KR20170027652A - Focused ultrasound operating apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Disclosed is a focused ultrasound operation apparatus which comprises: an ultrasound treatment part which irradiates skin tissue, which is distributed at a predetermined depth from the skin surface, with focused ultrasound to be operated and forms a focused ultrasound point; an actuator which actuates the ultrasound treatment part; and a control part which controls the actuator to be actuated while the ultrasound treatment part satisfying a first condition and a second condition. The first condition is for removing or decreasing sweat glands due to cavitation effect, and the second condition is for preventing damage of tissue close to the sweat glands.

Description

[0001] FOCUSED ULTRASOUND OPERATING APPARATUS [0002]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a focused ultrasound treatment apparatus, and more particularly, to a focused ultrasound treatment apparatus capable of effectively treating hyperhidrosis or otitis externa.

Recently, interest in skin beauty and obesity treatment is increasing, and various medical devices for skin beauty and obesity treatment are being developed. For example, a variety of skin care medical devices have been developed for patients who wish to perform face lifting or skin tightening procedures, and on the other hand, medical devices for the treatment of obese patients are being developed.

As a skin beauty medical device, there are invasive medical devices that cut the skin tissue. However, as the safety of the operation and the rejection of the patient are emphasized, non-invasive medical devices that can be practiced without the incision of the skin tissue are attracting attention have. This trend is similar in the fields of skin beauty and obesity treatment, and it is expected that this tendency will continue to increase in other medical fields as well.

In keeping with this trend, ultrasound medical devices using high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) have recently emerged as non-invasive medical devices. For example, there is an ultrasonic medical device that non-invasively performs skin lifting or skin tightening by irradiating a high-intensity focused ultrasonic wave into skin tissues for skin cosmetic surgery. In order to treat obesity, a high-intensity focused ultrasonic wave is applied to the subcutaneous fat layer, High Intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to irradiate non-invasive fat tissue or dissolve fat tissue.

U.S. Published Patent Application No. 2007-0232913 Korean Patent Publication No. 2011-0091831 Korean Patent Publication No. 2007-0065332 Korea Patent Publication No. 2012-0116908 Korean Patent Publication No. 2011-0121701

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a focused ultrasound treatment device capable of non-invasively treating hyperhidrosis or otitis externally using focused ultrasound.

The object of the present invention is to provide a focused ultrasound treatment device capable of selectively removing or reducing only the sweat glands while reducing the risk of damage to the tissue surrounding the sweat glands.

Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem [8] The present invention provides a focused ultrasound treatment apparatus capable of effectively removing sweat glands located irregularly in a distribution, depth, and size from a skin surface non-invasively.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a focused ultrasound treatment device capable of selectively removing or reducing only sweat glands without applying a separate imaging technique.

The object of the present invention is to provide a focused ultrasound treatment device capable of performing various types of operations based on hyperhidrosis or ocular hypotension as a single device.

The focused ultrasound treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an ultrasound therapy unit for irradiating focused ultrasound waves on a target tissue to be treated, which is distributed at a predetermined depth from the surface of the skin, to form an ultrasound focusing point; A driver for driving the ultrasonic treatment unit; And a control unit for controlling the actuator so that the ultrasound therapy unit is driven while satisfying the first condition and the second condition, wherein the first condition is a condition for removing or reducing sweat glands by a cavitation effect , And the second condition may be a condition for preventing damage to the tissue around the glands.

In this case, the first condition may be such that the center frequency of focused ultrasonic waves radiated from the ultrasonic wave treatment unit is in the range of 500 kHz to 1.1 MHz.

The first condition may be that the energy of the focused ultrasonic wave radiated from the ultrasonic wave treatment unit is in the range of 50 to 150 W.

The first condition may be such that a donut-shaped bubble to be re-expanded after being generated is formed at a focusing point of focused ultrasonic waves.

The first condition may be such that the impact velocity at the time of re-expansion of the donut-shaped bubble is in a range of more than 100 m / s and less than 4000 m / s.

The first condition may be such that the pressure applied to the donut-shaped bubble during the re-expansion of the donut-shaped bubble ranges from 30 to 60 kbar.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a focused ultrasound therapy apparatus comprising: an interference ultrasound unit that irradiates a single ultrasound toward the ultrasound focusing point and receives a signal transmitted through the ultrasound focusing point; And an interference ultrasonic analyzer for analyzing the received signal transmitted through the ultrasonic focusing point to derive characteristics of the sweat glands.

The focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an ultrasound therapy unit for irradiating focused ultrasound waves to a skin tissue to be treated at a predetermined depth from the skin surface to form an ultrasound focusing point; A driver for driving the ultrasonic treatment unit; And a control unit for controlling the actuator to drive the ultrasonic therapeutic unit while satisfying a first condition for eliminating or reducing sweat glands due to a cavitation effect and a second condition for preventing damage to the tissue surrounding the sweat glands .

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a focused ultrasound therapy apparatus comprising: an ultrasound therapy unit for forming a thermal focus by focusing ultrasound energy on a skin tissue to be treated at a predetermined depth from a skin surface; Position sensing means for sensing at least one of a position and a size of the target to be thermally focused; Position adjusting means for adjusting the position of the thermal focus; And control means for controlling the position adjusting means so that the thermal focus is formed at the target position grasped by the position sensing means.

In this case, the tissue to be treated includes a skin layer 1.5 to 4.5 mm deep from the surface of the skin, the irradiation depth of the thermal focus is 2.5 to 3.5 mm from the surface of the skin, and the vertical height of the thermal focus is 0.5 to 2.0 mm.

In addition, the tissue to be treated may include a skin layer including at least one of an acinus and an apocrine line, and the thermal focus may be formed by at least one of a thermal effect and a cavitation effect, And at least one of the acinine and the apocrine line may be removed.

In addition, the position sensing means may include an imaging unit that images the internal tissue of the human body, which is spaced apart from the surface of the skin.

Further, the position adjusting means may move the ultrasonic treatment unit in at least two axial directions of the X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis.

In addition, the position adjusting means may change the direction in which the ultrasonic wave treatment unit irradiates the ultrasonic waves.

A focused ultrasound treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: A surgical handpiece provided on the apparatus main body; A first cartridge including an ultrasound therapy unit detachable from the manipulation handpiece and generating focused ultrasound therein and an imaging unit imaging the tissue to be treated at a predetermined depth from the skin surface; A driver for driving the ultrasonic treatment unit; A controller for controlling the driver; And a display unit for displaying image data imaged by the imaging unit, wherein the tissue to be treated includes sweat glands, and the ultrasonic treatment unit is non-invasively applied to the skin tissue at a predetermined depth from the surface of the skin, Wherein the controller is configured to form a thermal focal point of ultrasound and the controller may control the driver to define the thermal focus to the skin tissue to form at least one thermal focus.

Here, the first cartridge may include: a cartridge body having the ultrasound therapy unit built therein; And a medium for filling the inside of the cartridge body and for transmitting the ultrasonic wave and for cooling the ultrasonic wave treatment unit, wherein the focused ultrasonic wave operation device is configured to insert the medium into the cartridge body such that the medium maintains a predetermined temperature in the cartridge body. And a medium circulator for circulating the medium with respect to the medium.

The first cartridge may further include: a cartridge body having the ultrasound therapy unit built therein;

A medium filled in the cartridge body for cooling the ultrasound treatment unit and the ultrasound wave; And a transmitting member provided on one side of the cartridge body so that the focused ultrasound irradiated from the ultrasound therapy unit is transmitted through the tissue to be treated.

The focused ultrasound treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include at least one of a second cartridge for subcutaneous fat layer reduction surgery and a third cartridge for face lifting or skin tightening operation . ≪ / RTI >

In addition, the ultrasonic treatment unit may include a transducer for forming the thermal focus, and the imaging unit is coupled to the center of the transducer and is opposed to the skin tissue to be treated at the time of surgery, Can be imaged.

The ultrasound therapy unit may further include: a first transducer forming a first thermal focus; And a second transducer that forms a second thermal focus at a location spaced from the first thermal focus.

According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the efficiency and safety of gland removal can be improved.

Further, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, sweat glands located irregularly in distribution, depth and size from the skin surface can be effectively removed.

In addition, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, various kinds of procedures can be performed as a single device based on hyperhidrosis or ossification.

In addition, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, since it is not necessary to apply a separate imaging technique in order to grasp the position of the sweat glands, the cost competitiveness of the equipment is higher than in the case of applying the imaging technique, Can be improved.

Figure 1 is a view showing general skin tissue.
2 is a block diagram illustrating a focused ultrasound therapy apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a conceptual diagram schematically illustrating a focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a conceptual diagram schematically illustrating a focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a focused ultrasound treatment device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIGS. 6A and 6B are views for explaining the process of assembling the procedure handpiece and the cartridge shown in FIG.
7 is a view for explaining an internal structure of a cartridge in a focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a view for explaining a method of operating the ultrasound therapy unit in the focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a block diagram illustrating a focused ultrasound therapy apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a conceptual diagram schematically illustrating a focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention and the manner of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of the present invention is complete and that those skilled in the art will fully understand the scope of the present invention. Like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the specification.

The terms used herein are intended to illustrate embodiments and are not intended to limit the invention. In the present specification, the singular form includes plural forms unless otherwise specified in the specification. It is to be understood that the terms 'comprise', and / or 'comprising' as used herein may be used to refer to the presence or absence of one or more other components, steps, operations, and / Or additions.

In addition, the embodiments described herein will be described with reference to cross-sectional views and / or plan views, which are ideal illustrations of the present invention. In the drawings, the detailed size, shape, thickness, curvature, etc. of each structure are exaggerated or schematized for effective explanation of technical contents, and the shape may be modified by tolerance or the like.

2 is a block diagram illustrating a focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic view of a focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram schematically illustrating a focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view schematically illustrating a focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6A and FIG. 6B are views for explaining the procedure of combining the handpiece and the cartridge shown in FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a view for explaining the internal structure of the cartridge in the focused ultrasound device according to the embodiment of the present invention FIG. 8 is a view for explaining the operation of the ultrasound therapy unit in the focused ultrasound therapy apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a focusing ultrasound treatment apparatus and a method of operation according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to Fig. 1, a general human skin tissue 1 has a structure in which the skin layer is laid in the order of a skin layer 1a, a dermis layer 1b, a fat layer 1c, and muscles (not shown). At this time, the sweat glands 2 are generally distributed between the dermal layer 1b and the fat layer 1c. The sweat glands 2 cause osmidrosis axillae and hyperhidrosis. More specifically, the sweat glands 2 are classified into two types: an eczrine line 2a causing the hyperhidrosis and an apocrine line 2b causing the fever. The ekhlin line 2a functions to regulate the body temperature of the human body by discharging sweat. At this time, if the discharge amount of the sweat of the eczone line 2a is excessively large, it causes the hyperhidrosis. The apocrine line 2b is connected to the hair follicle to discharge lipid sweat. At this time, the oozing occurs in the process of the lipid sweat released from the apocrine line 2b being decomposed into fatty acid and ammonia by the bacterium inhabiting the skin. Thus, the hyperhidrosis reduction procedure is for removing the acinar line 2a, and the operation for reducing the temperature is for removing the apocrine line 2b.

Here, the sweat glands 2 are irregularly and non-uniformly distributed in the skin tissue between the dermal layer 1b and the fat layer 1c. That is, the acinar line 2a and the apocrine line 2b may be distributed in various sizes, shapes, and arrangements in a skin tissue layer positioned at approximately 2.0 mm to 4.0 mm from the skin surface.

Focused ultrasound, on the other hand, may focus ultrasound to focus on one focus. For example, as one form of focused ultrasound, a high intensity focused ultrasound (hereinafter referred to as 'HIFU') focuses ultrasonic waves to be focused at a high intensity to form a thermal focal point 12 It can be done. Alternatively, as another form of focused ultrasound, low intensity focused ultrasound (LIHU) may be one in which the thermal focus 12 is formed by focusing ultrasound at a single focus and low intensity. The thermal focal point 12 may be a thermal focal point at a high temperature of about 60 ° C or more. In the thermal focal point 12, a thermal effect and a cavitation effect may be generated. Here, the cavitation phenomenon refers to a phenomenon in which a bubble is formed in a fluid such as a liquid due to a decrease in pressure. The bubble thus generated may expand or disappear, and an impact force may be applied to an area in contact with the bubble surface in this process.

Therefore, in order to effectively treat the hyperhidrosis or otohaemia using focused ultrasound waves, the position of the sweat glands 2 can be precisely determined, and then the thermal focal point 12 of the focused ultrasonic waves can be limited to the sweat glands 2 It is necessary to remove only the sweat glands 2 while minimizing damage to the surrounding tissues.

For effective treatment of the above-mentioned hyperhidrosis or otitis, the focused ultrasound treatment apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention may include an ultrasound treatment unit 314, position sensing means, position adjustment means, and control means.

In one embodiment, the ultrasound therapy unit 314 may perform a function of forming a thermal focus by ultrasonic waves, and may be implemented as a transducer that generates ultrasonic waves.

In one embodiment, the position sensing means can perform a function of grasping the position, size, and shape of a target to be thermally focused. For example, the position sensing means may include a imaging unit 315. Here, an image probe for irradiating ultrasonic waves to the sensing target region and imaging the sensing target region may be utilized as the imaging unit 315. 3 and 4, the imaging unit 315 is coupled to the ultrasonic treatment unit 314, that is, to the center of the transducer, so that the imaging unit 315 can detect the tissue 90 to be treated, So as to image the skin tissue having the thermal focal point.

On the other hand, the position adjustment means can perform a function of adjusting the position of the thermal focal point. In one embodiment, the location of the thermal focus may vary along a straight line or a curve, and for this purpose, the position adjustment means may linearly move the ultrasound therapy unit 314 or tilt it about a predetermined reference axis. In addition, the position adjusting means may move the ultrasonic treatment unit 314 forward or backward, and may elevate or lower the ultrasonic treatment unit 314. Also, the position adjusting means may be moved in the Y-axis direction while moving the ultrasound treatment unit 314 in the X-axis direction on the XYZ three-dimensional coordinate system, in the Z-axis direction while moving in the Y- It can be moved in the X-axis direction while moving. In addition, the linear motion and the tilting motion described above may be performed in parallel. Referring to FIG. 7, it can be understood that the ultrasonic treatment unit 314 can be moved by coupling the ultrasonic treatment unit 314 to the support 316 connected to the driver 218. 7 and 8, it can be understood that the so-called tilting motion in which the direction of the ultrasonic wave is varied by the ultrasonic wave treatment unit 314 is rotatably coupled to the support 316 is possible. It will also be appreciated that position adjustment means may be implemented with driver 218, support 316, etc. as described above. On the other hand, reference numerals 20, 22, and 24 shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 denote thermal focus.

In one embodiment, the ultrasound therapy unit 314 may be configured to provide thermal focus at different locations. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 3, a first thermal focus 12a is formed at a shallow depth, a second thermal focus 12b is formed at a deeper position, and a third thermal focus 12c is formed at the deepest position . For this purpose, the single ultrasound treatment unit 314 is divided into a plurality of sections, and the focal distances of the ultrasonic waves irradiated from the respective sections may be different from each other. For example, the first thermal focal point 12a is formed in the region from the central region of the ultrasonic treatment unit 314 to the first outer diameter, and the second thermal focal point 12b is formed in the region from the first outer diameter to the second outer diameter. And the third thermal focal point 12c can be formed in a region from the second outer diameter to the outer periphery of the ultrasonic treatment unit 314. [ Here, the first transducer 314a forms a portion forming the first thermal focal point 12a, the second transducer 314b forms a portion forming the second thermal focal point 12b, and the third thermal focal point 12c May be referred to as a third transducer 314c.

In another embodiment, a plurality of ultrasound therapy units 314-1 may be provided that form a thermal focus at different positions. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 4, the fourth to seventh transducers 314d, 314e, 314f, and 314g are disposed apart from each other in the first cartridge 310-1 to form an array, The third through fourth thermal focal points 12d, 12e, 12f, and 12g may be formed at different positions. Although the fourth through seventh thermal focal points 12d, 12e, 12f, and 12g are all formed at the same depth in FIG. 4, the fourth through seventh thermal focal points 12d, 12e, 12f, and 12g It will be understood that they may be formed at different depths.

Here, it is general that the sweat glands 2 are widely distributed in a region of the dermal layer adjacent to the subcutaneous fat layer, that is, a region approximately 2.0 to 4.0 mm deep from the skin surface. In consideration of the average size of the sweat glands 2, the height from the lower end to the upper end of the thermal focal point 12 is preferably set in a range of approximately 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm. Therefore, when the irradiation depth of the thermal focus 12 is adjusted to approximately 2.5 to 3.5 mm, the thermal focus 12 may be formed in the skin tissue at a depth of 1.5 to 4.5 mm from the surface of the skin, It is possible to reduce the problem of damaging other tissues other than the sweat glands 2 while improving the removal efficiency of the sweat glands 2 by intensively aiming the distributed depth.

On the other hand, the above-described position adjusting means can individually adjust a plurality of ultrasonic treatment units 314-1. Whereby the position of each of the thermal foci can also be adjusted independently of one another.

In one embodiment, the control means controls the position adjusting means to perform the function of forming the thermal focus 12 on the target glands 2. At this time, the position of the target glands 2 can be grasped through the position sensing means, and the control means can receive data from the position sensing means. For example, when the position sensing means is implemented by the imaging unit 315, the image information of the treatment subject tissue 90 can be acquired, and the exact position and size of the sweat glands 2 can be obtained . By moving or tilting the ultrasonic treatment unit 314 to the correct position by using the position and size information of the sweat glands 2 thus determined, it is possible to reduce the damage of other tissues except for the sweat glands 2, Can be removed. The control means may be realized by the control unit 120 or the like described later. The data obtained by the position sensing means, the analysis result of the data, and the like may be stored in the database 80.

As described above, the focused ultrasound treatment device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention can simultaneously form a plurality of thermal foci 12, thereby reducing the time required for removing the sweat glands 2 have.

Meanwhile, the focused ultrasound treatment device 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention may be a medical device capable of performing two or more treatments different from each other using focused ultrasound.

At this time, the above two or more procedures may include non-invasive face lifting or skin tightening procedures, reduction or removal of non-invasive subcutaneous fat layer, and gynecological disease treatment and / have.

The focused ultrasound treatment apparatus 10 may be configured to form the thermal focus 12 on a dermal layer, a fascia layer, or a SMAS layer located at about 1.5 mm to 4.5 mm from the surface of the skin to perform facial lifting or skin tightening tightening procedure or to perform the fat reduction or removal procedure by forming the thermal focus 12 on the subcutaneous fat layer located approximately 6.0 mm to 15.0 mm from the skin surface. Alternatively, a thermal focus can be formed on the muscle responsible for female vasoconstriction, thereby performing a procedure for regenerating or restoring the intramuscular or peripapillary muscle.

The focused ultrasound treatment apparatus 10 may include an apparatus body 100, a handpiece assembly 200, a cartridge set 300, and the like.

The apparatus main body 100 may provide information related to the procedure to a practitioner (not shown), and the operator may operate or operate the focused ultrasound treatment apparatus 10. For example, the apparatus main body 100 may include a display unit 110 for displaying information related to the operation of the operator, and a controller 120 for operating or controlling the focused ultrasound apparatus 10 by a practitioner. As the controller 120, a touch screen or the like may be used.

The handpiece assembly 200 may include a procedure handpiece 210 and a connection cable 220. The manipulation handpiece 210 is for irradiating focused ultrasound to a subject, and may be provided in a hand-held form for the convenience of user's manipulation. For example, the procedure handpiece 210 may include a handle 212 to allow a practitioner to hold the procedure handpiece 210. An operation switch 212a for controlling an ultrasonic irradiation operation may be provided at an upper end of the handle 212. The connection cable 220 may be for electrically and physically connecting the procedure handpiece 210 and the apparatus main body 100. One end of the connection cable 220 may be connected to the manipulation handpiece 210 and the other end may be detachably connected to the device body 100 in a connecting manner.

The cartridge set 300 may be a set of a plurality of cartridges. For example, the cartridge set 300 may include a first cartridge 310, a second cartridge 330, and a third cartridge 320 having different operating conditions. The first cartridge 310 to the third cartridge 330 are different from each other in terms of the purpose of the operation. Specifically, the first cartridge 310 may perform a procedure for non-invasively removing the sweat glands for treatment of hyperhidrosis or otitis And the second cartridge 320 is for a reduction or removal procedure of a non-invasive subcutaneous fat layer and the third cartridge 330 is for non-invasive face lifting or skin tightening procedures .

Each of the first to third cartridges 310, 320, and 330 may be configured to be detachable from the procedure handpiece 210. For example, the front end of the handle 212 may be provided with a guide portion 214 for fastening with the cartridge of the cartridge set 300. In one embodiment, the guide portion 214 may be provided in a bar shape protruding in the front end direction of the first handle portion 212. A through hole 312a having a shape corresponding to an end surface of the guide portion 214 may be provided in a central region of the cartridge body 312. [ 6A, the cartridge 310 can be mounted on the procedure handpiece 210 by inserting the guide portion 214 into the through hole 312a. At this time, in order to prevent the first cartridge 310 from being mounted, a locking device 214a may be provided at the front end of the guide part 214, and the operator may rotate the locking device 214a The first cartridge 310 can be locked or unlocked. On the other hand, the cartridge body 312 may have a closed structure as a whole, and the medium L may be filled therein. A transparent member 318 such as a window may be provided at a lower portion of the cartridge body 312. The focused ultrasound irradiated from the ultrasound therapy unit 314 through the permeable member 318 can be irradiated toward the skin tissue of the subject to be treated. Accordingly, the ultrasonic treatment unit 314 can non-invasively form a thermal focal point on the skin tissue to be treated at a predetermined depth from the surface of the skin through the permeable member 318.

An image probe 216 for imaging the tissue 90 to be treated may be provided in the guide part 214. The image probe 216 may be provided in a substantially bar shape along the guide portion 214. The image probe 216 may generate image ultrasound to image the skin tissue to be treated, that is, the skin layer, the dermal layer, the fat layer, and the like. When the first to third cartridges 310, 320, and 330 are fastened to the handpiece 210, the guide unit 214 may move the first to third cartridges 310, 320, and 330, The ultrasound therapy unit 314 may be provided to be positioned above the ultrasound therapy unit 314. Accordingly, the ultrasound therapy unit 314 can perform the function of irradiating the focused ultrasound waves while moving back and forth in the lower portion of the first guide unit 214. Accordingly, the ultrasound therapy unit 314 can be operated by the ultrasound therapy unit It can also be called. In addition, the first image probe 216 may generate a separate ultrasound image to image the subcutaneous fat layer and display the subcutaneous fat layer on the display unit 110.

Here, a driver 218 may be provided on the procedure handpiece 210 for the forward and backward movement of the ultrasound therapy unit 314. A stepping motor or the like may be used as the actuator 218 and the actuator 218 and the ultrasound therapy unit 314 may be connected to each other by a support 316. [ Accordingly, the ultrasonic treatment unit 314 can be moved back and forth by the driver 218 moving the support 316 back and forth.

The actuator 218 may move the ultrasonic treatment unit 314 in the forward and backward directions so that the ultrasonic treatment unit 314 has a treatment interval of approximately 40.0 mm to 100.0 mm. More specifically, the driver 218 may be provided as a stepping motor, and the ultrasonic treatment unit 314 may be moved back and forth by a selected length within a range of approximately 40.0 mm to 100.0 mm. At this time, the ultrasound therapy unit 314 may irradiate focused ultrasound waves during the movement of the range. The ultrasonic treatment unit 314 may be configured to irradiate focused ultrasonic waves at predetermined intervals so that the thermal focuses 12 and 20 form a plurality of dots along the same line, It can be set to irradiate the focused ultrasonic waves so as to form a straight line without a gap.

On the other hand, if the anteroposterior movement length of the ultrasonic treatment unit 314 is less than 40.0 mm, the operation time for the skin lifting, skin tightening, or subcutaneous fat layer is small, and the operation time can be very long. Since the subcutaneous fat layer bends in both directions on the basis of the human navel, when the anteroposterior movement range of the ultrasound therapy unit 314 exceeds 100.0 mm, the ultrasound therapy unit 314 converges to a certain depth The depth of the initial focusing ultrasonic wave irradiation and the final focusing ultrasonic wave irradiation depth for the subcutaneous fat layer are different from each other, so that the risk of focused ultrasound wave irradiation to the region outside the subcutaneous fat layer may be increased. This risk can similarly occur in terms of skin lifting or skin tightening. Therefore, the actuator 218 is set so that the ultrasonic treatment unit 314 can be moved back and forth within a range of approximately 40.0 mm to 100.0 mm, and more preferably within a range of 60.0 mm to 80.0 mm. It may be suitable for shortening the procedure time while ensuring the safety of the procedure.

And a medium L for effective ultrasonic wave transmission of the ultrasonic treatment unit 314. For example, water may be filled in the first cartridge body 312 as a medium L for ultrasonic wave transmission of the ultrasonic treatment unit 314. [ In addition, the medium L may be used as a cooling fluid for cooling the heat generated by the ultrasonic treatment unit 314. More specifically, the first cartridge 310 has a thermal focus 12 having a relatively high energy intensity to induce decomposition of adipose tissue, as compared to the second cartridge 320 The heat generated by the ultrasonic treatment unit 314 may be relatively high. Therefore, at least in the case of the first cartridge 310, it is necessary to maintain the medium L in a predetermined temperature range in order to cool the ultrasonic treatment unit 314. The predetermined temperature range of the medium L may be a temperature at which the heat generated by the ultrasonic wave treatment unit 314 is effectively cooled and the function of the ultrasonic wave transmission medium is not problematic. As an example, the predetermined temperature range of the medium L may be approximately 0 ° C to 30 ° C. If the temperature of the medium L is less than 0 ° C., the medium L is frozen or dew is formed on the main surface of the cartridge body 312 due to a temperature difference between the external environment, The safety may be deteriorated. In contrast, when the temperature of the medium L exceeds 30 ° C, the heat generated by the ultrasonic wave treatment unit 314 can not be effectively cooled, and thus the service life and performance reliability of the ultrasonic wave treatment unit 314 may be deteriorated.

In order to adjust the temperature of the medium L as described above, the focused ultrasound treatment apparatus 10 may further include a medium circulator 130. The medium circulator 130 may cool the medium L in the cartridge mounted on the procedure handpiece 210 while keeping the medium L at a predetermined temperature range. For example, the medium circulator 130 may include a medium receiver 132, a medium circulation line 134, a medium temperature meter 136, and a medium temperature controller 138.

The medium receiver 132 may receive the medium L. As the medium L, water may be used, and the medium receiver 132 may receive a predetermined amount of water. A leveling line (not shown) or various sensors (not shown) may be provided in the medium receiver 132 to detect the amount of the medium L stored. The medium circulation line 134 can circulate the medium L in the cartridge body 312 through the medium circulation port 315 provided in the cartridge body 312. The medium circulation line 134 includes a medium supply line 134a for supplying the medium L from the medium receiver 132 to a medium supply port 315a of the medium circulation port 315, And a medium recovery line 134b for recovering the medium L from the medium receiver 315b to the medium receiver 132. [ The medium temperature meter 136 may include at least one temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the medium L. The medium temperature meter 136 is provided in the medium circulation line 134, the medium receiver 132, or the leveling line, and measures the temperature of the medium L to transmit the measured temperature data to the controller 120). The medium temperature controller 138 may adjust the temperature of the medium L to a predetermined temperature. For example, the medium temperature controller 138 may include a cooler (not shown) provided in the medium receiver 132. As the cooler, a cooling element such as a Peltier element, a cooling water line through which cooling water flows, or the like can be used. Although not shown, circulation means such as a pump may be installed on the medium circulation line 134. The pump may provide a flow pressure of the medium for circulation of the medium L.

The controller 120 receives the temperature data of the medium L from the medium temperature meter 136 and monitors the temperature in real time during the focused ultrasound procedure. When the medium L in the cartridge body 312 is out of the preset temperature range due to the heat generated by the treatment unit 314, the controller 120 determines that the temperature of the medium L satisfies a preset temperature range The medium temperature controller 138 may be controlled such that the medium L is cooled by the medium temperature controller 138 until the medium temperature L is reached.

As described above, the focused ultrasound treatment apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention includes the ultrasonic cartridge 310 having the ultrasound therapy unit 314 for generating the thermal focuses 12 and 20 of the focused ultrasound waves, (L) having ultrasonic wave transmission and cooling water function is circulated and cooled to be maintained within a predetermined temperature range by performing sweat sweat or oschotomy to remove sweat glands, It is possible to effectively alleviate problems such as reduction in service life due to heat generation of the ultrasound therapy unit 314 and decrease in equipment reliability.

The focused ultrasound treatment apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured such that the first cartridge 310 to the third cartridge 330 having the conditions suitable for different types of operations are provided to the procedure handpiece 210, The practitioner selects a cartridge capable of performing a desired operation among the first to third cartridges 310, 320, and 330, attaches the cartridge to the procedure handpiece 210, can do. In this case, as compared with a focused ultrasound medical instrument capable of only a single-purpose operation, various operations can be performed by replacing a cartridge as a single device, so that a structure of a multi-purpose ultrasonic medical device can be realized.

Particularly, in the case of non-invasive ultrasonic treatment of face lifting and non-invasive ultrasonic treatment of subcutaneous fat layer reduction, since the depth and intensity condition of focused ultrasound and the skin tissue of the object to be imaged are completely different, It was very difficult to implement. However, the focused ultrasound treatment device 10 according to the present invention may include a common image probe 216 for the second to third cartridges 320 and 330 in the procedure handpiece 210, The technical barriers are solved by enabling the heterodyning through the replacement of the second and third cartridges 310 and 320. [

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating a focused ultrasound therapy apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram schematically illustrating a focused ultrasound therapy apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 10, the focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention includes an ultrasound treatment unit 314 for forming an ultrasound focusing point that satisfies the first condition and the second condition. Here, the first condition may mean a condition for removing or reducing sweat glands due to the cavitation effect, and the second condition may mean a condition for preventing the removal or reduction of sweat glands surrounding tissues. At this time, damage such as removal or reduction of tissue surrounding the sweat glands may be caused by a thermal effect by focused ultrasound or a cavitation effect by focused ultrasound.

The focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention may further include the above-described treatment handpiece 210, the equipment body 100, the driver 218, the control unit 120, Is omitted.

The first condition and the second condition related information may be stored in the first condition part 81 and the second condition part 82 of the database 80, respectively. The controller 120 may control the ultrasound therapy unit 314 to operate in a range that satisfies the first condition and the second condition stored in the first condition unit 81 and the second condition unit 82, respectively.

In one embodiment, the first condition may be that the center frequency of the focused ultrasound emitted from the ultrasound therapy unit 314 falls within the range of 500 kHz to 1.1 MHz. If the center frequency is less than 500 kHz or exceeds 1.1 MHz, the damage rate of the eczrine line 2a or the apocrine line 2b may be reduced rapidly.

In one embodiment, the first condition may be that the energy of the focused ultrasound emitted from the ultrasound therapy unit 314 falls within the range of 50 to 150 W. If the energy of the focused ultrasonic wave is less than 50 W, the bubble formed around the focusing point of the focused ultrasonic wave is too stable, so that the ripple force due to the change of the shape of the bubble is drastically decreased. When the energy of the focused ultrasonic wave exceeds 150 W, So that energy can be unnecessarily wasted.

In one embodiment, the first condition may be at least one of shock wave emission, microjet penetration, and microjet penetration (impact of microjet).

In one embodiment, the first condition may be a condition such that a donut-shaped bubble that is re-expanded after being created is formed at the focusing point of the focused ultrasound. At this time, it is preferable that the impact velocity at re-expansion of the donut-shaped bubble is set to be more than 100 m / s and less than 4000 m / s. When the impact speed is too low during the re-expansion of the donut-shaped bubble, there arises a problem that the damage rate of the eczrine line 2a or the apocrine line 2b becomes insufficient. When the impact rate during re-expansion of the donut-shaped bubble is too high, There is a problem that the duration of the cavitation effect is drastically reduced. In addition, it is preferable that the pressure applied around the donut-shaped bubble in the process of re-expansion of the donut-shaped bubble is in the range of 30 to 60 kbar. If the pressure applied to the periphery of the donut type bubble is too low, the influence on the sweat gland tissues will be excessively low, and if too high, the tissue surrounding the sweat glands will be damaged due to the cavitation effect.

In one embodiment, the second condition may include a thermal effect of the focused focused ultrasound and a contribution of the cavitation effect to prevent damage to the surrounding tissue of the glands. For example, increasing the energy of ultrasound output from the focused ultrasound device may increase the cavitation effect and increase the thermal effect by the ultrasound. Therefore, the magnitude of the ultrasonic energy can be adjusted so that the contribution of the cavitation effect is greater than a predetermined reference value while maintaining the contribution of the thermal effect below a predetermined reference value. Here, besides the ultrasonic energy level, the frequency of the ultrasonic wave, the irradiation time, and the like may be adjusted.

In one embodiment, the second condition may comprise acoustic parameters of focused ultrasound that may prevent damage to the glandular surrounding tissue. The acoustic parameters of the focused ultrasound may include any one of peak rarefactional pressure, frequency, and pulse length.

In one embodiment, the second condition may include that the energy of the ultrasonic wave emitted from the ultrasonic wave treatment part is 25 W / cm ² or less at a center frequency of 1 MHz. When the energy of the ultrasonic wave radiated from the ultrasonic wave treatment part exceeds 25 W / cm ² and is irradiated for a predetermined time, damage of the human body tissue may occur.

In one embodiment, a focused ultrasound emission process may be performed with a photosensitizer injected into the tissue to be treated to prevent the removal or reduction of tissue surrounding the sweat glands. Herein, the photosensitizer refers to a substance that induces photosensitivity, and the photosensitizer may include rose bengal, porphyrin, and the like. Rose bengal is a dye that acts to photo-sensitize oxidation, and porphyrin is also used to treat cancer. Rose bengal is preferably injected at about 50 mg / kg.

In one embodiment, the bubble generated at the focusing point of the focused ultrasound may be analyzed to determine the planar distribution of the sweat glands. For example, it is possible to confirm the flat distribution of the sweat glands by analyzing the position and characteristics of bubbles in a state where bubbles are generated by at least cavitation phenomenon while satisfying a condition that at least the damage of the tissue around the sweat glands is not met. Here, interference ultrasonic waves or harmonic components can be used to analyze the position and characteristics of bubbles. In the present specification, the term " interference ultrasound " means ultrasound across a focusing point of a focused ultrasound, and interference ultrasound is affected by the progress of the ultrasound waves while passing through the bubble. Therefore, the characteristic of the bubble can be grasped by analyzing the received signal after the interference ultrasonic wave passes through the focal point. At this time, the center frequency deflection degree, the amplitude change, the attenuation characteristic, etc. of the signal received after the bubble transmission of the interference ultrasonic wave can be analyzed. To this end, it may include an interference ultrasonic wave unit (not shown) for receiving the signal passing through the bubble by generating the interference ultrasonic wave, and an analysis unit (not shown) for analyzing the received signal to analyze the characteristics of the bubble.

In one embodiment, the distribution of sweat glands may be visually confirmed using a predetermined reagent. For example, a reagent containing at least one of acrylamide, glycoprotein, HMFG-1, chondroitinase ABC sensitive anionic sites, and alkaline phosphatase may be used to measure the distribution of sweat glands Can be confirmed.

Once the distribution of the sweat glands is grasped in this manner, the sweat glands removal treatment can be performed more safely and efficiently by irradiating focused ultrasonic waves to the region where the sweat glands are likely to be present.

10, the ultrasound therapy unit 314 may irradiate the focused ultrasound wave with the first cartridge 310 positioned so that the permeable member 318 contacts the skin layer 1a. At this time, the focused focused ultrasound meets the first condition and the second condition described above, so that the damage of the surrounding tissues of the sweat glands is minimized, and the sweat glands can be effectively reduced. Here, a bubble CB is formed by the cavitation effect at the focusing point of the ultrasonic wave, and the bubble CB can dissipate energy in the process of re-expansion or the like to remove or reduce sweat glands. Meanwhile, since the focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment can analyze the planar distribution of the bubbles by using the interference ultrasonic waves or the harmonics, it is possible to perform the safe and efficient operation without using the imaging unit 315. Accordingly, the manufacturing cost of equipment can be remarkably reduced as compared with the case of using the imaging unit 315 or the like, and convenience and efficiency of the procedure can be improved.

Although the embodiments of the focused ultrasound treatment apparatus according to the present invention have been described above, it is apparent that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described, but should be determined by the scope of the appended claims, and equivalents thereof. It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments are illustrative in all aspects and should not be construed as limiting, and the scope of the present invention is indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and the meaning and scope of the claims and their equivalents All changes or modifications that come within the scope of the present invention should be construed as being included within the scope of the present invention.

10: Focus ultrasound treatment device
12, 20: thermal focus
80: Database
81: First conditional part
82: second conditional part
90: Targeted organization
100:
110:
120:
130: medium circulation machine
132: medium receptor
134: medium circulation line
136: Medium temperature meter
138: medium temperature controller
200: Handpiece assembly
210: Procedure handpiece
220: Connecting cable
300: Cartridge set
310: first cartridge
320: second cartridge
330: Third cartridge

Claims (21)

An ultrasound therapy unit for irradiating a focused ultrasound wave to an operation target skin tissue distributed at a predetermined depth from the skin surface to form an ultrasound focusing point;
A driver for driving the ultrasonic treatment unit; And
And a controller for controlling the actuator so that the ultrasound therapy unit is driven while satisfying the first condition and the second condition,
The first condition is a condition for removal or reduction of sweat glands by a cavitation effect,
The second condition is a condition for preventing damage to the tissue around the glands
Focused ultrasound procedure.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first condition is such that the center frequency of the focused ultrasonic waves emitted from the ultrasonic wave treatment unit is in the range of 500 kHz to 1.1 MHz.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first condition is such that the energy of the focused ultrasonic wave emitted from the ultrasonic wave treatment unit is in the range of 50 to 150 W.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first condition is to cause a donut-shaped bubble to be re-expanded after being created to be formed at a focusing point of focused ultrasonic waves.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the first condition is such that an impact velocity at the time of re-expansion of the donut-shaped bubble is in a range of more than 100 m / s and less than 4000 m / s.
5. The method of claim 4,
Wherein the first condition is such that the pressure applied around the donut-shaped bubble during the re-expansion of the donut-shaped bubble is in the range of 30 to 60 kbar.
The method according to claim 1,
An interference ultrasonic wave part for irradiating a single ultrasonic wave toward the ultrasonic focusing point and receiving a signal transmitted through the ultrasonic focusing point; And
And an interference ultrasonic analyzer for analyzing the received signal transmitted through the ultrasonic focusing point to derive characteristics of the sweat glands.
An ultrasound therapy unit for forming a thermal focus by ultrasound energy focusing on the skin tissue to be treated at a predetermined depth from the skin surface;
Position sensing means for sensing at least one of a position and a size of the target to be thermally focused;
Position adjusting means for adjusting the position of the thermal focus; And
And control means for controlling the position adjusting means so that the thermal focus is formed at a target position grasped by the position detecting means.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the subject tissue comprises a skin layer 1.5 to 4.5 mm deep from the surface of the skin,
The irradiation depth of the thermal focus is 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm from the skin surface,
Wherein the thermal focus has a vertical height of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the tissue to be treated comprises a skin layer comprising at least one of an acinus and an apocrine line,
Wherein the thermal focus removes at least one of the acinus and the apocrine lines in the skin layer by at least one of a thermal effect and a cavitation effect.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the position sensing means comprises an imaging unit for imaging the internal tissue of the human body that is spaced apart from the surface of the skin.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the position adjusting means moves the ultrasound therapy unit in at least two axial directions of an X-axis, a Y-axis, and a Z-axis.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the position adjusting means changes the direction in which the ultrasonic treatment unit irradiates the ultrasonic waves.
Equipment body;
A surgical handpiece provided on the apparatus main body;
A first cartridge including an ultrasound therapy unit detachable from the manipulation handpiece and generating focused ultrasound therein and an imaging unit imaging the tissue to be treated at a predetermined depth from the skin surface;
A driver for driving the ultrasonic treatment unit;
A controller for controlling the driver; And
And a display unit for displaying image data imaged by the imaging unit,
The subject's tissue includes sweat glands,
Wherein the ultrasonic treatment unit is provided to non-invasively form a thermal focal point of the focused ultrasound wave on a skin tissue of a predetermined depth from the surface of the skin during a procedure,
Wherein the controller controls the driver to define at least one thermal focus by limiting the thermal focus to the skin tissue.
15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the skin tissue comprises a skin layer 1.5 to 4.5 mm deep from the skin surface,
The irradiation depth of the thermal focus is 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm from the skin surface,
Wherein the thermal focus has a vertical height of 0.5 mm to 2.0 mm.
15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the tissue to be treated comprises a skin layer comprising at least one of an acinus and an apocrine line,
Wherein the thermal focus removes at least one of the acinus and the apocrine lines in the skin layer by at least one of a thermal effect and a cavitation effect.
15. The method of claim 14,
The first cartridge comprises:
A cartridge body having the ultrasound therapy unit built therein; And
And a medium for filling the inside of the cartridge body and cooling the ultrasonic wave treatment unit and the ultrasonic wave treatment unit,
Wherein the focused ultrasound treatment device further comprises a media circulator that circulates the medium relative to the cartridge body such that the media maintains a predetermined temperature within the cartridge body.
15. The method of claim 14,
The first cartridge comprises:
A cartridge body having the ultrasound therapy unit built therein;
A medium filled in the cartridge body for cooling the ultrasound treatment unit and the ultrasound wave; And
And a transmission member provided at one side of the cartridge body so that the focused ultrasound irradiated from the ultrasound therapy unit is transmitted to and transmitted to the target tissue.
15. The method of claim 14,
A second cartridge for subcutaneous fat layer reduction procedures and a third cartridge for face lifting or skin tightening procedures.
15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the ultrasonic treatment unit includes a transducer for forming the thermal focus,
Wherein the imaging unit is coupled to the center of the transducer and is opposed to the skin tissue to be treated at the time of surgery, thereby imaging the skin tissue to be treated with the thermal focus.
15. The method of claim 14,
The ultrasound therapy unit includes:
A first transducer forming a first thermal focus; And
And a second transducer forming a second thermal focus at a location spaced apart from the first thermal focus.

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