, passed through a band-pass filter, and transmitted to an analyzer. 17. The method of claim 16,
Wherein the analyzing unit FFTs the received image to represent the intensity according to the depth (spectrum), and measures the phase of the intensity of the intensity according to the depth by Fourier transform to observe the structural change of the skin. .

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